Where to shoot hogs for a clean kill.

LONESTARBOAR

Grand Poobah
Here is a where to shoot video.





The first picture above shows shot placement for a clean kill on a hog. As you can see in the second picture the lungs and heart are farther forward than a deer. This turns the traditional behind the crease of the shoulder shot into a gut shot and a lost hog.

The preferred shot placement would be directly in between the ear and the first dot on the hogs shoulder. Center neck shots will take out the spine and drop the hog in its tracks. If the hog moves as you shoot (hogs are always moving) you will hit the head or shoulder.

This is a 220 pound boar this shows just how far down the spine is on a adult boar.

 
Last edited by a moderator:

Afalex1

LSB Active Member
SUS VENATOR CLUB
The pictures really help out a hunter new to shooting hogs. The red dot is the place to shoot. If yo miss a little left or right you still have a solid kill shot! Great depiction of what to do.
 
Last edited:

Wassman

Houston, Texas
SUS VENATOR CLUB
LoneStarBoars Supporter
That's the best pic I have seen. Pretty much the only place to kill a pig. Most of the time you will have a DRT if shot there. Until you come across the zombie pig, but nothing kills those guys.
 

DaveABQ

Albuquerque, NM
I think there is more to it than just shot placement, you have to take caliber and bullet in to account, if too small a caliber, like the .223/5.56, I like to put it just behind the base of the ear, between the eyes, etc., most times if I can put a bullet there with any caliber, I will, for a quick kill
 

Ratdog68

LSB Official Story Teller
LSB TURKEY BUZZARD PRESERVATION SOCIETY
SUS VENATOR CLUB
LoneStarBoars Supporter
More helpful pix...

hog_anatomy.gif

0000-pig_anatomy_1.jpg

PigAnatomy1.jpg

sow-pig-anatomy.jpg
 

Ratdog68

LSB Official Story Teller
LSB TURKEY BUZZARD PRESERVATION SOCIETY
SUS VENATOR CLUB
LoneStarBoars Supporter
My Google fu was strong that particular day... and I was awake enough to move 'em to my photobucket account.
 

PRyan1877

Roselle, Illinois
SUS VENATOR CLUB
LoneStarBoars Supporter
Yes, up from the foot if the leg is straight, keep in mind that the heart lays on the sternum so to blow out the heart is a tight shot.
 

Wassman

Houston, Texas
SUS VENATOR CLUB
LoneStarBoars Supporter
I just draw a line between the ear and middle shoulder and shoot half way between the two. Good thing is if I shoot a left or right I will still hit a vital area (head or shoulders). Still haven't had one run all DRT. Either I am a good shot or just luckey, probably mostly luck lol.
 

TEXASLAWMAN

Lone Star Boars Owner
LSB TURKEY BUZZARD PRESERVATION SOCIETY
SUS VENATOR CLUB
LoneStarBoars Supporter
I've hit a few very big ones in the neck only to knock them out, and then get up and run after several minutes. Must have hit just high in the neck. There is some serious muscle there, normally the shock from a high power rifle will break the neck even if you don't hit right on the bone though.
 

Ratdog68

LSB Official Story Teller
LSB TURKEY BUZZARD PRESERVATION SOCIETY
SUS VENATOR CLUB
LoneStarBoars Supporter
I wanna watch one do a pirouette on it's front hooves after whackin' 'im behind the ear with a 405 gr. HCLFN from my .45-70 headache prescriber.
 

TEXASLAWMAN

Lone Star Boars Owner
LSB TURKEY BUZZARD PRESERVATION SOCIETY
SUS VENATOR CLUB
LoneStarBoars Supporter
Six shots with a 45/70 405 grain soft point at 50 yards. Every shot knocked him down every time he got back up! Finally a .45acp to the forehead finalized the deal. Boar was only about 170lbs. Tough animals! I'll write the whole story up someday in the story section.

 

Ratdog68

LSB Official Story Teller
LSB TURKEY BUZZARD PRESERVATION SOCIETY
SUS VENATOR CLUB
LoneStarBoars Supporter
I'm impressed !! You mention soft points... have you tried the same weight in hard cast lead flat nose? You'd THINK that the soft points would mushroom up and do some jellification inside.
 

TEXASLAWMAN

Lone Star Boars Owner
LSB TURKEY BUZZARD PRESERVATION SOCIETY
SUS VENATOR CLUB
LoneStarBoars Supporter

Ratdog68

LSB Official Story Teller
LSB TURKEY BUZZARD PRESERVATION SOCIETY
SUS VENATOR CLUB
LoneStarBoars Supporter

pruhdlr

Cantonment,Fla.
SUS VENATOR CLUB
To me the ammo you use depends on where your preferred shot placement is. ANY hit with almost ANY chambering will kill a hog quickly if put on his CNS. In post #14 above I believe the kill would have been quicker using the 300gr HP's. I am not trying to second guess TLM,he was probably figuring that he needed more bullet for either/or a larger hog or a quartering away shot. IOW's more penetration.

ALL my shots are either ON the shoulder or a lower heart/double lung shot. I do not shoot head/neck shots.....ever. In most of my hog loads I either use a Barnes TSX,TTSX,or a hardcast with wide flat,meplate. These are not "magic" bullets. I still have to put them where they are supposed to be.

On my club I have recently seen a 350-400lb hog. There was a 409lb boar hog killed about 3/4's of a mile from my location on the club last year. I shot at and missed a 300 pounder last year with my Ruger #1 chambered in 45-70. All this will get you thinking about your guns and ammo that you have chosen to get the job done.

I have killed a few hogs with a 223Rem and a Barnes 55gr TSX. These were the <125lb variety. My "normal" hog gun is a AR/6.8 using a 85gr TSX. I will probably be switching to the 115gr Fed Fusions.

If I start getting pics of the bigger hogs on my game cams I will certainly switch to my 45-70 and the 405gr Hardcast,444Marlin with the 300gr Hornady XTP's,or my 500S&W rifle shooting the 440gr WFNGC hardcast bullets.

Good Huntin' To All --- pruhdlr
 

TEXASLAWMAN

Lone Star Boars Owner
LSB TURKEY BUZZARD PRESERVATION SOCIETY
SUS VENATOR CLUB
LoneStarBoars Supporter
To me the ammo you use depends on where your preferred shot placement is. ANY hit with almost ANY chambering will kill a hog quickly if put on his CNS. In post #14 above I believe the kill would have been quicker using the 300gr HP's. I am not trying to second guess TLM,he was probably figuring that he needed more bullet for either/or a larger hog or a quartering away shot. IOW's more penetration.

Those 405 grain sp expanded to quarter size they were not hard cast. There was a softball size exit on the other side! You could see his spine!!!!! I didn't mention but he was also shot in the rear with a 30/30. Sometimes everything can be done right and it just does not work!

ALL my shots are either ON the shoulder or a lower heart/double lung shot. I do not shoot head/neck shots.....ever. In most of my hog loads I either use a Barnes TSX,TTSX,or a hardcast with wide flat,meplate. These are not "magic" bullets. I still have to put them where they are supposed to be.

While not a bad shot placement I still prefer the neck shot. If the hog moves as you shoot (hogs are always moving) you will hit the head or shoulder.
 
Top