Last night was my final night off work for the holidays and I don't have to report until later today so I decided to go for a little hunt.
About three weeks ago I received my tax stamp for my 6.8 SPC II SBR and I finally got it together minus a suppressor (still waiting on tax stamps) and an EOtech sight (on backorder). So I mounted a Nikon scope I had laying around and a muzzle break just to do some load development. I got most of my loads tested (more to come in another thread) and decided I was going to try to shoot a hog with the IR laser and Federal Fusion 115 grain factory load. It was clocking right around 2350 FPS at the muzzle from a 12.5" barrel. I figured that it would work for a few pigs at 50 yards or less.
I scanned my first few properties and didn't have any luck. Lately the hogs have been moving from 8-11 PM and I was in this window so I knew I would find one somewhere. I was driving by what we call the "home orchard" and noticed a lone hot spot in the thermal. It was maybe 10 yards from the workshop area that I don't normally take clients because there are a lot of buildings and expensive equipment really close. But, I was alone so it was a perfect opportunity for me.
The boar was just chowing down on one of the left over wind rows of pecans (I don't know why they weren't picked up like the rest). The wind was howling out of the north and was a cross wind for the stalk. The wind was so loud I could barely hear myself stepping in dry crunchy leavse as I approached. I was about 100 yards away when I realized there was so much light from the workshops I could almost see him without the night vision, which means he could probably almost see me if he knew I was there. Because of this I started trying to keep a tree between he and I at all times. I made sure I could just see his tail so I would know if he moved. He never budged from the spot he was in for 20 minutes!
Let me back up a little. I spotted this boar, he moved, a car drove by, he stayed there, I got out a watered the grass because my teeth were floating, I decided which rifle to grab, I watched him for another 5 minutes to make sure he was a pig because he wasn't moving, then I made the 200+ yard stalk. This boar stayed in place for a long time.
I placed my laser on his neck from about 40 yards and squeezed the trigger. BBBBOOOOOMMMM!!! An unsuppressed 12.5" SBR with a muzzle break is LOUD! Thankfully I have electronic earmuffs. The boar didn't drop! I thought for sure I made this chip shot so I had already clicked on the safety. He starts running to me and I go to put another in him and get nothing. Stupid me and stupid safety. The boar turns as he sees me and I swing right to follow him. I shoot again and nothing. I put the laser on his head then pull it just a few inches past his nose and a little higher. BOOOM! He drops like a rock, head over heels. I make the approach and he is trying to get up so I put one in the top of his back because his back was facing me. He went limp.
After looking closer at him I was hitting low. I had zeroed the scope for 100 yards and then co-witnessed the IR laser with it at 50 yards. I guess I should have put the laser just a hair under the scope reticle for a 50 yard zero. The first shot that landed hit him in the knees of his front legs. I don't know how they lined up for them to both get smacked while he was at a full sprint, but it worked. He didn't get up. I was lucky on this one and don't plan to take the SBR out again until I get more range time to develop a 90 grain gold dot load and get an EOTech on it. I was just itching to shoot a pig with it and didn't know when the next time I would get to pull the trigger would be.
First hog for 2014 and first hog with my 12.5" AR15 Performance barreled SBR. Double First Boar
About three weeks ago I received my tax stamp for my 6.8 SPC II SBR and I finally got it together minus a suppressor (still waiting on tax stamps) and an EOtech sight (on backorder). So I mounted a Nikon scope I had laying around and a muzzle break just to do some load development. I got most of my loads tested (more to come in another thread) and decided I was going to try to shoot a hog with the IR laser and Federal Fusion 115 grain factory load. It was clocking right around 2350 FPS at the muzzle from a 12.5" barrel. I figured that it would work for a few pigs at 50 yards or less.
I scanned my first few properties and didn't have any luck. Lately the hogs have been moving from 8-11 PM and I was in this window so I knew I would find one somewhere. I was driving by what we call the "home orchard" and noticed a lone hot spot in the thermal. It was maybe 10 yards from the workshop area that I don't normally take clients because there are a lot of buildings and expensive equipment really close. But, I was alone so it was a perfect opportunity for me.
The boar was just chowing down on one of the left over wind rows of pecans (I don't know why they weren't picked up like the rest). The wind was howling out of the north and was a cross wind for the stalk. The wind was so loud I could barely hear myself stepping in dry crunchy leavse as I approached. I was about 100 yards away when I realized there was so much light from the workshops I could almost see him without the night vision, which means he could probably almost see me if he knew I was there. Because of this I started trying to keep a tree between he and I at all times. I made sure I could just see his tail so I would know if he moved. He never budged from the spot he was in for 20 minutes!
Let me back up a little. I spotted this boar, he moved, a car drove by, he stayed there, I got out a watered the grass because my teeth were floating, I decided which rifle to grab, I watched him for another 5 minutes to make sure he was a pig because he wasn't moving, then I made the 200+ yard stalk. This boar stayed in place for a long time.
I placed my laser on his neck from about 40 yards and squeezed the trigger. BBBBOOOOOMMMM!!! An unsuppressed 12.5" SBR with a muzzle break is LOUD! Thankfully I have electronic earmuffs. The boar didn't drop! I thought for sure I made this chip shot so I had already clicked on the safety. He starts running to me and I go to put another in him and get nothing. Stupid me and stupid safety. The boar turns as he sees me and I swing right to follow him. I shoot again and nothing. I put the laser on his head then pull it just a few inches past his nose and a little higher. BOOOM! He drops like a rock, head over heels. I make the approach and he is trying to get up so I put one in the top of his back because his back was facing me. He went limp.
After looking closer at him I was hitting low. I had zeroed the scope for 100 yards and then co-witnessed the IR laser with it at 50 yards. I guess I should have put the laser just a hair under the scope reticle for a 50 yard zero. The first shot that landed hit him in the knees of his front legs. I don't know how they lined up for them to both get smacked while he was at a full sprint, but it worked. He didn't get up. I was lucky on this one and don't plan to take the SBR out again until I get more range time to develop a 90 grain gold dot load and get an EOTech on it. I was just itching to shoot a pig with it and didn't know when the next time I would get to pull the trigger would be.
First hog for 2014 and first hog with my 12.5" AR15 Performance barreled SBR. Double First Boar
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