Revolver/Caliber for Hog Protection while Dove Hunting

[A516]

I go out to dove hunt in south central Oklahoma each year for 3 to 4 weeks.  Every year it seems like the wild hog situation gets worse and worse.  Since Oklahoma has a reciprocal agreement with Tennessee on handgun carry, I am looking for a revolver to have with me while dove hunting.  I have several .357 revolvers but wonder if I should look at a .44 Special or .44 Magnum revolver (or other caliber).  I am looking for a revolver that would adequate for fending off a hog that is not too heavy or bulky.  Any help is appreciated.

[Whisper]

There's certainly nothing wrong with having a .44 Special or .44 Magnum -- every honest American should own one   -- but I think a .357 with a 4-6" barrel and shooting 158-gr bullets would adequately dissuade porkers.  Now, if you were looking for an excuse to buy a new .44, then the .357 is hopelessly inadequate and you owe it to yourself and your family to get a nice S&W Model 29 to protect yourself.

Hope this helps,

Whisper

[Garufa]

A mean hog in combat needs to be thumped with a big bullet.  A .44 magnum would be the best choice if it was me.  A varient of the S&W 29 would absolutely be a great, classic choice.  They also now make a 5 shot L-frame .44 which is a bit smaller and lighter.

Edited February 24, 2019 by Garufa

[mikegideon]

What Garufa said.

[A.J. Holst]

What mikegideon said

[Good_Steward]

I carry a Ruger RH .454 Casull. It’s like the hand of God reaches down to touch them and said “lay down”.

 

 

[RED333]

I have a few questions,

Lay of the  land, flat, hills, tall grass?

Are you hunting alone or in a group?

Flat land allows you to see a hog coming and have enough time to get a pistol put to shoot. Hills or tall grass and a hog will be at your feet before you have time to draw and shoot.

Hunting with a few others I would have a look out for the group, take turns as look out.

What ever you chose have fun and be safe, O yea my pick, 44 Mag.

[Tuffus]

I would feel comfortable with any of my .357's with a 4 inch barrel or longer but a .44 would give some extra thump if you can do follow up shots accurately after the added recoil. You could even find some less than full power loads with a little research to tame the recoil. If you decide to purchase a .44 though just go ahead and get a magnum rated gun, you can still shoot .44 special in it.

[RED333]

7 minutes ago, Tuffus said:

If you decide to purchase a .44 though just go ahead and get a magnum rated gun, you can still shoot .44 special in it.

DING, DING, DING, DING, DING, DING we have a winner here!

[tnhawk]

A few weeks after getting a Henry .44 mag, I realized that I needed a .44 mag revolver.  Now I feel better about the boxes of ammo stacked on the shelf.  

Edited February 24, 2019 by tnhawk

[TomInMN]

Are you set on a revolver? A 10mm pistol could be a good choice with higher capacity.

 

And there's a load from Buffalo Bore in 9mm that's responsible for at least one brown bear. Not sure I'd be willing to go that route myself though...

 

For my own education, do hogs in this scenario tend to be alone? Or is it just the case that shooting one sends the rest of the group on their way?

 

ETA: In case anyone is interested, I found a link to the load and story I mentioned. You'll have to scroll a bit.

 

https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=388

Edited February 25, 2019 by TomInMN
Added link.

[AuEagle]

In addition to the big bore handgun, I'd carry a few slugs or buckshot.

[Handsome Rob]

Never really got the point of carrying a handgun, while you're also carrying a much more powerful weapon in your hands.

A load of birdshot at 8' is going to do a whole lot more to dissuade an angry porker than a single bullet of any caliber from a handgun.

Also, stop watching YouTube videos on 'Wild Hogs Attack!!!!!!' I regularly & purposely put myself in harm's way, pig wise, and I've yet to be 'attacked' If you're in a dove field, surrounded by other dudes; A.) Ain't a pig coming near you & B.) You're more likely to shoot some other poor bastard because you're panicking about pigs.

They're not all 300lb, tusk bristling, angry psychopaths. They're mostly 40-90lb terrified speed balls who just wanna get out of the way.

Edited February 24, 2019 by robtattoo

[bersaguy]

1 hour ago, robtattoo said:

Never really got the point of carrying a handgun, while you're also carrying a much more powerful weapon in your hands.

A load of birdshot at 8' is going to do a whole lot more to dissuade an angry porker than a single bullet of any caliber from a handgun.

Also, stop watching YouTube videos on 'Wild Hogs Attack!!!!!!' I regularly & purposely put myself in harm's way, pig wise, and I've yet to be 'attacked' If you're in a dove field, surrounded by other dudes; A.) Ain't a pig coming near you & B.) You're more likely to shoot some other poor bastard because you're panicking about pigs.

They're not all 300lb, tusk bristling, angry psychopaths. They're mostly 40-90lb terrified speed balls who just wanna get out of the way.

I more than agree with this for sure. If the hog gets close enough to do you harm a round of number 8 birdshot directly into the face will take out both eyes disbaling hogs sight giving you plenty of time to get away plus discourage the hog from wanting to get to you plus you will have time to shoot it a couple more times if you would choose to. Bird shot at close range can really do some serious damage..................JMHO

[Ronald_55]

How about just hunt with an over/under combo gun? 20ga for dove, 30-30 for hog. 

[A516]

To answer the questions asked:

• We typically hunt fields 20 acres to 400 acres.  Very few trees to climb (mostly Mesquite).
• Generally flat land.
• Tall grasses on edges some times.  Also fields hunted over can be the wild native sunflower fields that are only partially bush hogged or cleared with very tall "weeds".
• Hunters are generally 50 to 100 yards apart with no hunters close by directly across the fields.  You can generally shoot low birds in front of you but not down the line of shooters.
• We had about 30 to 35 "hogs" one day come through a 300 acre field.  If not diverted by the outfitter with an AR would have gone near two hunters.
• A big boar attacked the truck of the outfitter when he was out scouting fields.
• A hunter with another outfitter was attacked by a hog, lost two fingers and generally cut up.  It took 26 dove loads to kill that hog.
• I have thought about Buckshot or Slugs.  I need to check with Oklahoma Fish and Wildlife to see about carrying them while hunting a migratory game bird.
• This is not east of the Mississippi dove hunting.  Twenty-five to Fifty plus miles of travel from the meeting place, big fields, 2 to 40 hunters, so far have had Elk in the field and in the road in the dark, Hogs in the field, a Mountain Lion in the field, "domestic" bulls, a herd of cows in the road causing a predawn wreck on a 65 MPH two lane highway, wild hogs causing a cattle stampede through fences, multiple coyote packs howling at daylight and some years temperatures up to 113 degrees.  And I have seen many instances where hogs have gone through fences and knocked down gates.
• I am more worried about a hog coming up behind me from another field or bumping one in the dark while setting up.  A lot of the fences surrounding fields used for crops are pretty poor.

 

Edited February 24, 2019 by A516

[sybo]

Well, I have hunted Hogs for many years. I hunt in areas that there’s rarely a 75 yard shot. Lots of thick brush. I DO want a handgun and I have used 10mm, .357, 44 mag as a backup. I have witnessed a number of times where it took multiple 1oz 12gauge shells, multiple .458 Socom, 30-06. The older big guys and girls can be tough. I really think shot placement is key. I am using a Henry 45-70 this coming weekend because there is a chance I will be shooting through brush. Better you have too much than not enough, and YES I have been charged and it is a real “paint or get off the ladder” moment. Make sure you can control a magnum handgun very quickly and with some kind of accuracy. Here’s why...

https://imgur.com/a/O8jXDVp

https://imgur.com/a/froxeYZ

https://imgur.com/a/PhH23qj