[MikeG]

TQ,

No such thing as too much bullet!

If you hunt in TX sooner or later you are going to run across some wild pigs. Might as well be prepared.

I recommend the Federal Premium load with the 180gr. Nosler Partition.

Sounds like you are a pretty good shot - key to not ruining a lot of meat is shot placement, regardless of bullet construction.

Shoot pigs in the head, by the way.

Where do you hunt?

 

[MikeG]

TQ,

You're just up U.S. 183 a few miles from me (Cedar Park).

By the way I once shot a doe with a .30 cal 180gr. Ballistic Tip, and the bullet didn't exit. She was all of about 90 lbs. Bullet hit the spine and you should have seen the mess it made. Instantaneous kill, to be sure.

BT's won't go through hogs - don't even think about it. One of the few bullets I have ever recovered came from the neck of a small hog - another 180gr. BT.

Don't know what handgun you are going to use on pigs, but if you have a choice I'd suggest starting out with a .44 mag or similar, and cast or jacketed soft points. Hollow points may not go through. If you can hit a pig in the head with a handgun, great, otherwise try to break both shoulders on a broadside shot.

Best of luck. Let me know if you have any more pig questions and let us know how it goes.

 

[MikeG]

TQ,

For your first-ever hog hunt I think I'd go with the Marlin .44 Mag.

If you end up taking the 686 (which you probably should regardless) try to find some of the Federal CastCore loads or the Winchester factory ammo with the Partition Gold handgun bullet.

The Federal load is basically the same as my own handloads and I wouldn't hesitate to use it on a pig. James Gates down in Florida has reported a lot of hunters having success with the .357 and hard cast bullets (WFN profile).

Have fun.

 

[MikeG]

Oink!!!

I think the term 'Texas Tank' is pretty appropriate for what we have here. Maybe I'll call them Texas Elk - sounds more refined.

I have actually seen a few elk in central Texas but they were obviously imported as exotics from somewhere else.

By the way TQ did not ever say that he had seen pigs or planned to shoot them, that was an assuption on my part. But the pig population around here is getting out of hand and chances are very good that TQ will be seeing them one of these days.

 

[MikeG]

Love to see that!

It's a goal of mine to have a skull mount of a big pig with tusks.... with a .45 cal hole right between the eyes. I'll tell the ignorant that it was a three-eyed pig....