Help Needed: Hunting Round for 38 special

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tippit

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I'm using a J frame M60 38 spl snub to back up my longbow for hog hunting. It's so much easier/smaller to carry in my fanny pack or pocket compared to my .357s. It will be used while blood trailing and only if needed to dispatch a wounded hog.

I don't know what the best round would be as these would likely be head shots. I was thinking of using the Buffalo Bore 38 Special +P OUTDOORSMAN - 158 gr. Hard Cast Keith? These rounds wound be used very infrequently so I don't think I'd be stressing my M60 too much. Thanks for any help/advise...Jeff
 
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Hogs are pretty tough critters, I personally would not feel comfortable with a .38 snubbie for a coup de gras, but given no other choice I would make some +p range 158 grain hardcast SWC. If you don't reload get something like Bufflo Bore 38 SPL +P OUTDOORSMAN
 
I consider that particular Buffalo Bore to be a 38/44 loading, NOT a +P 38 spl. In fact I have no idea of how Buffalo Bore is getting those internal ballistics in a 38 caliber loading at only +P ressure levels, because those are Light Magnum internal ballistics and I would expect pressures to be way over 38 +P levels.

Good news is that if your model 60 is of recent manufacture it's rated for the 357 Magnum, so a 38/44 loading won't hurt the gun a bit. However, I do expect that it will hurt to shoot, the model 60 is IMO a bit too light for either a 38/44 or Magnum load.

Personally, having seen pics of some monster hogs published in gun mags and on the net, I'd be a bit concerned about relying on a mear 357 Magnum for these monsters. If I had to deal with a wounded 700 lbs. Bore I'd be inclned to start with a 460 Magnum and would really prefer to have a Rocket Propelled Grenade. IMO the 357 MAgnum would only be suitable if the hogs in your area trend 250 lbs. or less, if they commonly run larger I'd suggest you carry more gun as a backup. I would also suggest that you make sure to only take shots that insure a good killing hit and pass up any iffy shots. Hogs aren't at all like deer and they will do their best to kill you if given the chance.
 
That round or a hand-load of that persuasion would be the only .38 that I would bother having around mean hogs.

Bigger would be better, though that BB load is nothing to sneeze at.
 
My M60 is only a 38 spl (no dash from the early 80's)...not a newer M60. I do have several .357s but I sure like the small J frame for carry while hunting. Is my older M60 still safe to shoot an occasional Buffalo Bore 38 Special +P OUTDOORSMAN - 158 gr. round? BB site seems to think so??

What I'll probably going to do is test the 38 sp +P rounds on some recovered hogs to see what my penetration is through the skull. I guess I need to know that before depending on it. I do have Doubletap 357 Magnum 200 Grain Wide Flat Nose Gas Check for my 681...but I'd love to travel lighter with the M60!
 
At my last pastoral appointment I had a church member whose family routinely hunted hogs with dogs in the swamps and along the river outside of town. When I first got ready to go with them, I carried a 12 gs. pump shotgun. My church member showed up with a WWII era S&W .38 Special Victory Model M&P... loaded (are you ready for this) with round nosed 158 gr. lead bullets. I was shocked. I had considered bringing my M-1 Garand. The next time I went with them, I took a 6" 28 loaded with the hottest .357 Mag. load I could find. My church member had his M&P .38 Special... same loads. I've seen him get as many as 6 hogs in one night (yes... you read that right... we were hunting hogs in the dark). Believe you me, it took a while for me to get comfortable with they way they hunt hogs. The hogs I've seen caught and killed would run between 150-200 lbs. One would have pushed 300 lbs., but that is not the norm. All went down after being shot once or twice at close range... never more than 10 yds. We haven't had one "charge" us. But, just in case that ever happens, I also carry a little S&W 18-3 .22LR revolver. If a bad situation ever arises, I am depending on it to save my life. I figure I will follow the advice I've read about dealing with a bear charge. I'll just shoot my beloved church member in the knee and run. There will be time later to plan the funeral, etc....... :-) . Seriously, for a finisher, your M60 will be fine. I've seen a lot of hogs and cows/steers go down from a .22 LR/.22 Mag. I would suggest that you take a look at a hog skull and note where the brain is located, etc. It will make it easier when you need to shoot one. You can do this while you are testing the penetration with the loads you want to use. JMHO. Sincerely. brucev.
 
Hogs most certainly can be tough critters but if you only have a Md 60 then if properly applied will suffice. I'd use either a 158 grain soft point in a plus P configuration or a 158 grain LHP PLus P. These if fired into the head will penetrate sufficiently. I've shot 14 myself but that does not make me an authority. I also used .44's or .45 Colts.
 
i would rather use a much larger caliber. a buddy of mine had a wounded hog that he tried to dispatch with a 9mm..........he now has a scar about 13" long on his leg that took many many staples to close.

especially large hogs. the ones with 4" tusks haha
 
Another load option might be Buffalo Bore's hard cast, standard pressure, wad cutters. They're supposed to do very well with penetration. (I'm assuming you're primarily interested in "braining" the piggy). As a plus, they'll be easier on your 60 no dash.

PC
 
If you keep the bow hunting mindset and not handgun hunting that .38 should be fine. Through the years I've carried 22LR,38SP,357MAG,44SP & 44MAG for this same reason( plus it adds a little comfort to only being armed with a pointed stick and a crooked stick) and have used the 22 more than all others combined.
 
tippit said:
My M60 is only a 38 spl (no dash from the early 80's)...not a newer M60. I do have several .357s but I sure like the small J frame for carry while hunting. Is my older M60 still safe to shoot an occasional Buffalo Bore 38 Special +P OUTDOORSMAN - 158 gr. round? BB site seems to think so??

What I'll probably going to do is test the 38 sp +P rounds on some recovered hogs to see what my penetration is through the skull. I guess I need to know that before depending on it. I do have Doubletap 357 Magnum 200 Grain Wide Flat Nose Gas Check for my 681...but I'd love to travel lighter with the M60!
Click to expand...

I carry BB 158 grain Heavy +p in my Model 60 no dash from the middle 70s. I have fired probably 25 rounds in it. I sighted it in at 5 yards (shot to poa) and I shoot the loads I am carrying and renew them about twice a year. To me, the load isn't nearly as punishing or unpleasant as a full-house 158 grain .357 in a 2.5" or even 4" Model 19.
 
Tippit,
You are good to go with the M60 snubby as long as your bullet placement is correct, I dispatched a 205 lb. wild boar with one round in the ear. As others have said, people have been killing hogs and cattle with well placed .22LR rounds for years. Good luck and "be one with the arrow."
 
I have killed at leas 11 hogs with a 22 longs from a rifle. They are not hard to kill if shot in the head!
 
Ive killed lots of hogs with a 22 rifle and a few 1200 pound steers. Once in a while you'll run in to an older hog (an old boar or sow that needs to be culled out) that needs a little more. On one old sow the 22 didnt even faze her. At least a 38 with the round nose should be plenty. Again its all about shot placement.
 
You are assuming that you can pick your shot and fire a finishing round. The hog may still have enough life- and anger--left that you'll need to stop a charge.

How heavy will the pallbearers think your body is because you wanted the convenience of a lightweight gun? :rolleyes:

To comfort you, Massad Ayoob killed a lot of hogs in a slaughter plant, proving that a snub .38 is much more effective than a .380. He found the lead SWC-HP effective, but those were slaughterhouse conditions!

No way would I rely on a .38 in hog country, even if just birdwatching or hiking. Ditto on cougar or bears. A .38 may work, but more seems wiser, as you can't always choose your shots!

Frankly, I would never use a hotter handgun than a normal .44 Magnum. If I feel the need for more, a rifle comes out, convenient or not. Among other issues, like the convenience that you cited, .460 and .500 guns probably eventually damage your wrists and elbows.

My four-inch barrelled M-66 .357 is the smallest gun that I'd carry in dangerous game country, although a Ruger SP-101 in .357 with three-inch barrel may suit some. It's certainly the smallest that I'd own in .357. I think J-frame Smiths in .357 are too small for any comfort in recoil, and may eventually damage your hand.
 
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