I have a pretty wide varity of rifle calibers in the safe and will be hunting hogs in Northern California area soon. What would be a good caliber to hunt these things with? Talked to a partner last night and they recently harvested a 300 lb. boar with 4" tusks but as the hog tumbled down a ravine he broke one off.
Was thinking of putting the whack to one with the .416. What do you think.

well, one behind the ear should sure as hell kill him

I've taken a pile of the stinky little boogers w/ various means such as Mlers, Pistols, Centerfires, Rimfires. etc. Even shot at a few w/ the stick and string.

The average size 150 and less hogs aren't much different than a deer in means of toughness to kill but, The Really Big Boars are probably some of the Toughest Game animals in NA. The Big Boys have real thick shields but, nothing a centerfire can't punch through.

I've shot some behind the ear w/ 22 Mags and dropped them although not the best choice of weapon.

I've shot several w/ my 357 Mag S+W pistol but it's not the best choice either they tend to run a ways on body shots.

The best results I've had were w/ 7RM and 150 NBTs. I know, not the toughest premium in the world but, It will flat out slam a Boar. I've shot them through the head, through the neck, through the shields w/ that rifle and it has dropped them every time. I shot one HUGE boar behind the shoulder in the shields and dropped him in his tracks at 50 yards. The bullet made it to the other side but didn't exit. He had the toughest shields I've ever seen on a hog, felt like he had a sheet of rough plywood on both sides of him.

Just about any descent rifle will work but, the bigger the better. I bet that 416 will slam em'.

Good Luck

Reloader

Hogs are real unpredictable from one kill to the next.

I've seen some Boars hit hard but run for a long ways and other times they just drop dead w/ a Boiler room shot.

I'd prepare for the long run scenario just in case.

Also, Hogs sometimes don't appear to bleed much because their thick stiff hair will catch blood.

Good Luck

Reloader

I used to hunt hogs in the Booneville area. The biggest I was able to take there was about 225lbs and my brother took one on the same morning that looked like his twin. I used an -06 with 180gr Sierras, brother used a Ruger 45LC. I liked the -06 because hogs could be taken anywhere from 15 feet to a couple hundred yards. That said, any centerfire is fine but unless you use head shots only I would recommend 7mm and up. Have fun!
PS if you really want the skinny contact Kyler Hamman who posts here and runs Boaring.com

It would be a hoot to wack one with your 416.

I would love to wack one with my 416 talyor.

My biggest pig is about 250, but I've seen bigger killed. The main thing to remember is a pigs vitals are not partly behind the shoulder as with a deer. If you shoot a deer 6" behind the shoulder you'll probably clip a lung. A little farther back and you'll get a liver. In each case you'll probably kill it within a few seconds. . Any shot farther back than an inch or two will usually result in a gut shot hog. See this website http://www.texasboars.com/ for a better view. Any 6.5/260 or larger, with a relatively tough cup and core bullet at non magnum velocities, will kill a big hog if you hit him in the boiler room. Just don't use the lightest fastest bullet in the lineup. capt david

captdavid,
Thanks for the informative web sight. It taught me something I had not understood before about hog anatomy.
slim

Thanks for that link. Thats the best anatomy picture I've seen. I didn't realize the neck vertabre dropped that low.

I'd like to get a pig but it's hard to find one on public ground. Nate

cptdavid posted an interesting link regarding hog anatomy, but do not be fooled by this link. The pictures shown, while accurate of a dead animal, do not represent the actual anatomy of a living, breathing animal. When the rib cage is breeched by either a blade or bullet, the lungs will shrink down to a size much smaller than they were even when the animal is at full expiration. The size of the lungs, the size of the chest cavity, and the position of the intestines/liver relative to the shoulder will vary greatly with how expanded or contracted the lungs are. In a living animal, the entrails will be further back than in the picture. This is true for all game not just pigs.

If you don't care about losing some meat, just bust the shoulder and you can never go wrong.

Wes

quote:

If you don't care about losing some meat, just bust the shoulder and you can never go wrong.

Pretty good advice -- hit him in the shoulder with a good bullet and he should drop (or run around in a circle squealing and then drop).

pegleg, here in the land of Oz there is no season and no bag limit! i have hunted them for 25 years and shot them with most calibresmy favourite being .257 roberts, but i also shot stacks witha .270. i will add a couple of pictures too.

Back when I was in school, I remember going to an away game, over in maybe Indiana or Tennessee, and seeing a car load of Gals that looked quite similar to that.
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Hey Dugga, Those sure are some fine Hogs you have stacked up and the two hanging are just real nice. Makes me want to go blast a few myself.

there is lots more where they came from too!!!

The last 300 pounder I killed was with a 22 mag between the eyes after he shook the dogs off his ears and charged.

quote:

a 22 mag between the eyes

That's not a bad combo, but I prefer in the crease behind the ear with the .22 Mag.

When he is about to come between your legs you take what shot you have. Thankfully it dropped him quick.

I understand. Next time try jumping stright up, turning left or right as suits you, THEN put it right behind the crease behind the ear. Extra credit if you do that in mid-air.

Don't forget to act nonchalant after the fact, it will dazzle your compadres. They will do all the talking for ya at the bar...

quote:

Originally posted by DigitalDan:
I understand. Next time try jumping stright up, turning left or right as suits you, THEN put it right behind the crease behind the ear. Extra credit if you do that in mid-air. ..

No mirror over the shoulder?

Any shot in the palmetto bushes is a trick shot and it is usually real close quarters. DigitalDan knows since his location is FL. I did bring a deer down once by shooting him in the nuts. Try that one some time.

quote:

That's not a bad combo, but I prefer in the crease behind the ear with the .22 Mag.

I agree w/ you on that, The ole' shot behind the ear w/ a 22 mag will drop em' like a sack of potatoes.

Dwight, you got lucky the bullet didn't ricochet off. Those big boys have tough skulls, I've even seen them deflect rifle bullets. They died but the bullets still deflected at odd angles.

Reloader

I use my .416 as practice for buffalo hunting in africa. Open sites no scope. Great practice.

January 14th im going on a guided pig hunt in No Ca.Foothills of the Sierras. I'm hunting with 270WSM 160 gr Nosler Partion,aprowimately 3,000 MV.That's gotta worl! C'mon now.

quote:

Originally posted by IronWorker378:
January 14th im going on a guided pig hunt in No Ca.Foothills of the Sierras. I'm hunting with 270WSM 160 gr Nosler Partion,aprowimately 3,000 MV.That's gotta worl! C'mon now.

Yes, that will work just fine. I have killed a few with .270 Weatherby and 130 grain Partition or 140 grain X-bullets.

For all you CA pig hunters...Where are the best spots in Northern California?