Warthog with .303.

**TStone** · 10-10-2015, 10:34

This morning, while checking fences, I came across this hog. As fences and warthog, especially large boars, does not make a good combination, I shot the hog. It is my first warthog with the .303, an easy offhand shot at 50 meters. Getting it on the landcruiser turned out to be quite a task, I had to resort to using the winch. Gutted, the boar weighed 75 kg's.

I used a 150gr PMP bullet at 2200 fps (from a 18" barrel), and shot the hog just behind the right shoulder, bullet penetrated completely. It ran ±100 meters before going down, leaving a good blood spoor.

**Darrylth** · 10-10-2015, 10:37

Nice pig.. well done

**Maroelas** · 10-10-2015, 10:39

Very nice TStone

**treeman** · 10-10-2015, 11:11

Amazing how a perfect shot and in this case perfect bullet at perfect speed can still result in a boar doing 100 m. Shoot one with a .222 and it drops and mate shoots one next to it same spot and it runs.???

**TStone** · 10-10-2015, 12:11

Originally Posted by treeman

Amazing how a perfect shot and in this case perfect bullet at perfect speed can still result in a boar doing 100 m. Shoot one with a .222 and it drops and mate shoots one next to it same spot and it runs.???

True, I've shot warthog with the .222 rem, 6.5x55, 7x57, .308, .300 win mag, .375 H&H and now the .303 and have seen them shot with calibres ranging from .22lr to .416 rem mag and there seems to be no consistency in how they behave, even with well placed heart/lung shots. I've dropped several in their tracks with the 6.5x55, yet I saw a boar get up and run 50m after a perfect heart/lung shot with a .416 rem mag with a 400gr soft nose.

Some just seem to be more tenacious that others.

**Ds J** · 10-10-2015, 13:35

Enjoy the salami/cabanossi/bacon!

In reading the comments on shot warthog behaviour it seems that they are candidates for headshots when possible?

**treeman** · 10-10-2015, 13:43

Lot of head to hit and small brain area to miss. Really really study a hog and perhaps ask butcher to split a head. There is a lot of ugly wounding space to hit.

**Peter Wells** · 10-10-2015, 13:44

That's a fair assumption to make Ds but you WILL find a fatally wounded warthog within 200m. They just cannot run further healthy or wounded. How do I know that? A mate of mine at Bereda (sp?) School told me how they would just canter after a fleeing hog and after a max 200m they were blown and you could dismount, rope them and take them back to base for a spit roast.

**CorditeCrazy** · 10-10-2015, 13:46

Nice TStone
I remember when my wife shot a warthog, it was from a blind and at about 20m. It rolled onto its back at the shot and then "ran", legs in the air, for about 5 to 10 second before expiring, legs still in the air. Had it not rolled over it would have covered some distance. As you say they are rather tenacious.

On the subject of running after the shot I can only recall two animals that did not run. both were spine shots. One with a 308 and one with the 375. Both were blessbuck. The funniest one of the runners, if you can call it that, was a Black wildebeest cow who ran a full circle and died at about the same spot I shot her. I've come to believe you never know what will happen but have prepared myself for them to run after taking a decent hit. I general aim for the boiler room and don't do head and neck shots. Those i spine shot were as I overestimated the distance so aimed high.

**killzone** · 10-10-2015, 15:41

Originally Posted by CorditeCrazy

Nice TStoneI remember when my wife shot a warthog, it was from a blind and at about 20m. It rolled onto its back at the shot and then "ran", legs in the air, for about 5 to 10 second before expiring, legs still in the air. Had it not rolled over it would have covered some distance. As you say they are rather tenacious. On the subject of running after the shot I can only recall two animals that did not run. both were spine shots. One with a 308 and one with the 375. Both were bless buck. The funniest one of the runners, if you can call it that, was a Black wildebeest cow who ran a full circle and died at about the same spot I shot her. I've come to believe you never know what will happen but have prepared myself for them to run after taking a decent hit. I general aim for the boiler room and don't do head and neck shots. Those i spine shot were as I overestimated the distance so aimed high.

Congrats T-stone

That 'Bakkie-gun' of yours is making a name for itself

I shot a large sow from a tree stand last year. The shot made mince of the heart but still the pig made it through 30 meters of thick brush. I also shot a Black wildebeest this year and can confirm that they are some of the toughest customers out there.