Is 44 mag OK for Boar?
I am thinking of buying a Ruger 44/99 for Boar hunting. It would be used in brush country of no more than 100 yard range.
My thought is that a larger slower caliber is best. If you have reservations about the 44 mag, what do you prefer in caliber and rifle?
Thanks [8D]
Milt
My thought is that a larger slower caliber is best. If you have reservations about the 44 mag, what do you prefer in caliber and rifle?
Thanks [8D]
Milt
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I can't speak from experience on Boar but I've seen .44mag revolvers used to take down all kinds of large game so I wouldn't think there would be a problem using a .44mag rifle on a wild boar as long as it's legal in your state/county.
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I have a biologist friend in CA that uses one to shoot wild pigs at study sites. The .44 mag was his choice in a lever gun, I don't remember the model. 0 -
I have taken two wild boar with my 629 S&W 44 mag with a red dot. One was a one shot kill and the other was two. Have hunted bear, deer,coyote and elk with it also. It all depends on your skill and luck. But if you can't put them in a 6" at 100 yards pick something else. I will say this the hardest thing to take down was a coyote.
Good luck and play safe.
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My buddy was knocking the whitetails dead with that little .44 mag carbine by Ruger. I am sure it would do a good job on wild hogs. 0 -
I spent 16+ years hunting in Germany while stationed there with the US Army. My favorite game for hunting was wild boar. I have used a rifle in both .308 and 30-06, over and under 12 ga shotgun and for that I used a rifled slug, my real preferance was my drilling 12 ga over 30-06 as it allowed for one long shot and two short range shots. The largest boar weighed 435 pounds before dressing. I had a .357 mag S & W to use only for the emergency that might come up. I never had to use it in that context. The last thing you would want to face would be a wounded wild boar, they go nuts. If I were you I would consider an over/under rifle/shotgun in 12 ga/30-06 or .308. It is better to be safe than sorry. Good hunting. 0 -
A good buddy of mine is a big time Boar hunter. His primary weapon is either a Ruger .44 carbine or a 6" Colt Anaconda in .44 Mag.
I have never boar hunted but have been satisfied with the results of the .44 mag. for whitetail hunting.
Guns only have two enemies: Rust and Liberals....0 -
You didn't say what size hogs you would be hunting. If you are going after 435 pound hogs, then I agree with dkf, get a 30-06, something with some serious horsepower.
Another buddy of mine shot a 450 pound boar. He got it in the neck with a 30-06 and it folded up. Problem was, it took 3 guys 5 hours to drag that beast out of the swamp. I helped skin it, the damn skin was like fiberglass. The meat stunk so bad you couldn't eat it.
The last hog I killed was a 140 pound boar. I got him with one shot from a .45 acp, which has nowhere near the power of the .44 mag rifle. He tasted good. I am real familiar with shooting hogs 200 pounds and under and the .44 mag rifle will do a good job on them.0 -
Meat pigs, sows, run to about 150 lbs and boars to 250-300 lbs. I have heard lots of stories about boars going crazy. One were a hunter walked up to obviously dead boar and was almost killed, nearly bled out. At close range a 44 mag carbine would bet quick and the 44 is suppost to have real killing power.
I have gotten two directions. One use a large slow caliber especially for bushy close hunting, under a 100 yards. Second use a faster more accurate round such as 270-308 in a bolt action.
Which brings me back to the question of the killing power of the 44.
Milt0 -
Boars have a gristle plate that can be like a bulletproof vest. I would use a bullet meant for penetration and someone with a rifle for backup. My favorite factory load used to be the Federal 220 gr metal case profile which did not expand. It was legal for hunting because it had a lead exposed tip. 0 -
I'm not sure I agree with the slow heavy bullet theory. In actual situations .357 mag with 125 gr. jacketed hollow points has better one-shot kill percentages than all other hand gun cartirges (including all .45 ACP rounds)
I'd go for a cartrige with penetration. On the smaller pigs you won't need it, but if you get into one of those big fellas, you'll need it, AND all that mass will absorb the bullet energy and give you the knockdown power you want.
I shot a 350 lb. boar with a .270 130 gr. factory load at 80 to 100 yards. Bullet hit broad side right in the bread basket penetrating the gristle plate on the entry side and busting through it on the exit side. Add in a couple of broken ribs and you get 350 lbs of pork that lays over on his side and kicks up some water in the creek for a few seconds before he dies having never taken a step.
I don't kow about .44 mag ballistics but I wonder if it would end up like that. We also took some pretty big pigs (200+) with .243. However for the really big ones the .243 would be on the light side of adequate.0 -
James was that giant boar any good to eat? 0
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