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06-17-2018, 07:38 PM
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Cast Bullet for Hog Hunting Question
Finally got a place secured to start Hog Hunting as soon as this heat wave lets us breath. I will be hunting using a Model 686 with 8 3/8" Barrel and another with a 7" Barrel. It has been recommended by many to use a heavy cast bullet for penetration. Been working on Loads with Missouri Coated 180 gr and have come up with several really accurate loads. Yesterday in conversation with another handgun hunter, he thinks the Missouri Bullet with hardness of Brinell 18 is too hard and I should use one with a Hardness of around 10-12. I really like the Missouri bullet as I load it to around 1250fps and get great accuracy. So I'll put this out to the experts here. Should I drop down to a "softer" Lead bullet that will give the penetration but at the same time give some expansion or am I overthinking this too much? The GT Bullets are around Brinell 11 and the ones I've tried are very accurate. Leading even at this velocity wouldn't me a major concern as there would not be a lot of shooting between cleanings.
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06-17-2018, 07:53 PM
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I’d stick with the hard cast bullet.
After hitting in the right place, penetration is king.
If you think you need a bigger hole, get a 44 mag. Use hard cast bullets in that too.
Last edited by Rpg; 06-17-2018 at 07:57 PM.
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06-17-2018, 08:33 PM
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You've stated you wanted penetration; 18 bnh will give you that. If in addition you want bigger hole - go bigger bore
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06-17-2018, 08:43 PM
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Feral hogs are pretty tough critters. Getting the bullet through the hide, bone, and gristle with enough 'ooomph' left to penetrate vital organs sounds like the best recipe for putting one down.
Bullet expansion is fine, if and when it really happens. Shot placement in the boiler works is what takes down the tough critters.
Hard cast bullets are big medicine for tough critters.
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06-17-2018, 09:24 PM
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I have shot one hog and I used a cast bullet. Hog was facing me at 40 yards. Bullet went in just above the right eye. Gun was a 50/70 shiloh sharps. Bullet was a 425 gr cast.
He never heard the shot.
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06-17-2018, 09:30 PM
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Shoot behind the ear.
If you miss forward, you get the ear hole. If you miss back, you take out the shoulders. It you miss high or low you will likely still shock the spine and knock him down for a follow-up. They are so hard to hit because they are moving so much that the behind the ear shot gives you the greatest margin for error—especailly using a revolver.
Wild Hog Hunting Tips: Where To Shoot Them | Outdoor Warrior
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06-17-2018, 09:37 PM
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I have shot a 180 gr hard cast ( water quenched) . At 80 yds , it penetrated a 16" section of a creosoted pole completely and hit the hill side 25 yds past it . I used a max load of W296 , using current load data . These were fired from a 6.5" barrel model 28 HP . I would think that on hogs , penetration is most important . Good Luck , Paul
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06-18-2018, 10:52 AM
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I'm not a fan of hard cast bullets for anything in a handgun. If the 12bhn bullets shoot, I would be fine with those at 1250fps, of course bullet fit is most important.
Btw, a bullet penetrating dirt or wood has little reference to what happens in meat. A solid lead bullet, even soft, isnt likely staying inside a 300# pig shot broadside.
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Last edited by fredj338; 06-18-2018 at 10:54 AM.
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06-18-2018, 11:37 AM
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I have dropped Big Nevada Mule deer bucks with the old Speer 160 gr. SJSP bullet but....
they are not built like the hide, muscle and bone that comes with a Hog.
I think the larger 180 coated will do fine......... FN ?
Give it a try and find out.
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06-18-2018, 12:05 PM
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Well Eddie , you have 2 different opinions , mine and Freds . My bullets , I cast myself . They were cast from wheel weights and just a tad of tin added . The water quenching only hardens just the shell of the bullet . BTW , they were gas checked . I seriously doubt that you will take a shot @ a hog from 80 yds with a handgun . Most 180 gr cast bullets that you buy will be bhn 18 . Those would be harder than mine were . Again, good luck Paul
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06-18-2018, 01:35 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cowboy4evr
Well Eddie , you have 2 different opinions , mine and Freds . My bullets , I cast myself . They were cast from wheel weights and just a tad of tin added . The water quenching only hardens just the shell of the bullet . BTW , they were gas checked . I seriously doubt that you will take a shot @ a hog from 80 yds with a handgun . Most 180 gr cast bullets that you buy will be bhn 18 . Those would be harder than mine were . Again, good luck Paul
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I plan to stick with cast. While I’ve never killed a hog with a handgun, I’ve killed at least 10 over 300lbs with buckshot and a bunch smaller. Back when we hunted deer with dogs, all we used was buckshot and I’ve seen several instances where 3” mag 000 Buck would penetrate the skin and stop in the fat without getting close to the vitals from 25 yards or less! One old timer I knew shot wheel weight cast bullets loaded hot in a 30-30. He shot for the shoulder to “break ‘em down” as he called it and finished them off with a head shot. From my experience I don’t think I will have to worry about over penetration.
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06-18-2018, 02:10 PM
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IMO, for a 357 Magnum cast bullet, 12-14 BHN is plenty hard. Too hard and if not perfectly sized or with decent lube, hard bullets will often lead the barrel. The 18 BHN will have less obturation and possibly less accuracy, but I haven't tested any bullets that hard in a revolver. For hunting hogs, I too would go for penetration with a good bullet profile; a SWC with a big flat nose or a RNFP (I have a mold for Ranch Dog 44 cal RNFP bullets that, designed for hunting; they have a big flat nose to impart a lot of tissue damage without depending on expansion).
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06-18-2018, 02:52 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Eddietruett
I plan to stick with cast. While I’ve never killed a hog with a handgun, I’ve killed at least 10 over 300lbs with buckshot and a bunch smaller. Back when we hunted deer with dogs, all we used was buckshot and I’ve seen several instances where 3” mag 000 Buck would penetrate the skin and stop in the fat without getting close to the vitals from 25 yards or less! One old timer I knew shot wheel weight cast bullets loaded hot in a 30-30. He shot for the shoulder to “break ‘em down” as he called it and finished them off with a head shot. From my experience I don’t think I will have to worry about over penetration.
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Buckshot is not known for penetration, each pellet weighs very little compared to even a single 9mm. I doubt a reasonably hard lead solid bullet, driven above 1100fps, 357mag & up, stays inside a deer at pretty much any angle.
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Last edited by fredj338; 06-18-2018 at 02:53 PM.
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06-18-2018, 03:32 PM
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Hard cast.....
Hard cast Keith style or flat nose bullet.
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06-18-2018, 05:03 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fredj338
Buckshot is not known for penetration, each pellet weighs very little compared to even a single 9mm. I doubt a reasonably hard lead solid bullet, driven above 1100fps, 357mag & up, stays inside a deer at pretty much any angle.
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While I agree that I would never depend on buckshot for penetration, as a comparison, I have seen deer killed at 75+ yards with buckshot obviously penetrating the deer hide enough to damage vitals, while the same load might not penetrate a hog hide enough to get through to the vitals at 25 yards. I was not praising buckshot for what it can do, just a comparison of how tough it is to kill a grown hog.
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06-18-2018, 08:05 PM
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My opinion, for whatever it's worth :
You have an accurate, hard-hitting load.
Take it out and shoot something with it.
Report back.
I think that what you have developed will do fine. Go shoot a pig.
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