The previous field report is here:

http://texashuntingforum.com/forum/ubbth...l_f#Post6751638

Update : May 6 2017

On the last hunt I had exhausted all factory rounds from the box of 20 that accompanied the gun purchase. It amazes me how quickly ammo is used on zeroing, pig popping, and shooting for groups to establish baseline accuracy. Anyhow I had thought ahead that I may someday deplete the box of ammo and by mid-week all necessary reloading components had survived their travels to my front door.

Load Developed :

Speer 200 grain Hot-Cor flat base bullets
Federal 210m large rifle primers
Starline brass
H335 gun powder
RCBS dies

The work week was a long one and Popper found himself in the garage late on Thursday evening prepping brass and looking over load recipes. My cellular device rings and Caller ID indictes that Brian of Never Sleeps Studios was wanting to conversate. We did some catching up and then he offered me a spot, at his side, on a Saturday evening hunt at Horn Hill Range. I look down at the bench - not a single bullet tested or developed and I shudder at the thought of buying another box of $ 32.99 factory ammo or using one of a few other guns in the safe that have served the same purpose - I replied in only the way a crazy person might and said I'll see you there at 730 pm.

Fast forward to Saturday - due to a lack of time I loaded in .5 grain increments hoping to at least achieve a 1 MOA to reload more for the evening hunt. I was challenged by Murphy's Law in that my Lifetime Warranty Bushnell Banner day optic, which I've cared for like a new born baby, was not functioning optimally therefore test batch one results will never be known and after 30 minutes of frustration I found myself sitting at the remedial learning bench (25 yards) seeking to get my Point of Impact on paper. Finally this was achieved and after an hour at the range I we no closer to having a load to use for the evening hunt but I did have a warm barrel (always a struggle...).

Sidebar thought: Brian aka Double Naught Spy is a well accomplished feral pig Hunter and he shoots a laser beam gun (6.5 Grendel) and currently is using prototype bullets. Not to mention but he has been on an absolute tear as of late with respects to efficiently and effectively downing hogs. Knowing this much, I found myself pressing to do well at the range and a personal goal was set to show up to the hunt on his turf with a respectable target to illustrate my readiness to hunt with him. It is not DNS' fault that I think this way , he is most modest and a joy to hunt with, I simply add the pressure upon myself as an added twist of fun and personal challenge and seek to shoot as well as he does and not get in the way during the hunt.

So with that said - these results just weren't going to cut the mustard...







There was but one that showed promise but I had an uncalled flyer - - -



About the time the afternoon rolled around I figured screw it - go with the 45 grain load and fiddle with the COAL and so I turned out 30 of them and back to the range I went this time with my Sightmark Photon XT.

Got the following to pairs of shots (adjusted to try and get in between) but called this good for 100 yards



I arrived at HHR at 730 pm and Brian had prepared our hunting location , a 6x6 box blind elevated to 14 feet , taking care to not disturb the surrounding areas and making arrangement to accommodate me. We set off and got into the stand expecting a long sit, which would have been fine as we typically have a good time on our hunts. After about an hour I'm sure Brian wanted a pig to emerge pretty badly as I drone on and on about the 338 Federal's velocity and energy and bullet construction yada yada yada - the topic of conversation was cut short by very obvious sounds of motion in the trees and brush to Brian's left. I handed him his thermal spotter and he scanned the area , the sounds weren't more than 10 yards beneath-away from us when Brian exclaims "it's a pig, I can smell him".

Sidebar thought : another factor to add when a Hunter is "In The Zone" as DNS is - he can smell the pigs before seeing them! Casually I am taking deeper breaths trying to detect a hint or whiff of a repugnant smell but my olfactory senses are pulling up nothing

Brian asks "can you smell that" and I respond in the negative and encourage him to get a visual. Shortly after my repeated requests for a visual confirmation Brian says yep I see him, it's our pig.

Boar # 1 :

The hog was rather cavalier in his movements, it sounded as though he was dragging his hooves and purposely making contact with every branch and shrub in his path - this I don't give a flip attitude would prove to be costly. As DNS and I maneuvered our weapons into a shooting position Cavalier Hog ups the ante and decides to leave the safety and cover of the trees and woods and walk in the open, meandering towards the feeder which had yet to go off. Well it was time to put behind all my talk and promotion of the 338 Federal and show what the round could do to a moderately sized Texas Feral Hog with an apparent death wish.

We awaited a broadside shot which came at a later estimated range of 80 yards - we had previously agreed that I would take the lethal shot and so I began hovering my reticle over the CNS area of the hog. It was time to release the Terminal Energy Monster and so I pushed the Safety Off and got serious about handing out the first Speer Hot-Cor Award from my Savage Hog Hunter rifle.

The countdown began

3..... (Steady that reticle and apply firm pressure to the Accu-Trigger)

2..... (I wonder where that uncalled flyer manifested from in my range/load development, it really screwed up a nice group)

1..... (Don't miss)

FIRE

I experienced the momentary loss of sight picture that accompanies digital nightvision setups however Brian was recording, assisted in achoring the hog, and maintained a visual while I reacquired the hog in my scope.

Success - it's a beautiful thing, another problem boar removed from the property and zero tracking required as the hog dropped where he last stood. There was much thrashing this time which i attribute to where the bullet landed ....



Post shot report :

The Hot-Cor entered the upper part of the lower jaw and proceeded to dump it's energy into the brain case of the hog, we could not find an exit or recover a bullet which baffled us both , we spent near an hour looking for it. DNS said it could be inside the cranial cavity (don't know that those were his exact words but he talks fancy during the necropsy so I gotta hear and repeat fancy), I grabbed the boar's head like a football and squeezed and it moved in all directions , intact but clearly fractured in all places by a significant over-pressure situation.

You can view the video of the shot and necropsy in Brian's thread : Cavity Back Bullets and 338 Federal Hunt - video and necropsy

Notching another one for 338 Federal - 5 for 5 so far and zero tracking required - what's not to like!

I was surprised the Hot-Cor did not exit. Then again, I was surprised by the fact that it looked like it went multiple directions through the head and did all that damage. Impressive!

Gotta get a metal detector!

Indeed, what's not to like?

Good narrative!

I have put them down where they stand at the same range hitting them in the same spot
with .223 soft points. But good shooting and a 338 Federal is a great round. You will
not find me shooting .223 at Elk, but 338 Federal has a great range of flexibility.

I hear ya Gravytrain - I am looking for some room for error that the 223 may not offer on 200+ lb pigs, in this particular case it wasn't needed and 223 is a fine round, but in case I don't hit the mark the added energy of 338 Federal may prove useful.

Also when I get an optic that affords me a clearer shot there will be opportunities to stretch things out further and see what happens.