Hog durability question

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Some will read this and call BS, but I was there and watched it with my own eyes, and I'm a pretty honest guy. So it's not BS.

Couple of years ago while deer hunting, my buddy had a big boar come in and he dropped it with his rifle. Walked up on it and it got up and started running. He drew his 10mm and put one in the shoulder, it dropped, and then he walked up and put another in the head. Went and got the Ranger and winched it into the bed, then it started trying to get up again while winching....2 more 10mm rounds made it stop again.

Once back at camp, getting ready to process it, it started flopping around and trying to get up again. Our jaws were on the ground- this was the strangest thing we'd ever seen. 2 more 10mm rounds to the head again and it stopped, again. Then we quickly took the knives out and got to work. We didn't want it getting up yet again.

So, as @ButterBean said, these are some tough SOBs.
Oh no, I believe you
 
jpfrog,

I once had to put a roping steer down that had broken its leg while we were roping(it got its leg caught in the stripping chute). I put 4 shots with a .45 ACP right between its eyes.....it just stood there and look at me. I felt terrible. So yes....I believe you.
 
jpfrog,

I once had to put a roping steer down that had broken its leg while we were roping(it got its leg caught in the stripping chute). I put 4 shots with a .45 ACP right between its eyes.....it just stood there and look at me. I felt terrible. So yes....I believe you.
Cow's are the same way, X from eye's to ears and the brain is above that
 
jpfrog,

I once had to put a roping steer down that had broken its leg while we were roping(it got its leg caught in the stripping chute). I put 4 shots with a .45 ACP right between its eyes.....it just stood there and look at me. I felt terrible. So yes....I believe you.
I hear that- the worst feeling in the world is when accidentally you make another animal suffer instead of quickly dispatching it. Even with these hogs that cause more damage and do more harm than good...I still felt a bit bad watching it get back up all those times. My buddy's a good shot, too...it's not like he was just goofing around. It was just a possessed beast.
 
Yes....I will not take the shot unless I believe I can make a quick DRT shot.....even on hogs. We owe that to the animal. I don't care what it is. Heck...I can't even bring myself to shoot sows that still have little piglets running with them. Yes...I know those are probably the ones that need to be taken out the most....but I just can't do. Weird...I know. I won't even let others shoot sows with piglets on my ranch and if they aren't a competent shooter....forget it.
 
Learned many years ago shot placement is key. Especially with a Boar. Two years ago I shot one that the battle hide measured over 2 inches thick around the neck and shoulders. Really makes you wonder about the placement of a frangible bullet. I use 210gr VLD-H with good results. If using my 243 win. I limit to a upper 1/3 head shot. Above the eyes like said before. Unless using a partition. Have used a 223 many times. Can have mixed results as yardage increases. 200 yards out and had the exact story line from the OP. Hit a boar high in the back of the neck. Got up 20 minutes later. Follow up in the ear worked. They are tough to say the least. Shot placement and bullet performance/can teach us a lot.

Keep moving forward.
 
I've got a question for all you experienced hog hunters: Is there a spot on the neck of a hog that is possible to temporarily drop them in their tracks but is not fatal? Twice now, out of over 100 hogs killed, I've had a hog get up and take off after being shot in the neck between the back of the head and front of the shoulder. The second one being this past Saturday night. I shot a medium sized boar dead center in the neck, at least that was my POA, at 454 yds. This is my usual POA and it always drops them DRT, but this time it didn't. Granted....I must not of hit the hog exactly where I wanted but I'm shooting 220 gr Berger out of my 300 Win mag. This dropped him immediately and he didn't move, which was kind of odd to me because they normally twitch and kick for about 2 mins or so. I shifted my rifle off of him just for an instant to try to pick up another boar, in my scope, that was feeding off to the left under a lighted feeder 300 yds away. When I shifted back to the first hog it was gone. I searched Sunday morning for him with no luck. Has this ever happened to anyone else?

BTW....my rifle is a custom built rifle that easily shoots 1/4-1/3 MOA groups with my load. I don't miss at this range.
Having raised hogs and killed hundreds over the years I had the opportunity to experiment with various calibers and bullet placement. For many years a .22LR sufficed. After one episode with a 600 pounder with 5 shots between its eyes and still on its feet we changed guns. from then on it was a .410 slug between the eyes. I had a tree stand near the pig pen and would set up there waiting for coyotes coming by for a quick snack. Knowing I was killing off some hogs the next day I'd take a shot at a pig with a center fire rifle, all at less than 100 yards .243 and 6mm remington are not a good choice. .270win with Bergers right behind the ear did the best job, fastest. 150gr Nosler partitions were a close second. Visually divide the neck into thirds, At the bottom of the top third is the spine in a domestic hog. Aim there right behind the ear. If you are a little low you hit carotid artery. They are tough tough tough. Don't ever be surprised if you hit one perfectly and it just casually walks away.
 
I've got a question for all you experienced hog hunters: Is there a spot on the neck of a hog that is possible to temporarily drop them in their tracks but is not fatal? Twice now, out of over 100 hogs killed, I've had a hog get up and take off after being shot in the neck between the back of the head and front of the shoulder. The second one being this past Saturday night. I shot a medium sized boar dead center in the neck, at least that was my POA, at 454 yds. This is my usual POA and it always drops them DRT, but this time it didn't. Granted....I must not of hit the hog exactly where I wanted but I'm shooting 220 gr Berger out of my 300 Win mag. This dropped him immediately and he didn't move, which was kind of odd to me because they normally twitch and kick for about 2 mins or so. I shifted my rifle off of him just for an instant to try to pick up another boar, in my scope, that was feeding off to the left under a lighted feeder 300 yds away. When I shifted back to the first hog it was gone. I searched Sunday morning for him with no luck. Has this ever happened to anyone else?

BTW....my rifle is a custom built rifle that easily shoots 1/4-1/3 MOA groups with my load. I don't miss at this range.
We have lots of hogs here in Texas and we prefer the high center neck shot just behind the neck just as you describe. I believe you must have hit low or high on the two hogs that took a hit and went down and got up and left the scene. When hit properly they are DRT, but you are not alone about having them run off after a seemingly good hit. I have had great luck with my 22-250 AI- 1/7 twist- with 62 grain Barnes TTSX and better yet 70 grain TSX either with the neck shot or behind the shoulder. I believe the high velocity certainly helps with the hydrostatic shock and DRT effect, we have take hogs out to 450 yards with this load. I have also been having great luck with my Shilen barreled 1/14 twist Remington 700 with 55 grain Nosler Combined Technology bullets center of the neck. My Stiller Predator 243 AI Schneider barreled 1/7.5 twist has gotten a workout with 90 grain Nosler Accubond bullets, it is a pretty dramatic bullet anywhere in the kill zone, again I think the higher velocities help. Last but not least this year is my Stiller Predator 6XC - 7.5/12 twist Schneider barrel with Hornady 103 ELDX has been a consistent performer. The hogs I loose are due to bullet placement or in one case I tried a shoulder shot with a 90 grain Berger VLD target bullet from my 22-250 AI and the big sow soaked it up and ran off crashed thru a barbed wire fence, I know it killed her ( I did'nt get to see the corpse) because her 8-10 piglets came back to the feeder 10 minutes later by themselves.
 
I've got a question for all you experienced hog hunters: Is there a spot on the neck of a hog that is possible to temporarily drop them in their tracks but is not fatal? Twice now, out of over 100 hogs killed, I've had a hog get up and take off after being shot in the neck between the back of the head and front of the shoulder. The second one being this past Saturday night. I shot a medium sized boar dead center in the neck, at least that was my POA, at 454 yds. This is my usual POA and it always drops them DRT, but this time it didn't. Granted....I must not of hit the hog exactly where I wanted but I'm shooting 220 gr Berger out of my 300 Win mag. This dropped him immediately and he didn't move, which was kind of odd to me because they normally twitch and kick for about 2 mins or so. I shifted my rifle off of him just for an instant to try to pick up another boar, in my scope, that was feeding off to the left under a lighted feeder 300 yds away. When I shifted back to the first hog it was gone. I searched Sunday morning for him with no luck. Has this ever happened to anyone else?

BTW....my rifle is a custom built rifle that easily shoots 1/4-1/3 MOA groups with my load. I don't miss at this range.
I've shot & killed around 100 Hogs myself. I aways poke'm between the Ear & the point of the shoulder.
And it's just like you described. DRT and kick and wiggle for A long WHILE. Personally, I've never seen one get up from the neck shot, "not one".
I've seen guys take a heart/lung shot and they loose about 50% of them.
Like Butterbean said, they are tough critters.
Nope, I've never seen one survive the neck shot

RyeWsky
 
Having shot a fair number of hogs I find their reaction to neck shots is similar to most tough game, a good shot drops them easily, and a poor shot results in a wounded animal, with or without spinal concussion. Because their necks are broader than a lot of animals it gives the impression you have a bigger target but the fatal zone is still relatively small, just like on a deer's neck.
 
Possibly the 220 Berger is not yielding enough expansion to sever the spinal cord. The blunt force trauma caused by the impact of the bullet is causing temporary paralysis, however, not enough tissue has been damaged to force blood into the spinal cord which causes a brain hemorrhage.

Franz Albrecht, the Crown Prince of boar hunting, prefers the neck shot, too. The early videos show his use of a 300WM and 7x64. Present day videos show he uses a 270Win, 130 GMX. (The use of the copper alloy GMX bullet may be a requirement due to the fact the meat is ultimately used for human consumption in markets and restaurants.) In any case, enjoy the video!

 
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