[ccoker]

so.. I have been using the Barnes 110x tipped tsx and killed 3 deer and a pig with them
all perfect performance
I haven't shot a hog with a prohunter but have 100% confidence in it on head shots and on deer
what about less than optimum shots on hogs, through the shoulders, quartering away/towards you, etc..

the reason I ask is I like to practice a lot and the barnes are a lot more expensive

 

[marinesg1012]

I am wondering this myself. I know it has the expansion and penetration needed for deer and medium game but how does it hold up on the more solid of animals?

 

[paulosantos]

I remember talking with Tim Hicks and he used to use the Pro-Hunters on pigs with great results. He didn't take head shots.

 

[Megalos]

I'm also very curious about this. The whole reason I'm switching to a 6.8 is because I shot a 200 pound boar in the shoulder with a 5.56 FMJ and it didn't kill him. The bullet fragmented, hit his spine and left him paralyzed until the next morning. Now if only I could use some armor piercing rounds. :twisted:

 

[Bull000]

Should have shot him again... in the head. I would like to use my pro hunters on pigs too, i would only take a body shot if i couldn't take a head shot.

 

[ccoker]

I believe shot placement trumps everything, caliber, bullet type, etc..
and try my best to only take the right shot and pass on less than optimum shots
however, when hog hunting and especially considering how many there are in Texas, and how erratic they move, unlike a deer, I may have to take a less than perfect shot and want to be confident in the effectiveness of the shot....
from a concealed blind is a lot different than out stalking and I sure like the latter more

 

[Megalos]

Should have shot him again... in the head. I would like to use my pro hunters on pigs too, i would only take a body shot if i couldn't take a head shot.

We heard another group so we left him and ran after the others. The next morning my friend put a .270 between his eyes and at that point I decided it was time for a .277.

If all I did was hunt out of blinds/box stands, then a 5.56 would be fine. When you're running through the woods and a big boar steps out 10 yards ahead of you and you need to drop him, the 5.56 is weak sauce.

Also, when you're hunting them for pest control purposes, an "ethical" shot doesn't really matter.

 

[jasonpeterson]

I believe shot placement trumps everything, caliber, bullet type, etc..
and try my best to only take the right shot and pass on less than optimum shots

I agree totally! I think that should be a motto. I think I'm going to get a sign in my shop that says "shot placement trumps everything, caliber, bullet type, etc.." I've always talked about this to everyone. I'm glad to see others agree.

 

[ccoker]

yeah, my dad has always hunted with "marginal calibers" but there are a whole lot of dead animals that prove his point

 

[FB68]

Should have shot him again... in the head. I would like to use my pro hunters on pigs too, i would only take a body shot if i couldn't take a head shot.

We heard another group so we left him and ran after the others. The next morning my friend put a .270 between his eyes and at that point I decided it was time for a .277.

If all I did was hunt out of blinds/box stands, then a 5.56 would be fine. When you're running through the woods and a big boar steps out 10 yards ahead of you and you need to drop him, the 5.56 is weak sauce.

Also, when you're hunting them for pest control purposes, an "ethical" shot doesn't really matter.

Poor form mate, no matter what the situation ALL ANIMALS DESERVE to be dispatched quickly and humanely. In my neck of the woods pointing a 5.56 at any big boar, well he would take it off you and spank you with it :lol:. In answer to the original question , PH on most pigs in the right conditions id say yes. But as I've have found out a big pissed off mud encrusted boar might take a few :wink:

 

[Megalos]

I would agree with you on game animals, but not on feral hogs. I'm stepping up to a 6.8 so they do drop in their tracks, but being humane isn't my motivation. I don't want to piss off a big boar and have to run for my life. I'm not as fast as I used to be, lol.

Just out of curiosity, how big are the hogs y'all have in Australia?

 

[joshuades]

I believe shot placement trumps everything, caliber, bullet type, etc...

I am of the same line of thinking. I follow the premise that if I didn't get the job done with the first shot then I did something wrong. I tend to hunt on the ground a lot and the pigs here sometimes get big (a friend of mine put down a near 500lbs boar the other day that was looting his cattle troughs, not the average mind), that's one of the reasons I opted for a 6.8 AR. I like the option of having another shot right on hand if something goes wrong.

 

[ccoker]

same here
I don't ever pull the trigger unless I am 100% confident in having the right shot..
well, 99% of the time anyways

but I do want the ability to put several down the pipe FAST if on the ground with hogs

 

[Aramark]

i'm not sure if it is a good thing or a bad thing we don't have hogs up here in MN. i know the farmers would hate them, but i would be out shooting every day :lol: it sounds like so much fun.

 

[marinesg1012]

I agree on shot placement ect ect the min caliber for moose in Maine is a 22 mag, but you want to carry enough gun and have the right bullet in case something goes wrong and you make a less then ideal shot...I have only had to shoot one animal twice, and that was because it didnt know it was dead yet, but I like having a follow on shot if needed.

 

[HTR]

I shot at least 40 hogs last year with bullets other than my favorite 85 grain TSX, and 110 grain TTSX. I shot some with VMax's but these were all neck /brainstem shots right behind the ear. The Barnes bullets can kill them even when the shot is not well set up. I have run those bullets through them end to end before, but lost one hog using a 110 accubond. The Accubonds are soft and the tip smashes them fast so they deform and deposit energy fast, making them an excellent deer bullet. I shot the hog right in the shoulder blade to see if it would penetrate, and it did not. The hog ran about 200 yards before dropping, and that was in a swamp, so we didn't go in after it until the next morning.

The ProHunter is a fairly fragile bullet. It will likely fail and you will encounter jacket core separation if you hit heavy bone. However, they do make good exit holes when you hit the neck or lungs.

My choice for hogs in order of preference is:

1) 85 grain TSX. FAST! and therefore, they do what Barnes' are supposed to do. The 110's are also good, but something magical happens when these bullets exceed 2800 FPS muzzle velocity, and it is hard to get the 110's over 2750.

2) 110 TTSX, a very close second, but they are just too damn long, and thus very challenging to load precisely, and still get enough velocity. They lower pressure so much, they don't go much faster in my 20" 12 / 3 than they do in a tight .276 CA barrel. Barnes NEEDS TO MAKE A 90 GRAIN TTSX!!

3) 110 SPH

 

[FB68]

I would agree with you on game animals, but not on feral hogs. I'm stepping up to a 6.8 so they do drop in their tracks, but being humane isn't my motivation. I don't want to piss off a big boar and have to run for my life. I'm not as fast as I used to be, lol.

Just out of curiosity, how big are the hogs y'all have in Australia?

I originally used the PH but Ive swapped over to the Barnes 110gr ttsx, I soon found out that quickly that the big boars weren't going down if they weren't hit in the right spot with the PH(hence my comment above) if you've got all day to take your shot go for it ,the type of hunting i do rarely give me that chance & I'm getting to old to run too.Where i live most pigs average around the 70 to100kg(150 to220lb) up north they average 100 t0 150kg.Honestly the 6.8 ain't my go to gun when i hunt pigs ,but i do feel secure in the fact that if needed it can do the job. here are a few pics of the last pig hunt i went on earlier this year and tested 110 gr ttsx Barnes.

above is probably the first pig to taken in Australia using 110gr ttsx using a 6.8

some more

average size boar,

 

[Aramark]

great pics. some very good information in this thread thanks guys

 

[ccoker]

thanks
sticking with the 110g TTSX

they work and I have a load worked up for them

 

[Megalos]

thanks for posting pictures. It's pretty sweet seeing someone on the other side of the world enjoying the same hobbies I do.