6.8 HogSmasher has been initiated

[Daezee]

I had put together a thermal hog AR with a Mad Dog Weapons System 10.5" HogSmasher bbl, using my reloads with Barnes 95gr TTSX bullets. Muzzle velocity 26523fps. Saturday night I spotted 2 hogs (Sawman was in another field about 3/4 mile away) and was stalking towards them when they cooperated and started coming towards me. I kneeled down and let them come closer and hit the bigger one. Exciting, as he then ran towards me, passing by 15 or so feet away (caught on video). Luckily he ran the long way in a fairly open field. Ran about 300yd before dropping. Hit both lungs and still had to shoot him again when I got up to him. Weighed weight 152 pounds. He's shown above hanging at my hoist my brother built for me. No, I didn't shoot him where the blood is showing...that's from blood pooling in the pickup that hauled him to the house. The first bullet shown was recovered from him. He was donated to a family that could really use the meat (the father and daughter came to my house to pick him up that night)...real nice; they say do not clean him, they will. A rather chunky fat hog for not being very old.

Last night I, Chaps, and Sawman went out. As soon as we rounded the corner to the field we'd be sitting at, hogs were seen at varying distances. The 3 closest ones were together. Sawman said he'd watch the fun through his thermal, and Chaps and I stalked. One of the goals was to get between the group of 3 and their likely escape route. We were just about at that goal when another hog a little further, but closer to a hog trail spooked and ran. That alerted the group of 3, so they stopped rooting and looked in our direction. I was gonna go for the left hog and Chaps would go for one to the right. We figured we had but seconds before they ran (of course we couldn't been wrong, but they sure stopped eating and began moving some). Meanwhile the middle hog moves to the left, walking in front of the original "left" hog. I aim at that one, not knowing that Chaps had his sight on that one too, so we are both aiming at the same hog. Our "count down" didn't go real smooth as we were pretty close to hogs on the verge of spooking so we were barely whispering, not able to hear each other well, and I shot slightly first, hitting the fat belly sow in the middle of the shoulder and causing her to spin around. As she took off running, Chaps shot at her running with his bullet hitting lower, breaking the leg, causing her to fall. She got up, went a very shot distance and fell permanently. It was a bit confusing as to who shot what, as everyone had their own tunnel vision perspective of the events. Playing back the video and doing an autopsy made it all clear what had happened. The Barnes bullet recovered from her is the 2nd bullet above. Lots of shoulder meat damage, broken ribs, heart sliced, lung mush. Chap's .223 hit is shown to the left and below the 6.8 hit; it exited the leg and missed the body; had the hog been standing still, I feel it could have went on into the heart. Weighted 118 pounds. Chaps and I are sharing the meat from her. In the next stalk, Chaps will be the first to shoot with me or Sawman the backup shooter.

I mentioned video. I've just started the thermal video thing. I have to learn how to edit and then post same. Not as interesting as some on You Tube, but interesting to those of us there (and my wife, seeing a hog seemingly running right at me and then veering off, not hitting me). Right now it's just raw video footage, with lots of shots of the ground and weeds as I carrying the rifle not aimed at a hog as I stalk closer.

 

[Stanley13]

Now that's exciting. Glad u posted!!! Would love to see the edited video once ready.

 

[SAWMAN]

These are really great hunts. Basically sit and watch from several different locations surrounding the fields,then it turns into a spot and stalk. The fields are huge so the stalk could take some time,especially during times of 30%+ moon. The darkest of nights are obviously the best for thermal.

The fields are dirt and somewhat sandy so the walking is somewhat quiet,especially if you avoid the dried peanut hay. This time of year the grass and weeds are in the fields and it makes it that much quieter. I have gotten to within 30yds of a small sounder(4 hogs). If they have found some good rootin' they are pretty well focused on the grub. If the food is somewhat scarce they are moving right along though,and rarely stop still. If so,usually just for a few seconds. You GOT TO be ready to shoot.

The ground fog is somewhat of a problem. Thermal will look thru it fairly well,however it gives you a somewhat "grainy" image. You can still target the animals however the distant heat signatures are hard to ID as a hog,deer,or coyote. This,at a couple hundred yards or so. During these conditions sometimes we take off on a stalk,only to find out it is a deer.

We use the woods edge as cover. If you try to stay close to it the animals have a hard time making you out even if you move slow and deliberate. Of course we wear black. ALL BLACK. Nothing shiny. I even wear black socks so when sitting on my stool and my pants ride up ... no white socks to show. The only part of my gun and thermal that is not black is the muzzle brake(linear)which I have painted with several white stripes just to let me know where it is since the bbl is only 10.5" long.

I use a somewhat shorter than 20,10 shot mag with 7rds inserted in one chambered. I probably could use the 5+1 but haven't got that "brave" yet. Right now I am still using the Hornady 120gr SST's. They shoot super accurate in my gun giving me a 1/2" group at 50yds. I really do not like the idea that they frag ... however ... they kill.

We hunt in the same area that the whole troupe of girl scouts were found eaten by wild hogs in 2004 .... so .... firepower is a necessity. --- SAWMAN

 

[Daezee]

No confirmed hog sighting last night. Lots of deer, rabbits, dillos, and possums. One possible coyote, but as we couldn't confirm it as a coyote, we did not shoot. Stalked a group of about 6 heat signatures spotted several hundreds of yards away...turned out to be deer.

 

[SAWMAN]

What ... HUH ??? "HogSmasher". Tell everyone here --> did it,or did it not take a 5.56 to help you bring down that hog ??????? And ....after you hit it with the "HogTickler" then the 5.56 hit it,then it fell ... right ?? Yeah,thought so. Jeeeeezums !

Better hang on to a couple of them 300BLK's. --- SAWMAN

 

[Chaps]

Great write up Bruce and an exciting night of hunting hogs. I will tell you in the moment sometimes the best plans change. We adapted and was able to harvest a hog, although I wish we got 2. It's great we have the thermal recording as a tool to actually see how it played out after the fact.

Ha ha Sawman! I feel a little better knowing I got a shot in that hog. I would have hated to look for that hog after Bruce shot it....who know how far it would of traveled with that 95 grain ripping through it. What the one from the night prior went 300 yards after being shot. J/k

 

[SAWMAN]

Them 6.8's ..... damn them ..... they just can't seem to kill anything without it running over to Walton County. The doc cleared me to shoot today sooooooo ..... Will be scanning the edges for them big boys. Don't want them "toy hogs" like the last one.

Looking back on it,I believe that the hog that I was watching over on the very far side of that field,by the brush line,was a lone boar. Probably one of the big boyz. He looked big even at 400yds. --- SAWMAN

 

[Stanley13]

What ... HUH ??? "HogSmasher". Tell everyone here --> did it,or did it not take a 5.56 to help you bring down that hog ??????? And ....after you hit it with the "HogTickler" then the 5.56 hit it,then it fell ... right ?? Yeah,thought so. Jeeeeezums !

Better hang on to a couple of them 300BLK's. --- SAWMAN

No worries I still got my x2 300BLK's (10inch pistol an 16inch rifle) and that badass hog killing 17HMR.... Now if I could just talk myself into spending $5000 on a cheap Thermal.....

 

[SAWMAN]

We have tons of coon asses,dillo's,possums,and rabbits in those peanut fields. We need Stan and his A17 to come over and spray 'em down. just think of all the ass holes and nut sacks he would have to eat after a night in "the fields'.

Canned possum nads,put 'em up in pint Ball jars ........ hmmmmm ..... ? --- SAWMAN

 

[Daezee]

Them 6.8's ..... damn them ..... they just can't seem to kill anything without it running over to Walton County. The doc cleared me to shoot today sooooooo ..... Will be scanning the edges for them big boys. Don't want them "toy hogs" like the last one.

Looking back on it,I believe that the hog that I was watching over on the very far side of that field,by the brush line,was a lone boar. Probably one of the big boyz. He looked big even at 400yds. --- SAWMAN

We KNOW there is a BIG boy out there. My brother and I saw the tracks when we were getting the cutters out of Sawman's 262 pounder's skeleton. I wasn't watching where I was walking and fell into one of the tracks. My brother helped me get out of it. Seriously, we saw some serious big tracks. And then there was the night I was out by myself and saw a BIG hog with the thermal. I didn't shoot even though I was in range, as it was just too big. I have more experience now and will shoot the next time and then worry on how to get him out of the field. I am thinking of purposely hunting for him, several nights in a row, wind and weather permitting and will carry a backup pistol.

 

[SAWMAN]

I'll bring the B3 over and we can cruise back and forth between the fields all night. IMO we could see him between 0200 and first light.

You will need to get a REAL backup pistola. Me ...... I carry my "pocket rocket". --- SAWMAN

 

[Rapier]

Question, it sounds like you guys are all using super sonic loads, if you have tried subsonic with a can what is the difference between the reaction of the piggies if any. I have one sub gun working and am starting on two more. Then I discovered what I have been looking for, the 30 Grendel now called the 30 AR-X. So I bought a 7.62x39 upper 16 inch to convert when I get around to it and find a reamer.
Ed

 

[Daezee]

All supersonic. Have not tried hunting hogs with subsonic. My rifle is suppressed. The other guys do not have suppressors. Hogs reaction to supersonic suppressed have been mixed. Twice other hogs in the area have not been so alarmed that they immediately ran away. Other times they immediately run. I suspect when the bullet does not exit, the supersonic crack immediately stops and is therefor not as alarming to one farther away. The Hog with the 152 pounder shown did not run. After I watched the hit hog run and stop, I swung back around and his companion hog was still in the field. I did not try a shot at it as one hog was enough for the night. It did leave the area, but was not running.

 

[FrankT]

The suppressor on a 6.8 supersonic confuses the hogs as to where the shot is coming from typically. The subs require a 1-7 twist and the 200 gr woodleigh bullet as tested by Bison Armory. Much more effective than the 300WTF but still the super is much preferred and the distance that can be shot much greater.

 

[Daezee]

I would agree that sometimes the hogs are confused. The 152 pounder, upon being shot, squealed and ran "towards" (not "at", as I don't know how it could have known I was there) me, passing by a few feet away and kept running south. His companion started walking north and sped up the closer it got to the woods line.

 

[FrankT]

Just w a suppressor even super ammo does not make the same sound as w/o so they really don't know what direction to run away from...The only way most guys hunt hogs in Texas generally is suppressed and that is their observation.

 

[Rapier]

I am trying to get ready by testing different uppers and loads for them. But have a complication in that my farm is hilly and the lower pond is across the highway from 5 houses so am trying to be a good neighbor and not blast them out of bed at midnight. Shot a hog two years ago, hogs moved west, the NW , then N and now NE on a creek head. Pretty sure they will be moving south sometime this summer. I am running a full function 6.5 Grendel w 160s, a 300 Bo w 225s and a 358 with 250s. The 358 is the only rifle with a true night sight. I figure I am stuck with subsonic especially when shoting on the hill by the upper pond. Folks have told me the full loaded 358 sounds like a cannon, 1/4 mile away, the muzzle blast is quite stout. Perhaps the suppressor might make the full load berable at night.
Ed

 

[Daezee]

Of course I like suppressors, having owned them for many many years. Even with supersonic, the suppressor really helps in that the muzzle blast ("bang") will be much reduced with the bullet crack still being present, but ending when the bullet either stops or goes subsonic. I shoot armadillos and at coyotes at night around my little farm. No one has ever complained, but then all my neighbors know what I'm doing. There's a you tube video out there with a microphone next to a dead hog. The shooter shoots suppressed with various loads/cartridges from a ways away so you can get a feel for what noise is present at the hog. The gun "bang" is GREATLY reduced, with the sound of the bullet hitting being more like a "thump", even when supersonic.

If you want to, and don't mind either removing your rifle's flash hider so we can mount a suppressor or me coming over with a suppressed rifle, we can fire a few shots in a safe direction with you at varying distances so you can hear the effect. That could help in your decision as to whether a suppressor would help. Along those lines, being inside your house with a suppressed firearm being fired outside would be another good test for you. Just a thought.

 

[Rapier]

It is not a question of weather suppressors are effective or not, it is a question of the response of hogs with supersonic plus suppressor or subsonic plus suppressor. I have suppressors, just finished my first Form 1 suppressor build and have been shooting suppressors since 65. But all of the hogs I have shot were during the day and with a flat out plain gun, rifles and handguns.
Ed