I had picked up a pair of sunglasses from Cabela`s, not to long ago, that hold a small video camera and of all the times for me not to turn the camera on I had to pick this hunt....Lets go back to late this past Sunday mourning as I sat on a hillside with my guide at Tioga and my model 29 rested on my knees. The S&W is the Classic model with a 5" barrel and recently installed LPA rear sight holding two green fiber optics on either side of the notch. The front sight is a tall brass bead and with the two combined give these tired eyes of mine very fast sight acquisition on a dark boar..... Back in the woods a group of boar came up the hillside and stopped around 80 yards away and there they stayed until they moved off in the opposite direction without a chance for a shot. And that`s how we left them, undisturbed, until we returned after lunch. I was using a handload with 21.5grs of IMR-4227 under a 250gr Partition and after sighting in at 40 yards I found it to be a most accurate combination in both the model 29 and my DW 744....When we returned and were making our way to another high point we spotted the boar, bedded down, about 40 yards away.
They were sound asleep laying in the warm sunshine. A perfect open sight handgun situation....With my right arm against a tree I lined up the brass bead along side the fiber optics and centered on the boars shoulder. BANG...and off they ran down the hillside with two breaking left and mine going right...I could see he was in big trouble as he tried to make his get away and hit him again at the back of the rib cage at 50 or so yards. He stumbled but was still on his feet when I sent another Partition breaking the back leg. He was down but still using those front legs to pull himself away. I grabbed my 22lr Buckmark for a finish when he heard me walking up on him and swung his back legs around to face me when I heard the spooky`est sound I`ve ever heard from a boar. It was`ent a grunt but more like a growl when he used those front legs to make a half body leap at me when I shot three 22`s at that angled skull only to see them skid harmlessly away...This only angered him more as he made another half body leap at me when I got alongside and put one at the base of his ear to end it all....And to think I could have had it all on film if I only remembered to turn on the camera.....What I also found interesting was that none of the Partition`s were recovered knowing that IMR-4227 gives a little less velocity then 296 or 110 but with excellent accuracy...

As always James, nicely done! Congratulations!

I love reading stories of real life hunts. Thanks and Congrats!
Bamabow

You are truly "the pig man". Way to go.

You and your "coupe de grace" .22's, James .... use enough gun! Nice boar!

He"s a dandy James, good shooting my friend!

I am looking forward to your Book James,,, Big Bores N Big Boars

Charles

Eh, who needs video. Your story told the tale well enough, James. Good job.

Nice work! I love the 5" Classic! Great sixgun.

Way to go James. Would of been good filming. Isn't that how. A person's luck goes most of the time.

Wow. One exciting hunt! Way to go james! You are the pigman, not the wierd guy woth the screwy look on his face and no respect for his dad.

Congrats on yet another great hunt!

Congrats James! I believe you kill more hogs than the rest of us on this site combined.

Great account! Does the .22 normally do the job on a hog?

Great story!
Where did your first shot hit?

Good one, James!

Ernie, He was bedded and I smacked him halfway up at the shoulder at a slight quarter away.... this was a large boar up front...Gees...I wish I could have filmed that....

Nicely done, James!

I'm familiar with that sound you heard....Last weekend I was on a night hunt with a friend. We noticed a big pig in a trap about a 150 yard away and decided to swing by after checking all the common kill areas on the property. We walk up to the trap and a 200+lb sow charge us - it made that growl you're referring to. Every time it charged, it growled.... It sure is hard to keep your feet planted when that happens!

Kim, So glad you verified what I heard...That`s a sound you`ll never forget...That`s why I`am so pissed I did not get it on film
Godzilla got nothing on that growl........................

Nice job James. Nice looking boar . Will have to get together and hunt sometime .

Cool!!!!!!!

I have shot more hogs with a 22 pistol than any other pistol. I have done a lot of trapping and I also can verify what James is Talking about with the growl. I had a smaller Boar ( 150LBS) do this and charge the trap and was trying to tear the thing up. I do not like to kill them in a trap! I would much rather remove them first, and keep them alive till later.
22s are for up close and personal. Think nearly point blank,, I have used 22 mags for 50yds and under but I am talking smaller hogs. James Hunts mega Hogs and a Big bore IS NEEDED. You get a full grown hog and things ARE DIFFERENT. It is much safer to go ahead and use the big bore for the coup de gras. Animals are just that, animals, they are trying to survive at will, and many times can do some strange things. Coyotes and smaller game that has been trapped will try to bite or lunge at you to protect themselves. Heck even deer can surprise you, if you think they are dead and are not.

Awesome!!

Well done James!! Congrats! Nice looking revolver too.
My wife has a growl similar to what you described -- definitely gets my attention!

James
You tell a great tale my friend. Don't have to have the video to see that hunt ,you take us right there with you.Well done!

Awesome stuff, James.

Great job, especially with that thing bearing down on you.

Great story James. What a big ole nasty hog. Sounds like he needed one more from the big gun. Thanks for sharing your adventure with us and congratulations on another successful hunt.

X2!!!

Congrats James, good shooting on another fine swine!

COOL!

Fantastical!

I really like that sight setup.

Nice job buddy, you really like taking the fight to those hogs! You might consider a little bigger back up gun than a 22, just saying!

Dick

Dick, Waiting on the NJ paperwork for a DW 32 mag which is all thanks to you.......

it was`ent fun to run out of 45 Colt ammo shootin those ground squirrels while Stevie still had pockets full of 32`s.....I learned a lesson that day....32 caliber handguns are fun....

JFJ - the boar slaying continues! Congrats

I'm with the others - handle the coup-de-grace with authority...break out the 500!

Mark - The hairs on the back of my neck just stood on end

James,

It is obvious that you love hunting boar.

I was wondering if you have ever been to a place called Buffalo Creek Guide Services in NC?

They offer combination hunts for boar, whitetail, predator and when in season black bear!

I am thinking of going there in the near future.

Have you ever been?

Check them out if not, they get good reviews.

Rmocarsky

Thanks for sharing. I love reading this kind of material

I believe I've hunted there a number of years ago. Yeah, in fact that was the place. Never saw any big hogs, but did manage to pop a couple of barbeque-sized hogs within thirty minutes of each other with my .480 SRH.

rmocarsky, Whit has the only experience at BCGS that I know.....Great photo Max.......

Max,

How would you rate your say at BCGS?

Did you see any deer or bear or bobcat?

I hope you will elaborate on your experience with them.

Rmocarsky