falcon

There is a strange thing about hogs. Sometimes they fall over wounded at the shot and will lie right there and die unless something disturbs them. If disturbed they will sometimes jump up and take off. i've seen it happen several times.

Several weeks ago i shot a 150 pound sow with my .50 New Englander and a 320 grain Maxi Ball. The sow went down, screaming, bad sign. About the time i got the gun reloaded she jumped up and took off. Took me hours to find that hog. She was hit just behind the diaphragm a few inches below the spine.

Last Monday while hunting with Jon and family, i shot a 150 pound boar at about 65 yards with my .54 caliber FireHawk loaded with patched round ball. The hog layed right there until i banged something against the stand while capping in the low light. The hog started wiggling around, got upright, got its front legs under it and took off.

The hog was not recovered.

super_hunt54

People have underestimated the toughness and tenacity of wild hogs for many years falcon. While I am far from against the use of a PRB, you HAVE to know their limitations on penetration. I have seen a few of the hogs from your area that Jon posted up on here and can tell you that your winter hogs have a good bit of fat on them. You add that heavy fat layer up with that tough as hard tack leather shield and you have some serious protection of the vitals. Even with a big ole ball from a .54 loaded up you shouldn't shoot past 50 yards on a healthy 150# boar hog. That heavy protection will flatten out a PRB and while yes it will still most likely be lethal, the terminal performance of it will be severely limited. Hydrostatic shock will be dang near nullified since most of it will be spread throughout the fat layer. I've seen heavy winter hogs do the exact same thing after being hit perfectly behind the shoulder with well penetrating .30 caliber center fires.

falcon

The so called shield on big boar hogs really don't amount to much. Since October last year i've killed at least 15 boars that weighed over 200 pounds, five or six exceeded 300 pounds. Most were shot at short range while still hunting. Nearly all were killed with .54 muzzleloaders and patched round balls. Very few needed a second shot.

One of those boars was the largest one i've killed: He weighed at least 400 pounds. The ball went through the shield, destroyed the lungs and lodged in the opposite shoulder.

The area i usually hunt had a bumper crop of acorns and pecans. Almost all the hogs i've killed are very fat. The fat hinders tracking because it plugs up the holes.

Topgun 3006

That's why you should shoot them right below the ear, regardless of what you're using and the bang---flop will be it and they won't get back up! If you're shooting them where you stated with that ML and PRB, you're very lucky you haven't had a lot of tracking jobs. Your last comment on fat plugging up the hole is why you should be shooting them in the head!

MountainDevil54

It happens and some things can not be explained. I don't think any of us expected that .50cal ball to do what it did on my hog! I jaw just about hit the ground when I saw that porky flatten down to her belly.

I just took a pic of the ball I recovered in the off shoulder!

falcon

Yeah, well; i like to shoot hogs in the ear. Like i did this 275 pound sow:

http://s290.photobucket.com/user/als...01928.jpg.html



However, in the brush i often hunt you can't always see the ear. Most of my hogs since last fall were killed using a conventional muzzleloader with iron sights. Shooting hogs in the head is an iffy proposition. If the brain is not hit the hog runs off to suffer and die.

Muley Hunter

Hopefully, oldbob won't see this.

cayugad

Head shots are hard to pull off sometimes with a muzzle loader. Heck, even a center fire can be a challenge. I prefer putting the round through vital organs. Granted they might run off, but usually not far and you have a real good idea of what you're going to find at the end of the track.

Wow! that is a nice hog there Falcon.

Tufrthnails

I see this discussion a lot here in FL with the amount of hogs we kill. Personally I let the situation dictate my shot placement on any animal. I would say 90% of my shots don't allow a head shot. Vitals guarantee a dead hog(finding it is not always guaranteed). I don't hunt traditional weapons, because I don't have the time to master them. (I am in awe of you guys that do it is a sign of a true marksman and woodsman)

super_hunt54

The little diddy I marked in red just made my point falcon. I never said that shield was to tough to penetrate. I said that with the fat layer that your hogs have along with the shield is a "buffer", if you will, that will limit the penetration of a round ball. Hence why you need to limit your range to 50 yards and under with them on a fat winter hog. A bunch of guys and I hunt hogs year round all over the country. I know very well what will kill them and what will just pissum off. I've been stupid enough to hunt them with everything from a knife (really stupid there) to a .50cal Barret at 1000 yards for giggles so yes I know full well what it takes. While a PRB is definitely a lethal round to use, it HAS to be used within it's most effective range on a fatted up hog unless you go for neck or brain. It's just simple terminal ballistics.