.357 for hogs?

[cdeily]

I am leaving in a few days for a hog/whitetail hunt in South Carolina. I am bringing my rifles with me but would like to take a hog with a handgun. I have a Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 mag which I know will drop one, but I would like to bring my S&W model 19 .357 mag. So my question is will a .357 drop a wild boar???? Any input is greatly appreciated.

[Tomcat088]

I am leaving in a few days for a hog/whitetail hunt in South Carolina. I am bringing my rifles with me but would like to take a hog with a handgun. I have a Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 mag which I know will drop one, but I would like to bring my S&W model 19 .357 mag. So my question is will a .357 drop a wild boar???? Any input is greatly appreciated.

You shouldn't have any problems taking a hog with either of those cartridges, IF you're careful with your placement and distances. Obviously you don't want to try to shoot a hog from a long range with a revolver. I don't know exactly what ranges you had in mind, but maybe if you can include some of those, it would help. Penetration is always the concern with pigs, with certain cartridges or bullet designs, it can be difficult to get enough. When the velocities drop, and you have a bullet that is already a fairly large diameter, expand and slow down even more, penetration gets more difficult. I'm don't own any revolvers (yet), so I haven't shot any pigs with them, but I KNOW for a fact that at reasonable ranges, you could kill them. I killed one that was charging before, up close and personal (less than 3 yards when he dropped) with a .45 ACP. He was less than 5 when he started the charge, and I got 3 hits in before he got to 3. This doesn't really prove much about what it takes to take one down, but I'm just saying that even a pistol cartridge as slow as a .45 ACP can get the job done.

I would have a few concerns though about hunting one with a revolver. Obvoiusly you want to be close enough to the hog to get a lethal hit, but you don't want to be too close. Different hogs react differently, and MOST will run when they hear gunshots or danger, there are some that want to fight even if they aren't injured. You ever tried to shoot an animal running directly at you, that's moving 30 mph? Then you take into consideration that you may only have 5 or 6 more shots, with a heavy double pull trigger, under stress, with a narrow target running at you. Things can get hairy pretty quick, and to be honest, most people aren't gonna get more than 2 or 3 shots off, if you're at a close range. I got off 4 shots from a semi auto, and was lucky enough to get 3 hits. Things happen so fast, especially as fast as they run, you won't have time to think or watch the sights much, you'll just have to trust all your training and shooting before will save you, and get your hits.

I bring this stuff up, because I want you to think about some things. At close ranges, being limited in power and capacity, it can be dangerous. There's getting to be more and more feral hogs that have Russian bore mixed in. I don't know about South Carolina, but I know in lots of other southern states that have feral hogs, we're all starting to see more and more Russian traits (larger body sizes, longer legs, and tusks ("cutters"). Just consider what can happen, and be careful. You ALWAYS want a backup gun, whether it's a rifle, shotgun full of 00 buckshot (it kills them up close). Just make sure that you're engaging them at a range where you can get to another weapon if you need to, or that you have the capacity in the first to take care of the hogs you start on. On ANY injured pig, be VERY careful. If you're up close and they even feel cornered, even if they're not physically, they will come out FIERCE and FAST. I'm talking about close being 10 yards or less, because they can cover that distance quite fast, even when wounded. So yes, you can take one with a large revolver (.357 or larger), but be careful about your shot placement, and know your limitations (distance, number of shots left, etc). In another thread I mentioned this, but hog vitals are in different places than a deer, and they're behind a hard "plate". If you need more elaboration on this, I'll be happy to. Be safe, and be careful.

[Jrkotz]

http://forum.pafoa.org/hunting-23/10...ing-texas.html

[Rundownfid]

I would not be comfortable with a 4" .357 for hogs. I have shot one with a Super Black Hawk, and another with a Marlin in 45 LC. The Marlin put a 200 gr JpP through the shield, broke a hip and cut the heart in half; the bullet came to rest inside the skin on the off side. That pig tried to get me after his heart was destroyed, those animals can be incredibly tenacious. The .44 should be fine if you can get good hits, but the .357 needs pin point precision so unless you are an exceptional hand gunner I'd pass on the .357.

Good luck in S.C. I was there last fall but no luck.

[justashooter]

hard cast lead semi-wadcutter only in any handgun for hogs. jacketed bullets are just too unpredictable and too easily diverted from target.

[Qtrborecrazy]

Shoot em in the head Willie, shoot em in the head. Where you going down in S.C. ? Big ole hawgs are tough, if you can`t stab them up under the front legs shoot them in the head.

[SCoutdoors1000]

I presume you already when down to my nick of the woods. Where bouts did you go?