I'll state it again to be clear. I don't believe the Hammer failed because the hog wasn't DRT. I think it did not kill the first hog because the bullet missed everything vital enough for DRT. Watching the hog go into the brush, I honestly think it will probably survive. Also to clarify, the hog shot in the *** was a totally different animal. Again, I DON'T SHOOT GAME ANIMALS IN THE NECK OR *** WITH ANY BULLET. But hogs and coyotes are nuisance animals on the farm/ranch. Most hogs get whatever projectile I can get in them, I let coyotes go unless they are around the house or near my cows. My sons and I are accomplished marksmen, reloaders, and hunters, but I made a bad wind call and my son put the crosshairs where I told him, and that's where the impact was, a bad spot on a hog. I know because I have killed close to a thousand of them and dissected many of them and inspected terminal performance. No , I DONT EAT THEM. If you disagree, I respect that.
I have limited experience with Hammers but I am well pleased thus far, 4 hogs, 3 DRT and the one this novel is based on. I have shot thousands of Berger's, well pleased with all but 2. The 6.5 156s and . 257 115s. Both too fragile in my opinion. I think the Hammer is limited to 6-700 yards in most cartridges based on the mfg recommended impact velocity but I will be testing that on hogs in the future. I currently have Berger kills at 825,856, and 902 yards as a baseline. If the hammers "FAIL", it's only a hog and not a deer or elk. Still one of God's creatures and I respect them, but they are expendable for the purpose. I hope to have more data to post soon.
Gentlemen, thank you and God Bless.