Great pics Benjamin

Looks like it was a well organised trip

Hi Bilbo

My second pig was a male boar 140+ kilograms according to the beaters.

I thumbed it well 15 yards from me in the vitals.

The shot threw the beast off its trotters and rolled twice away from me !

Can you imagine the forces involve ?

It's bigger than a Scottish red stag by weight!

I then turned my attention to another rumble in the under growth and this same boar laid there for over 10 minutes playing dead.

Behind my back it got up and ran with blood spurting from both entry and exit wounds !

It managed 02 strides before I pumped another shot into the spine.

B.T.W. I used a 250 Grain bonded Swift A frame

These are big and angry pigs as compared to other EUROPEAN boars I previously encountered.

I guess these boars are really pissed off with hunters taking pot shots at them in the past HAHAHAH

I did not get a "charger" which I am still dreaming off.

One day .................. that will be the ultimate in boar hunting.

Super pictures Ben, thanks for sharing. Lots of familiar faces.

Weidmannsheil to all hunters successful!

- mike

Ben - great pictures mate!

Hi guys - I'm heading to the airport for Amsterdam shortly so will post my pics early next week. I really enjoyed the time away - some really cool people.

The hunting was very tough and we didn't put a huge number of pigs on the ground...but remember this was a hand-picked group of hunters. Hand-picked for great attitude and a good sense of humour which made for good banter.

I was fortunate enough to shoot a nice kieler and a chunky sow, as well as collaborating with Lorenzo on a piggie.

As regards shots missed - I am guilty of scaring the crap out of 'several' pigs that are still running around perfectly unscathed. I have decided to place the blame squarely on Tomo's 'plastic fantastic' 300 winmag which I borrowed for the hunt.

Remember guys: 500 years!!

This was the toughest boar trip I have done. The travel was a struggle. The cover was very dense, you really only had the chance to shoot as the boar flashed across the rides in the woods.

The boar were also the biggest and toughest I have encountered. They would just as soon stand and fight with the dogs as run in front. Average weight was high, 80kg plus.

I shot this sow on the first drive on Friday morning, high shoulder shot as she crossed the ride about 50m away.

I was shooting the smallest gun in the group, a 30/06, I have to say I felt seriously undergunned for the first time in my life. A 9.3 double or semi-auto have to be the best tools for this job.

This sow ran about 75m dispite taking this substantial hit to the shoulder with a 180gr 30/06:



The posed shot:




This was one of the stands with a better field of view:

Thanks for sharing with us guys! I would have loved to join you. I guess I'll be seeing some of you in Febr. Great pics!

Anders,
be wit us next time

Waidmannsheil!

Thanks for the fine reporting and grate pics!

Great pictures and story only whish I would have been with you guys.
Brian nice looking hat

It has been a nice hunting travel; I knew some good guys, the place was really wild and I saw a dozen of boars, many of them were quite heavy, among the biggest I've ever seen, not to mention some roe does, red does and calves. Unfortunately, since I didn't go hunting often during the last couple of years and I didn't practice enough at the range, I had some serious troubles to correctly aim and shoot those boars, that were running at 40 km/h on that flat land, especially crossing the lanes between wooded areas. I badly missed one of them and wounded another that couldn't be found . That has been for me a completely new hunting scene; here is my biggest pray, a 80/90 kg sow.



We probably expected to see some more boars, but so is hunting...

Solvi, I like that hat...

This was definitely the hardest shooting I have ever done. I think everyone in the group had multiple misses. I missed one out of a group of eight on Friday afternoon. On the first drive on Sunday morning I had a clean miss on a big keiler as it crossed the ride to my right. Towards the end of that drive a huge keiler, possibly near 200kg, crossed the same ride. I took a shot and the boar was clearly hit and staggered before running on. The beaters tracked this boar for several hundred meters, it crossed a road into another bloc and they lost the blood trail.

I got the impression the locals were less than keen to track a wounded boar. Seeing the damage that a boar did to a number of dogs, I cna understand this. I am sure that there were a few large vet's bill's to be paid.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Malinverni:
Anders,
be wit us next time

No doubt, Steve, no doubt..

quote:

Originally posted by Claret_Dabbler:

...I got the impression the locals were less than keen to track a wounded boar....

I agree.

I really enjoyed.
All good guys.
In general the shots were very difficult
I saw many Boars.
Did not know to choose the number of posts and I missed a boar.
I hunted a lot but did not kill anything.
Hunting is not killing

OK we have all returned to our abode. Rested and reconsidered our position my question to all you nice hunters is

What more would you have done to make this hunt more successful ?

I know for me I have not practice enough for running shots with a rifle.

Fabulous pictures; at times like these, I miss Europe very much, as I spent 5 years there, off and on, when I was growing up.

BTW, where did you get that ammo belt? I like the design greatly.

Ben, good question. I assume by "more succesful" you mean more dead boar on the ground, or at least a better shots to kill ratio than 7 or 8 to one.

The style of shooting is very different to our normal shooting. Most of us used a standard bolt gun with a low powered scope. I think this is far from ideal. I think you need something that handles more like a shotgun and allows for a very fast second shot. We had absolutely no chance of firing 2 shots at one boar with a bolt action. That leaves us with a light double - Bernardinho's Kreighoff was a gem, or a semi auto, Tommo's Benelli handled very well. I also think it just has to be a 9.3x62 or 74R with a big 286gr bullet. The best option for a UK / Irish hunter might be a Benelli shotgun with a rifle sighted barrel and a rifled choke tube.

I don't know how you can adequately practice for this in the UK. You would need a very fast target that flashes past for under two seconds. It would be hard to do safely with the sort of range rules we have.

Maybe we should shoot bolting rabbits with a 22rf?

The other issue we had I think is that our party was too small at 12. We really needed at least 16, if not 20. Our line was strung out very thin, the guns were often 120m plus apart and out of sight and sound of each other. The boar were able then to cross the line 50-60m from the guns rather than 25-30m. This made the shooting even harder.

Brian

When you get your Blaser F3 may I interest you in a round of Olympic Trap ? I agree fully with your other comments whole heartely.

I think we had to get it with the first shot the follow on shot is only for downed game rather than a second target.

I was saying to myself all the way through the weekend that if a group ever runs by me (which it never did) I will take the first target that my dot is alinged with rather rather choosing the largest boar and in doing so wasting time.

I also think being mentally prepared for the shot is extremely important if you understand what I mean.....bit abstract I know but a trap shooter will understand what I am trying to say.

Some photos:
[IMG]http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/5118/croacia055.jpg"> [/IMG]

[IMG]http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/8338/croacia056.jpg"> [/IMG]






[IMG]http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/9931/croacia058.jpg"> [/IMG]

Hi guys, I just want to tank’s you all for your friendship.
Tomo congratulations for the good organization for this hunting
Excellent place to hunt with magnificent species. This let me with the will to come back all the times.
I was charmed with the quantity and quality of the animals I saw.
I will always remember that colossal boar I saw in Sunday.
Croácia-Slatina, a paradise for wild hard boar hunting


My boar, old animal with teeth completely broken. 168kg
Best Regards

quote:

Originally posted by Claret_Dabbler:
Ben, good question. I assume by "more succesful" you mean more dead boar on the ground, or at least a better shots to kill ratio than 7 or 8 to one.

The style of shooting is very different to our normal shooting. Most of us used a standard bolt gun with a low powered scope. I think this is far from ideal. I think you need something that handles more like a shotgun and allows for a very fast second shot. We had absolutely no chance of firing 2 shots at one boar with a bolt action. That leaves us with a light double - Bernardinho's Kreighoff was a gem, or a semi auto, Tommo's Benelli handled very well. I also think it just has to be a 9.3x62 or 74R with a big 286gr bullet. The best option for a UK / Irish hunter might be a Benelli shotgun with a rifle sighted barrel and a rifled choke tube.

I don't know how you can adequately practice for this in the UK. You would need a very fast target that flashes past for under two seconds. It would be hard to do safely with the sort of range rules we have.

Brian, I had to nod my head at a lot of the observations you made in your post-trip analysis. You are gaining more and more experience on running boar, and are probably noting both the similarities and the differences between your different trips.

It seems that in this particular area and at this particular time, shooting fields were narrowed to lanes and cover was heavy. In the past, we have discussed the issue of cover when trips like this were planned.

http://forums.accuratereloadin...=508102596#508102596

Any date is going to be a compromise, but later in the season when more leaves have fallen, visibility generally improves. Ideal conditions include a closed snow cover on the ground for increased contrast to black critters. If, on the other hand, you wait too long, there is a chance that the piggie population has already taken a seroius hit, or that yearly cull limits are (almost) reached.

Every area is different. It seems that in this area very narrow shooting lanes were the rule. This does not necessarily have to be the case when you go to a different place next time. In fact, in many areas every stand can be different, and it is very hard to choose a single equipment setup that will be ideal for all stands. That goes for gun type (bolt vs. double vs. semi-auto) as well as for sighting arrangement (open vs. red-dot vs. low power variable scope). Every set of circumstances may call for its own ideal setup, but the next stand may well be different. So compromises (or possibly flexibility) may be called for. People who are capable of and train shooting with open sights at least have an advantage (assuming they are in possession of a good and repeatable QD mount) in narrow lanes. I personally can't see open sights, and I'm kind of leary of removing my scope during a hunt - even though it should return to zero - in principle...

As far as calibers go, we have had good discussions about this in the past, and it is good to see you gravitating towards larger bores. Most people do so as they gain experience. A while back, we had this discussion about guns and conditions for running pigs:

http://forums.accuratereloadin...=615102747#615102747

See if some of the points made there match your latest experience - I have a feeling a few might.

Finally, don't kick yourself too much about missed opportunities. First off, this a HARD game, and very few people are perfect at it. Even the training options we have here on the Continent (running boar targets) are terribly inadequate for the real life experience. As often in hunting, the only REAL training is probably to do a lot of field shooting. Most of us don't have that opportunity, so we make do as best we can. Result: ratios of shots fired to game killed of between 5:1 and 10:1 are definitely not unheard of. So it sounds like you are in pretty good company. It is a tough game, but once you finally hear the pigs approaching one spiced with adrenaline...

- mike

quote:

Originally posted by Claret_Dabbler:

I was shooting the smallest gun in the group, a 30/06, I have to say I felt seriously undergunned for the first time in my life. A 9.3 double or semi-auto have to be the best tools for this job.

This sow ran about 75m dispite taking this substantial hit to the shoulder with a 180gr 30/06:

While the 30/06 is IMO a perfectly adequate round, especially if loaded with 180/200 gr. good quality bullets, bolt actions were not the best option in Slatina. Bringing there the 300 WM BAR, rather than the CZ 550 cal 9.3x62, was to me the good choice. Having killed a good number of boars during driven hunts, I believe that no cartridge, even the 9.3, can guarantee to anchor the boar on the spot every time, despite a good bullet placement. Sometimes they fall, sometimes they run away for a few seconds; it's the dead boar running ....

Wilboar

You have won the crown for quote of the day / month

DEAD BOAR RUNNING

They have to excuse my English, but also want to say anything.
I think the seven to nine millimeters all sizes are good and sufficient for wild boar.
I also think that for the “beats” or the “montarias” semi auto and Express may be the most suitable.
I also think that the first shot is the most important, and is usually what kills, but ...

When I went to Lithuania, one of my friends handed my a drilling,
then I had one rifle barrel
another with a slug and the third one with very coarse pellets, so I was prepared for anything coming my way.
It had a red dot scope and was a prime tool for the job.

You can say that again FUN with BIG CAPITAL letters.

Tomo please reserve my place for next year in November.

It looks like you might be booked out for next year so I want to get in first.

I will brilng the same "toys" and a large pot of that BOAR PISS Jeff bought in Zargreb.

Hopefully they might charge at me then..................

Somebody sent me this clip I hope nobody is practicing this way on this forum .......

Just click on the picture below and it will play hahah

I am off to Gemrnay next week again for boar but I feel anything else is going to be an anticlimax after Croatia

12 gauge shotguns, loaded with slugs (Gualandi brand is among the best) are a very good medicine too for boars, up to 60/70 meters; the shooting distances that I saw in Croatia were roughly within that limit. I started my boar hunting career in 1994, with a Remington 870 12 ga. pump shotgun with iron sights and I can witness the tremendous effectiveness on boars, even the big ones. Here about 30% of boar hunters still use shotguns.

BTW, I've made a rough calculation and it seems that, to correctly hit a boar that is running perpendicularly at full speed (40/45 km/h), one must aim 10/15 cm ahead of the snout. The time that a bullet travelling at 780-820 m/s needs to cover 40-50 meters is about 0.05 seconds, meanwhile the boar moves about 55 cm. forward.

Food for thought....

Details. We need details.

How many drives a day? How long did they last?

Average number of shot opportunities per hunter each day?

Did everyone have opportunities each day?

How many boar shot each day?

Without naming names be curious to see how each of the 12 did?

For god sake Mr Bill this is NOT the ISSF world championship or world cup we are shooting.

I would admit openly on this forum now that I was probably the MOST inexperience hunter on that hunt.

But I have never enjoyed myself more as compared to other hunts I have been on.

If you want the scores then I suggest you book yourself into the hunt.

We played silly, joked hard, eat lots and shot a lot.

The way it is looking at the moment, I have got at least 06 freinds who are not on this forum but are coming next year just because it is so challenging.

I am going to Germany next weekend to shoot boar again. But I can guarantee you that there will be 04 - 06 boars shot by me off the hip but they will be babies adn sitters compared to these croatian ones we encountered.

I think and I hope everybody else concurs with me on these points.

Hunting is not about the biggest and largest and longest..............

Dead boar running for 500 years boys

quote:

Originally posted by londonhunter:
I think and I hope everybody else concurs with me on these points.

Hunting is not about the biggest and largest and longest..............

Yes, londonhunter!!!
You has told really remarkable words!

quote:

Originally posted by londonhunter:
I would admit openly on this forum now that I was probably the MOST inexperience hunter on that hunt.

But you sure did teach the old guys how to kill those pigs "Shaolin style"!

I hadn't time to post pictures yet. I have been too busy becoming a "Grand Dad"! Little baby Lucas arrived yesterday and I am sooooo happy: finally there is a chance to keep my guns in the family when I am gone! I will do my best trying to make a hunter out of him!

5 boar on 12 hunters? Of corse I tell other hunters what we shoot on hunt. Also when we not have Diana on visit. I have many hunting days without game, but allways tell my huntingbuddys what have happen.

Matts

I think we killed 11 (12?) boars on 11 hunters, MANY have been missed and a few wounded and lost.

BTW, Londonhunter,

londonhunter,
You hoped that the photos would bring out the best of the hunt and for me they were outstanding and very much enjoyed viewing the scenes. Well done!!

Had no idea those boars were of such size and apparently very tough to knock down. Am somewhat suprised that the '06 not working well on these animals. Lived/hunted in Alaska for sometime and other than for the brown/grizz used the '06 w/ Remington CoreLokt 220gr soft point and it was great "moose medicine."

Again, outstanding photos and reporting on what would appear to be a hunt greatly enjoyed by all. The food looked very good as well!!

Take care,

martin

Bernardino,

congratulations and our best wishes to you and your wife, newborn Lucas and the parents of the future weidman!

It's too bad I couldn't make it. Looks like you had lot of fun About shooting running boars. Here in estonia one of the most common used caliber is .308 and it works well. I personally prefer 9.7g bullets. It's not that much about the caliber than the shot placement and how experienced you with running targets. I have standed next to tourist from Italy who didn't shoot a boar at 25 meters "because it wasn't standing" If by any change you have access to shooting range with running target please use it. Even only few series of shooting can well pay up in real hunting situations. Raising the gun, finding target, aiming, moving along with the target and then shooting without stopping from moving along with the target at THE moment. All those things are adopted only with practice and more of it
I hope I didn't sounded too much arguing

Accurate mounting is CRIUCIAL. If one shoots a "factory stock" the chance of that fitting an average hunter out of the box is low.

Once a shooter accomodate himself/herself (i.e. compromised head position) to suit the stock there is straight away loss of time and also misalingment. Less so with a rifle as compared to a shotgun but teh inconsistency is there.

I am a little fortunate that I come from a competitive shotgun background hence I understand stock fitting a little bit more.

I would say on a hunt like this with such a short exposure time and without a properly fitted rifle stock, even if one can buy the best scope use the largest caliber, there is no way the shot can ben placed CONSISTENTLY time after time.

I am talking about perfection here.

I brought along a 9.3 x 62 and a 416 rigby to the hunt so one cannot say I was undergun.

Truly I could have shot anything but if I had a properly fitted stock the shot is there all the time.

One thing I did not say is that I practice dry mounting to the Nth degree on a daily basis.

Please do not get me wrong because I am not teaching people how to shoot here. just sharing my opinion.

But correct mounting with a properly fitted stock is the key to success in driven boar not caliber or where you were place.

quote:

Originally posted by londonhunter:

...But correct mounting with a properly fitted stock is the key to success in driven boar not caliber or where you were place.

I disagree; of course a well fitted stock will help, but we are not talking here about shooting woodcocks that jump, fly, and turn like a lightning and let you a second or two to mount and shoot. Boars make a good amount of noise, you often can see them (several) seconds before to shoot, so you have time to mount the rifle and accommodate yourself of a slightly unfitted stock. The caliber DOES matter; here we have a big experience in driven hunt of boars and the smallest cartridge that is commonly used is the 7x64, since the 270W is usually considered somewhat weak; anyway most used calibers are 308W, 30/06 and 300WM, with the 9.3x62 raising in popularity.

It is kind of rare that rifle stocks are fitted to their owner these days. Pity, but I guess that is what most of us have to work with.

- mike

quote:

Originally posted by DUK:
Bernardino,

congratulations and our best wishes to you and your wife, newborn Lucas and the parents of the future weidman!

Thanks Dirk.

I will try not to repeat (with Lucas) the mistakes I incurred on, when attempting to make a hunter out of his father. I hope to, at least, have a chance.