doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com what size buckshot for pigs?

I am going to chase some pigs this weekend shotguns only what is the best size for hogs? I have SSG's and OO/SG's (9 pellets) we can't use slugs or rifles
this is a cull in a National Park (all perfecly legal) the distances we will be shooting I am not sure of but I beleive the country is thick and borders a lake so I am guessing close to medium (say 30y)
I have hunted a lot of feathered game with a 12g but never tried one on larger animals any advice greatly appreciated

Only pigs I ever hunted were in Morocco, where rifles are illegal. I used 00 first time I did it, as did some others in the group. We found pellets that never penetrated the hide--they're tough-skinned devils. Switched to slugs 2nd time around. But if you can't use those, barring advice from others who may have done the same thing on porkers, I'd say the bigger the pellet, the better.

Watch it, Larry. An Alberta hunter shot one weighing a half-ton recently.

I would use 000 if you can get it. But 30 yards is way to far to bee shooting at big hogs with a shotgun. Do you have dogs? If you are hunting with dogs then use a knife. Even a bow is better than buckshot on a hog, so I would take that if you have a stout bow.

BE sure and wear Tennis shoes ,so you can run when those 00 bounce off of the frontal shield.
I would have a .44 Mag in my back pocket.

Hog hunting, shotguns only, no slugs?

sounds as if they're trying to cull the hunters not the hogs.

The traditional weapon in Europe has been the spear. There should be two people , one with shotgun the other with spear (and track shoes for both!). Good luck on your hunt! David

A humorous story only because my brother in law survived unscathed; but several years ago he was deer hunting, slipping thru a swampy cane brake along the Broad River bottoms in Elbert County, GA when he crossed paths with an old boar hog weighing around 250 lbs. less than 20 yards from where he stood. Realizing the family could use some fresh pork chops and sausage, he lost no time in placing a 150 grain slug thru the armor plating on the left shoulder of the old hog; it hit the mud as if struck by lightning! Bedlam followed, as it seems these canes were full of grunting, squealing hogs crashing in all directions. Now my brother in law ain’t real smart; but he had enough sense to realize anywhere else would be safer than this spot in the swamp, so he hurried back up the trail to his truck whereon he grabbed his double scattergun and a pocket full of buckshot loads. Easing back into the swamp some 20 minutes later, he found only solitude, as the causes of the commotion had moved down river. He walked over to his prize and gave it a good kick in the ribs looking for any remaining signs of life; no reaction whatsoever, this hog was “dead”. It was now time for the field-dressing duties; and, not wanting to lay his scattergun in the mud, located a “convenient” tree several yards away. Returning to his prize, he grabbed a hind leg to roll his prize over; imagine the shock when the beast suddenly came to life! But my brother in law is a determined individual; and fearing for his safety, was afraid to turn the old hog loose. Fortunately for him, the 150 grain slug had at least broken the hog’s left shoulder; so the beast was unable to turn, but it could sure move forward! Brother in law (who weighed almost as much as the hog) continued to hang on, and was dragged some distance thru the mud and briers until his quarry finally became a little winded. At that point he seized his opportunity and pounced upon the pig’s back, applying his best interpretation of the WWF scissors holds he had seen on TV. Eventually the old pig got so tired that brother in law was able to get his Barlow from his pants pocket and cut the pig’s throat. Afterwards, he laid there in the mud beside the hog till his heart rate slowed to normal and he could somewhat regain his composure
I helped him skin the hog that evening and was amazed at the thickness of the shoulder plate (1 ¼” at the bullet hole); and skinning the shoulder was equivalent to cutting the shell off a huge snapping turtle! Upon performing an autopsy of the bullet wound, we saw that the slug had passed thru the shoulder plate, broken the right shoulder at the shoulder joint; then flattened out against the spine, thus rendering the beast unconscious. For what it’s worth, I can’t see buckshot as being very effective on a pig with shoulder plating as thick as this old rascal was wearing. In fact, based on what I witnessed in this instance I would be real uneasy taking broad-side shots at such an animal with a heavy pistol! The only boar I ever shot was taken from a deer stand and shot thru the ears with a 150 grain 30/06 slug; seems a good head shot will put a pig on his butt every time.

I have shot and killed a lot of Hogs in Texas. Most all with a rifle and a couple with my .44 Mag. If the Hog weighs more than 200lbs and it is a frontal shot I would not take it with buckshot because of the frontal shield. I have shot large hogs with a 30-06 thru the chest area and seen them run like they were not hit for 50yds.
I try to shoot them if possible behind the ear in the vertibre if it is a large hog. Smaller ones of course are not critical.
Be careful however,because hogs are shockingly fast when frightened and a person can not outrun them.