What do you use for driven boar? Caliber? Type rifle? Optics? Also what do you consider the optimal driven boar firearm (and accessories)?

Also, what else do you always take with you .. exceept for plenty of money.

.30-06 Remington 700, 2.5-10X44 optics, usually 180 grain bullets. Also a smoothbore side-by-side 12ga.
What would be ideal? Depends on what kind of a terrain and how big boars you hunt. I have to admit that my package is not ideal. Considering the relatively large size of our boars, something like 9.3X62/64/74 would be better. Also the rare 8X64 looks like a great allrounder. It's good to have large field-of-view optics like the new Swarovski Z6.
I don't see much point in debating over double versus bolt action rifles. With practise they are both excellent. And i would rather have a semi-auto rifled 12ga for "close quarters" work.

What else? Well, a proper knife is a must. Past two years in particular a great deal of pigs have been knifed by the beaters/dog handlers.
Most hunters carry with them some sort of a cord or a rope to drag the animal to a clearing or a road. And last but not least - clothes. There's nothing worse than having to stand 30-40 minutes silently in one place with a -20C cold, only to realize that you haven't dressed properly.

Bill, there are as many answers to those questions as there are hunters - actually, probably a few more...

We discussed calibers for driven boars a while ago in this thread:

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

I personally shoot a bolt action repeating rifle (Blaser R93, as it is a tad faster than a regular bolt action). A pump action, lever action or a semi-auto (attention: some countries in Europe limit these, e.g. with respect to number of cartridges in magazine) would also be just fine. Some people like doubles, and it is hard to argue with that choice either.

Sadly, there is no such thing as the perfect sights either. Some people prefer open sights or red dot sights for close quarter shooting. The problem is that you never know what your next stand will look like. If the last stand gave you just a narrow field of fire to shoot in, the next stand may be on the edge of an open field, where shots to 100 or 150 yds will be possible. For this, a scope with a decent amount of magnification may be advantageous. It is also possible you might need magnification in the woods - e.g. to thread a bullet through a hole in the vegetation at the boar waiting out the drivers in the thickets in front of you. It is all possible.

I personally try to meet all these requirements with a fairly low power scope (Zeiss 1.5-6x42, Swaro 1.25-4, Swaro 1-6) which will give me as big a field of view as possible for fast shooting, yet still give me some magnification when I need it.

A lot of people like illuminated reticles these days. I personally have not yet tried these for running boar. A decent (easily visible) non-illuminated reticle will also do the trick.

After all that, the name of the game is training, training, training... The more you get used to shoot at moving targets, the better you'll likely do.

Have fun.

- mike

Drive hunting means shooting at runnning game, hence the need for a powerful caliber to compensate for (sometimes) less than ideal bullet placement. I don't know another caliber better suited for this task than the 9,3's. Here are my "battue" guns :

Foul weather : R93 in 9,3x62 + Swarovski 1,25-4x24 (illuminated reticle) .


Fair weather : FN-Browning CCS in 9,3x74R + Swarovski 1,25-4x24.

Calibres for driven Boar ?.....well I use .338 wim mag with norma oryx 230 gr. or 9.3x62 with 250 gr. accubond. I would consider something like 30-06 with 200 gr. as a minimum for this type of hunting. The scope must be with illuminated reticle...(day and night)..I use S&B 1.5-6x42 with flashdot nr. 7 which is a fantastic scope. What else ?...warm clothes and a good backpack with a chair is a must.

This is my favourite....Sauer S202 9.3x62

quote:

Originally posted by Andre Mertens:
I don't know another caliber better suited for this task than the 9,3's.

Don't forget 8x57 and 45's - .45 Blaser, .45-70...

I roughly agree with the above posts; my rifle is a Browning BAR Evolve cal 300WM, 200 gr Norma Oryx bullet reloaded ammos and an Aimpoint 5000XD on EAW mounts; in case, I have in the backpack a Leupold 1.5-5x20 that can be switched with the Aimpoint, even if I use the scope very seldom. I always have a small/pocket Swaro binoculars for a possible quick glance.

9,3 or any other of the heavy medium bore will do just fine.
i tend to like the big old black powder calibers best for driven boar, since most of them carrys a heavy bullet, but one man's beer is another man's poison.
stay on the heavy and fast handling side and all will be okay.

best regards

peter

I use a .444 marlin u/lever fited with a opti-mate red dot sight with 265 gr interlock over 47grs of reloader 7.I also use a Blr81 in .308 and a benneli super 90 shotgun with open sights or a red dot sight with solid slugs.They all will do the job.

In Montarias , I use , HK SLB 2000 9,3X62 + KAHLES 1,1-4 X24 , waits and approaches I use BRNO 300 WM +Schmidt & Bender 2,5 -10 x 56.

best regards,
Inácio

Sauer 202 Synthetic 9,3x62 (only traditional SP in 286 grain) with S&B Zenith 1,5-6x42 FD 7.

Before and occasionally Mauser 98 9,3x62 with Leupold 1,75-6x32.

The caliber is perfect but I like the Zenith a lot for driven hunts.

Make it simpler make it easier

I shoot driven boar a lot for last 13 years and my favourite cal. are stil 8x57JS and 30-06. I've never felt undergunned. I shot a few boar way over 200kg and the biggest I've seen was shot by my client 340kg with enormus tasks. That one was shot from 30-06 3 times (if I remember well).
For driven boar it's better to have less recoil and easier follow ups than a big bore where it's difficult to place second and third shot (depends on shooter's ability).
Most of us have different opinions and they are all good so I'm speaking from my experience.
In Europe 7x64 and 7x57 are still popular rounds and they do the job just fine especially when we can reload with partitions and barnes bullets.
It is better to shoot a boar in the heart with 270win than with 9.3x62 in the leg.
The bullet placement is the first important thing.
9.3 mm is probably the best boar buster but you can be successful without it.

For 270 and 7mm cal. the bullet weight should be 155-175gr and bonded SP, partitions or barnes.
In 308 or 30-06 bullets from 155gr will work but ideal weight is 180-200gr for SP bullets(Norma Oryx the first choice) or 150-180gr for partitions, trophy bonded, barnes and similar bullets.

In 9.3mm slow and heavy bullets are enough for anything.

The ideal scope is 1.5-5x24 or1.5-6x42.
On my benelli R1 30-06 I use for years cheap Simmons 1.5-5x20 (don't care if I smash it) and it works still great.
On Steyer Pro hunter 30-06 I put kahles CSX multi zero 2.5-10x50, great for any hunt in right hands.

On other rifles I have 3-9x40 or 3-9x50. RD sights I used and I hate them. If they are cheap paralax is big and for shooting at 100m the dot was bigger than my target.
Maybe with Docter or aimpoint would be much better.

Bill,

+1 for the 9.3x62; a Mauser bolt-action, it's my favorite w/250 gr. BT's & a 30mm Millett Red Dot (no magnification).

Followed by my 20" tubed Winchester Model 70 in .375H&H w/300 gr. Hornady RN's & 1.5-4.5x26 Red Dot - a real Piggie stopper.

All the advice above is great - on any given day you'll see a combination of all of the above on a Piggie Drive Hunt.

Marlin Lever guns are making real in-roads here, too, 45/70 & .444 Marlin. They are good value, handle fast, afford quick follow-up shots and chambered for great cartridges. Only drawback is having to run all the cartridges through the action to unload which can be sorta unhandy when there's alot of changes of scenario going on throughout the day.

I guess it sorta depends on how many rifles a person owns & uses. Someone who dosn't get alot of opportunites at Driven Game tend to bring what they have and make do with it. Others who participate in Driven Game hunts more often start considering a dedicated rifle, bolts, doubles, semi-autos or lever-actions usually starting at .30/06 Sprg., 300 WM, 8x57, 338 WM, 9.3's and the 45/70 or .444 Marlin are probably encountered most often.

BAR's are popular also, in Europe they are chambered for the 9.3x62 also .30/06 Sprg., .300 WM & 338 Win Mag.

Docter Holo sights are popular too.

Over the years here's what's ended up earning a permanent spot in my "Drive Hunt" Rucksack:

Safety Orange Hat & Vest,
collapsable, folding three-legged stool,
thermos,
binos (small 8x30 Steiners)
electronic Ear Muffs,
Orange Balaclava,
extra pair of gloves,
Munchies,
MTM Ammo Wallet w/extra ammo,
Gutting equipment (surgical gloves, saw for pelvic bone & ribcage, Wet Wipes, etc.),
Automotive Tow Cable (long, orange, w/metal hooks - works great for recovering Piggies),
Camera,
Swiss Army Knife (the monster one with all the Blades!)
Flashlight, Headlamp & Clip-on (for baseball caps),
Spare Batteries for Red Dot & above
Roll of Orange plastic trail marking tape,
several of various sizes of Zip-Loc Baggies
Wet Wipes (they're not just for cleaning your hands & knife, either!)

& usually take my Scotish hunting staff to use as a walking/shooting aid.

Oh, Yeah, as an afterthought - although you'd be surpised that occaisionally someone shows up with a rifle WITHOUT a sling or forgot theirs and then ends up needing three hands!

I use a Tikka T3 Battue 9,3x62 topped with a Leupold VX 3 1,5-5 illum. Works just fine!

Matts

Here below my actual rifle for boars: Remington 7400, 30-06Spgf, collapsible stock, and a Weaver K2.5 scope mounted on a Picatinny rail using weaver mounts&rings. The sling is in military patrol style.



It is a little provocation to my hunting equipe friends that forced me to hunt with a semiauto. Before I always used a 9.3x62 bolt action rifle with a S&B4x32.

My favourite rifle is a Ruger 77 in 30/06 with a short 560 mm barrel and a 1.5-5x36 mm scope, very handy. I used loaned rifles in .300 Weatherby as well as .375 H&H to shoot red deer, boar and mouflon and found that they did not really kill them much better than the 30/06, even with similar shot placement.

Might be due to all the adrenalin circulating in their veins. Sometimes thy just drop and on other oportunities they continue walking as if not hit at all.

Sauer 202 300WM or 375HH Swaro 1.25x4-20
Chapuis 9.3-74R S&B 1.25x4-20
Dumoulin 375HH. S&B 1.5x6x 42

In dense cover, I prefer the Chapuis, more handy, with or without scope.

how about the .358Win(loaded with 250gr bullets at 700ms), shouldn't this cartridge be about ideal?

2900+ foot-pounds of muzzle-energy should certainly make a strong impression on a boar.

I was stationed in Turkey when in the USAF back in the early 1970's. Rifled arms were not allowed unless they had been in country before a certain date so most of us used shotguns.

Twelve gauge with slugs or 00 buck up close worked fine. A few were taken with 20 Ga slugs also.