Texas Hog Hunt

[warhawk]

It's becoming almost a family tradition, my youngest son Cody and I went to the Langley Ranch yesterday. This was our fourth year in a row to go hog hunting between Christmas and New Years. This year my grandson Jacob joined us and had a big time.

Here's Jacob in the tree stand with his new BB gun


Jacob had to shoot grandpa's hog several more times, to make sure it was dead.


The red hog is mine, a 160# boar, Cody got the best hog again, a 185# boar with nice tusks.


I used my 1975 vintage Marlin 1895 in 45/70 with Federal 300 JHP ammo. A 25 yard high shoulder shot put the hog down and the bullet was found under the hide over the off side. This was the second 45/70 I've had lately that didn't exit.

Cody used a Marlin 45/70 guide gun with the same ammo. He hit the boar right between the eyes at about 40 yards and it went down with all four feet in the air. Mr Langley went to get the mule (Kawasaki mule) but when he got back the boar was still thrashing around like crazy and required several more shots, Keith loads from a 44 magnum, to finish it. Mr Langley said it was one of the toughest hogs he's ever seen.


Nice tusks on Cody's boar, he's probably going to mount this one.


Jacob provided back up and "coup de gras" shots with his new Daisy .177 caliber rifle.




I think that Jacob and Mr Joe are buddies now ...

[boxhead]

Wonderful. Something I have in the works with my 11 year old.

[warhawk]

Dec 27, 2009 21:09:16 GMT -5 boxhead said:

Wonderful. Something I have in the works with my 11 year old.

I cant reccomend the Langley Ranch highly enough. Book a hunt with Mr Joe and you're guaranteed a good time.

[Ken O'Neill]

Good thing you had Jacob along to finish the job properly! He'll probably remember that forever.

[jestergrin]

What Ammo or load did you use in your 45-70?

They must be light loads not to go through the Hog.

I will be glad to let you know what load I use in my Marlin 1895GS in 45-70 if you do reload?

[warhawk]

I do handload, and have been shooting 45/70 for years. My "standard" load is a 400 gr Rem soft point over a stout charge of H335. I have some cast bullets that I intend to work with in the guide gun, but my older 1895 has migrogroove rifling and has not done well with cast bullets in the past.

This time I used Federal 300 JHP factory ammo, for a couple of reasons. I had some on hand that came with the stainless guide gun, but mainly I wanted a load that would be least likely to hurt my 6 year old grandson's ears.

He has a set of youth sized ear muffs, but he's a chatterbox and I knew he would be talking loud with those earmuffs on, assuming I could get him to keep them on at all.

I sat on the edge of the tree stand, while he sat in the chair behind me. He could see perfectly over my head and we talked about him plugging his ears over and over, but I had my doubts. Turns out that he didn't, even though I told him to be quiet and plug his ears as soon as we heard the hogs coming through the brush.

I took a high shoulder shot on the red boar and it was a bang flop, it kicked a little then was done. So the bullet worked fine, just didn't exit (which I would have preferred).

[jestergrin]

Warhawk I use the Hornady 350Gr J/RN with 53.OGr of H-322 in a Rem Case with a Fed 210 Primer that will give me 3/4 in groups at 100 yards. But they do THUMP so I would have to say to get a LimbSaver Butt pad for it.



For Cast of which I mostly use in my Marlin 1895GS in 45-70 is the Ranch Dog 350Gr RNFP GC with 52.0Gr of H-322 in a Rem Case with the Fed 210 Primer and will also shoot 3/4 in and better at 100 yards. But again these are stout loads. Lower 2 shots for sighters and top 3 for group.


All my cast bullets are sized .460

I never could get the 300Gr bullets to shoot as well as the 350Gr as I feel the length of the bullet with the size just did not give them enough length to engage the rifling of the barrel to enable it to shoot well.

But when I went up to the 350Gr all was well in the world lol.

[warhawk]

Thanks for the loads, nice shootin'. I also have an 1895 LTD III that I intend to be a "cast only" rifle.

My load with the 400 gr Remington JSP is 53 grains of H335. Recoil is stout. The Federal factory load is accurate in my old (1975) 1895 with nicro groove rifling. I took a bobcat with it a few years ago at 135 yards.

[Markbo]

Great story and great pics. Thank God for that back-up shooter, eh?

[emptyhull]

Nice thread and pics! Tim