Hello and thank you for stopping by first. I'm ex military just decided to get back into hunting after 30yrs of sitting on the side line yes 30yrs. I'm getting ready to go boar hunting either with a marlin 336 35 rem or a Tikka T-3 308 I would like to carry a back up pistol and would appreciate any advice on what would be needed for boar. I do want to make clear it would be for a close range clean kill if a second shot was needed I would not want to use the 35 or 308 shooting within 5 or less yards. I currently have a Clock 17 and did not know if 9mm has enough punch to do a clean kill any advise on caliber would be appreciated

The Glock should do fine, for up close finishing with head shots, even on a big boar.

I usually carry one of my single-action Rugers. .45 Colt generally, but not always.

Good luck on your hunt!

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MikeG

Personally, I would prefer something a little larger, just in case I needed it for a backup gun. For me, it would either be at least a 10mm or 41 mag or the Colt 45 would be a good choice.

One of my little pet pieves, I hate for some to say "Ex" military, that makes it sound like one got kicked out for some reason, while a "former" military member served well and was honorably discharged. I'm retired so it's easy for me, I just say I'm retired military.

Hogs are not that hard to kill. I have a friend in Texas that has used a 12ga with 00 buck at a good distance and had clean kills with it.

That being said, I'm not much on the 9mm, just me, for anything other than 2 legged varmint dismissal.
I have hunted hogs several times and a 44Mag from a carbine at 50 yards will do the trick on them too. I usually back myself up, even if I'm squirrel hunting with a 22LR with one of my double action revolvers. I have them in 357Mag to 45Colt and every one of them is a fine back up gun.

How will you be hunting them? Will you be on the ground or in an elevated stand? I put one out of it's misery with a 45Colt and another with a 357Mag.

Lots of folks shoot them with a 223 AR-15 and that seems to do the trick too.

I guess what I am trying to say is, shot placement is the first and foremost thing (It doesn't matter how big of caliber someone misses with! ) , adequate penetration is second and all the rest? Angels dancing on the heads of pins, it doesn't really matter.........

Do two things for me: Have fun, be safe!

A single or double action 45 Colt, 250 grain hard cast slug or a jacketed 250 grain, should solve any issue you may have with a hog.

Jim

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Cast bullets are the true and rightous path to shooting bliss

Carry the 9 with you, just in case, it'll be fine. Them hogs ain't gonna come after you when you lay the wood to them with the 35 or the 308. When you get ready to buy another sidearm look at the Ruger Blackhawk in 45 Colt if your a reloader or 44 Mag if your shooting factory stuff. Welcome to the forum and thanks for your service to the country.

I usually hunt with a pistol, and use full power loads if a finisher is needed. With the 35, doubt you will see any need for a finishing shot. but if so this would be a head shot, so the 9 MM would be more than enough.

I've killed a few finishers with 22 RF and 25 rounds, mostly road hit deer. all penetrate the brain on head shots and dispatch wounded critters.

The term use enough gun applies here, The minimum I'd carry for a back up on my hog hunts is a 357 with a heavy bullet and load.
Had a scary experience with a 45acp and a 200# sow my buddy wounded just before dark. 4 hits in the head and it kept getting up Reminded me of Halloween movie. After he was able to get over and finish it we found out later I had never hit the brain.
Now I carry my Mod29 44mag with some 240gr pills.

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Your 9mm will work for you just fine under the perimeters that you outlined. I would use a stoutly constructed 147 grain

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A 9mm may expand to a larger diamenter, but a 45 sure ain't going to shrink

Wow again Thank you all for the responses and BKeith I understand sorry for the Ex-military reference and skip to your question I will be on the ground tracking I would like to get a 30 to 50 yard shot off I would like to know I can still get close to my subject. Its good to know that the 9mm is ok I do have it for home defense 1st and I am thinking of getting another semi auto only for the field and wit that said I would like your opinion on the 40 or 10mm my understanding the 10mm rounds are hard to find and pricy I am open to other suggestions too. I hope all are having a great day and better hunts

I don't know about the 10mm being hard to find, I've never bought any. As for hard to find, I don't think you will find much of anything for a while now, even your 9mm's. I was told by a couple of dealers those and 223 were the first to go out the door. I got the stuff to load them before the gun came in because the 10mm's are expensive. I have a Glock 20SF and I load 180 grain Golden Sabers (jacketed hollowpoints) at approx 1260 fps from the Glock barrel and 1350 fps for a 6" Lone Wolf barrel. As for the 40, I said 41 mag. A 40 S&W would probably work, if others think the 9mm is enough, the 40 is a lot more than the 9mm but when I'm hunting something that can put a serios hurting on me, I want to be able to put a serious hurting on it first if I had to resort to the pistol.

A million years ago when I was a boy on the farm, I used a .22 High Standard to kill full grown pigs..between the eyes, close range and they were dead before they hit the ground. Now that I'm 60 years older, my .44 or .45 SBH for anything off the barn yard . But for a finishing shot, would think the new 9mm ammo would sure to the job.

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DOK

What Mike G said

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"Had his shooting been as good as his running, he might have given a better account of himself."
James. C. Henderson

If you use the 9mm, I would go with the Buffalo Bore 147 gr load. Make sure you get a good head shot and know where the brain is. Due to WMA regulations here in GA the 22 Magnum from a rifle is popular here. Works fine with the right head hit so the 9mm should be OK. Should get about 1200 fps from a G17 with the Buffalo Bore load.

There's quite a bit of loaded 10mm ammo out there, Midway USA has 41 different options. 45 colt, 357 mag, 44 mag would work and if you ever wanted to get a rifle chambered in one of those then you could carry both and only one ammo. Welcome to the forum !!

As long as you take side shots on the head you will be just fine with 9mm. I trap quite a few hogs and have never had a problem using a .22 RF rifle to drop them. Shoot for the ear canal and they drop instantly.
A word of caution. Frontal head shots are a poor choice. I once shot a 150 lb sow point blank in the forehead 3 times with a .44 mag carbine rifle with little effect. I think she died of exhaustion from charging me or the previous neck shot. A hog skull really is not that thick it is all about the angles think sloped armor. I could see the furrows running legnthwise down her skull.
Best of luck on your up coming hunts and know that any reduction in the population is greatly appreciated.

When I hunt hogs, my handgun has a "4" prefix such as .41 Magnum, .44 Special or .44 Magnum. While I like the 9mm, .38 Special and.357 Magnum, I like the 41 Magnum (and hotter) when I and the hogs are on the ground and close.

Webley

Gladesman got it "it is all about the angles think sloped armor". as I type I'm looking at 3 euro mounted feral hogs, and one warthog. think slope makes it glance off high. take ear shots

They may not be bullet proof but pig bones are harder than blue steel. They don't call them North American Rhinos for nothing

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