Call them wild boars, wild hogs, or anything else you want to call them; pigs are among the hardest in the world to kill animals. There are several reasons why Hogs are difficult to kill, but the main reason is that they offer you to work with a small target area. The fact that their brains lie deep in their heads makes this worse. Also, their heads ‘ concave shape doesn’t make things any easier. This is not to say, though, that it is impossible to take down a wild hog.
On the contrary, it is very possible to take down a wild hog. Nevertheless, if you want to become a master hog hunter, you need to know where to shoot a hog. Luckily, this is the purpose of this informative article. In it, when taking down wild hogs, I will discuss some of the best places to aim for. I’ll also highlight the areas you should never be looking for.
Where To Shoot A Wild Hog
Ear Holes:
Aiming for the ear holes of a hog is one of the easiest ways to ensure rapid and humane killing. The ear hole is a gateway to the neck area of the animals. A well-placed shot at the ear hole of a boar will result in the neck breaking, resulting in a rapid death in turn. Hogs rarely stay still, unfortunately, and always move their heads around. This makes getting a well-placed shot difficult. Nevertheless, an ear shot is the easiest to accomplish with enough scope and patience.
The Neck:
The neck’s large surface makes it another ideal place to pursue. The neck is the center of the spinal cord of a hog. So, like the ear, a shot of the neck will guarantee an instant kill. Using great scopes to hunt for a clean humane kill is advisable. If you use AR 10 or 308 then it will be a great choice to have the best scopes for 308 on your arsenal as well as you may have 22 long range rifles in which to use a.22 LR scope. Finally, if you’re 30-06 main bullet size, you can also check the list of the best 30-06 hog hunting scope. Remember to use great scopes on your hunting journey makes you one step ahead.
Furthermore, as boars always move around, targeting the center of the neck reduces the chances of the hog surviving the shot. The bullet will hit the center of the ear if the hog moves forward after you fire, which will still kill it. On the other hand, the bullet will take out both shoulders if the hog moves backward slightly.
Shoulders:
Image Credit : https://www.americanhunter.org/articles/2014/4/30/game-profiles-the-wild-boar/
Talking about shoulders, aiming for the front shoulder of a hog when in a wide-sided position will also ensure a quick death. The shoulder front section provides access to the heart and lungs of a boar. Aiming for the front shoulder of a hog ensures you penetrate both of its lungs in this regard.
Forehead: Brain
image credit: https://1source.basspro.com
The forehead is the right place to aim for when a boar faces you. The brain is right behind the front. So a shot penetrating the front will pierce the brain of a boar killing it instantly. Note that the front of a boar has a tough bone that protects the brain. The brain of a boar is also small. Therefore, chances are minimal for you to hit the brain compared to the other parts discussed above.
See more: What does it mean when you see a cardinal ?
Which Are The Right Weapons To Use?
The Forehead: Shotgun
The front of some species of boars is layered with thick bone while the front has a bony ridge in older boars. This presents the issue of lodging a bullet in the sinuses and failing to reach the brain. Make sure you’re using a shotgun to make sure the bullet penetrates the brain.
A rifle of a.22 caliber may prove ineffective in penetrating the forehead of a boar. I therefore recommend using a 12, 16 or 20 bore shotgun instead of using a.22 rifle. To get a shotgun to kill the shot either for the eye of the animal or for the ear. The gun’s muzzle should also be held five to 25 cm from the head of the animals. For the exact target, you can use the best scopes for the AR 10 rifle.
Where To Shoot Hog Hunting With AR 15
Hunters have had a lot of discussion about whether the beloved AR 15 is enough to take a wild hog down. While some hunters believe the standard.223 round used for the AR15 is too small for hog hunting, others swear it is all you need to kill a hog when placed correctly. This raises the issue of where to shoot a 223 hog? Based on my experience and research, when using a.223 rifle, there are several places to target. But the best spot is in the neck center and on the shoulder’s front curve.
Where To Shoot A Hog With A Bow
The other important question I would like to answer is where to shoot a bowed hog. A bow is a bit more challenging, unlike guns. However, it can be addictive to hunt hogs with the best bow. That’s when you’ve got the best arrows. I always opt for the Hammer3-blade broad head in the cases I’ve gone hog hunting with a bow. Whether the boar is young or older will depend on the target area.
The midpoint of the chest or front shoulder is aimed at younger boars. While you’re not going to hit the heart, you’re going to pierce both the lungs that cause massive blood loss and rapid death. Alternatively, aim for the armpit area if you want to hit the heart. I would recommend using some of the top single pin bow sight or best crossbow scopes for better accuracy.
Where To Shoot A Hog With A 22
The.22 rifle is what many of us are using, particularly as it is a cheap ammo. But some people feel this ammo doesn’t pack enough oomph to take a boar down. So does this contain any truth? No. A.22 round is like any other good round to take a wild hog down. You need to know where to shoot a 22-rifle hog. In my opinion, right behind the ear or on the ear is the best place to place a shot. A well-placed ear shot will take down nearly any boar that roams the woods. However, in order to pull off this kind of shot, you need to be really close. I was able to hit a hog from 40 yards away with a 22 rifle that’s pretty close.
However, it can be challenging to take a boar with a 22 rifle from 100 yards and beyond. I therefore recommend that you get as close to your target as you can to increase your chances of success. Some hunters are skeptical of taking down a boar by a 22 rifle. Therefore, my opinion is that to pull this off you should be a great shot. I suggest you use a heavier caliber like the 608 or the 310 if you’re a newbie.
I think it’s important to address some of people’s misconceptions about hog hunting when it comes to shot placement. In addition, there are common misconceptions that hogs are proof of bullets or that they can not be killed. This is in addition to some hunters who see some weapons as insufficient to kill hogs. I’m going to look at some of these misconceptions in this second section.
Where to shoot a hog with a 223
When it comes to hunting wild hogs with a .223 rifle, the key is to aim for the vital areas—the neck, chest and shoulders. A well-placed shot in these areas will ensure a clean kill. When hunting from a tree stand or elevated position, you should aim slightly lower than normal so that you don’t risk hitting the hog’s head or spine. The ideal distance for shooting a hog with a .223 rifle is 100 yards or less as this gives more accurate results and increases your chance of making a successful kill. However, if you need to take shots at longer distances, ensure that you use quality optics and consider using different types of ammunition such as frangible bullets which are designed to break apart upon impact to ensure a clean kill. When hunting from an elevated position, make sure to use a prone or kneeling position for better stability and accuracy. Remember that shooting hogs is not about power but rather about precision—so select your shots carefully and always focus on making the most humane kill possible.
Where to shoot a hog with a 308
When it comes to hunting wild hogs with a .308 rifle, the same key areas should be targeted—the neck, chest and shoulders. Aim slightly higher than normal when shooting from an elevated position so that you don’t risk hitting the head or spine of your quarry. The ideal distance for taking down a hog with a .308 rifle is approximately 150 yards away or closer—as this gives more accuracy and increases your chances of getting an ethical kill. If you need to take shots at longer distances, ensure that you use quality optics and consider using different ammunition such as frangible bullets which are designed to break apart upon impact in order to deliver a clean kill. When shooting from an elevated position, make sure to use a prone or kneeling position for better stability and accuracy. Remember that shooting hogs is not about power but rather about precision—so select your shots carefully and always focus on making the most humane kill possible.
Common Misconceptions About Hog Hunting
Heavy Caliber Rifles Are Always Better:
This is an issue that has been the subject of a heated discussion among hunters worldwide. Some hunters believe that just a shotgun is enough to kill a hog. As mentioned above, however, an AR 15 can be all you need to take a hog down. Today, you can use the AR 15 rifle with several cartridges. The 608 is the most widely used AR 15 cartridge for hog hunting. However, the 30-30 cartridge from Winchester is also sufficient to remove a feral hog. It’s important to remember that a hog has a tough skin and will need rounds that are heavy enough.
I said at the beginning of the article that you would need a heavy caliber rifle to penetrate the thick skin of a hog for a head shot. However, using a heavy caliber bullet isn’t a must. In some cases, it may be disadvantageous to use a heavy caliber rifle. A mature hog can weigh 400 pounds and have 36 inches of shoulder height. This has contributed to the misunderstanding that hogs have a plating-like armor. Using a heavy caliber rifle can lead to meat loss and even destroy meat. Therefore, a misconception is the notion that you need a magnum caliber rifle to kill a hog.
The Anatomy:
If you want to know where a feral hog can be shot, you need to know its anatomy first. In contrast to a deer, a deer’s vital is lower and deeper. The lungs are located above the shoulders in particular. So go for just above the shoulder when hog hunting. The brain is also right behind the ear. If you want to shoot the brain, aim for the ear or the ear itself in this regard.
To sum up, if you’re a hunter of deer, forget all you know about hunting deer. If you use the same hog hunting techniques, you may end up hitting a feral pig’s gut. Some hunters misunderstand that hogs roam the forest just like any other animal. But, as the hog anatomy shows, this is not true.
Shot Placement:
The placement of the shot was another topic of discussion among hunters. It is important to consider meat loss when hunting a hog for slaughter. Therefore, if you are in slaughter hunting hogs, avoid targeting the hams or backstraps. There are hunters, of course, who feel the answer to the question where the head is to shoot a hog for slaughter. And while a brain shot kills a hog with minimal meat loss, execution is difficult.
This is essential because the brain of a hog is small and deep in the head. In addition, hogs are always moving, and finding a hog standing still is difficult. This makes pulling off the head shot even harder. Therefore, I do not recommend the head shot unless you are 100% sure of your marksman skills. The shoulder or lung area is the right place to aim for optimal meat retention. This is going to kill the hog and retain a lot of meat. This works with a gun as well as a bow.
Hogs Are Blind:
This is one of many misunderstandings about hogs that some hunters have. While the eyes of a hog are closer to the ground, hogs are not blind. Most likely, the eyes on a mature hog will be about 30 inches from the ground. This means their peripheral vision is not as good as other animals ‘ vision. They also don’t have as good a vision as ours. Nonetheless, from 200 yards, hogs can spot movements. Therefore, to make a kill, you need to be positioned at a distance of 200 yards and over. You can get as close to 100 yards with some rifles and stalking. But it should be noted that it’s wise to use a scent blocker if you want to kill a hog from 100 yards. So don’t believe the notion that hogs are blind, just because their vision isn’t as good as the vision of other animals.
No Blood Trail:
Just because there’s no trail in the blood doesn’t mean a hog isn’t dead. Again, the blood trail may be missing in a hog, unlike in a deer where the blood trail is almost immediate. For this, there are two main reasons. One is that blood will take some time to sip through the thick layer of fat in a hog. Second, hogs are covered in a hair that acts as a blood-absorbing sponge. So, don’t be fooled by a blood trail’s lack. You won’t see blood until you get 30 to 50 yards of hog in most cases. Keep your eyes on the brush and not on the ground. This is one of the things you should know about shooting a ground hog. Another important thing to know is to keep your eye in the direction to which a hog ran.
Meat From Mature Boars Is Not Good:
Apart from questions about where to shoot a hog with a 22 for slaughter, other issues have been discussed. One is if a mature boar’s meat is good. A mature boar weighs more than 150 pounds. The common misconception is that the meat from a mature boar is not good. However, a mature boar’s meat makes great chops of pork. The reason some are tired of slaughtering mature boars is the smell. Because of the testosterone carried in their sex organs, mature boars produce a foul smell. Simply cut off the sex organs to get rid of this foul smell. The meat quality of older boars will therefore be largely dependent on how you kill them.
FAQs:
What is the best caliber for boar hunting?
This is a difficult question to answer as there are so many variables involved. Some hunters prefer a smaller caliber like a .223 or .243, while others prefer something larger like a .308 or .30-06. Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference and what the hunter is comfortable shooting.
Can you hog hunt with a 22 long rifle?
Yes, you can hunt hogs with a .22 long rifle, but it is not the most effective round. A .22 will likely only kill a small hog, and it is not very effective for hunting larger boars. For larger hogs, you will need a more powerful round.
What kind of sights should I use for hog hunting?
There is no one answer to this question as different hunters prefer different sights. Some hunters prefer to use a scope, while others prefer to use iron sights. It really comes down to personal preference. However, it is important to choose a sight that allows you to accurately judge distances so that you can make a clean kill.
Should I use lead or copper bullets for hog hunting?
Lead bullets are generally cheaper than copper bullets, but they can be more harmful to the environment. Copper bullets are more expensive, but they are less harmful to the environment. Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference.
What time of day are wild hogs most active??
Hogs are typically most active early in the morning and late in the evening. However, they can be active at any time of day. It is important to be aware of when they are most active so that you can plan your hunt accordingly.
Is it legal to hunt hogs with a rifle?
Yes, it is legal to hunt hogs with a rifle in most states. However, there may be certain restrictions on which calibers are allowed. It is important to check with the state wildlife agency before hunting hogs with a rifle.
Can I use a suppressor for hog hunting?
In most states, it is legal to use a suppressor for hog hunting. However, there may be certain restrictions on the types of suppressors that are allowed. It is important to check with the state wildlife agency before using a suppressor for hog hunting.
What type of scent blocker should I use for hog hunting?
There is no one answer to this question as different hunters prefer different scent blockers. However, it is important to choose a scent blocker that will effectively mask your scent so that the hogs will not be able to smell you.
Is baiting legal for hog hunting?
In most states, it is legal to bait hogs for hunting. However, there may be certain restrictions on what types of bait are allowed. It is important to check with the state wildlife agency before using bait for hog hunting.
Can I use a crossbow for hog hunting?
Yes, you can use a crossbow for hog hunting in most states. However, there may be certain restrictions on the types of crossbows that are allowed. It is important to check with the state wildlife agency before using a crossbow for hog hunting.
What type of camouflage should I wear for hog hunting?
There is no one answer to this question as different hunters prefer different camouflage patterns. However, it is important to choose a camouflage pattern that will help you blend in with your surroundings so that the hogs will not be able to see you.
Should I use corn or other food as bait when hunting hogs?
There is no one answer to this question as different hunters prefer different baits. However, it is important to choose a bait that the hogs will be attracted to. Corn is a common bait that hogs are attracted to, but you can also use other types of food.
What type of rifle should I use for hog hunting?
There is no one answer to this question as different hunters prefer different rifles. However, it is important to choose a rifle that is powerful enough to kill the hogs. Some popular rifle calibers for hog hunting include .223, .243, .308, and .30-06.
Conclusion
Where To Shoot A Hog ? Hogs make a great hunting game off-season. They aren’t as easy to kill as some other prey, though. Therefore, killing one can be challenging unless you understand a hog’s anatomy and where to target. Nevertheless, in the fact that the notion that hogs are impossible to kill is untrue, you should take comfort.
Read more:
2. When Should You Carry Arrows In The Nocked Position
