Despite what I went through with the airlines I can certainly say this was a hunt to remember.... I was the first to arrive at Spartan Ranch in Grandview, Tenn. I checked my guns at the range and started to get ants in my pants waiting for my friends. Could not take it anymore and had to owner take me out.. It was in the low 60`s that day and sweating came easy. We slowly walked the property and saw a number of different animals. I was looking for teeth and was told to try a shot at a spotted boar about 50yds away. BOOM... a clean miss... The guide showed a small tree I hit. Spotted another black boar that I shot at 40 or so yards and put down with a 400gr XTP from my FA`s 475. Went back to the lodge and meet the guys. David (Franchise) Ihrie and his wife Jenn, Kim (Kral) Ralston, and Cole Cash and his girl Kay.... Next morning everyone but myself went hunting with Kim taking a large Merino ram with his 357 Ruger GP shooting a handloaded 180gr Partition getting complete penetration on a quarter toward shot. One shot...dead ram...I believe Cole scored next taking another large Merino ram using Kim`s 475 Reeder single action shooting a huge cast hollow point. David then took a huge (500+lbs) Boar with giant cutters with a 60 yard shot from his .411 Competitor with a handload using a 400gr Woodleigh Weldcore RN running around 2050FPS with complete penetration.
Again...one shot...one dead boar. Cole then shot another 500lb boar using his 450 Alaskan shooting a 500gr Woodleigh PP. One shot... one dead boar. I was getting frustrated seeing all these dead critters my friends took so I went out again and took a larger black boar then my first with decent cutters. This wrapped up our Spartan adventure taking six critters with seven shots. A most enjoyable way to spend four days with some of the best people this country has to offer. Thanks guys for a great time. We only recovered two bullets. The 500gr Woodleigh PP that Cole used on his large boar. Don`t know the recovered weight. Also recovered a 400gr XTP from my second boar. The bullet weighed 359.2grs losing 40.8grs....

James, thanks for the excellent write up. This was certainly a hunt I will never forget.

Excellent!!!! So, so, so very sorry I couldn't make this trip. Looks like some great animals were killed! Congratulations guys!

I most certainly had a blast! Wish more of the members here could've made it, everyone would've had a great time.

SHOT PLACEMENT...... look at the size of those Merino rams that were almost as big as the large boar, however, one 180gr partition
bullet from Kim`s GP 100 in 357 Mag at factory velocity put that critter down for the count. The same can be said for all our shots.
Put that handgun bullet where its belongs and the animal will be yours....

Amen to that James! I, admittedly, was not a proponent of the 357 Mag for hunting unless it was for deer at close range. Dur "SChunter", and Kim "KRal" changed my whole perception of the 357 Mag round. I have seen both of them make surgically precise shots with factory ammo at hard angling shots and drop game animals.

Congrats fellers!

I shoulda been a dr. Or lawyer er sumpin. Lol. 😜 looks fun!

Nice shooting guys.

James. Nice hunt and write-up. Congratulations to all of you.

Great shooting!

Man o man! I'm darn mad I didn't make the trip. I just received my gun from JRH Friday afternoon. God willing and the creek don't rise I'll be done building my retirement home end of this summer. James and David, I promise I will make the next hunt. Looking at those pics makes my trigger finger itch. Just ordered some beartooth bullets to load in the new 475 linebaugh. Looking forward to getting it ready for the next hunt. Congrats to all of you guys.

Looks like all had a successful hunt, congrats!

Congrats to all. In looking at those hogs, it's pretty easy to tell why you guys went with the very big guns. I want hogs to make it to NM, but I think you can keep those lunkers in your neck of the woods ;^)

Craig

Good shooting, everyone! Looks like y'all had fun.

How in the heck did I miss the invite? I have a 416 Rigby ready to punch a hog!

Way to go guys.

Let me say that none of us has high paying jobs. What we do have is the motivation to hunt with our friends... While at Spartan there were seven guys that drove down from Vermont, a distance of 1050 miles one way. They meet six more of their friends who drove from Illinois. None of these 13 hunters were rich but enjoy the company of friends while hunting. To drive 2100 miles round trip shows this. Each man sent the outfitter some money every month until their hunt was paid off. Life is to short not to enjoy....

Life is too short. Youins did great. Way too many irons in the fire here. Thanks for the post.

Good shooting guys! Another good representation for the handgunners, and what handguns can do in capable hands

congrats on the critters guys

Great hunt!

Thanks for all the congrats guys! These best part of the hunt was getting to hunt with other dedicated handgun hunters. Next year maybe Florida or Texas.

Good job boys

I'm just jealous.....

Sounds like you guys had too much fun,dang sorry I missed it but life gets in the way sometimes. Good friends,good guns and good times. Don't get much better than that.

great hunt boys!!!!! I am already chomoing at the bits for our next hog excursion. Its looking like october or novemeber.

How was wound channel on that 385 cast HP James?

James used XTP's, but the entrance and exit on the ram killed with my 475 was impressive; it had the 385's. I'm probably going to have to shoot a deer longways to maybe catch one.

I did not get to see when they field dressed the ram that was shot with the 475 cast HP from Kim`s revolver, but Cole said he went about 10yds and dropped. He was`ent any deader then if hit from the 450 Alaskan.... a full pass through..........

Nice work! looks like a blast!!

I have read this thread several times and have decided I'm going to pull the trigger on hunting at the Spartan. It will be my first time to hunt Tenn. Looks like its going to be a November 2015 hunt for me if anyone wants to meet up and harvest some tuskers. Thanks for sharing your hunt, looks like it was a blast!!

Give `em HELL Frosty...... wish you were there when we hunted.....
have a great time....