My neighborhood is being overrun with wild hogs. I think my .41 is going to become my new frontyard gun. What round would be good for wild hogs if I get a shot.

Are we talking factory or reload? My standard 41 load is a cast swc and 7.0 of Unique. I would think this load would stop a hog. If factory, I would use a Silvertip.

Any factory load should do the trick, with proper placement.

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Piggies can be tough, i would go with a hard cast swc for good penetration.

I agree with this 100%. For pigs, I am partial to the .41 Magnum out of an 8-3/8" Model 57 using a hard cast 270 grain Keith shaped bullet. 21 grains of H110 under this bullet pushes it well over 1320 fps with more than 1000 ft/lbs of energy at the muzzle of my barrel. When I was killing pigs, it was my preferred load. I think NEI and JD Jones both sell the molds.

Some may regard this load as "heavy," but I think you should take a look at this clip at 2:20 and 2:53 to see why I think that it, or something similar, is necessary when using a handgun on pigs.

YouTube - Big wild boar charges the hunter



Bullseye

Back when I was carrying my Model 58, I kept it loaded with 240 gr Federal Castcore ammunition when I was in places where I thought man eating hogs might be a problem. Unless they are small, don't use Silvertips, they're underpowered for mean creatures.

Bulleye, that round sounds like a HOSS!!!!! I've used my "tarfet" load of 16.0 gr of 2400 behind a 210 hardxast Keith to shoot deers with and I'd feel more than comfortable shooting Porky with it.
Hogs can be TOUGH. I shot one years ago with a .44Mag with the standard 240gr HP and nary a one out of eight made into the vitals. That chest plate can be thick on a 400+ pound hog.
My vote is for a HARDcast 210-240 gr bullet.

I've loaded that with a 250 gr. cast slug in 44 Special and magnum cases. It's very mild in both.

I'd say it's a pretty light load for a wild hog.

I would want a heavy bullet going as fast as possible; and NOT a hollow point. Hogs are fairly tough, you need good penetration.

i knew hog s were tough after reading how 223 doest work that great. its good to learn what takes them down. i have fished alot where i live hog hunting sound like fun. i will have to try it thank you

I have shot a number of hogs, both deer hunting and here on the ranch, and I try to put them behind the ear. There has been 2 that I tried a behind the shoulder shot and didn't like there way it worked. Lead, both of them. The first one didn't penetrate very well but I was able to track him and the other took a second shot and found the slug didn't penetrate the gristle.

However them rest of them, behind the ear, were one shot stop. In the 41, I like the 210gr JSP's. The lead core is held together by the jacket for just enuf time.

However, if you get them behind the ear, any good 41 bullet will work.

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Slim, U.S. Army, Ret.

This is excellent advise. I've shot 'em with " Keith " loads in the 44 magnum as well as Remington's Golden Sabre .44 magnum, I believe it's a 275 grain round and the penetration difference was very noticeable between the two. The HC Semi Wad Cutters always made it to the vitals where the Remington's tended to expand and slow way down when bone was encountered. The " Keith " rounds were not deterred near as much. Just my thoughts.

Second vote for Federal's Core Cast factory load

sorry that the only image I have puts one next to a 725 grain wadcutter

It's a .41 Magnum. It doesn't matter. I dropped a caribou harder with my .41 than my -06 ever did.

What you do have to be aware of is a hog's anatomy is not the same as a deer's. The heart is not located where you think.

There are also aspects of the hog's physiology that are much tougher than the body of a caribou, moose, or deer. It can be harder to penetrate to the vitals of a big hog than many other critters. I have some of those castcore; they would be my first choice in a factory load. The Speer Gold Dot is pretty stout (it's a hunting, not self-defense load) and I would give it some thought.

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NHI, 10-8.

Rim Rock makes a couple of cast bullets that might work. The 240 Keith FB has a BHN of 15 & the 230 GC has a BHN of 20.

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Go for the head and a good solid cast or JSP bullet, it will put them down. Dont go for the heart/lung shot like on a deer. Thats a good way to really piss one off.

A hogs heart sits alot lower in there chest than on a deer. IF you must take a heart shot, the hogs elbow on his front leg points to his heart.