What caliber for bitey feral hogs?

[MillCreek]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/11/26/texas-woman-killed-feral-hogs-outside-home-she-worked-caretaker/4305584002/

Apparently these hogs have no fear of humans.

[Andiron]

Save the last rnd for yourself...  What a way to go.

[Tim L]

according to Lawdog 9mm isn't a good choice.   
http://thelawdogfiles.blogspot.com/2016/02/well-that-was-festive.html   if I can post it here...

[lee n. field]

   
Re: What caliber for bitey feral hogs?

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/11/26/texas-woman-killed-feral-hogs-outside-home-she-worked-caretaker/4305584002/

Apparently these hogs have no fear of humans.

With what I have on hand, and if handguns are what I have to fix the problem, I'd be going with the "stompiest" hard cast .40 I could find.  Trying to optimize power, penetration and capacity.  And, yeah, it prob. ain't enough.

[230RN]

Funny hog story from Lawdog, but I guess it doesn't settle the 3/8" versus 1/2" argument.

Re OP:

The more I read about feral hogs the less sportsmanlike I feel.  I was outraged when I saw a video of shooting them from a helicopter.  But after reading more I think there ought to be a bounty on them and have one of those January 1 to December 31 hunting seasons for them.

Terry

[RoadKingLarry]

While we don't have a bounty they are "open season" year round here.
My minimum would be .30-30 with medium hard cast bullets but preferred would be the .45-70 with 425gr cast flat nose

[MechAg94]

I guess it depends on if you just want to kill them or if you want to drop them right where they stand.  For self defense against hogs, maybe drop them is a good choice.  For pistol, I am thinking 357 Mag is something I have that would work, but I think I would go for hunting loads like the heavier 158 grain soft points.

For just pest control, my Dad has shot a few on his morning walks with a 22 and it kills them.  They generally run off a ways before they die.  Another guy I know has shot a couple in his yard the same way.  Just use solid bullets instead of HP rounds I would think. 

I guess any 223 or 7.62X39 would work also.

[Larry Ashcraft]

AR with a couple of extra mags. Or, for more fun, M1 Garand with some extra clips.

H&Hhunter on THR uses his 470 NE double rifle.  Practice, ya know, plus it drops 'em.

[Andiron]

AR with a couple of extra mags. Or, for more fun, M1 Garand with some extra clips.

H&Hhunter on THR uses his 470 NE double rifle.  Practice, ya know, plus it drops 'em.

No kill like overkill   

I've got a really nice CZ 550 in .375.  Would love to try that out on a hog.  Ohio has only woodchucks and coyotes for field expedient ballistic testing.

[charby]

I'd probably use my .444 Marlin, killed a few deer and a bear with it.

[MillCreek]

I saw this story on the national news, and it looked as if it occurred in a suburban neighborhood of one-story houses on typical town-size lots.  There must be a lot of feral hogs in Texas if they are wandering around in suburbs.

[230RN]

^
Yeah, they and other critters (deer, coyotes, bears, mountain lions, alligators) are encroaching on our natural range.

No kill like overkill  

I've got a really nice CZ 550 in .375.  Would love to try that out on a hog.  Ohio has only woodchucks and coyotes for field expedient ballistic testing.

But that's a bottlenecked cartridge, no?  I thought Ohio was straight-walled cartridges only for hunting.  Where am I going wrong?



So's the .375 Ruger:





Terry

[sumpnz]

I know some states require straight wall cartridges for handgun hunting (which makes very little sense to me, a muzzle energy, caliber, or some combination thereof would be better).  But for rifle hunting I've never heard of any place requiring straight wall cartridges.

[230RN]

^
See American Rifleman article (September 2019 page 44) on the new Winchester 350 Legend rifle cartridge, designed specifically for straight-walled rifle States.

Son1 ran into this restriction when he moved to Ohio.

I believe, but cannot verify, that they are more concerned with ultimate range of the cartridge because of population density rather than any energy/"power" or velocity numbers.  Either that, or the wildlife regulators are just fuddy-duddies and fearful of an adequately-armed citizenry. 

I think it's quite similar to the philosophy of shotgun-only States.

Terry, 230RN

[Ron]

I assume these hogs aren't very tasty?

[charby]

I know some states require straight wall cartridges for handgun hunting (which makes very little sense to me, a muzzle energy, caliber, or some combination thereof would be better).  But for rifle hunting I've never heard of any place requiring straight wall cartridges.

Many Midwest and eastern states that were shotgun slug/muzzleloader only for firearm deer hunting are now permitting straight walled rifle cartridges for the firearm deer seasons.

[charby]

I assume these hogs aren't very tasty?

probably want to cook them well done.

[MechAg94]

So here in Texas, wild hogs are not considered game animals and are a non-native species.  You can shoot them any time of the year you want without a license.  That is one reason why some people like to hunt them.  Some people hunt for meat, some just want to get rid of them.  How does that work for your state?


My boss lives in a neighborhood with 1 acre lots.  He has them come into his yard digging up the grass.  However, I think if he shoots one occasionally, they don't come around so often.  If no one in his neighborhood ever shot one, I can see them getting pretty bold.  

I have driven by a group of several hogs several miles up the road.  There easily could be some that live in some sanctuary land near my neighborhood.  I do have a possum that comes through my yard occasionally.  I heard they eat stuff I don't want so I don't mind that.

[bedlamite]

So are memes reality, or is reality a meme?

https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/30-50-feral-hogs

[230RN]

FYI

Range of feral hogs:



Source and more FYI:

https://www.wildlifemanagementpro.com/2007/06/01/range-of-feral-hogs-in-the-united-states/

[sumpnz]

That map is 15 years old.  I bet they're more extensive now.

[230RN]

Here's a later copyrighted one:

http://www.scramrepellents.com/publishImages/WILDHOGSCRAM~~element4.png

[MechAg94]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiJibEepQG0
5 Hogs One Shot - 00 Buckshot Does Some Work
This guy looks like he lined up the bait so he had a good shot.  (Warning:  Animals getting killed)


Never heard of 30 to 50 feral hogs, but a dozen isn't unusual.  From what I have heard, they are nervous and will scatter as soon as shooting starts.  Of course, that is hogs that have been hunted.  Not sure what they would do in an areas where no one shoots at them.

[Andiron]

^
Yeah, they and other critters (deer, coyotes, bears, mountain lions, alligators) are encroaching on our natural range.

But that's a bottlenecked cartridge, no?  I thought Ohio was straight-walled cartridges only for hunting.  Where am I going wrong?





Terry

You're completely right,  but that's for game animals.  I can shoot varmints with a belt fed, if I had one.  No holds bared on those.

[charby]

Hogs are like other creatures of opportunity like deer, Canada goose, raccoons, etc. They will move in to urban areas where there is food, shelter and not hunted.