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Another decent Boar down, .54 cal patched roundball

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It 's that slab of gristle, the shieldplate that is stopping his round balls from passing through the boars. The female of the species and the young don't have it so a roundball can pass through.
I've killed a lot of those big boars down here in the Georgia swamps with prb's from a .54, from 80 grains 3f to 120 grains 2f, even with 7mm mag.s I've had nothing penetrate to the opposite side shield.
Sometimes it's tough to make a head or neck shot unless one is standing still. But a lot of the time they are moving and low to the ground, so all the brush, briars and weeds that are below a deer's vitals are blocking your view of hogs, even the big ones.
My hat is off to a man who hunts these beasts on the ground with a single shot muzzleloader.
 
Great job Howie!
Another trophy hog in the bag.
As stated above, cast some .530s with some WWs added to the mix will improve the penetration.
And as for loading, the patch compresses so you shouldn't notice any loading difference.
Sam
 
after doing several necropsy I find they flatten out and get into the vitals. here in east texas you really want a pass through to get blood on the ground because it is a thick jungle down here. ill give the roundballs another chance....

Much the same around here with moose. Near as I can recollect every long time moose hunter I know casts his balls from wheelweights due to the flattening of pure lead at closer ranges when velocities are up. Only guys I know who use 50 cal rely on conicals, and 54 cal with WW balls are considered kind of a minimum for reliable full penetration. Not so important with larger balls as you note with pigs, but even the guys I know using 62 and 69 calibers use WW balls.

Comparing moose to pigs? Sketchy, but worth thinking about and investigating. Dunno anyone who's shot enough of both to be expert, even if they try to sell themselves that way. You most certainly know more about pigs than anyone on here. Guys shooting moose couldn't kill as many in a lifetime as your pig count for a single year.
 
We had some pretty good size boars come thru my place here. There have been four shot off my back porch that were almost as big as yours Howie. Just a bit smaller. Wifey killed one just about a month after open heart surgery.

Ive seen hogs that would rival yours in deep south Texas ( one we referred to as the VW bug). And several in Llano county.

I generally pass up the big ones as there is always one of the guys that wants a Trophy. I am generally after vittles! LOL! And find those smaller ones much easier for my gimpness to pack out!

Again, waidmannsheil!!! Great pics and great pictures and great pigs!!!

Good hunting

E
 
I have no doubt about a roundball passing through a deer or smaller hog up to 150 lbs or so. a 7 year old boar will have massive shoulders and lots callous covering the vital ontop of the mud turning hard the hair getting through the callous then fat then meat and vitals and going back out through the other side. my .58 using a round ball can do that. a deer and smaller hog is a whole different animal then a big mature boar

That's a big hog. Congrats on your success. I understand that shoulder plate is nearly armor and hard to penetrate.
 
If losing or concern for entering thick cover to locate a wounded pig is the worry why not bring up a dog to assist you.
I doubt I could go hunting without a dog.
 
Your analysis is correct on why you are not getting pass through. A hog's make up is totally different than a deer.

One reason that there is very little blood loss, is that the hide does not expand as much with an entrance wound as does a deer. Also with the large amount of fat on a hog it helps close the wound up so there is little to no blood loss.

"re-sight my gun in today using 60 grains of olde eyensford 3f, to see if the bullet penetrates better slowing it down some." Why slower to penetrate better, seems more speed would lead to more penetration.

I shoot a lot of hogs each year, but not as many as you, nor am I as particular as you.
 
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Will be interesting to see Howie's estimate, I have a good inclination of what they weigh.

Most folks over estimate the weight of hogs.
 
Will be interesting to see Howie's estimate, I have a good inclination of what they weigh.

Most folks over estimate the weight of hogs.
I have no idea what they weigh, in hunting them over 40 years ive never weighed them. what mattered to mewas snout length to get a big long snout a hog needs to bearound 7 years old. I love pigs that have nice cutters and wetters, weighing them never mattered from a couple pro staffsive been on a boar 31 inches at the shoulders is a decent sized hog. so ill mark a tree at 31 inches or feeder leg if one is bigger I shoot it. ipretty much hunt the big mature boars
 
If losing or concern for entering thick cover to locate a wounded pig is the worry why not bring up a dog to assist you.
I doubt I could go hunting without a dog.
I own a beagle aint no way id ever take her to help find a hog, she has a lot of grit. but she is my lap dog, rabbit dog and squirrel dog. she has tracked hogs with her being on a leash and good blood trail. ijust don't have the heart to take her.
That's a big hog. Congrats on your success. I understand that shoulder plate is nearly armor and hard to penetrate.
you can penitrate it my arrows zip right through. my 535 no excuses pass right through. im really trying to do it the total traditional way real black powder, patched roundball. im gonna try some harder balls then go from there
 
We had some pretty good size boars come thru my place here. There have been four shot off my back porch that were almost as big as yours Howie. Just a bit smaller. Wifey killed one just about a month after open heart surgery.

Ive seen hogs that would rival yours in deep south Texas ( one we referred to as the VW bug). And several in Llano county.

I generally pass up the big ones as there is always one of the guys that wants a Trophy. I am generally after vittles! LOL! And find those smaller ones much easier for my gimpness to pack out!

Again, waidmannsheil!!! Great pics and great pictures and great pigs!!!

Good hunting

E
thank you sir
 
Much the same around here with moose. Near as I can recollect every long time moose hunter I know casts his balls from wheelweights due to the flattening of pure lead at closer ranges when velocities are up. Only guys I know who use 50 cal rely on conicals, and 54 cal with WW balls are considered kind of a minimum for reliable full penetration. Not so important with larger balls as you note with pigs, but even the guys I know using 62 and 69 calibers use WW balls.

Comparing moose to pigs? Sketchy, but worth thinking about and investigating. Dunno anyone who's shot enough of both to be expert, even if they try to sell themselves that way. You most certainly know more about pigs than anyone on here. Guys shooting moose couldn't kill as many in a lifetime as your pig count for a single year.
yes sir mr. Brown bear. moose is a large animal big bones big shoulders a lot of hair and fat to go through. it may be a fair comparison if the hog was a big 7 yr old with tons of fat hair, what makes them harder to kill is they lay in the mud and wallow and in the texas heat it beomes like a brick. ill give the ww a try if I get pass throughs then ill stick to them. like I stated im recovering the pigs im hitting vitals just no blood and I have to try andfind them in the dark usually with a roundball the big ones will go 50-75 yards. I just set up another spot, and have smaller pigs I may shoot a couple. I believe on a hog under 200 lbs I can pass through with a round ball. im kind of partial to my .54s although I do have a .58 and a .72 pedersoli kodiak
 
Will be interesting to see Howie's estimate, I have a good inclination of what they weigh.

Most folks over estimate the weight of hogs.
Yes sir most people do overestimate the weight. I learned along time ago to never guess their weight,now I can tell you approximate age tusk lentgth and get a girth and length measurement
 
What is the weight of those big hogs??
yes sir Mr. fish big boars are actually pretty good to eat. as long as they aren't alarmed or travel along ways after the shot. the 535 no excuse lays them down. what makes a bar stink is aound the penal sheath there is a gland called the precruciment gland if you touch and stuff squirts its nasty it is where urine and semen mix. big hogs spray the area with this mess to keep other boars from the area. for along time ive been on pro staff of Texas boars. we used to cut the gland out then freeze it. on the night we hunt I get it out of the freezer and tie it up wind of me, I then poke holes in it as the heat hits it, it will drip. it helps as most dominate trophy boars circle the bait area. when they get a whiff of the rank smell they charge in looking for a fight
 

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