# Gun for dispatching hogs?



## secuono (Apr 30, 2013)

Would a rifle be strong enough to take down a PB that is around 35-45 lbs?
If not, what would I need? 
Also have two hand guns, but I've never shot those, Glocks of some kind.


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## cjhubbs (Apr 30, 2013)

It would depend on the type of rifle. I  wouldn't try to shoot a hog with a 22 rifle because it's not powerful enough to go through all the bone, organs and other stuff the bullet may encounter, meaning the animal would probably suffer and either not die right away or at all. I would suggest using a 30/30 rifle or  a shotgun with a slug if I have some although that isn't a rifle.


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## brentr (Apr 30, 2013)

When we butchered hogs on the farm I grew up on, Dad always shot them with a .22.  Point blank, in the forehead (you know, make an imaginary X between ears and eyes, aim for the crossing point).  Never failed to drop any of them, no issues.  These were full size hogs.  I'm pretty sure a .22 in the same location would handle your PBP with ease.


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## PendergrassRanch (Apr 30, 2013)

A .22 works perfectly fine.  Give them a bit of grain and aim well.


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## OneFineAcre (Apr 30, 2013)

brentr said:
			
		

> When we butchered hogs on the farm I grew up on, Dad always shot them with a .22.  Point blank, in the forehead (you know, make an imaginary X between ears and eyes, aim for the crossing point).  Never failed to drop any of them, no issues.  These were full size hogs.  I'm pretty sure a .22 in the same location would handle your PBP with ease.


That's the way I've always seen it done.  My granddaddy was killing hogs when I was very young, 40 plus years ago.


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## jhm47 (Apr 30, 2013)

I just bought a 380 lb gilt from a neighbor.  I shot it with my .22.  One shot in the forehead.  Made an imaginary X between the left ear, right eye, right ear, and left eye.  BANG!  Dropped her and bled her out right in the trailer.  Took her to the butcher right away, and the meat should be done later this week.


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## Straw Hat Kikos (May 1, 2013)

I agree with what has been said. A .22 will work great and is probably the best  possible choice.


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## Cricket (May 1, 2013)

I'm not the 'dispatcher' on our place.  The one time when I had to shoot one of my calves, I found that using a rifle was a whole lot easier.  You can put the barrel pretty much on your target.  I agree with everyone that it's more important to have good aim than high power.  I've seen someone use a 38 pistol on one of my pigs and not have good aim--it's not good.  Our butcher uses a 22 rifle.


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## Heirloom (May 1, 2013)

22LR (long rifle) is all you need. If you have a big one (500lbs) a 22 magnum might be good insurance. But the 22LR is all I've ever seen used. When taking aim, be sure to hit the X as mentioned, but also imagine aiming for the spine....sort of down the back. What you want to avoid is too much of a downward angle. If you shoot too steep at a downward angle you can blow through the roof of the mouth and miss the brain completely. Then you have a hog that's not stunned, but hurt , scared and pissed off. Not good.

EDIT: Quick note. 22LR is about the most common 22 ammo. However there are lots of different 22 ammo styles. Do not get CB caps, 22 short, bird shot or anything else (for this purpose). And always make sure your rifle/gun is rated for the ammo you plan to use.


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## Four Winds Ranch (May 1, 2013)

We use a 22 pistol, in the ear angled toward the forhead. Ours are fairly quiet so it is easy to get right close!!!


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## secuono (May 1, 2013)

Thanks!
What about the bleed out? I'm reading two sides, cut the throat/neck or stab in the chest for the major arteries. But I cannot find a picture of the latter, I don't get where they are describing. Anyone have a picture of where and what angle?


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## MDres (May 1, 2013)

secuono said:
			
		

> Thanks!
> What about the bleed out? I'm reading two sides, cut the throat/neck or stab in the chest for the major arteries. But I cannot find a picture of the latter, I don't get where they are describing. Anyone have a picture of where and what angle?


Our pigs and cattle were accustomed enough to our tractor that we would park it right next to them. Shoot them, they drop, we immediately slit throat and get them hanging via the tractor bucket. We had a thingamajigger that was basically a shaft with a hook on each end, which was hooked to the tractor bucket. The hooks went thru the space between the hock and the tendon. We let them bleed out suspended from the bucket in the air....


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## brentr (May 1, 2013)

secuono said:
			
		

> Thanks!
> What about the bleed out? I'm reading two sides, cut the throat/neck or stab in the chest for the major arteries. But I cannot find a picture of the latter, I don't get where they are describing. Anyone have a picture of where and what angle?


Go spend a few minutes on Youtube.  Just search for hog slaughter videos; you'll soon have more videos showing different sticking angles than you'll know what to do with!


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## secuono (May 1, 2013)

I did that, but I keep finding AR and really disgusting people doing terrible things.....


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## Hollow Point (May 5, 2013)

The way we slaughter our pigs is get them in a pen the day before and give them only water.  At the break of dawn we go outside to the pen and place food on the ground.  The pig walks up to eat and is shot in the forehead with a .22 LR solid point bullet out of a rifle point blank.  Pig drops dead in it's tracks every time.  Second person immediately cuts the throat when the pig drops and the blood gushes out.  The pig is then wenched up on our skinning rack and allowed to finish bleeding out.  If we are planning to make cracklins this is the time we get two 120qt crawfish pots full of water to start boiling to scrape the hair off.  The reason we don't feed the day before is so when the animal is gutted the intestines are not full in case they break.


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## secuono (May 5, 2013)

Rifle is a _Savage 17 hmr. Vmax and non Vmax bullets_. Is that acceptable or no?

This video shows a guy shooting a pig behind the ear with the same gun. Pig is about the same size my boar is, so guess it will work, no?
Silence it, music is really stupid and cussing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFOX3g0ePKs


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## jhm47 (May 6, 2013)

A .17 HMR doesn't have enough foot-pounds of energy to do a reliable job for you.  At the very least, get a .22 or better yet, a .22 magnum.  Be sure to use solid nose bullets.  A hollow point won't penetrate enough.  You don't want to mess this up, or you'll have a mad, scared pig on your hands, and it's infinitely harder to do a good clean job after their adrenalin is stirred up.


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## Heirloom (May 7, 2013)

Here is another video....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OQ90cKZoM4


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## secuono (May 7, 2013)

Saw that one, annoyed me how the guy was too lazy to put out the cig first...


Link to what ended up happening last night.
http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=330683#p330683


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## Lynn (May 15, 2013)

Hollow Point said:
			
		

> The way we slaughter our pigs is get them in a pen the day before and give them only water.  At the break of dawn we go outside to the pen and place food on the ground.  The pig walks up to eat and is shot in the forehead with a .22 LR solid point bullet out of a rifle point blank.  Pig drops dead in it's tracks every time.  Second person immediately cuts the throat when the pig drops and the blood gushes out.  The pig is then wenched up on our skinning rack and allowed to finish bleeding out.  If we are planning to make cracklins this is the time we get two 120qt crawfish pots full of water to start boiling to scrape the hair off.  The reason we don't feed the day before is so when the animal is gutted the intestines are not full in case they break.


This is also the way we have done it the last 3 years. Except I use my 9mm sig. We use a bobcat or tractor with a bucket to hang them while they drain, and hang them while we skin. We then quarter them and hang them in a makeshift cooler in the basement. Hang the quarters from the floor joist, have plastic above and around, set up an air conditioning unit inside and cool pork in 3 hours!  Works wonderful!


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