04 October 2016, 09:42
Bobby Tomektough, tough shot tonight with the 7mm Bullberry
Just before dark this evening, I was outside comparing a pair of scopes when a few piglets appeared in a clearing. About the same time, four deer emerged about 40 yards way from the small hogs, and the miniature swine party decided to high-tail it back into the huisaches.
Fifteen minutes passed, and I was about to head back in as it was all but fully dark. But a dark blob caught my attention, and it was definitely another hog. Several more appeared, but I could not see enough definition through the 2003 model Swarovski PV 3-12x50 and was losing the reticle against the dark targets. So I switched over from the 7-30 to my 7mm Bullberry, which wore a 2004 model PV-N 3-12x50 -- basically the same as the other scope but with an illuminated reticle. The blobs were a bit more defined through this scope, and I could definitely see the reticle. But conditions were still very tough for getting off a humane shot.
So when one hog veered away from the others, I finally knew which end was which. When it stopped, I put the crosshairs on what I figured to be the vitals and touched off a shot. The audible "whap" of the 120 grain Ballistic Tip was reassuring, but I had no clue if the hog dropped or which direction it may have run. So I went back inside, grabbed my Dan Wesson and a good flashlight and drove down there. Our dog Charlie ran ahead of me, and it took him mere seconds to find the hog, which had gone maybe 28-30 yards after the shot.
The entry was a couple inches farther back than I would have liked but still would have taken out the back of lungs and liver on a broadside hog. But I got a pleasant surprise when I flipped the hog over to check for an exit. Unbeknownst to me, the hog was slightly quartering, making the shot even better as it exited only an inch or so behind the opposite shoulder, thus impacting most of both lungs and doing serious tissue damage along the way. I'll take luck any day -- especially on a shot as difficult as this one was. It was 7:57 when I fired, and the clouds had taken away virtually all of the available ambient light. While I was able to make the 165 yard shot, it was anything but a piece of cake and definitely one of the more difficult shots I've ever attempted. Ya' know, it sure would be nice if those hogs came out in good daylight...
