You are sitting on the ground and your only shot is at a 200lb pig directly facing you. Where do you aim? I usually only try to shoot pigs between the ear and the eye, or when head on I am shooting from above. I just don't know where to aim at ground level. Thanks capt david

I'd slap one right in between the front legs, brisket i suspose, even if you are off to one side a bit it will still take out a front wheel, and damage a variety blood vessels.

cheers 338w

Agree, under the chin usually works on most critters.

Yeah, blows up the vitals and doesn't damage hardly any meat!

Under the chin isn't a great call on an animal with such a long muzzle. If you hit the chin, the mouth, you'll most likely lose the animal, I have seen a small pig hit in the mouth front on with a .375H&H, by another forum member here, that got up and ran off.

If you want to take the head shot facing you striaght on, it's down low, below the eyes, if he's looking at you.
This is not an easy shot, it might look like shooting just over the top of his nose, you can shoot up it if you have enough gun, though margin for error is minimal. Otherwise, wait till he's got his head down and feeding and you'll have a much nicer shot into the top of the head, anywhere into the space framed by the ears and eyes, or do the X from ear to eye etc and you'll have an aiming point.

I have seen a lot of bullets deviate course on their skulls, not so much because I think they are particularly tough, moreso due to the angles they create that a bullet can easily follow and deflect from.

Body shots on pigs, my point of aim is well forward and high compared to where most hunters would shoot.

Take out the shoulder, not through the shoulder blade but at the joint, right at the tip of the shoulder. This will damage some meat, but you can be sure the pig won't be going anywhere.

Otherwise, you said well, I like to shoot between the ear and the eye on a broadside shot, slightly closer to the ear.

I have taken only one real frontal shot to a pig (a warthog). I shot him between the eyes, he went down like a sack of potatoes. The bullet blew the brain away, and completely crushed the 3 first vertebras. We didn't need anything but a little folding knife to cut the head off. No meat damage.

Express, that's my thought. I didn't make the shot. I'm a meat hunter and we have enough hogs to not worry about letting one go. I usually hunt from a stand and take eye/ear/head shots at under 100yds. They leave a vertical blood trail. I guess I'm lucky so far I'm 9 for-9. capt david

Wait 2 seconds, pigs are always moving and any kind of angle would give you a better shot. Otherwise, if I had to take the shot and depending on his head position, I'd go for a brainer if it was down or center chest, low neck if it was up.

I shot a pig facing me one time off hand at 43 yards with a 350 gr. Hornandy roundnose at 2330fps out of my 450 No2. At that distance I just held on the "center" of the face. He had seen me and was on alert. There was another pig about 10 feet to his right also on alert. My shot struck just to the right of center below the eye and ranged back into the neck. The pig dropped dead to the shot. I then shot the second pig right behind the shoulder with the left barrel, which also dropped to the shot. The secret to making these kind of shots is to use a big enough gun and a strong enough bullet.
Otherwise you should wait until the animal turns and gives you a different shot.

Right between the eyes. If he is just standing there it is a "no brainer" pun intended.

Capt. David presented the scenario of sitting on the ground which does not give much of an angle choice for a head on shot. Frontal head/brain shots will work fine subject to the caliber/bullet used. If the pig was close enough, chances are that both hunter and prey knew the other was there. The pig, no doubt, would have his head up looking at the hunter. A quick "body mass" shot is what is required. Certainly, if you have the time and concealment a side or top brain shot is O.K.

Many years ago, I shot an old grizzley that came at me from behind. He was on all fours and only 20 feet away when I fired. The 338 Win. 300 gr. hit above the left eye and did not penetrate the skull. What saved my butt was that the bullet traveled around the skull and severed some neck vertebrae, knocking the bear down. My guide put the second finishing shot in the area "under the chin" when the bear was on his side. If I had applied my "body mass" shooting, I probably wouldn't be here participating in the forum.

Several years later, I did take another huge brown bear head on at 75 feet. The guide directed the first shot to be again, "under the chin."

I normally seem to get my hogs while they're quartering away from me. What if you are off of the ground in a stand, the hog is facing you, head down and it's a trophy that you don't want to head shoot? Will it be possible to spine it without much trouble? Nothing worse than chasing a wounded hog through the palmetto.

200# aint a trophy, it's a meal...

right SMACK between the eyes... or pick one

jeffe

We had a show hog (around 350# or so) hit by a car where I work and we were dispatched to direct traffic and assist animal control. Hog was broken down, hit on back legs, but still plenty alive. The owner eventually showed and asked if we would put it down for him. I was junior officer on scene and had to put it down, (and do the report that followed). He has raised show hogs for years and told me to shoot it right below the eyes. I told him I had shot many wild hogs and usually hold above the eyes. He was insistant and so I did as he asked. Used my sidearm, Glock model 22 .40 s&w cal, with 180 grain Winchester SXT (black talon without the black), range 6 feet. Hog died at the shot, like the lights had been turned off. Angle was about the same as if I was sitting and it was approaching with its head down. If I was hunting and one approached with its head up and was dead ahead I would probably try for right under the head and hope for the vertabre. They have not been all that hard to kill in my experience, but that varies from locale to locale.

Good luck and good shooting,
Eterry