Thread: Shotgun vs pig close range?

You may remember me posting about shooting a small pig with a shotgun on duck opening weekend. There's something I've been thinking about since then. Range was 5 metres and the shell was a non-magnum 12G loaded with #4 steel shot. It was a headshot. I expected the pig to have it's head blown off, but there wasn't a single mark on it. Not even any blood! What happened?

Died of fright

its a conspiracy

Stunned it they take a lot to take down with the shotgun I have shot them outta the machine at very close ranges and u haf to get down to about #2 to actually do some damage

have shot boars of 130ish pound with 4 lead shot back in the day...at range you talking the shot will hardly have left the wad,you sometimes find the wad INSIDE the wound which should be 1/2 inches wide..also shot wallaby with 410 and shot at couple of yards range and found wad inside carcase....
did you cut up your wee pig???unless you MISSED and single pellet went inside ear cavity and into brain...porky must have died of fright. at 5 yards steel four would still be inside a 2" circle if that...when professionally rabbiting we would get very close rabbit and "pluck" head off with shotgun...body shots arent pretty...come to think of it I shot mallard hed at under 5 yards when she took off from under my feet....steel 3 and wad was inside her too....messy but as shot all exited still eatable.

Only butchered the meat, didn't dissect the head. Didn't think about it at the time. May well have "missed", no shame in that at that range with a shotgun and a stray pellet may have done the job as suggested. Thanks.