What round do you think is more effective against wild boar? Getting my concealed weapon permit in the mail in a couple weeks, thank goodness because i've been close to being charged a couple times while fishing from shore in the lagoon by me...... oh and alligators too but I think I'd have to hit them behind the eyes no matter what round?

45 Colt, it's not even close..............

.45 Colt. Especially if you handload. Even if you don't, there are plenty of good ammo selections out there. They are just pricey.

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Georgia On My Mind

...on the type revolver you plan to carry.

If you carry a S&W N frame, I wouldn't load it up with anything hotter than factory loads. However, if you're carrying a Ruger SA or Redhawk, you can load it up pretty hot.

With a .357 Magnum, any L or N frame will handle even the hottest loads.

If you want a hotter .4x round, then buy a .44 magnum, .454 Casull, 460 S&W, etc.

.45 Colt.

The Smith .45 Colts can be loaded up pretty good. There's an article by John Linebaugh where he discusses it.

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Stu

S&W , (as well as most loading data) limits .45 Colt ammo for their guns to fairly tame levels.
Though a good hardcast .45cal 250gr SWC at 900fps should work on hogs very nicely.

.357 Magnum

45 Colt. I loaded the cartridges in the picture below. 200 grain Speer #4477 jacketed hollow points (flying ashtrays) over 10.6 grains of W231. These loads were used on hogs with devastating results. The bad news is that Speer discontinued the 4477 bullet. The new Speer 4478 Gold Dot bullet would be a good replacement for the 4477. These loads are for use in modern strong firearms like the Ruger Super Blackhawk, T/C Contender, Marlin lever action rifle, Winchester Trapper.

Either will work. Unless you load your own, .357 will be easier, and cheaper to find good ammo for. Also .357 will have more choice in the size of the gun.
that said, I like .45 Colt better.

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Formerly know as Lucky Derby

Neither one, is a good one shot stopper, especailly if you let the critter get into effective pistol range. Get a Winchester 94 or Marlin 336 carbine in 30-30. It is more accurate at a greater range and probably has more punch and stopping power than both put together. Also, one of these little carbines is not that heavy and with a sling is as easy to carry as a heavy pistol. It is awful easy to miss a charging/running hog or gator with a pistol at anything greater than muzzle blast range.

Hmmm... I usually wave my arms and yell, "Get lost, hogs!" Then, all I can see is hog a**** and elbows.

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Pisgah

.45 Colt, its not even close. Hard cast bullets if available. Hogs, like black bears, are tough knit.

for a 3-400 pound boar....neither would be my choice....i have shot a number of them with a 500 magnum from the performance center however

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SWCA#2208
KK4EMO

How can a 45LC beat out a .357 magnum? I'm looking at ballistics data and the .357 magnum seems have more muzzle energy than a 45 LC. My Black Hills ammo delivers 626 ft/lbs of muzzle energy. Buffloe Bore has some 45LC ammo the will deliver 566 ft/lbs. How do you figure the 45LC has the edge in stopping power? I'm not trying to be smart, just trying to learn.........

I don't think a dead pig will much care what you shoot them with. I have shot them with arrows, round lead balls, 44s and 357s and one killed them as quick as others.

I suggest you use the gun you can shoot the best, quickly.
CC

You have .357 and .45 Colt to choose from, so my choice would be .45 Colt with 255g cast SWC @ 900fps.

Plenty of horsepower for the job, penetrate like nobody's business, big slugs, large holes (one in, one out).

On paper the .357 is more, but in the real world the .45 is better for the task you outlined.

Hope this helps.

How's he gonna unsling the rifle and fire? And how's he gonna work the lever if (likely) his first shot misses? A revolver gives you 6 fast shots. No doubt the .30-.30 is a better stopper, but it's not as handy.

Whatever revolver you pick, get it in DA. Heavily loaded 45 Colt or 44 Mag SAs are basically going to be single shots on close-in, charging critters. That is, unless you are someone with great hand strength and demonstrated ability to fire SAs really fast and accurately on moving targets, which really means two-handed shooting.

My current carry is a 357 Mag with heavily loaded 180 grain Nosler Partition bullets at about 1100 fps. These bullets have rep of expanding to 0,4+ inches and penetrating deeply. Plus, I can draw and shoot that DA revolver quickly with these loads, especially with two handed hold.

I agree with concern about long guns. Unless you already have them in hand, they are likely to be useless on a close-in, charging critter. Also, shooter needs demonstrated ability to work lever really fast, no short stroking -- otherwise, that rifle is just a club or single shot.

Niklas

My vote would be a 180 grain bullet in a stout DA revolver like a 686 or my personal magnum favorite the gp100.

I agree with the overwhelming majority of responders. The .45 Colt is the way to go. I hunted and shot a 300 lb boar with my 8'' Colt Python. It ate 4 well placed rounds of .357 JSWCHP (the only ammo available) and eviscerated a dog before succumbing to it's wounds.

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'Nam 1968-69.DAV,VFW,NRA Inst.

I don't know of any theory backed up by observable facts that muzzle energy is closely related to effectiveness at killing animals. I also don't happen to know whether a fast 250 gr .45 bullet or a faster 158 gr .357 bullet is more likely to stop a hog. However, the issue is most likely penetration, which some .357 slugs may be better at. If penetration of the .45 bullet used is sufficient, then it should be almost obvious that it would give better odds of being effective.

Muzzle energy is calculated by multiplying the mass of the bullet by some constant and the SQUARE of the velocity. Why the definition of energy gives such emphasis to velocity is a physicist's business, but any theory that it creates a last-word criterion for effectiveness in killing animals is just that - a theory. A little calculation of the extremes would show that it is a false one, at least if applied over a wide range.

I've been quite successful against hogs with .357 180gr JSP. It seems to work better in the breadbox rather than the head. My advice is stick with solid bullets. I've had .357 JHP flatten agains shoulder blades without good penetration into the vitals. However I have no doubt .45 colt 200gr JSP would be just as effective.

Gator is another thing completely. Your gonna have to hit the brain. Lizards just don't die from shock to the heart and lungs like a mammal does. A handgun is going to be hard unless you are straddling him. I'd stick with a rifle or .44mag bang stick for them.

I am a strong subscriber to John Linebaugh's "bigger hammer" theory. About half way down the page.
Linebaugh's Custom Sixguns - The .45 Colt - Dissolving the Myth, Discovering the Legend

Big hole in, big hole out. Besides, the .357 with full power loads isn't very pleasant. A .45-255-950fps is a very pleasant load, and will shoot all the way through a mule, dropping him on the spot. I load my Vaqueros and Blackhawks with this load for everything from plinking to hunting. If I were wanting an unobtrusive, out of the way handgun to carry in a belt holster like the OP, I would carry this:

.45 Colt Vaquero 3.5" Barrel If one practices a little, fast follow-up shots are very possible.

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Georgia On My Mind

Hogs don't read ballistic charts.

Big/heavy/slow bullet vs small/light/fast bullet has been the debate of hunters for years.

A large diameter heavy bullet will cut a larger wound channel for more blood loss and reach the vital organs better than a small light hollow point.

If a hog is shot with the .45 Colt round (my choice) and falls over dead, you could always run up to him and tell him to get up. If he doesn't get up, then show him the paper. Dean

Of the two, I would go with the .45 Colt, but my choice is a .44M. I haven't hunted Hogs much, but I carry my MG loaded with 250 gr HCSWC. The ranges tend to short and I want something I know will do the job should I need it.

I took this one in 1987 with a Ruger Redhawk in .44 magnum. One shot from about 20 yards and it went down like a ton of bricks.

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Miss My Buddy crsides!!

No offense meant to the original poster, but the shooters ability has a lot to do with this. If you are confident you CAN and WILL hit with the 1st shot, either will do. If you don't have the confidence that you will fire a one kill shot, use the .357 as with it shooting a lighter weight bullet, you will have faster recovery time.

.45 Colt heavy hard cast SWC of course

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C & L

Forget the 38's period

Was he wearing the hat when you shot him?

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Proud anachronism

Yes, but I switched it to this one.

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C & L

Whichever one you can shoot the best. If the .357, a decent cast bullet like the old 162 grain # 358156 in an L or N frame revolver. Or load some of the nice old 170 grain #358429's if your gun can chamber them (load them in .38 +P casings for an N frame). In .45 Colt, well any good cast bullet will do.

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Vaya con Dios

Thanks for the help everyone!

Forgot to mention I already have the guns.
I wouldn't bother going there but in the winter we catch redfish,trout and black drum literally every cast. Caught over 100 something fish with my friend there one day.
I was thinking Buffalo Bore for the ammo but those speers look very effective!

National Wildlife Refuge - I've encountered boar out there 5-6 times. First was at night, right after the sun set. I was getting close to my car (about a mile walk) and I heard something rustle and let out a loud grunt. I walked backwards for about 20 feet and started yelling at it to try to scare it. I couldn't see anything but could hear it walking, what sounded like towards me. Kept yelling and eventually it stopped.
Had a run in with one while she was with her kids, its a small island i fish from and I couldve easily accidently cornered it. Luckily I wasn't quite to that part of the island yet.
Was walking the trail near north end and heard something in the bushes. I couldn't see it so i yelled at it and stepped back. Damn thing grunted back at me, load as heck. Needless to say I was ready to take a swim.

Second to last time i was there (end of gator mating season) I was heading back to the car. About 200ft from the bank there was a puddle, probably 15ft wide, 40ft long that i had to cross to get back (probably half a dozen or so of these on the trail, not usually there but we had a lotta rain) I step in and see hundreds of baby leopard frogs jumping outta the way. I was thinking oh damn probably some snakes around so i was looking out for them. Got about halfway through the puddle, maybe a ft deep at that time, and I see something underwater about five to seven (more like five) feet in front of me. Damn thing looked like a python, i remember thinking what the heck we don't have pythons in this part of florida (introduced in south florida). Followed the tail up and HOLY S%*&!!!! 5-6ft alligator probably about 5ft in front of me. I stepped back, it didn't move, so I just kept slowly walking away. It just kept watching me but didn't move (head underwater). Probably the most scared/startled i've ever been, luckily it wasn't much bigger

Yeah. Thanks for the feedback! I have never been surprised by a hog but there is always the chance. Can a man outrun a 300lb hog?

No way! Thats what trees are for.

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Miss My Buddy crsides!!

You can load that Model 25 up a little. here's John Linebaugh's article on it.

Gunnotes...Smith & Wesson Mod 25-5

To answer my own question. "A boar can run 30-35 MPH for a short distance." The question is how fast can I run while soiling my pants? I hope I will never be able to answer that question.

Easy answer...........44 Mag

I'd vote for the .44 mag & up if it were me.

Hmm... What would Elmer recommend?

I think the answer is clear.

Mr. Linebaugh discusses this 25-7 in his article. This gun with 300grain SWC @ 1100 ft/sec are a potent combination. They are extremely accurate revolvers with correct cylinder throats !

Jerry

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.38/44 Outdoorsman Accumulator

Good point, got my j frame 357 a few weeks ago and still getting used to the sight radius. I feel pretty confident at 7-10 yards pulling the hammer back but i havent tried fast double action shooting much yet

If you can only choose between the .357mag and .45LC, my vote would also be for the .45LC. But if you can choose a different caliber, I'd go with 44mag, 454casull, or 500mag.

I've got some GP100's that I LOVE, but when hunting hog I use either my Taurus Raging Bull 6.5" 44mag, Taurus Raging Bull 6.5" .454casull, or my S&W500 8 3/8" 500mag. I personally think those are better caliber choices for wild hogs, but each person has their own unique perspective and choice.

357 is one of the most versatile guns, load it up for boar, put 38s +p for selfdefence (avoid some over penetration), shot load for snakes. cheap ammo for training.

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The absence of pain is...death

I don't recommend the .500 or .454 because you aren't going to have time for ear protection and you'll probably have permanent hearing loss.

The .45 Colt when used in Ruger's or Contenders can be loaded safely to very powerful levels. I personally use an old style Vaquero in .45 Colt with 300 grain HCFN rounds at 1300 fps. Yes, it is a stopper.

Both would work, but I would also say that it depends also on the bullets. I have never dealt with wild boars (at least not the 4 legged kind) but I have heard they have a pretty tough skull so you will want a bullet that will penetrate. If you are looking for a concealed carry gun than you want something smaller and not a large handgun. Although N frame guns like a Model 25 are not overly huge, they are not as small as a Ruger SP-101 or Smith Model 19, 686 etc. But using a good cast bullet like a 170 grain #358429 in the .357 doing 1,200-1,300 fps will probably do a number on a boar's hide and skull. In .45 Colt, any good 250-255 grain cast bullet would do the job.

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Vaya con Dios

I haven't found a pigs skull to be particularly difficult to penetrate in the hundred or so I have killed. The problem is shooting them from the front the bullet will have a tendency to glance off due to the angle of the skull. Though I do have a cool picture of one somewhere where I put a bullet directly between the pigs eyes and you can see plainly see the brains poking out the hole.

I would definitely take the bigger, heavier bullet from my experiences and go with the 45 Colt. With that said though, I have had them die at my feet with rifles too often to ever really be comfortable with just a revolver. I usually save the revolver for when I am inspecting my rifle shots in case one isn't as dead as they are pretending. The occasional "zombie hog" really has a high pucker factor.

Pick one. They will both work.