is .357 good enough for wild hogs
- Thread starter gunnerair2020
- Start date
I agree that the 357 under consideration is a big deal and I submit that placement is too. Head shots only? Or body shots too? I've seen youtubes of hogs taken with a 25 caliber but it was with a head shot. With respect to weapon, I believe the SPA M60b in 357 is only slightly over 100 fpe. The Benjamin bulldog is rated for about 300 fpe. I would put the SPA in the "head shot only" camp but the bulldog might be able to do body shots too. 3X the fpe will make a difference. I didn't look up other 357s but there are undoubtedly some more powerful than the bulldog.
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Haven't chronographed my .35 Snowpeak M60B yet but a YouTube reviewer, with almost two turns in on HS, is @ 650 FPS with FX (81 grain) pellets for 76 FPE. WM
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My Benjamin bulldog will take a javelina up to 65 70 lb easy with either a head or a heart lung shot
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I was hesitant to reply here, but it does depend upon the gun, projectile used, distance, size of the animal and shot placement. A .357 Bulldog shot to the brain will shut a hog down within 50 yards. I haven't shot many animals with a Bulldog beyond 50 yards, so I can't comment beyond that. Now body shots on hogs are in questions in my opinion and here's why. I recently shot a large wild hog broadside behind the right shoulder with a 140 grain hollow-point boattail Griffin Airgun Ammo slug from a Bulldog M357. I shot from a kneeling position using a tall adjustable bipod as a rest from approximately 30 yards out. We were both in an open space. I caught the hog as it paused while walking across an opening. I am not the greatest shot, but there is almost no way to miss this shot. I tested the gun at various ranges to verify my DOPE the day before. It performed as it should and my target indicates that an animal is dead at that range shooting the first 4 of the 5 shots in the mag. My projectiles were not deformed before loading the mag and I shot from a full reservoir. I heard the slug hit, watched the hog go into the brush after it was shot, it didn't bolt. It stopped within the brush and appeared hurt (watching it through the branches), then walked forward a few steps further into the thicket where I didn't have an opportunity to shoot again. I was unable to recover it. I am confident that it died somewhere from at least one punctured lung, I just don't know where or when. I would like to recover the carcass to examine penetration and take photos to show the property owner, so I went looking for the hog until I ran out of light. The brush was very thick which made thermal pretty ineffective in assiting me to find it. I did not find a blood trail. I have to revisit the site to see if I can smell decay or see buzzards in the area. Personally I don't need to find the animal. I have video footage of them destroying property, I witnessed them doing it with my own eyes up close, and I have photos of the aftermath of the activity. These are bonafied pest animals and an invasive species.
For this reason I would recommend brain shots if you need the animal to drop on the spot. If none of this sounds desirable, stick to brain shots on large hogs. I believe that a small to medium sized hog would've gottern crushed by that shot. My take on it with limited expeirence. I haven't shot a lot of hogs with airguns.
For this reason I would recommend brain shots if you need the animal to drop on the spot. If none of this sounds desirable, stick to brain shots on large hogs. I believe that a small to medium sized hog would've gottern crushed by that shot. My take on it with limited expeirence. I haven't shot a lot of hogs with airguns.
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Just my two cents, a wild boar has a thick gristle armor plate behind his shoulders even some powder burner wont penetrate completely. Sows and piglets are another story. I personally would stick to Headshots for a higher rate of success and a clean ethical kill. If you get a chance check out nomadic pirate, he’s killed more hogs than anyone I know on here with an air rifle.
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