Getting ready for a hunt

[EDELWEISS]

Every year a bunch of us go to Texas for a Wild Boar hunt. We fly into San Antonio, see the sights (Alamo, Riverwalk, etc), spend the night then head south to Eagle Pass for the hunt on a local ranch. We pitch in and take along a wounded warrior. As part of the trip, he has to endure old war stories, (civilians tell stories with "once upon a time" and soldiers begin with "no shit there I was...").

Most of the hunting is done from blinds, with some specialty hunting done one on one with a guide for exotics. The ranges vary but mostly in the sub 200m zone. Longer shots are possible; but a blooded animal counts as a kill, so hunters are encouraged to know their gear and be responsible. The ranch owner no longer allows 556 because of too many lost/wounded pigs, and is selective about who he allows to use 300Blk Out (no sub sonics allowed). In the past Ive used a suppressor on a 7mm/08 but other than the cool factor, the supersonic crack and the squealing still startled the other pigs, (note to self, in real life anything not immediately killed will make noise when you shoot it, even if you shoot it with a suppressor). Joking aside, Im not opposed to hunting with a suppressor, I think its a handy tool to have as an option.

This year, I decided to ditch all my cheap night vision. Well I did save a IR spotlight to give to my brother in law in case of a zombie uprising or "wolverines" event; but Ive instructed him that he has to stand at least 100 feet to my side, in order for the light to be "just right...." So gone are the Gen 1 handheld monoculars and digital scopes that the salesman side are "almost as good as the military stuff". I broke down and bought a PVS 14 and a PVS 22 "clip on" units. I was originally planning to use a NV scope; but that meant using a QD mount on the day scope and NV scope OR two rifle (one for day and one for night hunting). QD mounts are probably ok for return to zero BUT clip on units fit in front of day scopes. They have no reticle that has to be zeroed because they use the day scope reticle. The day scopes should be limited to lower power levels (4x or less) to avoid over zooming on the night vision image and seeing distortion.

The down side to clip on units is they need rail space in front of the day scope. Some do actually clip onto the day scope front bell; but having a extended rail makes a more secure lock for an expensive piece of equipment. Using a AR10 with a railed handguard is the easy button. For bolt guns a chassis stock works; but for conventional stocks there are only two choices. There are a couple extra long (as in16 inch) rails. The Remington MARS unit is all but unobtainable and runs around $500 when you can find them. PRI makes an extended rail for about $200. Then the question is factory 6x48 screws that civilian guns are already threaded OR 8x40 threads that require your gun being re-drill and tapped for the bigger screws. I was strongly advised to go the 8x40 route; but Im really clueless if its necessary. The other option is a rail unit by Badger Ordnance that has to be bedded into your stock after the stock has a section milled out to receive it. Badger will supply the unit and install it in your stock for $300. Pricewise both units are pretty much a wash out with the cost of local gunsmithing being the defining point. I decide to give both units a try. I traded some stuff to a buddy to mill my MagPul stock and bed the Badger unit. The PRI long rail cost a bit more from another smith but he was set up and experience to do the PRI deal.

I haven't decide which one to use yet. I gotta get some range time in with both before the trip. The MagPul is a Rem 700 in 7mm08 that I shortened to 17inches last year and the other is a new 308 Rem 700 PSS with a 20 inch barrel. Its in a Grayboe tactical stock. Both use AICS mags.

[M1A's r Best]

.308 works. As will the 7MM-08, my deer kills (1 over 200 lbs. dressed out) were with the .308, so I've seen it work several times.

The squeeling pig comment reminded me of one of my wife's old uncles chasing after an escaped hog one summer/fall. It had been seen down around the garbage dump a mile or so from the house earlier that day. It had been running loose for months and seen by several people over the months as it got bigger and bigger.

He called and wanted to know if I'd drive him down the mountain and drop him off and I told him sure, I'd do it. He shows up at the house with a .22 rifle. I asked him why he didn't have one of the .30-30's he had hanging on the wall at his house. His reply was, "Ain't never squilt one yet." I had no idea what he said, I knew what it sounded like, just didn't understand it. I had him repeat it a couple times and still didn't understand. I finally asked him to explain what he said. His replay was, "When I shoot'em they die so fast they don't even have time to squeal." All I could do was nod my head and think to myself, as big as that hog was (I'd seen it crossing the road once) I'd be down there with my .308.

He didn't see it though, I picked him up right at dark and took him back up the mountain. I never did figure out if hunting hogs with a .22 was extremely brave or just stupid. Then again, aren't there guys who wade into a hound/hog fight with a spear or even just a big knife?

[EDELWEISS]

…. I never did figure out if hunting hogs with a .22 was extremely brave or just stupid. Then again, aren't there guys who wade into a hound/hog fight with a spear or even just a big knife?

My first Boar hunt was with a single shot TC Contender. It was right after Winchester gave into the pressure and stopped selling Black Talons. I was shooting 44magnum out of a scoped 14inch barrel, so I was sure Id be fine. I bought the last box of Talons from my gun shop and headed into the woods....completely ignorant about the thick "gristle plate" hogs have around the shoulders. This one sucked up one bad shot and three more well placed hits before falling at my feet after a charge.

Nope no 22lr, knife or spear for me. My best kill was with a 9.3x74R from a double rifle at 25m. It completely bisected the pig from his right shoulder to his left rear. We found the round just under the thick skin. That's why 9.3x74 is used on dangerous game and Wild Boar certainly fit in that category.

[barnetmill]

Pigs when up for slaughter are often killed with a .22. But shooting a feral hog with one is not normally the best idea.

[coastalcop]

Ive got a couple of buddies that did it for years with a hog dogs and a knife. Dogs find and if possible try to immobilize the hog, hunter wades in and sticks the hog. We had to get them custom seats at the office to allow for enough sack space in the seat ;)

[Greg Nichols]

Pigs when up for slaughter are often killed with a .22. But shooting a feral hog with one is not normally the best idea.

Not really at all. Abattoir don't even use .22 for cattle, on cattle they use a compressed air bolt gun unless they're doing a Kosher kill and then it's done with just a knife.

Swine skulls are like ceramic, if you shoot them in the head the skull splinters and ruins the brain, which is considered a delicacy to some. Abattoirs use a CO2 pit, electrodes, to knock the hogs out and then bleed them as they come out the other side. If they don't use sell the brain then they use the bolt gun for them as well.

That being said I'm not going to hunt one with a .22, I've shot raccoons and wood chucks with .22 and had them scurry off. I'm not trying that on a dangerous feral hog.


Ive got a couple of buddies that did it for years with a hog dogs and a knife. Dogs find and if possible try to immobilize the hog, hunter wades in and sticks the hog. We had to get them custom seats at the office to allow for enough sack space in the seat ;)
Ya, I'm not doing that.

[barnetmill]

Not really at all. Abattoir don't even use .22 for cattle, on cattle they use a compressed air bolt gun unless they're doing a Kosher kill and then it's done with just a knife.

Swine skulls are like ceramic, if you shoot them in the head the skull splinters and ruins the brain, which is considered a delicacy to some. Abattoirs use a CO2 pit, electrodes, to knock the hogs out and then bleed them as they come out the other side. If they don't use sell the brain then they use the bolt gun for them as well.

That being said I'm not going to hunt one with a .22, I've shot raccoons and wood chucks with .22 and had them scurry off. I'm not trying that on a dangerous feral hog.


Ya, I'm not doing that.

Yes really, I knew a lot of people, including relatives, that used a .22 for slaughter of their family beef or pork in the USA. Often people used shorts. I am referring to an individual farmer or other person keeping a pig for fall slaughter. People would often keep a hog to fatten up and then consume. We are talking about times mostly before you lifetime begin. The old way in a slaughter house for pigs was to hang them up by the heels while still alive and stick them while squealing with a knife. I saw that done overseas back in the 70's. The same way for goats. In the old days in the slaughter house the steers were struck with a big hammer to stun them before it became more automated.
I remember a specific case of a neighbor borrowing my step father's .22 to slaughter a pig when I was growing up.

[barnetmill]

Ive got a couple of buddies that did it for years with a hog dogs and a knife. Dogs find and if possible try to immobilize the hog, hunter wades in and sticks the hog. We had to get them custom seats at the office to allow for enough sack space in the seat ;)
What you describe is the way the big boys hunt feral hogs, the girly men use guns. Rope, knife, and dogs. One of the dogs must be a catch dog to hold the hog, usually by the ear. Hunter comes from behind and normally ties the rear legs and works his way up on the hog to get in position to stick it with the knife. The hunter's safety depends on the catch dog not loosing its grip on the hog. The catch dog is usually one of the bully types or a pitbull. But sometimes other dogs are used. The other dogs trail and bay the hog. Most often the catch dog is kept leased and not released until the hog is at bay. Sometimes they completely tie up a hog and take it home to feed up for while before killing it.
Safest and most efficient way to get hogs is with a baited corral type of trap. you can get a lot them in one night. There are feral hogs not too far from me and that is the case generally through out the south and many other places.

[Greg Nichols]

Not really at all. Abattoir don't even use .22 for cattle, on cattle they use a compressed air bolt gun unless they're doing a Kosher kill and then it's done with just a knife.

Swine skulls are like ceramic, if you shoot them in the head the skull splinters and ruins the brain, which is considered a delicacy to some. Abattoirs use a CO2 pit, electrodes, to knock the hogs out and then bleed them as they come out the other side. If they don't use sell the brain then they use the bolt gun for them as well.

That being said I'm not going to hunt one with a .22, I've shot raccoons and wood chucks with .22 and had them scurry off. I'm not trying that on a dangerous feral hog.


Ya, I'm not doing that.


Yes really, I knew a lot of people, including relatives, that used a .22 for slaughter of their family beef or pork in the USA. Often people used shorts. I am referring to an individual farmer or other person keeping a pig for fall slaughter. People would often keep a hog to fatten up and then consume. We are talking about times mostly before you lifetime begin. The old way in a slaughter house for pigs was to hang them up by the heels while still alive and stick them while squealing with a knife. I saw that done overseas back in the 70's. The same way for goats. In the old days in the slaughter house the steers were struck with a big hammer to stun them before it became more automated.
I remember a specific case of a neighbor borrowing my step father's .22 to slaughter a pig when I was growing up.

So you moved the goal posts from the unspecific comment "Pigs when up for slaughter are often killed with a .22." to now people you know and farmers. Specificity and context counts in the written word gang.

This is why I specifically reference a slaughterhouse or "Abattoir" twice in my comment above. Don't "ya really" me because you weren't specific in your original comment.