Thread: What do Pig hunters want ?

You have already answered your own question Daz, nothing to complicated or expensive, rifles going to have a hard life anyways.

Rossi's perfect, and simple.

You can buy a rifled .410 /45 long colt single shot break open. Harrington n Richardson survival gun. They would be perfect candidate. Load of 00 buck would fly true not doughnut one would hope,pellets being in line in .410 not bunched like 12ga.

If the firearm is to be used in the DOC estate shotgun cartridges aren't an option. Also have seen 410 slugs fail more than once, knew other who had the same experience, maybe poor ammo? Used 20 gauge with slugs for many years, always did the job. Used 44 mag in later years with subs suppressed, plus had full charge loads on hand.

You could do two
Single shot version and multi shot version (lever action)

A 410 slug only weighs about 80 to 90 grains so it's not a great hitter, it has about the same energy as a 22 magnum and I know a few piggers who use a shortened one of those. Fine up close and personal but not so good at any distance

most pig dogs dont really listen anyway so one single low speed 410 pop isnt enough of a problem for them to go looking for a solution

Iv got a friend who owns one of FSS's early super silent 410s and it impressed the hell out of me
my pig hunting mates were not that interested at all

they are really impressed with my suppressed 77/44 running 44special if money was no issue but they arnt perfect with their slow twist barrel either

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

yeah and nah........ same as the 44 magnum.... Im starting to formulate recipe...for MOST of the bailed pigs you want lighter,more expandy projectile that wont over penertrate IF guy on trigger can poke it into brain...maybe need to get then to practise on base of beer can???
plus a seperate load which I refer to as the SHTF/get out of jail card...full noise heavy expanding that will still penertrate,thems for when your four legged mates are getting a hiding or boris just wont stop,poke it anywhere in front half and put him down fast to hell with meat damage or anything else..just put him down fast.

We’ve just always used Rossi 44 mag running 240 grain hollow points. Never had an issue. Nice and simple.
I thought if you wanted a nice simple setup you’d just run a single shot Bergara 44 mag

I'd say they want a pistol

one of my mates does run begera SS break open fitted with a DPT and its great..red dot on top, the other runs the wee ruger bolt SS synthetic unsuppressed also with red dot on top... both fellas shoot a lot of pigs..but I wouldnt call either a marksman. think a beercan would be very safe at 50 yards.

Originally Posted by Gibo

I'd say they want a pistol

Yep.
Ninety five percent of the time a rifle is a nuisance.

one really nice rifle for pig hunting is the lever action 44 mag Ruger but rarely come up for sale very sought after

Originally Posted by Flyblown

The pig hunters I knock about with change their minds on rifle / cartridges every time they screw up the shot and the pig rips up their dog(s).

I would be surprised if there was a specific rifle / cartridge option that would be worth making in any kind of numbers. My gang use everything from. 223 Rem to .44 Rem Mag. The most common concerns are (a) muzzle blast and turning young dogs gun shy, (b) rifle length, (c) ammunition availability. Stopping power is a weird one - a pig hunter will go hunt with a mate who uses a .223 and is a cool and calm shot in the bail, and now he wants a .223 as well. Until he messes it up and then he definitely needs a .44.

Last decent hunt I went on, the pig (very dangerous boar) was shot with a full power .44 Rem Mag (factory 240gr PPU) front on. Bullet hit the skull on the top far left side, took out the ear, knocked pig unconscious. Pig came round about 60 seconds later. Not good.

That's what pig hunting is all about, the excitement and fukups.

Originally Posted by Barry the hunter

one really nice rifle for pig hunting is the lever action 44 mag Ruger but rarely come up for sale very sought after

I happen to know where an unfired specimen is...but I dont have enough spare fun tokens to pries it out of owners grubby mits...

Originally Posted by Flyblown

The pig hunters I knock about with change their minds on rifle / cartridges every time they screw up the shot and the pig rips up their dog(s).

I would be surprised if there was a specific rifle / cartridge option that would be worth making in any kind of numbers. My gang use everything from. 223 Rem to .44 Rem Mag. The most common concerns are (a) muzzle blast and turning young dogs gun shy, (b) rifle length, (c) ammunition availability. Stopping power is a weird one - a pig hunter will go hunt with a mate who uses a .223 and is a cool and calm shot in the bail, and now he wants a .223 as well. Until he messes it up and then he definitely needs a .44.

Last decent hunt I went on, the pig (very dangerous boar) was shot with a full power .44 Rem Mag (factory 240gr PPU) front on. Bullet hit the skull on the top far left side, took out the ear, knocked pig unconscious. Pig came round about 60 seconds later. Not good.

yip beer can at 50 yards pretty safe LOL.....I have contemplated making up a heavy plywood pig shape with hole saw cut through brain area just big enough to fit a coke/redbull can end on...... right you buggers,knock out the can without rooting the plywood sort of deal.

Thanks to all who replied, certainly given me a direction to go in (or should I say 2).

I seems that both ideas are the way to go so I shall see what I can do with the single shot Rossi 410 to make a dedicated suppressed slug gun but there also seems a lot of interest in a lever gun (two people contacted me and have placed orders). As such I have ordered a Citadel in 357/38 (38 is sub sonic and 357 for more punch).

The plan is to cut the Citadel down to min legal length (maybe 3-5 rounds) and add a modified over barrel can and see how that goes, I have one guy who shoots deer at longer range and does not want to drag his long range gun with him when he gets the animal, as was mentioned people want a pistol, so this would be as near to a pistol as you could legally have.

Once again that to all who replied.

Cheers

Darren