6.8 spc with 90 grain bullet moving around 2800 fps. vs a 243 pushing a similar size bullet maybe 200fps faster...I doubt any pig could tell a difference. Are you sure it was the 6.8 spc's fault? Probably just dumb luck. Pigs can be some really tough SOB's.
Had a string of knockdown and get up and run off's shooting with my 6.8 spc. Moved NV to a .243 and not looking back.
10 seconds after this he pops up and runs off...not a drop of blood. Notice his eyes stay open...
NICE SHOT behind the ear, well above center line. Too bad there isn't anything vital behind the ear up high like that other than muscle, skin, fat, and hair. I have killed more than one hog that had previously survived such a shot and the wound channel largely healed.
I know this may come as a surprise, but the eyes stay open on dead hogs as well.
If you shoot a hog and it remains upright, shoot it again. Any time you shoot a loner like that, keep your rifle on the hog and make sure he is dead.
Had a string of knockdown and get up and run off's shooting with my 6.8 spc. Moved NV to a .243 and not looking back.
10 seconds after this he pops up and runs off...not a drop of blood. Notice his eyes stay open...
That shot if where the crosshairs are is to high for a heart shot. No doubt it ran off and died so mission accomplished. Maybe this picture will help . You can poke them with an ice pick in these three area's and kill a hog. If your weapon is sub-moa accurate, give anyone of the 3 a try and report back. I think you will like the results.
The heart nearly rests on the breast plate just behind the the leg. If you can shoot right above the elbow it is certain DRT.
Last edited by HornSlayer; 06/03/2205:15 AM.
They make ammo specifically for hunting for a reason!
I understand the thought process of not getting a drt kill. The time and effort put in, you want a good result. I didn't like the Federal Fusion 115gr in 6.8 but the Hornady 120gr sst really had much better results in quick kills.
Just like Jesus, sometimes you gotta kill some hogs. Lone Star Mesquite . com RattleSnake Dan's Shredding Service
I really liked the 95g TTSX loaded hot but I got tired of handloading, factory SST ammo is extremely effective
243 works extremely well, and killed plenty of deer and hogs and it is funny that a lot of people say the 243 is marginal for whitetails, I say shot placement trumps everything.. as my dad used to say "deer just that aren't that hard to kill" and I would agree
I really liked the 95g TTSX loaded hot but I got tired of handloading
agree It wasn't the loading 95ttsx, it was the cost. I don't know if they're still available but 95ttsx was sold loaded at one time. 120sst does the same thing for half the price.
I'll keep my 6.8 in semi as it's running 95%+ on DRTs over a 10 year period. Of the 5% that did get up, approximately 2/3 don't make 100 yards, the other 1/3 I chalk up to user error on my part. Using an older 16" ARP 6.8 5R barrel and 120gr SST handloads with one of Harrison's pet (hot) loads he developed for that barrel.
If I take a shot at a pig that is standing reasonably still and it jumps up and runs off, it's on me, not the tool I am using.
Edit: I should clarify and say 99% of my shots are between 80 and 120 yards.
Last edited by Vern1; 06/03/2201:42 PM.
Cheers, Vern1 Texans since The Old 300 in 1824 NRA Lifetime Member
I haven't shot hundreds of hog like some on here, but I've shot my share. I've never lost a hog shot with the 6.8 the last one with a 130gr Fusion (GD) handload. If the hog is at a quarter angle to the shooter, I find the eye/ear a good aiming point usually. If the hog is standing broadside as shown in the picture, I recommend the right behind the head/neck shot. It's a higher percentage shot, as to the right is the head, to the left is the vitals. DRT if on or off a few inches.
"Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.” - George Orwell
I actually have a pic of him 2 days later on the game cam with a big ol spot behind his ear...just a little high. IMO lack of exit means a bit more umph was needed.
85 Grain TSX going 3000+ ear hole. I'll stick with the 6mm x 54r for a bit.
I've had mixed results on pigs from the 6.8, actually my daughter has since I built it for her to hunt with. First bullet I went with was the 100gr accubond. I have her body shooting until her confidence gets high enough to start head shooting them. With the AB we get pass thru's on every pig, a few well over 200lbs. She's shooting them behind the front leg, so trying to take the easiest path to vitals. They almost always run off, sometimes more than 100yds before they expire, but leave a nice blood trail to follow. So since we had a usable load there, I tried some 90gr gold dots to get some more speed to aid expansion, hoping the bonded bullet would do its thing from a weight retention aspect. We stopped getting consistent exit wounds on larger pigs, and they were still running off. I could use it and head shoot them, and of course they'd flop over immediately (I can do that with a .224 55gr SP). But for her it just wasn't the best bullet. Then the shortage hit and I couldn't find any 120 sst's that are so highly touted for the cartridge. I have since found some, and will be doing some load development with them this weekend. Hoping to find something that does a little more internal damage than the accubond, but still penetrates well enough to give us consistent exits. I'm hoping the 120gr SST has enough weight that when coupled with the lower velocity allows them to hold together well enough to penetrate better the the 90gr GD, but also expand a little better than the 100gr AB. We'll see..... I've since upgraded her to a 708 shooting 140gr bullets, so she has no problem getting the results we want from it. The 6.8 is now mine to play with, and has become my truck gun while at the ranch.
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The end of the world began the day it was created, and life is a sexually transmitted terminal disease.
I actually have a pic of him 2 days later on the game cam with a big ol spot behind his ear...just a little high. IMO lack of exit means a bit more umph was needed.
85 Grain TSX going 3000+ ear hole. I'll stick with the 6mm x 54r for a bit.
If you have a single picture, how do you know there wasn't an exit?