.45 pig balls?

[Hammerdhed]

That subject doesn't sound right does it?
Anyway here's my question.....I got a GREAT deal on a 45 flinter. I'm thinkin on goin piggin with it.
Y'all think a RB will get the job done without getting me gored?

 

I've never hog hunted, but when I do go, I'll be take'n my .58 instead of the .45!! :haha:

YMHS
rollingb

 

[jim gray]

I'm in the same boat, never hunted 'em, but would want the biggest heaviest ball I could use. I used .50's and .54's on deer. There's a big difference in how quickly they'll drop a deer. I'd want at least the .54 if I came across a big hog.

 

[brushbuster]

fip a .45 rb will kill a hog if you can put that ball dead center of the eye socket ,or through the temple with a heavy charge of about 75-80gr out to 50 yds but carry a side arm with you also.a kill through the lungs/heart is a big maybe to no way on a large hog because of the large layer of gristle /fat covering that area .
even though i have killed hogs with my .50 with a 90 gr charge i found the rb in side the lung area. so my vote goes for a .54 or larger :results: :imo:

 

[shmrck1]

i don't think i would feel very comfortable using
a .45 on hogs and i am a big supporter of .45 on deer.
i would think anything above the .45 with proper shot placement would be sufficientIMHO
snake-eyes eace: :thumbsup:

 

[Eric Krewson]

I would think it would depend on what kind of rifle you have. I have a TC 45cal that shoots maxi balls really well. The maxi ball grain weight is about the same as a 54cal round ball and packs a pretty good punch.If you have a slow twist barrel, work up a strong conical load and you should be OK on pigs.

 

[jim gray]

I guess maybe I didn't get the actual question. If I were going to hunt hogs and had to use a .45 cal. muzzleloader, I would not rely on a roundball. Limited to the .45, I would use the heaviest conical that I could shoot accurately and if I expected to encounter any really big tuskers I'd also carry my 2nd Model Dragoon (I'd probably carry that no matter what rifle I used.)

 

[Bushwhacker]

I hunt feral hogs here with my 62 smoothie. Lays em down proper. A well placed shot will get them with a 45.
:redthumb:

 

[BLAHMAN]

i don't think i would feel very comfortable using
a .45 on hogs and i am a big supporter of .45 on deer.
i would think anything above the .45 with proper shot placement would be sufficientIMHO
snake-eyes eace: :thumbsup:

I'm with you snake-eyes. 45 on deer is ok (they don't run at ya wanting to gore ya). I would think a heavier ball would do better. At least a 50.

 

[Hammerdhed]

Hey Y'all thanks for the opinions. I guess I'll just have to wait for next deer season to make meat with this one.
But hey, there's always squirrels and what-not.
Thanks again. :redthumb:

 

[RussB]

I guess maybe I didn't get the actual question. If I were going to hunt hogs and had to use a .45 cal. muzzleloader, I would not rely on a roundball. Limited to the .45, I would use the heaviest conical that I could shoot accurately and if I expected to encounter any really big tuskers I'd also carry my 2nd Model Dragoon (I'd probably carry that no matter what rifle I used.)

This makes sense to me. Gooood sense.

From my limited experience with a good size hog, there ain't no such thing as "overkill".

Russ

 

I've never shot a hog- but from what I've read, I woldnt' use a round ball gun.
: I would not use a round ball gun with a slug, either. It sounds as if penetration is the problem and we've found that maxiballs shot from a 48" twist or slower, give very poor penetration, to the point of turning if they encounter anything harder than mussle. This hog grizzle plate sounds like just the thing to make the maxiball turn 90 degrees as they are prone to do on bones or ribs. This course change is due to the twist being too slow to KEEP the slug stabilized AFTER it hits the animal. They just NEVER go in a straight line on heavy game that requires straight-line peneration. The 48" twist is just too slow for a slug to maintain stability - in my experience. A 48" twist is too slow for a .54, so that makes it WAY yoo slow for a .45 slug. I don't care if it shoots on paper or not - it's how well it handles it's penetratin chore that matters.
: Do yourself a favour and get a .54 GPR or other .54 that will shoot a patched round ball, or a GPH or other 32" or faster twist .50 or .54 for shooting slugs.

 

[wilded]

Shoot them inside 75 yards at the base of the ear and don't worry about it. Bullet placement makes up for caliber. I have killed a truck load of Texas feral hogs under 175 lbs with my forty and round ball.

 

[Hammerdhed]

I've put 'em down with my osage longbow pushing obsidian tips.
I've been chased around a bit and followed more than one arrow with side-arm rounds.
Range isn't an issue as the last sow I took was at about 10-12 yards.
I'm just real eager to use this particular rig for hunting.
I've got a .50 capper and a .50 flint, but this new rig is just begging me to take it for a day in the woods.
Here in MO we can take the tuskers year round in any numbers by any method.
So I might just try it and load up my .44's for safe measure.
Might even put on my fastest pair of shoes too. :hmm:
Thanks again for the advice Fellers.

 

[Rat]

Hey coooool, I have a short Indian bow that I made from Osage many years ago. Has a 82 pound draw, which isn't as bad as it sounds as it's a very short draw, so you're not pulling back real far. It does however throw it's short little arrow with great "authority". !!! Chronographed it once and it was right up there with the recurves.

Took it deer hunting a few times, but it's hard to shoot accurately, which makes it a pretty short range bow, (as if they aren't short range to begin with!) so I never did get a shot at a deer with it.

Rat

 

I've shot a lot of hogs and they are not hard to kill with a head shot. People make a big deal of it but wild hogs are typically not dangerous unless cornered or a sow with piglets. They are powerful and have sharp tusks but they will always run away if they can - same thing with javelinas. The thing that can confound a shot is the gristle plate that is over the shoulders. It is heavy enough to stop arrows and bullets under certain conditions. One year, I shot a 200lb boar in the shoulder with a hotly loaded 45-70 and 300 gr SP bullet at 125 yds - the bullet was nicely mushroomed under the hide on the far side. The hog wheezed and fell over dead but the same shot on a deer would have punched through. A buddy of mine killed one with an arrow and it had a mass under the hide - he cut it open and found an old Bear 2-edge broadhead with about 4 inches of aluminum shaft. The hog was in good shape so the wound was not troubling him but I bet he was grumpy for a while.

We have killed hogs with 40 and 45 PRB in a ML rifle and they always fell over dead but we shoot at 50 yds or under and in the head. Have fun and enjoy the meat if you get one...makes great pork chops.