Need some tips on Wild Pig Hunting in the South.

Beansie_Time

Beansie_Time

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One of my best friends is an officer in the Army stationed at Ft Jackson in SC. He and I are planning a wild boar hunt with a guide service a couple hours away from there in SC.
I have never hunted big game of any kind before and I have many questions. Some of you guys may be able to answer or just point me to a website or forum where I could find some reliable answers.

First of all let's talk about the gun I'll be using. The only rifles I currently own are mag fed semi autos (AK, FAL) and a crusty old Mosin Nagant. None of which I'd consider a hunting rifle. The FAL, being a .308, would work fine caliber wise, but I feel like a buffoon toting around a main battle rifle to shoot a pig in the woods. I also have a Remington 870 with a smoothbore barrel that has rifle type sights which might be suitable with the right slugs.
I kind of want to buy a new gun for this trip. I'm leaning towards a budget minded .308 bolt action rifle/scope combo to keep with a type of ammo I already have in the house. Some Savages, Mossbergs, and low end Remingtons are in my price range.

Secondly, what kind of gear will I need besides a good knife, a good flashlight, and a reasonable sidearm.
I'm thinking this is a full camo type of hunt, and being in April, I'll probably stuff for a few different weather possibilities. Probably some orange stuff to wear over it as well.

Anyone with previous experience hunting Wild pigs who can give me some pointers or ideas on what to expect? Should I be practicing 100yd prone shots with a rifle, or standing shots with a slug in my shotgun?
 
Also my buddy is of the mind that we should use big nasty revolvers instead. Something along the lines of a .44 Magnum or .454 Casull. This is also something I don't have but would be interested in picking up if pig hunting is something that would be done at ranges I could hit a pig with one of these.
 
I worked with a guy at a new car dealership a few years ago. He was a real backstabber, not good for anything, but by virtue of a personal connection, he was a highly paid service advisor. After I left the dealership, he was caught lying to one customer too many and fired.

After his termination he decided to go hog hunting with a .44 magnum pistol. I can't imagine why, he didn't seem like the hunting type to me. Anyway, while walking through the woods, he somehow managed to drop the magnum, which discharged and shot him in the nuts.

My tip would be to specifically avoid any maneuver that involves shooting yourself in the nuts.
 
[rofl] @ buffalomesa

Have you tried contacting the guide service to see what they suggest?

I had seen a show on TV about the exploding wild boar population a while back but can't remember what they were shooting. I think they had a couple .308 AR platforms. I'd feel comfortable with .30-06 but I think your best bet is to check with the guide, or wait for someone with experience to chime in. Also, avoid maneuvers that involve shooting yourself in the nuts.
 
I'll certainly avoid shooting my nuts.

I am going to call the guide and see what they say, but I want to have a little knowledge base before I talk to them so I don't come off as totally clueless.
 
Want to borrow a 30-06 bolt or BAR let me know. They are both scoped and will do wonderfully in procuring pork.
 
Fixxah,
Thanks that is an amazing offer, but I'm a little wary of driving through so many anti gun states between NH and SC with a borrowed rifle. Also this is giving me a reason to fill a hole in my collection anyway.
 
Good luck, I am very jealous. Possibly ask the guide if he has a weapon you can use. I'm sure if you explain that you are coming from out of state, he might hook you up?

When I did it in Florida I borrowed a rusty Dinosaur shotgun...It worked.
 
What a great excuse to buy a couple of new guns.

What I know about wild Boar is that they are TOUGH. Stories abound of good hits with .308's that result in angry pigs that don't fall down.

If I was gonna buy a couple of guns for a pig hunt I would consider a nice 12gauge auto loader, like a Remm 1100 or the Rem Versamax, and a big ass revolver. 44 magnum as a minimum, maybe 454 casul or a S&W 500. You may have other favorites but you get the picture.

Have a great hunt! Sounds like a blast
 
Beansie, I have a backup hunting rifle in .30-06 you can borrow if you need it. It's a Marlin XL7 with a Simmons scope. Not the greatest optics but they're OK.

My main deer rifle is a Savage Model 11 in .308. If you end up buying a new rifle, I highly recommend the Savage.

Let me know if you need the .30-06.

EDIT: Don't worry about driving through the anti states on your way to SC. I do it every year on my way to NC. I keep a trigger lock on my gun and lock the case too. No worries.
 
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Hey, I just remembered something ... I also have a rifled barrel with cantilevered scope mount for the 870. It's practically brand new. You can borrow that if you want.

Also, can you please PM me the name of the outfitter you're using?
 
Mt. Weebles,
Thanks for the offer, but I'm going to use this excuse to buy a new rifle. Have you hunted pigs down there before? I kind of had my heart set on getting a .308 to share ammo with my FAL, but some of these comments are making me think I made need something with some more punch. Also do you know what kind of distance the shots are usually taken at? PM sent with the outfitter.

I'll be traveling with a couple of other guys who plan on using slugs in shotguns, one of which is a LEO so with locked cases and locked trunk we should be good to go between here and SC.

Boxerjake,
The guy in the army is going to pack a bow, just in case they have a treestand set up somewhere he can try to hunt from. I think the game plan right now though is rifles or shotguns and still hunting.

I'm going to go to Dick's in Concord and hit up the local shops and see if I can't find a good bolt gun combo some time this week. A cousin of mine got a Savage combo from Dick's in .30-06 a year ago for deer and he loves it, so I'll check those out first, then see what the best deal is on. I have no illusions of being a great shot with a rifle, so the highest end supreme accuracy rifles aren't going to be on my plate right now, just something that will do it's job if I do mine.
 
No, I've never hunted pigs down south, only deer. My friends and I have shot deer out to 400 yards but usually much closer (100 to 200 yards).

If you change your mind on borrowing the .30-06 or the rifled 870 barrel let me know.

I've been thinking about a pig hunt down there some day. Looking forward to the PM. Thanks.
 
the casull will do the trick if thats the way you want to go, theres plenty of vids on youtube of boar hunting with them. some take the boar down quick, some have to stop and reload while worrying if that boar is going to charge them. make sure you can handle the gun of course.
 
First: find out what you're hunting. Are these feral pigs, or imports like Russian boars?

Any centerfire hunting cartridge is adequate for feral pigs, even some that are less than optimal (or banned) for white tail. Many thousands of pigs have started down the road to Sausageville with just a .223 through the shoulder. This applies for your typical porker, most of which will be in the 125 pound range. Wild pigs aren't nearly as fat/heavy as domestic pigs of similar size.

Russian boars, though, are practically armor plated. Due to their method of fighting, they develop a cartilaginous mass around their rib cage. Either .30-'06 or an equivalent full military caliber is recommended (.308, .303 British, 7.62x54R, 8mm Mauser, 8x56R), and .45-70 isn't too much gun at all.
 
I'd do the rifled slug barrel on the 870. With a scope, you'll have excellent accuracy out to 150+ yards with some of the sabot slugs that are available. But if you are just looking for an excuse to buy something new, then the .308 sounds nice.
 
are you going to be using dogs?

if you are, make sure they have Argentine mastiffs (dogo argentino). Thats a boar hunting dog. they use them in Florida, and Texas. I know people that use them. Great dogs, fearless.
they dont kill the boar, they hold it down till you cut his throat.
 
Just use the FAL and save the money for another hunt. .308 is a good pig round. Pigs are dangerous game and being able to make a fast follow-up shot is desireable. Don't worry about looking clueless to the guide. He probably spends half his life dealing with people that have more money than brains. Being honest about your level of familiarity with this type of hunting will help him help you. Helping you is what he gets paid for.
 
make sure you study their anatomy. I heard the Russian boar tastes great.
 
Beansie_Time said:
yeah I won't be doing that. I'll want the porker good and dead before I get that close to it.
Click to expand...

Real men don't need a gun. There are guys on this forum who can kill a Russian Boar with their toenail clippings! Just ask them! [smile]

I second the above advice to contact the guide. If he is reputable, he should have an A-Z list of what to bring, and more importantly, what NOT to bring.
 
My friend used to own a hunting guide service for wild boar. When I went with him we used American bulldogs to catch and hold the boar, many different breeds of dogs to track them and keep the boar at bay, until you could slit the boars throat.
 
I'm going to be in contact with the guide tomorrow. I have a whole list of questions for them and I'm going to ask him to send me a checklist of what to bring. I'll ask him if the guns I have are suitable for the type of hunting and the type of pig we are going to be hunting. I'll post here again after I speak to him.
 
fencer said:
How many wild boar throats have you cut while dogs held them down?
Click to expand...

i dont hunt wild boars. they are too far away.

but i have family members that do. and know people in Florida that do. They all use Argentine mastiffs. You should see the scars on those dogs. But they still love to go out and hunt.

when 3 Argentine mastiffs hold a boar, they dont move too much. Those dogs were bred fro that purpose. To hunt boar and be good with kids when they are home.
 
Beansie, here's my two cents. I've hunted wild hogs in Texas for the last four years. Every hog I've killed (4) was taken with a .308 throught the ear. The first thing my outfitter said upon arrival was, "If you can do it, take a head shot". He explained that caliber was not nearly as important as bullet placement. If you shoot them through the heart/lung area as you would a deer your odds of retrieval are not great. The hog will certainly die if hit there but he may do it in the next county. And that thick cartilage plate acts like a kevlar vest. Even if the bullet penetrates, you'll get very little blood trail.
All my head shots were at 75 yards or less but the hog dropped in her tracks.
 
You know, maybe hogs are different, but I've never heard of a competent or ethical hunter/guide suggesting a headshot to someone they were guiding.

As far as the sidearm goes, should pack a punch, but I don't think you'll need it for anything other than oh shit protection if a pissed pig charges. Check out some of the vids on youtube, big ol' hillbillies giggling while they pump 10-15 shots from a handgun into a squealing death monster, and it's still alive. Not very fair or efficient.

Call me old fashioned and thrifty, put a big hole through the heart and lungs, one shot. track em down and have sausage for months.
 

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