I have made all these shots, not always intentionally...
Those will all potentially work, but given that the hog is quartered toward you in the image, I would put my money on the low left shot. That looks to be a shot that if it doesn't connect with the back of the head (and it may not), then it looks like it should take out the spine.
The ear shot may actually pass behind the head and not do damage if you are off just slightly, the ear being located at the very pack of the head. If it connects with bone, it may do the damage needed via brain trauma from the destruction of the skull. Note that his is the thickest part of the skull where the neck muscles connect. You can actually have a bullet enter bone and exit bone and have it completely miss the brain that is located more toward the eye from that point.
The top of the head shot is going to hit only bone. It may kill the hog just fine, but that shot is not directly aimed at anything vital. It also may not kill the hog. Given how high your placement is, it may end up like this similar shot on a perfectly broadside hog (see attached pic)
I have made the nose shot a couple of times. It is NOT a good shot to make. You may get a kill from hydrostatic shock (I have), but you may also have a hog dancing around and shaking its head trying to shake off whatever is getting it in the snout. At that point, assuming the hog isn't running away from the area, you have an exceptionally hard target to hit. DO NOT MAKE THIS SHOT.
Placement between the eye and ear at eye level (with head up), a shot you didn't make, would be a more ideal shot to make, placing the bullet to go through the brain itself.
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Given that the hog head is quartered toward you, bringing ear shot forward by about an inch would be much more preferable. If the hog head was quartered away, your placement would be great.
The shot below the ear should work whether the hog is quartered toward you, away from you, or is broadside.
The top of the head shot with the head raised like this is not ideal at any time.
The nose shot below the eye isn't bad placement for a hog facing you, but isn't good for broadside shots. Whether facing you or broadside, bring the shot more toward and in the eye would be better.
"Placement between the eye and ear at eye level (with head up), a shot you didn't make, would be a more ideal shot to make, placing the bullet to go through the brain itself."
I have made all these shots, not always intentionally...
Those will all potentially work, but given that the hog is quartered toward you in the image, I would put my money on the low left shot. That looks to be a shot that if it doesn't connect with the back of the head (and it may not), then it looks like it should take out the spine.
The ear shot may actually pass behind the head and not do damage if you are off just slightly, the ear being located at the very pack of the head. If it connects with bone, it may do the damage needed via brain trauma from the destruction of the skull. Note that his is the thickest part of the skull where the neck muscles connect. You can actually have a bullet enter bone and exit bone and have it completely miss the brain that is located more toward the eye from that point.
The top of the head shot is going to hit only bone. It may kill the hog just fine, but that shot is not directly aimed at anything vital. It also may not kill the hog. Given how high your placement is, it may end up like this similar shot on a perfectly broadside hog (see attached pic)
I have made the nose shot a couple of times. It is NOT a good shot to make. You may get a kill from hydrostatic shock (I have), but you may also have a hog dancing around and shaking its head trying to shake off whatever is getting it in the snout. At that point, assuming the hog isn't running away from the area, you have an exceptionally hard target to hit. DO NOT MAKE THIS SHOT.
Placement between the eye and ear at eye level (with head up), a shot you didn't make, would be a more ideal shot to make, placing the bullet to go through the brain itself.
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Given that the hog head is quartered toward you, bringing ear shot forward by about an inch would be much more preferable. If the hog head was quartered away, your placement would be great.
The shot below the ear should work whether the hog is quartered toward you, away from you, or is broadside.
The top of the head shot with the head raised like this is not ideal at any time.
The nose shot below the eye isn't bad placement for a hog facing you, but isn't good for broadside shots. Whether facing you or broadside, bring the shot more toward and in the eye would be better.
Thank you Double Naught Spy for the response.
Can you please draw on my picture the best area on the hog to shoot?
Hogs are very resilient and can eat bullets better than most. Your goal is to do some damage to their nervous system. Clearly a head shot will do that. You also have the spine that extends from their head, down the neck to their body which is target rich.
Head shots are indeed the glamour shot, I just don't trust me. I aim for where the neck connects to their body via a line you can draw from their eye back to the upper shoulder area. Anything in that plane will generally have them DRT. Alternatively, you can break a back leg with a shot, that at least slows them down a little.
If you're looking for an instant drop then headshots produce that more often. Make sure your bullet has enough weight behind it and doesn't have too rapid of expansion. I shot a boar with a .223 53-grain v-max in the head, pig shook it off and started running.
I usually try to tickle their inner ear with a bullet, they really don't like it.
I aim for where the neck connects to their body via a line you can draw from their eye back to the upper shoulder area. Anything in that plane will generally have them DRT.
Good luck on your hunt!
Thank you so much CharlieCTx,
Do you have picture of this for an example please?
I really encourage beginning hog hunters to resist taking head shots. And even for seasoned hunters to take that shot only when nothing else is possible (angle of hog does not permit).
Shot placement should be dictated by the angle of the animal and what (if any) obstructions are present.
The 'head' shot is usually taken for several reasons:
1. There is no other viable shot available. 2. The hunter wishes to damage as little meat as possible. 3. The hunter is using a sub-caliber and ONLY a head shot will work. 4. The hunter is not familiar with hog anatomy and has watched a lot of videos of folks shooting (and bragging about) head-shots.
Now....let me say, there is a time and place for head shots.
But your money shot (most reliable) for hogs that are broad side (or not quartering too hard) are the middle of neck and the middle of the shoulder or slightly higher (high shoulder shot). Either of these shots are also CNS shots and afford the most latitude of being 'off' a little and still make a telling shot.
The head of a hog is quite often a moving (or about to move) target. The area you need to hit is fairly small.
I just ask folks to 'consider' the situation before taking that shot.
Is the range reasonable, is the hog fairly calm/still, is the angle correct, is your equipment capable, is the shooter capable, will waiting a few seconds offer a better shot?
And we should probably move away from the expression "head shot." The shot needs to be a "CNS shot." The head comprises all the structures forward of the axis vertebra inclusive of the cranium, mandible...all the way out to the tip of the nose, from the bottom of the jaw to the tip of the ears. The brain and brain stem maybe only comprises 10% of the head volume (on adult-sized hogs)for a direct impact shot and then you have maybe 30-35% of the head that will yield a confident DRT kill with an indirectly damaging damaging shot to structures around the brain and brain stem. That is where the bullet slams into bone that breaks and pieces of bone slam into the brain or brain stem without the bullet actually hitting the brain or brain stem. You may get lucky and end up with an indirectly hydrostatic shock kill that damages the neural centers, but hydrostatic shock isn't a consistent killer.
Flint makes some good points about not taking shots to the head region. He didn't state it, but quartering shots often give you more animal to work with, meaning the bullet will travel through more tissue than with a simple broadside shot, hence be more apt to hit more vital targets inside of the hog as well as doing more tissue damage in general (increasing the likelihood to causing a hog to collapse sooner if it is not already DRT). This is sort of like a bonus in that with just 1 shot, you can do more damage with a quartered shot than with a simple broadside shot.
Note the placement of the shots he posted. Both are basically at the vertical center of the body and of the neck. The VERTICAL CENTER is important because that will put you on the spine, or in the case of the shoulder shot, very close to the spine if not one it. He notes going slightly higher on the shoulder shot for a high shoulder shot, but an inch or two would be about it. A high shoulder shot isn't through the hump as that will just have you shooting muscle and the vertical thoracic vertebrae spines (aka spinous processes). Those are well outside the thoracic cavity and all the organs. That area represents the structures that support the neck and help the hog hold its head up, but are not vital structures for killing the hog.
The way he has the neck shot lined up is one of the bonus aspects I mentioned. The bullet should go through the spine, but because the animal is quartered away, even if it misses the spine, it should clip the back of the brain case...so 2 chances for a CNS shot with 1 bullet.
I really encourage beginning hog hunters to resist taking head shots. And even for seasoned hunters to take that shot only when nothing else is possible (angle of hog does not permit).
Shot placement should be dictated by the angle of the animal and what (if any) obstructions are present.
The 'head' shot is usually taken for several reasons:
1. There is no other viable shot available. 2. The hunter wishes to damage as little meat as possible. 3. The hunter is using a sub-caliber and ONLY a head shot will work. 4. The hunter is not familiar with hog anatomy and has watched a lot of videos of folks shooting (and bragging about) head-shots.
Now....let me say, there is a time and place for head shots.
But your money shot (most reliable) for hogs that are broad side (or not quartering too hard) are the middle of neck and the middle of the shoulder or slightly higher (high shoulder shot). Either of these shots are also CNS shots and afford the most latitude of being 'off' a little and still make a telling shot.
The head of a hog is quite often a moving (or about to move) target. The area you need to hit is fairly small.
I just ask folks to 'consider' the situation before taking that shot.
Is the range reasonable, is the hog fairly calm/still, is the angle correct, is your equipment capable, is the shooter capable, will waiting a few seconds offer a better shot?
And lastly, use enough gun!
Thank you flintknapper,
Yes, I am new. I only shot two hogs before (in the body) and then hog run away and I never found it. I am using 308 Salvage rifle and 168gr
Two questions
1. Why is middle of neck and the middle of the shoulder or slightly higher (high shoulder shot) important shots? 2. What does CNS mean? 3. If the hog is facing me and only see the head, should I wait til hog turn sideways to shoot?
I really encourage beginning hog hunters to resist taking head shots. And even for seasoned hunters to take that shot only when nothing else is possible (angle of hog does not permit).
Shot placement should be dictated by the angle of the animal and what (if any) obstructions are present.
The 'head' shot is usually taken for several reasons:
1. There is no other viable shot available. 2. The hunter wishes to damage as little meat as possible. 3. The hunter is using a sub-caliber and ONLY a head shot will work. 4. The hunter is not familiar with hog anatomy and has watched a lot of videos of folks shooting (and bragging about) head-shots.
Now....let me say, there is a time and place for head shots.
But your money shot (most reliable) for hogs that are broad side (or not quartering too hard) are the middle of neck and the middle of the shoulder or slightly higher (high shoulder shot). Either of these shots are also CNS shots and afford the most latitude of being 'off' a little and still make a telling shot.
The head of a hog is quite often a moving (or about to move) target. The area you need to hit is fairly small.
I just ask folks to 'consider' the situation before taking that shot.
Is the range reasonable, is the hog fairly calm/still, is the angle correct, is your equipment capable, is the shooter capable, will waiting a few seconds offer a better shot?
And lastly, use enough gun!
Thank you,
Yes, I need the most conservative shot (i still practice shooting). I may miss the head.
So on my picture, is the red box good shot location?
I'll chime in here briefly. I'm not an expert but I have opinions!
This photo has been around a few times —
Note that the spine doesn't follow the upper part of the neck. It's more in the middle. That's why the mid-neck and shoulder region is a good target. CNS refers to a Central Nervous System shot. That is, one that hits the brain or the spinal column, thereby paralyzing the hog so it doesn't run and dies quickly. I've taken shots at a hog head-on if the hog is reasonably still and I have a good rest (tripod, fence post, etc.) for my rifle such that I'm confident of my ability to hit the head. The aiming point will vary according to how low the head is. If the head is down I'll aim just a wee bit above the eyes. If the hog is looking at me I'll try to shoot between the eyes. If I don't have a great shot (I'm farther away than I like) and want to be sure to put the hog down I'll shoot it in the shoulder. I line up with the front leg and aim about mid-body. That wastes some meat, but I always figure half a hog is better than none.
Your Mileage May Vary. Void Where Prohibited. I Am Not A Lawyer. All Sales Final. Objects In Mirror May Be Closer Than They Appear.
Actually, we all know there are no objects in mirrors, only virtual images …
Hogs with a good rest and I like head shots. I like to shoot centered between the eye and ear horizontally and centered vertically between the bottom of the jaw and top of head. They will be dead where they were standing.
If you want a euro of your first hog head shots aren't a great idea. Neck shot, middle of the neck up and down and 1/2 way between front leg and jaw line.
...I am preparing for my first hog hunt Saturday...
ahh, those were the days. if i could go back and relive that first hog... well, never mind. my mind wanders sometimes.
my rule is: if you have a shot, take it. i've lost too may opportunities waiting for the perfect shot. sometimes you get it, sometimes you don't. if you wait too long, the chance can disappear. even if you have the perfect shot, you might be off a little. if anyone tells you that if you can't place your shot in the ear hole (or where ever), then you don't have any business hunting... tell them gfy. fact is, hogs have a funny way of deciding for themselves if they go down or not. if you're so excited that you can't hold the hairs on fur, pick a bigger spot.
i hope you feel the same excitement i feel. well, maybe not the exact same... i still get a chubby right before i pull the trigger. however, i'm fueled by 5 or 6 monster drinks, depending on how late it is. that may also account for some of my poor shots.
...I am preparing for my first hog hunt Saturday...
my rule is: if you have a shot, take it. i've lost too may opportunities waiting for the perfect shot. sometimes you get it, sometimes you don't. if you wait too long, the chance can disappear.
There is some real truth to this. I have hunted with people who refused to shoot because they "didn't have a shot" which translated to mean they didn't have a perfect shot that they wanted. Well, sometimes the hog will never be in the perfect position for the perfect shot. Sometimes, you are better off taking the best lethal shot presented to you instead of waiting for a perfect shot that never arrives. I, too, have lost hogs waiting on the shot I wanted to take, the hogs just walking off and leaving.
Djones you nailed it 100 percent. Especially bow hunting you see it all the time. I swear some shooters will talk themselves out of the shot for fear they will miss.
Somewhat newbie but DNS and Charlie TX are GTG. Here's my take on your photo. I have a vid posted here on this board if you scroll back a way shows some shot placement. Everything in my red shi**y wannabe polygon of death has been an instant drop, even quartering to me. Any further back is risky for recovery. Low front chest will kill them but not after they've run off.
Here's a couple with a Winchester Model 94 Trapper 30/30. Iron sights and dark, not the best shot. High on the middle of the back, through and through. Dropped and made dirt angels. After a few dozen vultures and coyotes you can see the bullet damage around the spine. I don't remember it hitting the spine but CNS death was quick.
The other also with a 30/30 (proud of this one - 110 yards standing, iron sights) - dropped and never moved. Placement behind the ear and about even with the eye. Prolly my preferred location.
A side shot through the shoulder will normally put them down. This one was shot with a fmj .223 and as you can see, very little entry wound damage, but he went down immediately. This is normally the case when hit in this area.
...I am preparing for my first hog hunt Saturday...
my rule is: if you have a shot, take it. i've lost too may opportunities waiting for the perfect shot. sometimes you get it, sometimes you don't. if you wait too long, the chance can disappear.
There is some real truth to this. I have hunted with people who refused to shoot because they "didn't have a shot" which translated to mean they didn't have a perfect shot that they wanted. Well, sometimes the hog will never be in the perfect position for the perfect shot. Sometimes, you are better off taking the best lethal shot presented to you instead of waiting for a perfect shot that never arrives. I, too, have lost hogs waiting on the shot I wanted to take, the hogs just walking off and leaving.
^^^^ Agreed.
I have no problem with folks not taking a shot that they personally are not comfortable with. Experience levels vary and in the OP's case...it will be his first outing, so I applaud him for soliciting information.
As a person gains experience (learning the habits of his quarry and actually shooting some of them) they also gain confidence. At some point you will be able to 'recognize' WHEN the 'first good available' shot is being presented. My advice (unless you are looking for video footage) is always take the first good available shot. This holds true for Hogs, Whitetail Bucks and Coyotes.
As concerns the 'Perfect Shot' it might be well to define that. Typically, it is thought of as a broadside shot or slightly quartering shot angle.
Simply because the shooter is offered the largest target area and afforded the most 'choices' for shot placement. Hard to argue that..that position is the most fortunate for the hunter with respect to total target area being offered. But you will have to let a LOT of hogs walk if you always wait for this to happen.
The 'perfect' shot IMO, is the FIRST opportunity the animal presents that:
1. Is an angle/position likely to allow the bullet to reach the vitals (or produce a CNS hit). 2. Is a angle/position in which the shooter is confident he/she can precisely place the bullet/arrow/other.
IF you wait longer than this...you should have a good reason for doing so. And often times there are good reasons. The dynamics of hog hunting are many.
So...to me, a broadside shot is the most 'fortuitous' shot you will encounter, but the 'perfect' shot is the FIRST lethal shot presented (you are confident you can make). Things can change quickly if you choose to wait.
One last thing I feel is important: Use enough gun! (a whole 'nother subject).
A side shot through the shoulder will normally put them down. This one was shot with a fmj .223 and as you can see, very little entry wound damage, but he went down immediately. This is normally the case when hit in this area.
Are ear shots effective? Yes. But the target is very small. Especially for a new hunter, I would aim where you have a little bit of margin for error. Middle shoulder. If you hit right where you aim, you will break shoulders, hit lung, and most likely affect the CNS. If you miss a little low, you still get lung, and maybe heart. If you miss a little back, you get lung. If you miss a little high, you get CNS. Another thing to think about. Especially with you first hunt, you will have Adrenalin pumping. You may be physically tired from walking or stalking. You will probably be sweaty and have bugs buzzing your ear. You will NOT shoot as well under these circumstances as you do sitting at a bench at the range. IMO, go for the shoulder shot. Have fun, and post pics!
There is a wealth of good info above from some of the best. My only advise would be to practice shooting your targets with the same set of conditions you will be hunting in, i.e. standing with shooting sticks or sitting in a blind. I've even put someone in the safari seat of my mule to replicate what it will feel like to shoot from that scenario. Walk to check your target to get your heart beating and possibly winded breath if you are stalking by foot.
Last edited by Heritage Hat Ranch; 09/13/1903:50 PM.
Don't sweat the small [censored] but do aim. Shoot every one you see - unless you pay "per pig".... Shoot them twice if in doubt. Have fun doing the environment a favor.
Cheers, Vern1 Texans since The Old 300 in 1824 NRA Lifetime Member
Agreed. I always try to take a quartering or broadside shot on a hog, but if a sounder is running away I’ll take a Texas heart shot. If I put a hog down and it’s only winded I finish them with a follow up shot as quickly as possible.
A side shot through the shoulder will normally put them down. This one was shot with a fmj .223 and as you can see, very little entry wound damage, but he went down immediately. This is normally the case when hit in this area.
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