shotgun for hogs?

Where I hunt ,you can only use a shotgun with no larger than #2 shotshells. Would this be sufficient for 80 to 100 pound hogs from a 12 gauge at about 20 yards. Thanks in advance.

It might work, but I would be hard pressed to suggest any birdshot for hogs. You would be getting approximately a 12"-15" pattern at 20 yards (full choke) and 5-8" penetration (bare gel)??? Given tough hide and such, penetration would be less. I am piecing that together from what I find online.

I think your hogs will die with a solid hit, but it may take a while and I would not expect that they would necessarily go down immediately.

I would find the heaviest shot you could.. Steel goose shot #2 may do the trick.. I would say 20 yards MAX and double lung, as a head shot would be tough to penetrate the skull (some .22 rounds have been known to deflect off the skull) (on the plus side you may blind him and he just runs in a circle hahaha

Lung area you should get through, but bet the blood trail will be limited at best.

On the plus side the force of the spread may knock it over which could give you time for some follow up shots.

Do they allow bow there as most shotgun only allow bows as well. That would be there better option.

Not really funny at all.



Physics 101 says that isn't likely to happen. It will get a little shove, but that is all.

Not really funny at all.

I'm with DNS. Trying to be funny I guess but that is a great quote for those who are trying to convince everybody that hunters are bloodthirsty gun nuts. Anything other than a quick, humane kill, whether I am hunting hogs, coyotes, deer or any animal, is unacceptable to me and I absolutely hate it when it happens. An instant kill does not always happen in hunting but it is something I believe we should all strive to achieve.

Figured you guys would find something to give me trouble about and I expected nothing less. Clearly it is not a serious statement... But like I said I expect nothing less from this group, to find the one part to try to pick a part and give me a hard time, especially from DNS, who takes his disliking of me to a whole new level beyond the forum.

Also for DNS... Yes the force may be enough to nock it over, considering I have had a pistol shot knock them over. It all depends.. did I say it would? No.. I said maybe.. But it is something to watch for and be prepared for, as there is a decent possibility at close range. 20 yards not so much but closer there is a possibility.

Killed piles of them with shotguns. Find them in cut wheat or milo and run them down with gators or ranch trucks unload on moving hogs with 12 gauge and don’t care if that bothers anti’s. High brass 3” shells in 4 or 2 shot is fine. We used some 00 buck and turkey loads too but 4’s or 2’s are cheaper and very effective. Don’t know why y’all would think they’re just going to spin and squeal. From 20 yards most drop dead if hit in the head and if they weren’t dead they were immobilized for easy follow up shots. 17 one evening was the most we got but had lots of evenings that we killed 10+. After a few months of that and trapping our hog population dropped to almost nothing. We didn’t kill them all but chasing them and gunning down other pigs around them made the survivors decide to move on.

Great information.. Thanks for sharing!

I used a 20 gauge o/U last weekend with just 2 3/4 #3 buck and it hammered a couple 200 lb pigs

Yes, bow hunting is allowed and I killed 5 last year with a bow. Mainly wanting to use shotgun to kill a couple but also try and scare them out of the area before bow season for deer.

what area you hunting that cant use larger than #2 shot ?
WMA's for squirrel used #8's 410 but carried slug for hogs. Never jad issues.
Could be wrong.
Side note, many have said they use heart shot on hogs, & just chootem, realy cant say bouts the #2shot, always used slug for deer & hog.

#2 shot, as in smaller than bb? as in bird shot? I wouldn't want to crawl around in the dark looking for the pissed off pig that I just shot with that.

Lake whitney.

#8 tis what used for dove #6 squirrel #4 bigger game #2 geese smaller #'er bigger lead if remember right.

OP have you checked ta see if ya can use slug for hogs. Stay Safe. Cornered wound animal can be very dangerous.

I use 2’s and 4’s on Sandhill crane and geese......it’s far from dove load.