final choice of weapon for boar hunt ?

[silent sniper]

well I am down to 2 options for the boar hunt which is a week away. either the 54 pedersoli flintlock pistol or my original 10 guage double barrel shotgun. I am having a hard time deciding. The 10 guage is accurate enough that I could kill a pig to 50 yards or so. It has no problem with power and will smash any pig. It has been 6 years sense I have killed a big game animal with a smoothbore. my other option is the 54 pistol. now I have never killed anything other then a rabbit with a blackpowder pistol. I have never taken any big game animals with a pistol of any kind. Right now i am holding a 4 inch group offhand at 30 yards with 40 grains FFF powder. I would really like to take a pig with the pistol. I just am concerned about if the pistol will be enough. maybe i need to go up to 50 or 55 grains of FFF. I would like to take a body shot on the hog but i dont know how well the hog would bleed out and die. My other option is a head shot but that presents a smaller target. when shooting the pistol I found I have to have good concentration and focus to shoot it without pulling the shot off target. I am worried that when I do see a pig I might get excited and loose my concentration needed to produce an accurate shot. The hogs average around 150-180 pounds. I am going to practice this weeek alot and get more comfortable with shooting it. what do you guys think ??? should I go with the easier big smoothie that will knock down whatever it hits or should I go for a much more challanging and rewarding time by getting close and taking it with a flintlock pistol ???? any and all opinions welcome. thanks SS

 

[luieb45]

Take them both. Then you can decide right at the moment you decide to hunt. It wouldn't be a bad idea taking a back up gun anyway. I always have another gun in my truck when out hunting with a muzzleloader in case something goes wrong. :idunno: This is just how I roll. I'm also bad at making gun choices when going hunting.

 

[rabjr]

If you take the shotgun you'd probably be doing the animal and yourself a big favor. Just by reading your post tells me your not confident enough to use the pistol and use it effectively.

Why are you limited to these two guns? I know you have at least one rifled muzzleloader no? I would use that over these two right now, break the ice with a kill and then you'll know what to expect and will be more confident in future hunts in using something else.

 

[bdhutier]

I also thought you had a .50? Might be thinking of someone else...

 

[east texas]

i agree with luie take them both :thumbsup:

 

[silent sniper]

well I have other guns lol I have 23 muzzleloaders to choose from haha but i wanted something that would make this hunt different then the others. I guess I could look into my pedersoli swivel gun or one of my 54s. I wanted to use a flinter and roundball but I dont have any 54 flinters and my 50 flinter is a t/c that only likes conicals. So I will pry take your advice and just use my cva 54 hawken that I have been shooting alot and cleaning out the 1st place trophys at the local shoots with :grin:

 

[Brasilikilt]

Hey there

I don't claim to know much about boar hunting, but having heard about how aggressive boars can be, I think I have to agree with those who suggested both the 10 ga (Slug in one tube,00 buck in the other?) and the pistol as backup.

Seems like spears were used a lot for boar hunting, even after firearms were common.

What about a large-bore musket with a bayonet?

 

[ryanhogg]

If you take the shotgun you'd probably be doing the animal and yourself a big favor. Just by reading your post tells me your not confident enough to use the pistol and use it effectively.

Why are you limited to these two guns? I know you have at least one rifled muzzleloader no? I would use that over these two right now, break the ice with a kill and then you'll know what to expect and will be more confident in future hunts in using something else.

+1

shoot the first pig with the rifle then move on from there. If i was you i'd try and kill a 40# pigglet with the pistol and then roast it on the spit. I don't have boars around here though so take it with a grain of salt , and hopefully some pork

 

[Skychief]

I just am concerned about if the pistol will be enough. I would like to take a body shot on the hog but i dont know how well the hog would bleed out and die.

I think you just answered your own question with the above. I am sure you if I were thinkong along these lines, the matter would be settled and I would be getting my longgun packed away for the trip. Hog or deer, doesn't matter, they both deserve an attempt on our part to put them down quick as possible. My two cents.

 

[Supercracker]

Use the shotgun with a roundball. I've dug many old buckshot pellets out of pigs. A good pig may have an inch or two of dried mud/clay, an inch or two of tough skin, a couple of inches of muscle and a big shoulder blade covering the vitals. More than enough to slow down buck at shots over point blank.

They can be way tougher than people think. However, if you put a hole in the lungs and heart they'll die just like anything else. The trick will be getting and making a good shot. They are seldom stationary, move quick, and will almost always be partially obscured by brush.

 

[bdhutier]

Shoulder blade should be above the kill zone, but the zone is quite small, relative to the pig size. A .50 or .45 PRB will definitely do the trick. Heck, a .22 will do it.

I'd shy away from a shotty, myself. I'd think that'd just result in meat damage and increased adrenaline etc. to skunk up things.

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

Hey there

I don't claim to know much about boar hunting, but having heard about how aggressive boars can be, I think I have to agree with those who suggested both the 10 ga (Slug in one tube,00 buck in the other?) and the pistol as backup.

Seems like spears were used a lot for boar hunting, even after firearms were common.

What about a large-bore musket with a bayonet?

This is the best advice I can give!

Friend of mine shot one with .45 ACP 230 gr. Ball Ammo. It bounced-off the head and the pig charged him. He emptied his mag with hits to stop it from chewing on him. These pigs were bigger than 200 pounds. Just consider this a word to the wise.......

BRING ENOUGH GUN!!

Dave

 

[Outdoor Success]

I have never killed hog with a muzzleloader but have killed 18 wtih recurves and longbows and have guilded on hundreds more. Hears what I can tell you: #1 the frontal head shot on a hog SUCKS the angle of the skull promps a projectile to deflect!! #2 Hogs are not that hard to kill with a good shot center body angling forward or tight(!) to shoulder center body on a broadside hog BUT the minute one is woulded with a non vital shot and you have one of the hardest critters on the face of the earth to kill!!!!! I have seen gut shot hogs then take on a manned quade while being hit several time with high powered rifle and shotgun slub through the lungs and still then follow him 300 yard to recover!!
Moral of the story Make a good shot the first shot with either weapon and easy pork chops

 

[GreyWhiskers]

Iffin you have to pick between the two, the 10ga gets my vote. Remember you will have to limit your shots to 50 yards. GW

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

After reading your post, I doubt any BP hand gun short of the double-barrel Howda would be reasonable, and even then only with a stiff charge!

So SS, take the 10 ga. and be glad you did!

Dave

 

[lonehunter]

Hunt the wind, stalk up as close as you can, put a .22 short in the ear hole.
There lays your pig!
Guaranteed!!!
It aint what you shoot em with, It's where you shoot em. :v

 

[silent sniper]

Well guys I have really been thinking about it. I have been shooting the pistol and my accuracy has gone way up. I can now hold a 4 inch group at 35 yards offhand. I have practiced a lot with trigger control and staying with the shot. I am now shooting 50 grains of FFF. I decided I will take the pistol and my 54 rifle. If I can get close enough and get all settled down then I will take a heart/lung shot with the pistol. If I can't get close enough or I'm to worked up then the shot will be made with the rifle.

 

[Outdoor Success]

SWEEET!!!! good luck!! be sure to post Pics

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

Sounds like an educated Sportsman to me :thumbsup: .

We all wish you great success and have a great time doing it!

Dave

 

[trigrcreep]

Well,did we get pork chops? Round here we slip up on a nest -shoot the big sow then start whackin piglets, :wink: they are all tasty on the grill!