Birchwood Casey "Pregame Targets"



Take a good look at their kill zone, I think maybe they think gut shooting pigs is the best strategy ...

Just letting you know in case you hunt with newbies who are shooting dead center on every pig, maybe the've been training on these

I think that whole vital zone is 3inches to high. Gut shooting is never except able ever. Have respect for the pigs they are awesome animals

I aim between the ear and the front shoulder. Or, the ear if presented.

That's all lungs... I always shoot for the back third of that kill zone with my bow

with a gun just be sure you put a bullet in them and your doing good.. then shoot 10 more

Are lung shots no longer considered to be good shots?

Funny how that appears to be the exact same zone shown in this oft-used image of where to shoot hogs, only this one has a heart shown as well. The purple here is a very good match for the red there, but this image is regularly used as a good image showing vitals.



Basically, I think all these pics (and there are some that are much worse) are garbage beyond showing approximate generalities. Most don't take take into account anything other than dead level broadside shots.

As for gut shooting, the red zone on the OP image won't result in that with a dead level broadside shot, not without hitting the lung(s) as well. If it is quartered toward you, then that may be another matter. Of course, I have managed to gut shoot hog where the shot entered at the neck. Shot placement, trajectory through the hog, and penetration will all come into play. Sure, the tip of the lung does overlap with the stomach, but so does the liver (good bleeder)and the spleen (good bleeder) overlaps with the stomach.

Most of the "guts" tend to be located from the most rearward ribs and back.

Three inches too high? The zone could be extended lower, but is corresponds with lung shooting fairly well.



Is it a perfect kill zone target? Nope. None really area, though. It just shows one area of shooting.

Somebody really needs to make an anatomically correct 3-D interactive see-through hog, deer, bear, etc. set of targets where hunters can see where shots are apt to go with various shot angles (assuming no major deflection). If you are in a tree stand shooting downward on a quartered hog, what would be the best shot placement? Quartered toward? Up hill? Etc. Nobody has done that yet, but it would be really cool.

These people have the right idea, but not enough examples...

http://www.real3danatomy.com/bones/dog-skeleton-3d.html
http://www.real3danatomy.com/thorax/dog-heart-lungs-ribs-3d.html

Lungs, liver, spleen, whatever may be in that area - I'd put money down that a shot in the highlighted zone is going to require tracking to some degree.

I'm getting lazy as I age, I hate tracking pigs after the shot. Especially in high oats or thick brush.

Well, sure, any shot that doesn't do significant CNS damage is apt to result in a hog that runs.

CNS may be damaged directly (impact trauma) or indirectly (hydrostatic shock). You can't count on hydrostatic shock, however.

A blown heart with no hydrostatic shock means the hog is apt to run 50 yards or more.

Yes this is true, and more so for bigger hogs. They can take a long time to bleed out and will run fast when shot in the heart. I have seen perfectly heart shot deer run 70 yards, only to open them up and find mush for a heart. A hog is as tough/tougher than a deer and the will to survive in animals is huge. i aim for a CNS hit with hogs as much as possible. Doesn't mean I always get it, but when given the opportunity I will aim for just behind the ear to mid neck and watch them drop.

Why not shoot them in the head?

To me, a head shot has a small target, their brain, that will result in a quick kill. I have shot way too many hogs straight on and went for center of head to ensure the hit but found them run off or run off and stay alive due to hits that don't connect to CNS lethality. A nose shot or mouth shot come to mind, much more likely at distance than hitting the brain. When the hog is looking down and rooting/eating, this gives a small moving target for brain, but if they are looking down I will aim more for neck and that way a low miss still connects to brain/CNS. I much prefer and have much better results with a neck/behind ear shot that head shot.

Once they are running, all bets are off and it's just shoot and hope to connect.

That is my preference. But it should be noted, as the pics show, the brain lies between the eye and the ear...not much to go on...... I shot one this spring between the eyes, which turns out was a tad low below the brain. Pig flopped around for what I thought was too long ( about 20 seconds), and when I put the scope back on her she was laying there with all four feet under her.....


Hmmmmmm...that ain't right....


She was still facing me so the next shot was a tad higher


That got the desired effect, and the 'funky chicken' twitch I was looking for





.223AI and 60 grain Nosler BT.

For me, head or behind the ear into the head (quartered away) are preferred shots. Of course, "head" doesn't mean random placement, but into the brain case.

Boiler room shots are a secondary target for me, usually taken when either the hog won't stay still (walking), it too far to attempt a brain shot given my circumstances, or there is vegetation obscuring view of the head.

Basing your shot upon a leg might be misleading as a hog can stagger their feet when rooting or eating. Aiming for the ear/spine location might be a smaller target, but more effective at a DRT.

When shooting a rifle, draw a line between the eyes and the point of the shoulder. Anywhere along that line will drop a hog quickly and cleanly. I don't care what caliber you're shooting, there's no way of knowing when or where a lung shot hog is going to stop. In thick brush, your very likely to never find your hog, even if he's dead.