You folks in the South seem to have a number of challanges added to your bird hunts that we Northerners don't generally have to consider. I've never really appreciated that before now. I'll bet it keeps things exciting?
Glock 20 loaded with Underwood 180gr slugs in Bladetech holster is very is very good insurance for those who can handle it....."pussies" should get their meat at the supermarket.
We have a bit of a different philosophy about up close hog guns, PJ. While I don't question your ability to use your favored piece, my experience in killing a whole lot of hogs under differing conditions leads me to favor something entirely different. About the most dangerous place I hunt them is in irrigated corn. We plant it in 38" rows and the seed is spaced at about 4 3/8" apart in the row. When it gets head high and above you have an almost impenetrable mass of vegetation. Hogs love it, and lay up in the fields while the center pivots water overhead, cooling them and creating wallows for them. They knock corn down and eat at will. I go in after them by walking the narrow circular trails created by the irrigation systems tires. My choice to do this is a Beretta 390, 24" barrel, cylinder choke screwed in, gorged with 3" magnum loads of 00 buck. You will encounter these hogs at 15 ft. or less usually, because you can't see them any farther away than that. What is done must be done quick and sure. That load gives me 15 buckshot at about 53.8 gr. each, for a payload of 807 grains, and about a 5-6" pattern at 15 ft.
Sorry, 180 gr. in a handgun just ain't enough for me. If it gets really personal, I can always try to use the end of the barrel as a "holdoff" between me and the hog. I don't want him close enough to shove a pistol in his snout. YMMV.
SRH
