Buckshot

[GrizzlyGregg]

I'm an occasional hog hunter from Colorado, only making it out once a year at best. So, Ineed some advice from some more regular hunters. Anyhow, seems to me you ioften get a herd of pigs coming to a feeder, including a bunch of little ones. Those small ones look great for throwing on a spit or roasting. I've thought buckshot would be just the ticket for collecting a few of those at one time. Any thoughts on that? Has anyone tried buckshot on pigs? If so, what would be a good size limit for pigs shot with buckshot? Any idea on chokes, and what kind of distance you would want to limit yourself to?

[CODY]

I have shot a few hogs with buckshot. I use mag loads in my 12 gaugeonly, like 3in 000 or my favorite 3 1/2in 00, the 3 1/2 00 has 18 pellets and on heck of a kick and I've taken most with that load. However with that being said Iwould never shot past 25 yards and I prefer 20 yards or less. As far as size limits go, I shot a 300lb boar at just 18 yards in the shoulder and he only ran about 70 yards and I found 12 holes out of 18 pellets in him. My guess is the other 6 went low since my shot was aimed low in the shoulder. Had I not wanted to mount him I would of shot him in the head/neck areaandI'm almost certain hewould of fallenstraight down. At a distance of 20 yards on smaller hogs around 100lbs, it will completely knock them down and they don't get up. I have never attempted to take more than one with one shot. I say 25 yards is my personal limit but I have never shot any over 20 yards. I know people who have takenhogs at35-40 yards using buckshot. But,I do feel that shoting hogs at a distance with buckshot might not be a good idea due to the loss of energy.

[DirtyMike]

Grizz What choke are you useing? What barrel length you shooting from.

[GrizzlyGregg]

This is all hypothetical at this point, so I'm trying to find out if this is a good idea before I come down in March. But, I would likely use a 28" barrel, and full choke. I've got Winchester Supreme copper-plated loads.

[txbhunter1]

Grizz,


I've got a Winchester lever action .44mag set up for wopping hogs asses. If you would like, you are more than welcome to use it. It has a Nikon 2.5-7 scope on it.

[GrizzlyGregg]

Wow, Texasbhunter, that's awfully generous of you! But Ido have a rifle to use, but Iwas figuring buckshot would be a good way to take down a couple little ones out of a herd. Last year when Iwent I had a scoped rifle and an open sighted one (for after dark). This year Ifigured an open-sight rifle and a shotgun, using the rifle for bigger hogs, and the shotgun for small ones. From the first response, it seems that buckshot might be ok, if Ilimit the distance? I've also considered a slug followed by buck: take out the sow with the slug and then have at the piglets.


My son did drop a 10 -15 pounder last year, and that was one tasty little thing on the spit! I'd sure like a couple more this year.

[txbhunter1]

I guess double bb's would work along with some slugs. It definatley does give you an advantage in limited light situations.