Well, chalk up 3 more for the 24" 6.5 Bullberry.

I took our two canine fur-babies out to potty around 9:30 this evening and immediately smelled hogs. My Contender rifle was already on the sandbags, so I got the critters back inside and slipped over to the edge of the yard.

There were 2 hogs at the lighted feeder. I scanned with the thermal to see if any more were lurking but only saw what I believed to be an armadillo.

The hogs weren't large, so I thought a double may be doable -- even though I was shooting the somewhat frangible 123 grain Hornady SST at 2536 fps MV. I love the way it transmits shock and kills quickly, but the tradeoff is less penetration than bullets like the Nosler 120 grain Ballistic Tip or 129 grain Hornady Spire Point..

Nonetheless, when the two lined up, I put the dot of the Meopta MeoStar R2 2-12x50 tight behind the first hog's shoulder. If things worked out like I hoped, the bullet would enter the neck of the second hog.

At the shot, the first hog dropped in its tracks while the second made a bee-line for the creek. There is a very steep embankment where a trail leads through, and animals typically slow down before entering it. Knowing this, I anticipated the hog's move and planted a Hornady into its shoulder, dropping it on the spot -- which was on the very ledge of that embankment. I picked up the thermal to see if anything else was around, and all was clear. But by the time I scanned back to the second hog, the heat signal was gone. It had -- unfortunately -- rolled down into the dry and heavily-overgrown creek bed.

So I stepped into the house, grabbed a pistol and a good flashlight, swapped out shoes for knee-high rubber boots (snake abound here) and prepared to go retrieve them. But before I started up the tractor, I scanned with the thermal once again and picked up another heat signal at the opposite end of the creek bottom. I got back behind my rifle, flipped on the red shooting light and took a look. Lo' and behold, it was another hog. He sensed something wasn't right, though, and turned to vacate the county. But before he got going, I planted an SST on what I hoped was the shoulder and dropped him on the spot.

On the first hog, which is the larger/darker one in the photo, the bullet entered tight behind the shoulder on the slight quartering presentation, demolished the top of the heart and turned much of the chest cavity into mush. None of the bullet made it through the opposite ribcage, and so far, no substantial pieces have been found. On the third hog, the bullet plowed through the shoulder, neatly clipped the top of the heart, heavily damaged the lungs and left a fifty-cent piece-sized exit through the ribcage on the opposite side.

I included a picture of the 2nd hog -- or more precisely, where it landed. Look closely and you can see it in the center of the photo under the grass. (The flash makes a shadow from the ridgeline of its back against the ground.) That's a drop of 16-18 feet from where I stood. You have to tie a chain to the front of the tractor and rappel down the side to get there. After a couple little mishaps in the past, we no longer go into there at night (and I can't even make it in the day time ha ha). I hate that the meat of this one will go to waste, but the risk is too great. And, I am sure the local buzzards and other creatures will be happy in the morning. This hog appeared to be around 100 pounds from what I could tell.








OK, went there while ago and took a couple daylight photos. The hog in the wide view is at the bottom left of the frame. The other is a cropped 200mm view.

You sure know how to work them over with that 6.5 Bulberry, Bobby! Glad you can still get after them.

.

Well done Bobby ! Three in one evening is good going in my book!

Stay safe and all best.

.

Bobby:

That's great!

A triple with single shot rifle.

Don't think I've heard you doing that before.

Congrats! Thanks for the pics too.

George

George-I've taken four with three shots using a Contender in .309 JDJ and have taken triples a number of times. But it has been a while...

Found these for you, George.

http://forums.accuratereloadin...151043781#3151043781

http://forums.accuratereloadin...521005881#1521005881

I am not sure how many times I've taken one, reloaded and then got another, but I do know I have recorded at least 24 true doubles (two hogs with just one shot). I've taken three with one shot only once that I recall, but those were shoats of 50-60 pounds each if memory serves.

I am so jealous—stuck in Tennessee with a car in the shop waiting for a new tranny (covered under warranty) and thinking about being home hunting hogs and getting ready for archery season.

Bobby:

Good reads, thanks.

I have no clue how many doubles I've made
on pr/dogs, lots of 'em. Tried several times for a triple. Most times they moved before I fired.

While antelope hunting, taking a lunch break
at the truck. Watching a mound covered with a
bunch of 'em. I told Charlie; it looked like a possible chance to make a triple.

Cheated some on the shot as I used a .243 100gr instead of the .223. Not much left but, enough to count heads of all three.

One of those But ONCE shots. Imagine if all I've ever shot could have been saved. They'd nearly fill a boxcar. Shot 'em up by the hundreds a day for 50 years or so. And only got the ONE Triple.

Thanks for sharing Bobby.

George

Love it! We have so many feral swine at my buddy's place in OK that it's unusual to not see at least one no matter what you are hunting. 2 weeks ago we were scoping out where we are going to build a shooting tower that will take us to 1000 yards and the next thing you know we are watching 32 hogs run across the cut alfalfa field. Man would that have been a hoot to be sitting in the shooting tower with a loaded 6.5CM AR! I'm also on the Meopta bandwagon. They are second to none when it comes to low light visibility and the MeoStar line is the gold standard with almost anyone who truly requires excellent low light visibility. Thanks again for the post, interesting and entertaining.

Good shooting, Sir.

I hate to miss out on this kind of hunts. But I have all my family within 60 miles including great grands. Can't afford to move to Texas. Be Well Bobby, Packy.