Question for you knowledgable types:

Was this a pass through, or did I find a way to miss?

These 180 Federals usually hit like a hammer to about 200. But stumbled on these small hogs at about 35 yards. Didn't find any trails, but I am colorblind.

Clean miss. I've done that myself when I screwed up and had the wrong reticle selected. Tjat first shot should have nailed that little piggie to planet Earth.

Pronouns (she-he-it) happen!

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Ya!

GWB

First shot looked good to me. Everything after that....clear misses.

I'd be inclined to check the zero on the optics. IF you are sighted in for 100 yds. then POI at 35 yds would be a bit lower....but not off the hog.

Its possible you just punched a neat hole through the hog in a spot not immediately debilitating. A 180 gr. bullet (depending on construction) might have acted very much like a 'solid' on a small hog at close distance.

Hunt hogs long enough.....you'll see some strange things.

This ^^^^^^ I recently had a miss...then another...and another. I went back in and immediately checked zero. I'm sure my neighbors weren't too happy with me checking zero at 1AM in the morning. oops. Anyhow, 6" off at 100 yards. Went out again the next night and didn't miss anymore.

Depends on what distance you zero the optics. And which reticle you used. Zero one one and set the others to same X,Y should work. If zero at 200, you will shoot HIGH at 35.

Agreed.

I assumed the zero was off somehow. Put my favorite mug on a fence post to prove it. Boy, was I mistaken.

Next assumption was I screwed up. But after slowing the playback speed to .25, I don't see how the bullet kicks up that dust cloud without passing through the hog.

The third to last shot hits a mesquite, and you can see the spall. A shot off camera put a clean entry/exit hole in a 4.5-5" mesquite. I'm thinking that in this gun, the 180 Power Shoks needed more resistance than that little piggy.

It's tough to be certain, but running the video at 1/4 speed it appears that there could be blood spurting out of that first hog. Maybe the bullet just penciled through without hitting bone and the hog went and died somewhere else. It wouldn't be the first time.

I'm thinking that is exactly right. That shot was not a miss at all. Pig went off somewhere and expired.

They always drop right there. That much bullet (of good construction) on a small pig (not hitting bone) just bored a hole in him.

It looks like you are shooting a Pulsar thermal scope (similar to what I have) which sits about 3" above the bore. If the pigs were about 35 yards, the bullet will be 1.5" to 2" low with a 100 yard zero. Federal shows that ammo is running 2570 fps. Out of an AR platform with a shorter barrel, you will lose at least 100+ fps, so your velocity will be no faster than 2470 fps, most likely slower. If the rifle was sighted in at 100 yards and zero'd at that distance, you hit the pig low and most likely a flesh wound at the bottom of its chest. So, not a kill shot. When I encounter animals close, I always hold high on the neck/shoulder, and if the animal is small, I will hold high off the animal to compensate for sight off-set of the scope. What you experienced is a sight off-set difference when shooting critters at close range.

I missed a small racoon once by doing the same thing. We saw him, and I thought he was about 40-50 yards. Turns out, we were really close and about 10-15 yards away. I went right under the racoon. You lose depth perception with thermals, so it's hard to tell sometimes.

Agreed re Pulsar's HOB. About 3". (Love this LRF.)

This was my 22" PRS/anti-tyranny setup. POI is just shy of 2" @ 35.

As the cross hairs trace right, you can see the impact on the mesquite tree just under the 'X.'

I think there's a dead hog out there nearby.

There is!

Yes, IF sighted in for 100 yds. the POI would have been a bit lower than the reticle showed (as I alluded to in an earlier post) but NOT off the pig.

A lung shot pig can run a LONG way before expiring. Even my .458 SOCOM won't immediately drop a pig if shot 'around the edges' or just lung shot.

But looking at that video and stopping the sight picture at the moment of 'report' it was on the pig.

You can hear the first shot's impact, no problem. No impacts for any of the rest of the shots.

First hog is likely dead. If the bullet transited low in the chest, that would be where the heart resides.

We've got a squirter at :06-:07. Dead Hog #1

If your using a Hornady Match BTHP, there is a possibility it disintegrated leaving the barrel. I have had it happen twice. Then it could have passed under the skin in a fat layer, thus no blood.

I'm still stunned. Was sure I was gonna bag two, and maybe get lucky with one more on the egress. But nuuuuuupe. Idty bitty piggie took me off my game!

Oh well. Live and learn.

Thanks for all the insight above.