Garand for Hog Hunting

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  • Chase515

    Expert
    Rating - 100%
    13   0   0
    Jan 29, 2011
    765
    28
    Oxford, In
    I used 170gr match hpbt 308 on the hogs I shot earlier this month. The federal fusion 165gr tsx was my planned factory load but it jammed every round in my aero ar-10.
     

    cg21

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    25   0   0
    May 5, 2012
    4,549
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    From the photo you posted it looks like you killed a nice mature boar which was most likely intact. Intact boars are going to taste terrible to most people. I know people that say boar meat is not bad if spiced up enough and my FIL actually likes the taste. However, I can't even stand the smell of it cooking let alone the taste.

    As for shot placement, that you found the hog is a pretty good indication that your shot placement was spot on. Poorly hit hogs are often not recovered, giving rise to the myth of their indestructability. Here's a diagram of a hog's vitals showing what I'm talking about.
    View attachment 225735
    Boar taint is something only certain people can taste / smell. Kind of like certain people think cilantro taste like soap? Same deal.
     

    Creedmoor

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    6   0   0
    Mar 10, 2022
    6,434
    113
    Madison Co Indiana
    Boar taint is something only certain people can taste / smell. Kind of like certain people think cilantro taste like soap? Same deal.
    My father retired to Dunnellon, FL. We killed pigs on a few farms/ ranchers just outside of town over the years. We used Core-lokts in a 243 to the eye.
    Like Mij posted already they were orange fed and tasted like eating an American Marsupial.
     

    2in1evtime

    Master
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 98.4%
    61   1   0
    Oct 30, 2011
    3,444
    113
    retired-midwest
    I don't recommend fmj for hunting myself, Shot a big boar with 8mm mauser military one time, russian mix i was told took 4 in the lung area and 5th broke his spine that was the shot that dropped him, fmj doesn't expand like a good hunting bullet.
     

    Tactically Fat

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    22   0   0
    Oct 8, 2014
    8,270
    113
    Indiana
    I remember reading somewhere kind of recently (last few years) that the ol' using modern ammo in a Garand is a no-no thing is all kind myth/lore that's been perpetuated so long by so many that now it's gospel.

    Kind of like how people swear that you need Windex / ammonia to clean out a gun after firing corrosively-primed ammo.
     
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    Sep 7, 2022
    90
    18
    Valparaiso
    Where do you all go for hog hunts from here? I've been looking into Missouri since that's the closest drive from here.

    Also, to address the topic at hand, I'd look for a 150gr soft tip to use on a hog. I have a bunch that I plan to use for deer loads in my Garand.
     

    jwamplerusa

    High drag, low speed...
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    Feb 21, 2018
    4,210
    113
    Boone County
    There is an issue with ammo which is not to the military spec. Whether that issue concerns you is another matter.

    I have an uncut op rod, so I tend to err on the side of caution.

    This video provides a good illustration of what is happening when using ammo which is "off spec".


    In my Garand I found later lots of HXP seemed hot. The Schuster had to be opened quite a bit to get an acceptable ejection pattern.

    YMMV, just my $.02
     

    ol' poke

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 100%
    7   0   0
    Jan 14, 2010
    633
    28
    HXP will work fine..

    However, its been proven that Remington Core Lokt 150 grain is almost a dead ringer for M2 Ball, both in balistics and pressure curve.
    ^^^^^

    HXP is made for Garands, and is very accurate, but is FMJ and probably not the best option for hunting. It won't expand and will pass through. The above statement, though I have no knowledge on the ballistics/pc comment, might be a better option.

    Good luck, and we want pics of the results!
     

    T4rdV4rk

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 100%
    41   0   0
    May 1, 2012
    525
    28
    NWI
    Very cool! Hog hunts are super fun. And bonus points for doing it with an 80 year old rifle!

    Care to share details of the rifle and the outfitter? Were you pleased with the whole adventure?

    Its a CMP Expert. They have Criterion barrels which stinks for historical value but they seem to shoot excellent.

    We went with Texas Hog Hunting Outfitters. The owner is an interesting man. He does provide excellent value and I plan to go back. It was our first time hog hunting and a great experience.

    How do you have so much experience hog hunting roscott? From the south?
     

    roscott

    Master
    Rating - 97.5%
    39   1   0
    Mar 1, 2009
    1,652
    83
    Its a CMP Expert. They have Criterion barrels which stinks for historical value but they seem to shoot excellent.

    We went with Texas Hog Hunting Outfitters. The owner is an interesting man. He does provide excellent value and I plan to go back. It was our first time hog hunting and a great experience.

    How do you have so much experience hog hunting roscott? From the south?
    Very cool rifle! Were your hunting buddies successful? How many acres did you have access to, and were you allowed to stalk?

    Born and raised in Indiana, but hog hunting has become a passion. I’m certainly far from an expert though!

    I started out hunting hogs with my dad years ago in Texas with dogs and knives (that’s a rush!) and then met a friend that has an 800 acre hunting lease in Georgia. They are deer hunters and hate hogs, so we went down each year in the impossible attempt to wipe out their hog population. Did a little hunting in Alabama too.

    More recently I got my own hunting lease in Georgia, and we’ve been going down more often, which lets us give more pork away.

    The only outfitters we’ve used are guys that have access to lots of fields, so that we can stalk the sounders at night in the open. You might be surprised how inexpensive a hog lease can be, and it allows you to hunt hogs any time you want!

    It can get pricey, but I console myself that I haven’t spent as much on hog gear as Rookie has spent on coyote gear!

    First hog a decade ago:
    FD711030-64D3-4952-906F-4AD954053F98.jpeg
     

    Rookie

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    14   0   0
    Sep 22, 2008
    18,155
    113
    Kokomo
    Hey, I haven't spent that much! That's what I tell my wife, but she doesn't believe me either.

    I'm interested in finding out more about this hog hunting lease...
     

    DragonGunner

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Mar 14, 2010
    5,514
    113
    N. Central IN
    Hog hunting....early 90's my friend and I went to Ohio for Russian boar with bows....what a hunt. I literally spine shot one and it kept going, later got a 30 yd running shot in the liver area and it went down squealing like a pig literally. I did the taxidermy on it also. What a great time, my best friend on the right is no longer with us, great moments last a life time.

    . 28483_zpsf5e2fe19.jpg
     
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