So after washing up, cleaning up, posting pics and sharing hunting stories, it was time to get back after them for round 2 and the evening hunt! Although we can hunt at night until the end of this month with permit, I had resigned myself to be back at the house, showered up and enjoying an adult beverage before it got too late. Ah, the best laid plans...

Slipping in to the area that I was planning to hunt, I noticed movement up ahead - a quick look through the binos confirmed several velvet bucks feeding, including a really nice 9 point that's on the Hit List for this season. I was planning on backing out, as bow season is ONLY a month and a half away...but the big deer sensed something was amiss - namely the large, sweaty blob in the middle of the path and started heading my way. At a little over 50 yards, the staredown commenced. I knew he was gonna bust, so I figured I would play like it was deer season...ease the gun out of the shoulder holster - still standing. Raise the gun, still standing. Acquire sight picture - I win! He waited another couple of seconds, and took off. See you in September

I continued on into the stand and climbed up, the Thermacell providing a cloud of coverage from the skeets. I passed the time watching game, saw another hummingbird light on a limb (where's the camera?), and slowly watched the light fade from the day. I was sending a text to a member here when I heard a stick break out in the cutover...I cut my eyes to the side, and caught a glimpse of a black shape...HOG! A good size pig, partially obscured by brush, about 45 yards out, and direct down wind. And another, and another...Thank goodness I had washed all my hunting clothes at lunchtime, and had sprayed everything down as soon as I left the truck. The hogs paused, testing the wind, as they slowly approached the path.

Back into cruise control - muffs into place and switched on, the hogs cautiously enter the open. I sized them up, decided to go "big", and thumbed the hammer back...27 yards. Squeeze, squeeze - definitely gonna work on this trigger soon, squeeze...BOOM thwack. DRT - the 158gr JSP found it's mark and put the lights out quickly. I thought briefly about finding another retreating hog in the scope, but decided I had my hands full! Sorry about the blood, but it was hot, late, and wasn't time for the Glamour Photo's.


I collected my gear, went down and grabbed the sizable sow, and realized this was gonna be like a redneck version of CrossFit. Solo hunting has it's benefits, but I was getting ready to realize the drawbacks! I dragged her out to the path, went and fetched the truck. For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of dealing with hogs, there's no great way to handle them. Dense and relatively compact, they don't drag like a deer and have no headgear to manuever them with. Drove in to pick her up, angled off the trail to get turned around, and immediately high-centered the truck on a 36" stump that was hidden in the high grass.

So after a fun experience that will certainly have the hunting truck in for a visit with the auto mechanic next week, I decided to "man up" and get her in the bed of the truck. I decided that the bear hug method was a last resort on a muddy, bloody, tick-covered pig. Ah ha - grab spare safety belt in the truck box, loop around her head, jump up on the tailgate, and get to lifting. Soaking wet. Back to the hunt camp to take advantage of power, water, and a gambrel to hang her.





She was just a touch bigger than the "special" boar that helped to break in the 686 this morning, and it looks like the Smith has earned a spot in the regular line-up!

you've been a busy boy

Dang! KRal is killin' squirrels, SCH is killin' hogs and I'm just killin' time til I can get in the woods! A FANTASTIC day of hog hunting, congratulations on another great DRT shot!

SChunter is putting the rest of us to shame!!! Fine shooting.

As Roger Raglin would say, "you had a good day"

Congrat and good shooting

You are on a heck of a good roll!

Excellent... Did either shot exit?

Good shooting again Dur. Man your really giving that thing a work out. Congrats. You must be feeding the neighborhood by now. LOL!

Hog #1, the bullet exited. Shot distance was 62 yards and tracked out through the good (sole) ear...

Hog #2, no exit. Closer distance, spinal/skull impact, and (presumed) "silver dollar" effect. I'll go to digging when the buzzards and 'yotes are done.

Thanks everybody for the comments. Despite the heat, it's been fun - and yes, the pork is being distributed well around the 'hood!

Man are you having fun,congratulations,

Congrats! Keep em coming!

Good job! Nice huntin stories!!! Please keep em coming for those of us who are just waiting for season to start!

Congrats on another great hog, +1 Keep the stories coming, its helping to hold me over till september

great! Keep putting down the pork. reflex264

You hog killen son of a gun..... When will it all stop. I speak for all the earless hogs of the world. Durwood, put that 686 away

Dur, congrats! It seems like you're upsetting the "The James". You know he's the king of swine! LOL...but seriously, slack up a bit; I don't want to be hunting a ghost!

Nice work,Dur!

Congratulations on the hunt and harvest. Sounds like fun. The 686 did well.

Just curious about your hunting ammo, what brand/make/model etc. was the 158 gr JSP ammo were you using? Have you made shoulder shots on deer or hogs with this ammo before and if so, how did the bullet perform? Exit wounds, blood trails, or ???

Thanks, Dave

Hey, I got two last time out as well! LOL!

Nice shooting again, Dur! She's a big girl. I had the pleasure of loading up the sow I shot last time out on my own and it was a pain in the backside! 2 o'clock in the morning, no help, and I don't wanna bear-hun the hog to get her into the bed of my truck. I managed somehow......

Congratulations!

Dave - this gun is a new acquisition. I had picked up some American Eagle (Federal's economy brand) 158gr JSP to plink and shoot for the first time as my "normal" supply of 158 gr XTP's that I shoot in my other 686 and Ruger Blackhawk was running low. The accuracy was outstanding, so I thought I would give it a go. So in not-so-short, this was my first game experience with this bullet. My guess is that it would not have given complete penetration on a broadside shot on this sow. However, give me a couple months - we'll get some deer data for you

As with the past on deer, with my 357's I'll stick to broadside or quartering away presentations with this bullet design.

Have the 158 gr XTP's done better or worse for you on deer/hogs?

My experience with the lighter weight (125 gr) hollow points has not been stellar on big hogs. Have read where many have reccomended medium to heavy weight solid flat point bullets for hunting deer/hogs with the 357.

I just picked up a box of Magtech 158 gr SJSP semi jacketed flat points. Hope to try them on the range with my Mod 66 4" soon.

Dave

Well, I can't complain about the performance of the 158gr JSP's, but the shot placement had a lot to do with it

I've taken exactly 2 deer with the 158gr XTP's in .357 - one exited, one didn't. Both one shot kills. Not exactly a huge sample size. Hogs - just coup de gras shots primarily. If I were using the .357 as my primary or sole hog hunting gun, I'd stoke it with 180 gr bullets. Pick your poison: 180 gr XTP's, 180 gr Partition handloads(just bought a bunch of these since they've been d/c'ed) or 180/200 gr WFN hard cast bullets. That way you'd have a little more leeway on angle, shot presentation, etc. I assume that the 125's didn't perform well on a hog's gristle plate - fast and light don't work too well on that type of animal armor.

Buffalo Bore and DoubleTap have some factory loadings in Hard Cast that would work on hogs, big or small. How are you hunting them?

I'm one of those guys who rarely carries one gun in the field however...my 475 Linebaugh was on the hip, just in case any of the hogs I ran into needed a bit more "persuasion" to take a ride in the truck. As you can see, it was not needed.

You've been busy:)