My hunting buddy and I have booked a hog hunt in Texas for February. Gives a lot of time to practice, and decide on loads.
I will be using my SBHH in 44 mag, and will probably use a hard cast bullet. My buddy is undecided on his firearm. He has a 10 inch contender in 44 mag with a red dot sight. He also has a 6.5 inch 357 Blackhawk with open sights. He is not really comfortable with 44 recoil, and is not sure about using a single shot for spot and stalk hogs on the ground.
What about using the 357 with hand loaded hard cast 180 gr bullets? Will this be enough gun? Shots should average 50 yards or so. I know in the perfect world this will work, but in reality, is the 357 a good idea?
Thx

The short answer is, sure the .357 is enough. But so is a .22 if you hit them in the ear at close range.

Having spent my entire life in Texas and chasing hogs, my gut says...it depends. Do you have any idea of the average size/weight of the hogs you'll be hunting? Anything over about 125 pounds and these suckers get really, really tough if the hit is marginal.

That being said, I've killed several with my 10 mm glock. But again, these were all short range (30-40 yards) and were either head shots, or heart shots on smaller pigs (under 100 pounds).

Probably a longer, more complex answer than you were looking for but trust me...a big hog deserves serious respect.

Regardless, y'all are in for a ton of fun and possibly very delicious table fare. Good luck and please post pics of the experience.

If you don't mind me asking, where in Texas are y'all headed?

If you can hit the hog in a vital zone, the .357 will kill it.

Years ago I hunted with a father and son from Chicago. They used .357s. After 18 shots and the guide getting gored the hog was dead.
My 4 friends and I did our hogs with 1 shot each from .41s and .44s.
.357s kill a hog? Sure. Perfect shot and a little luck. If one will do it, it would be with a 180 FP cast.

A .357 shooting 180gr. hardcast is more than enough gun for any hog for a 50 yd. shot providing you hit your intended mark. I've killed truck loads with the .22 WMR. . .shot placement is key, but with that said, you can never have enough gun - LOL.

Thank you for your opinions. I tend to agree with all of you, but had to ask. To answer your questions Randy M...we will be hunting out of Trent Texas. We have booked a trophy hunt, meaning the hogs should be over 250 lbs. we will see. I plan on using a 300 gr hard cast bullet out of a 44, driven as fast as I can. We have 6 months to figure things out, and work on our skills. I have a SRH I would like to trade, maybe my friend will be interested. He has a 3 screw Blackhawk I would love to trade for. lol. Any thoughts on a 44 mag contender for this hunt?
Thx

I think your set up is right on the money and you are setting yourself up for success. And the .44 mag contender is also a great choice. Make the first shot count your buddy is golden.

A 250 lb hog is very common here and also disturbingly tough. My personal opinion from experience...the .357 isn't the best first choice.

It's his call, but I'd steer him towards the contender if he's open to suggestions.

Good luck. Have fun. Pics!

GSJ If you would like I can Email you a good pic of Hog anatomy. Much easier than trying to post here, since I can't do it. Since it is different than a deer it helps as a reminder of Vitals. Just PM me with your info if you want.
I tend to agree with the 41 and up calibers. But a couple of things to think about is that your friend is Not going to notice that recoil when the hunt is going on. He could practice with a glove and also some reduced loads for trigger time and a few days before the hunt get dialed in with the Hunt load. 6 months of practice with 44Sp loads should build some confidence. Or use 10grs of Unique with a 250gr cast. IN 44mag that's great for practice.
With a 180gr hard cast in the 357 You are probably only going to be able to get about 1200 FPS 6" BARREL. I AM THINKING 13.5GR OF H110 If your friend absolutely has to use the 357 then I would suggest the Swift ammo. (ready made) second choice would be Buffalo Bore.

Thx cherokeetracker, but I have a good picture of a hog with vitals. It is a little different than deer. I just loaded up 400 rds of 44 mag with 10 hrs of unique, I like the load. Going to order another 500 lead bulletts soon, and will load this batch a little hotter. Thinking of using 2400 powder this time. Not a max load, but in the ball park. I have been using Missouri bullet company. Do you have any experience with these bullets? They make a 300 gr WFN bullet I was looking at for my hunting load. Does anyone have experience with this company/bullet?
Thx

I do not have experience with the Missouri Bullets but a Lee 310gr cast with 21.5grs of H110 has been an accurate load.
The 300gr should perform quite well on hogs for you. Those look like some Flying Hammers.
The standard load for a 300gr was 22grs of 2400 but if you want to back off to 18-20grains that would probably work, just look for the Target to tell you what to do. ( accuracy wise )
Not knowing the seating depth of your bullets I would start at 18, and go up in .5 gr increments, depending upon accuracy and pressure signs.
Good Luck on this and let us know how it goes.