175gr MKs vs. Wild Pigs

[Hondo64d]

Shot these with my .308 this weekend with 175gr MKs loaded to about 2670fps. Black one was taken at about 80 yards. Shot was just behind right shoulder. Exit was small, about the size of a quarter. Found first blood drops about 80 yards from where I shot him, and blood trailed him about 40 yards more to where he lay.

Shot the red one at about 100 yards, low through right shoulder. No exit. He made it about 40 - 50 yards. No blood trail.

Don't know what they weighed, but you might get an idea of the size by comparing to my rifle.

The MKs work, but not nearly as convincingly as the Berger VLDs have for me...

John

[Stormrider]

I've shot a couple of pigs that weren't as big as yours with Nosler 168 CC match out of my 308's and they punched right through and killed one on the spot at 45y and the other ran 20y leaving a massive blood trail. He was 330y away. It was great fun.

[trebark]

Hondo:
Those are some ugly pigs. Couldn't you get some lip-stick on 'em for the pics?

You did well to put them both down in one shot. I shot one at 40 yards with a 240g JHP out of my .44mag. Learned the hard way that when blood trailing a pig with a partner, one person look at the blood on the ground and the other keep their eyes out front looking for the pig. That pig got up and was determined to get a piece of me. Another frantically placed 240JHP and he was done.

[Limbic]

Nice swine. Good size. I've seen em shot in the shoulder with 3006 and 7mm and still trot off. Bonded bullets none the less. A big pig is a tough tough animal. Pound for pound I'd say one of the toughest. I'd guess a griz would be tougher but I've never even laid eyes on one

[purpledragon]

If you are going to shoot big hogs with your .308 load you some 180gr Nosler E-Tips,you'll see a big difference I guarantee. You will have plenty of blood trail to follow but probably not very far.

[specweldtom]

I've confirmed killing 4 pigs with the 168 Smkhp in .308's. They all ran. None left blood trails. Buzzards found 3 of them, the ranch owner found 1, and 2 more that I know I hit, I never found, also no blood trail. I have seen the 168 mkhp crush whitetail deer, and I expected it would do the same to hogs. The shots ranged from 120 yds to 400+ yds. most were running shots. Used a FAL, and an M1A. It took 3 hunts, and 19 rounds total to hit the 2 escapees and kill the 4 confirmed. It gets busy. I hunt from box stands, and the FAL bounced hot hulls all over the inside of the stand. It's gone. The old match gun tossed them out the window.

Using the 168's, experience tells me that I won't drop hogs in place unless I neck or head shoot them, and I won't have a blood trail with a chest shot.

I think an Accubond or Ballistic tip would be a better choice, but I don't match shoot any more, and had some 168 mk's left over.

Good hunting, Tom

[SYee]

Nice pics.

SY