Hello!

I'm usually posting on the african big game hunting forum, but I need your advices on the following question.

What kind of revolver would you prefer for following up wounded wild boar in dense (very dense) cover? The revolver will be used as a last resort in situations where a rifle or slug-gun can't be manouvered, i.e. in the dense vegetation where wounded boars often are hiding.

The choice will probably be between Ruger Redhawk/Super Redhawk and a Smith and Wesson M29 in .44 Mag. with a barrel length of around 5-7 inches. Any comments on reliability, manouverabilty, quality etc. on the above will be most appreciated.

[ 12-09-2002, 02:23: Message edited by: Kalle Stolt ]

I carry a pistol quite a bit but for that situation I can't imagine how I could use it quick enough? Where would you put your long gun while you reached for the pistol? Maybe hold it with one hand and fire the pistol with the other?

I would just aim the long gun at the quarry. When I think of say an 30/06 vrs a .44 pistol I reach for the 06 every time.

Carry a Bowie Knife. That will make an impression on your buddies?

[ 12-08-2002, 23:15: Message edited by: Don Martin29 ]

if your going to stay with long barrel get a 480 srh not a 44mag ,480 does not kick that much more and a lot heavier hardcast bullet if you reload.imo

Jim Corbett, the king of man eating tiger hunters, sometimes faced the delima of going into dense cover for wounded animals. As romantic as it may sound, the weapon of choice and good sense is NOT a pistol...it's a short barreled shotgun. And if I had to really go into dense cover for something dangerous, that's exactly what I would choose.

There isn't a handgun made that's more ferocious than a shotgun at close range. Plus there is an added advantage, I think, that you can get off ACCURATE faster follow up shots if it comes to that.

I've seen and heard to many accounts of hogs and pistols to think that ANY pistol will nail a determined hog to the ground. So if you really think a confrontation with a wounded angry hog is in your future...get yourself a good short barreled shotgun. JMHO

[ 12-09-2002, 02:57: Message edited by: Pecos45 ]

Maybe I'm better of with a short barreled shotgun... The fact though, is that the revolver has become quite poular among some experienced hunters. Good reasons might be that it is easier to use a revolver than a long gun if you have to use one hand for holding a flashlight or the leash for the tracking dog during a follow up.
If in the type of cover where vegetation limits the handling of a long gun is entered, one can hang it over the shoulder with the sling.

DonMartin29,
My motive is not to impress on my buddies! That is not done with a weapon of any sort (i.e. big knives, "cool" revolvers, expensive rifles etc.), but rather by your skill as a hunter! "Skill as a hunter" implies finishing the game of as quick and effective as possible. The question is: would a revolver help me to do that?

My take on this is contrary to what you've already read....

I use an EAA Witness Compact in 10mm. I load it with 180gr XTP's and a "full house" load of Blue Dot.

If you wound something you don't always have the luxury of going back to the truck and getting a shotgun and even a short barreled shotgun can be pretty hard to manuever in really tight cover which is where piggy is headed if you wound him.

The Witness rides in a Bianchi shoulder holster out of the way and out of mind until needed but it gives me 10 shots of ferocious medicine to deliver in very short order.

Don't get me wrong... This isn't grizzly medicine and I wouldn't be using it for wounded lions or leopards in the long grass but you mentioned wild hogs and it's dispatched 2 now with full penetration, and both died in very short order.

Although the wild hog can be pretty aggressive in close quarters, unless it's an older 250lb plus boar with thick gristle plates you shouldn't need a shotgun or 458 Win Mag!

I also own a 44mag Super Blackhawk Hunter (44mag) with a Bianchi shoulder holster but it's too much to carry day in and day out while also carrying a rifle in the thick stuff.

Keep a sling on your rifle and put it on your "non shooting hand shoulder".... That's what I've done and it's still there for a dispatching shot if piggy turns out to be a monster boar!

Recently I found myself on my hands and knees sneaking up on a pretty big boar in a "tunnnel" of briars and vines in a swamp in Florida and that 10mm was pretty comfortable in my right hand and I felt like I could handle him if we came fact to face, but my Model 7 in 308 was really a nuisance there and then and a shotgun would have been about as useless.

Just one man's opinion backed up several years of hog hunting experience in Florida.....

$bob$

I hunt wild boar here in California with a S&W 629 and a 6" barrel.

Last three were shot at about 20 feet.

I use Garrett 310 grain Hammerheads.

OK, some good points have been made since my initial response. My first thoughts were not of a NIGHT adventure where you had to hold a flashlight or possibly a dog! In daylight, if I could chose my weapon, it would still be a shotgun w/18" barrel.

Night time and flashlights etc, I think I'll agree with LD and take a good auto pistol. (NOT a 9mm) I'm NOT impressed either with any of the really high power pistols like 44 Mag and up. They are too hard to get back on target for any accurate follow up shot.......and hitting ANYTHING at night with iron sights is a very difficult trick at best. I've shot a lot of combat pistol at night and watched 90 of the shooters go away with NO HITS...and we are talking stationary targets. Not one moving as fast as a hog can.

A damn good auto pistol could, I agree, be a pretty good weapon for night. Personally I think I would pick the old .45ACP with 230gr FMJ's. With a little practice a .45 is an easy pistol to get off fast accurate fire, especially at close range. And a face full of 230 grain bullets is enough to discourage almost anything.

I am guessing you would get MORE penetration and MORE damage out of this bullet than you would the 10mm. I saw one go thru 14" worth of a friend's leg and never even slow down. NEVER underestimate that fat, silly looking .45 ACP cartridge.

In fact, I read a good magazine article a few years ago about hunting hogs with pistols. The 45 did better than anything. The fellow who shot his hog with the .44 ended up having to be saved by their back up guy with the rifle or he would have gotten his ass CHEWED. (And yes, he hit it thru the vitals with the .44!)

I can't imagine carrying my 45 Colt Rossi 1892 loaded with 300 grain hard cast slugs ahead of 20 grains of H110, and my Winchester SuperX loaded with buck and ball, with a 20 inch barrel. That seems a bit of a handicap.
I can imagine carrying my Rossi 1892 full of the above cartridges and my Colt Anaconda 45 Colt loaded with the same loads as the rifle. Put the Anaconda in a shoulder holster or in a cross draw. The revolver is for the most part out of the way, protected and when I need it I put it in my hot little hands and go crawling in the brush.
Jim

Arky - I'm not suggesting both at once. I was thinking of an either or scenario.

A pistol is probably not an option, as it is very hard to obtain a license for any handgun in Sweden, and for some strange reason - harder for pistol than for revolver (for this special purpose I might add). Also notice that handgun hunting is not permitted in Sweden at all - only dispatching of allready wounded animals.

Maybe I should think of a 357 Mag. instead. It's a good point that quick follow up shots are more difficult with a heavier calibre.

Kalle,

Are you able to reload? If so I'd get the Redhawk in .44 Mag. You can load up or down but you still have bullet mass for penetration. Using a handgun IS more convenient when you are trying to handle leashes, etc. The Redhawk is better for long use with heavier loads than the S&W (even as re-engineered) and lighter for one hand use than the Super Redhawk (which is hell for stout).

I think that the .357 is just too light for this use on large full grown hogs. I think I know, I've got several.

What are you (or your friends) shooting these hogs with (rifle) that you have to go into the brush at night for them? I've used a .44 Mag rifle on hogs in California but never had one go far at all (200 lb range). Then again, I was not shooting driven hogs, these stood there giving me a "go to hell" look while awaiting execution.

I'd have to agreed with our friend Hobie about 357's. Of course I'd opt for the 45 Colt rather then this relatively new untried caliber, the 44 Mag.
Hell, if the Colt was good enough for Wyatt Earp and family, as well as the US Cavalry, shooting big ugly critters, it's good enough for me.
Jim

Kalle

To answer your orginal question. I have a 480 Super redhawk 7 1/2" and a 44 629 Classic 6 1/2". Size wise the 629 is easier to carry I don't see a difference in carring anything up to the 629. My 7 1/2" Bisley and the Super Redhawk do get in the way sometime with the belt holster. The SuperRedhawk is bigger and with weight is felt more. Quality wise the Ruger is able to digest high pressure load better (That's What the experts say) I have not had any problem with my 629 reliablilty. It has seen alot of use. The Rugers are not finished off as well as the Smith and the triggers are no ware near what the Smith has.

As for follow up shots it depends on what kind of ammo is being put through the gun. The Ruger SRH will not recoil as much because of the weight. I can shoot my 629 as fast a recoil will let me. With 300 grainer it does take a bit to get out of recoil. 240-250 grain are not too bad. I have not shot the 200 grainer in year so I cannot comment on that recoil. A 357 will have much less recoil but I feel its muzzle blast seems bigger or more pressure but recoil is much less and getting on target is faster. I personally would rather have the 44 mag.

The Smith is more elgant and for me quicker swinging. The Ruger is tougher. The Ruger also has the scope rings with it if that would be something to use down the road. Tough choice. I hope this helps.

Hcliff

P.S. I got the 629 because I am an Elmer Keith fan

Thanks for you help!

I would like to add that I would prefer a rifle or slug gun if I have both hands free and the cover is not too thick (at least over a yard of free sight).

Hobie,
Personally I use a .30-06 or a .416 Rigby. With good bullets, i.e. Barnes X, both calibers are enough even for large male boars. The problem is that the most popular caliber in Sweden is the 6.5x55. With good bullets in the hands of a good shooter it will do the job, but low quality bullets fired by a nervous, inexperienced hunter at a fully grown boar (maybe over 200 kg in weight) might very well result in a wounded animal and a difficult follow up. Also, as you mentioned, a good deal of the hunting is driven hunts where you dont have the time to carefully place your bullet in an undisturbed animal.
I have to admit that my experience with wild boar is very limited, but it will with no doubt be very extended over the next couple of years due to a rapidly increasing boar population in the southern part of Sweden. I want to be well prepared for the task as that will give me lots of hunting opurtunities - guaranted! My work as an apprentice gamekeeper/hunter also involves searching after wounded animals.

[ 12-10-2002, 00:08: Message edited by: Kalle Stolt ]

Well now I remember a bow hunter in Montana who got pounced on by a sow grizzly with cubs. The hunter crouched into the fetal position to save his head (pack pack also helped) and reached for his handgun (caliber?) and stuck it over his left shoulder next to his neck and fired away. The bear took off - muzzle blasted to death I guess. The lesson I took from this is to carry a double action revolver. Trying to cock that hammer in a single action may be possible but in an stressful instance like this pull the trigger and let fly. I have a 629 with a 5" barrel in a Galco shoulder rig - out of sight but as long as my right hand can function I can get it. Stiff handloads with a 300 gr Hornady are a tad much(control wise) - I want to try the 250 gr Nosler partition.

Kalle,I have hunted several hogs in the swamps with just a hand gun,and have for a couple of years now used the 357 mag.But with your requirement of a back up you might want to look at the Tarus Ragging Bull.If your going to shoot the heavy loads in a 44mag. go with the Rugger Red/or Super redhawk in the 5" bbl.Haven't had a chance to use it yet but just picked up a Ragging Bull in 454 Casual 5" should work great at nose to nose range.

S&W 629 V-COMP 44 Mag. Very accurate and perfect "back up" size.

The Redhawk or the S&W 29. You want a double action revolver that will manage a 44 mag caliber load. With a single action gun you risk AD in the brush or else you end up hoping you can get it cocked before you need to use it.

The suggestion that a 10mm loaded with 180 gr bullets overlooks the reality that what you want for this sort of game is a soft pointed HEAVY bullet -- something that will penetrate pig skin and break bone once it's into the carcass. 44 mag and 45 cal will let you load 265gr and 300 gr. bullets. That's a "pig load." (When you purchase one of these revolvers, ensure that the cylinder will "clear" a 265 gr. or 300 gr. bullet. Some handguns will not accomodate these longer bullets.)

The 10mm with a 180 gr bullet is intended for soft skin humans. It's NOT a game load.

But, I'd go with a Rem. 870, 20" bbl, Imp. Cyl. and 1 oz. slugs. There are all sorts of flashlight attachments you can use with this gun. Then you have both hands on the gun and the light.

Compare the muzzle energy of the 12 gauge shotgun to even a 44 magnum with a 300 gr bullet. I think you'll find the shotgun delivers at least twice the muzzle energy. With the newer, 3" magnum loads, the muzzle energy on the shotgun is even greater.

Searching brush for wounded game, I'd want both hands on the "weapon" and not be at all encumbered by trying to manage a flashlight or a rifle, or even a stick.

[ 12-10-2002, 14:00: Message edited by: Genghis ]

Kalle While the Colt 45ACP is my favorite handgun, I do not use one in the field. It does not have the power you need, and in tight brushy conditions the slide may not be able to function, especially if you are on the ground and have to place the bbl against the hog....well you get the idea. My wife and I both use S&W 4" 44mags. I have been using one for about 30 years. I have longer barrels when I am handgun hunting, but ALWAYS carry the 4" when rifle hunting or backpacking. We carry them in a crossdraw holster. They are easy to get to even in foul weather, just unbutton of unzip the bottom of your rain gear. If you do not reload use Federal 300gr. Cast Core, Garretts Hammerheads or a similar heavy hard cast bullet. I prefer the double action revolver for this work because you can keep a tight grip and do not have to cock the hammer as in a single action. Also with speed loaders you can reload almost as fast as with a semi-auto. I have shot a few hogs in the head, it "knocks" them down right away, some will kick for a while though. I have shot some of them a second time, does not seem to matter, they still kicked for a few seconds, nerve reaction I guess.
Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I fear no beast, for my 44Mag is with me
Its heavy hardcast bullets, backed by 2400 comfort me
All the days of my hunting.

Gentlemen,

I am very thankfull for all your advices. It's great to benefit from your experience!

I think I'm pretty sure of what I want. It will be a S&W 629 or a Ruger Redhawk in .44 Mag. I will check them both out and see which one that feels best.

I'm just hoping that I can get a license for it - that won't be too easy in the trying-to-limit-and-control-everything-country Sweden.

There is a lot of wild hog hunting in the swamps of South Carolina. Most of those hogs are not domesticated hogs gone feral, but rather the decendants of Spanish Boars that were allowed to run free by the settlers in the 1600s. According to the state wildlife department, the average distance at which a hog is killed in the dense brush of the swamps is about seven yards. So the action is fast and point shooting is the norm. Although rifles are normally used to hunt hogs there on private land (usually while hunting deer), the state wildlife department will only allow hogs to be taken with handguns on public lands (because of the fast action and the short distances in the swamps). There is a heck of a lot of public land there in places like the Francis Marion Forest (hideout of the Swamp Fox). The guns that I most often saw used there were .44 Mags and .45 Colts, with .44 Mags being the more common. Most of those guns were single action revolvers. For reliability in a handgun, I think it's hard to beat a single action revolver. Even with half of the internal components screwed up, as long as the cylinder will rotate and the hammer will drop, the gun will fire. For fast, close action, point shooting, I also think it is hard to beat a single action revolver. They just tend to shoot wherever your finger is pointing.

LDHunter,

I carry the same thing. Never had to use it, and only used my primary to scare them away, but I can say that the witness will function just fine caked in mud and cowsh!t, Glocksters, chew on that

I carry a 5.5" Redhawk in .44 every day I spend in the woods here whether armed with a rifle or not. Loaded stiff with 300 XTPs, I've found it the best compromise of power, portability, etc.

Having shot lots of IPSC in the last couple decades, I pulled out my shot timer just for shits & giggles to see how fast I could shoot it accurately. Surprise! Not as bad as you thought! Since I don't plan to reload it during a tussle, I shot half an El Pres (three bad guys at 10 yards, one yard apart) for comparison. I won't share the time, and it doesn't compare to my 1911 carry gun, but it was enlightening!

Redial

S&W 629 3" Trail Boss. .44 Mag; light and handy