Advice on 12Ga load for hunting pigs

[womble]

Because in Australia our laws are f***ing gay

[womble]

Which incidentally, answers most of the questions you will have.

[mickb]

Learn to reload 12ga buckshot and you can get a lot more out of them.

A standard 2.75" case 12ga can actually handle 12x 00/SG pellets at full power.
Or 20 pellets of the US 's no. 1 buck. Devestating load, much heavier pellet than SSG and two extra pellets to boot.(Our SSG for the record is between US no 2 and 3 buck in sizes. No 4 buck is smaller as you know)
A 3" case ,which many shotguns chamber, can handle 15 x 00/SG.
A 3.5" case( which are available in some double barrels, I think Hatsan does an affordable one off the top of my head) can handle 18 pellets of 00/SG or 50 pellets of No.4 buck.

You also used to be able to get winchester and raytrade(remington) to do special orders of the american loaded buckshot if you order a case or more( 250 shellls) through your LGS. I have brought in factory loaded 12x00, 15x00 and 18x 00 in the past from them and the 1 buck load mentioned above.

http://www.ballsticproducts.com in the US are great to deal with and have all the components for loading.

[Blr243]

Mick I had no idea we could improve on our big ball loads. I wonder why the yanks have it and we don’t

[mickb]

yeah mate, our factory loads are quite moderate for 12gauge. If you get the right wads and hulls etc you can stack a lot more buckshot into cases. I often wondered myself why winchester/olin back in the day settled on making/importing all the pedestrian stuff. I guess it did the job and as Aussies could still use pumps and semi-autos if you wanted more buckshot you just pulled the trigger more often. Also the heavy cases are more expensive compared to US so maybe they thought it wouldnt be marketable here.

[QldJohn]

Recently out in Central West Qland, it’s 4.30am, probably 60 minutes before sunrise, just a skerick of light etc, I’m following the track beside the Maranoa River with Lite Bar & 150w Spotlite, enter Boar Sow & 4 piglets from the river trotting at 45degrees towards me, I had the U&O 12Ga across my knee in the SxS Buggy loaded with 00 Buckshot, 9 pellets etc, I stepped out of the buggy shot at the Boar then the Sow, both went down but certainly not out, I went over to them, it took 2 additional shots each with 00’s to finish them etc, I paced the distance back to the buggy, it was 70 paces so conservatively it was 50m, Geee Wizz did I feel lucky, so much for 20m effective range talk, oh & the U&O is a 26” Skeet.
I wish I had a SemiAuto could of sorted out the whole family, but there not allowed in Oz

[ash_hendo]

Be keen to see some opinions from the regulars on the forum on what would be a good secondary firearm for hunting pigs on foot with two people. I’ve had a bad encounter with a charging pig and I was wondering If one person was having a first shot with a 308 and you had to chose between a 12g, a second 308, 45/70 lever action or a 357 lever action for the second shooter to stop a charging pig, what would you choose?

[womble]

The one that uses 00 buckshot

[animalpest]

Be keen to see some opinions from the regulars on the forum on what would be a good secondary firearm for hunting pigs on foot with two people. I’ve had a bad encounter with a charging pig and I was wondering If one person was having a first shot with a 308 and you had to chose between a 12g, a second 308, 45/70 lever action or a 357 lever action for the second shooter to stop a charging pig, what would you choose?

I have been in that situation a few times. My absolute favourite was the Ruger Deerstalker (semi-auto 5 shot 44 mag). Short, light with big bullets stops them up close. But it's no more. Sigh
For up close and personal stuff with pigs, 12g with 00 buck. Saved me plenty of times. Quicker to point than anything and excellent killing power. Second choice is a lever .44 mag (or similar). Quicker on the follow up shots than anything more powerful and still on point when reloading as well as holding plenty of ammo!

[ash_hendo]

Thanks guys, I think it confirms my suspicion, I need a semi auto 44 mag When I was a kid my neighbour had a semi-auto shotgun, I’d feel pretty safe with that too, but again, a pipe dream now.

But realistically, I was suspecting a 12g with 00 would be the quickest to point and dispatch a pig, I guess I’ll have to buy one.

[womble]

Well it’s recommended for charging grizzlies in Alaska .
So it should protect you from your little angry piglet.

I’m kidding. I know they can get very angry.
Even the little ones. rheeeeee

[ash_hendo]

Well it’s recommended for charging grizzlies in Alaska .
So it should protect you from your little angry piglet.

I’m kidding. I know they can get very angry.
Even the little ones. rheeeeee

Yes, they can get very angry, my mate has a decent scar on his leg from a bite from a charging pig protecting its young (We learned to never mess with piglets before the sow…). Could have been much worse, he was lucky….

[Bugman]

I tried solids back in the day. Definately hurt the pig but also my shoulder. Switched to a 44mag lever.

[ash_hendo]

I tried solids back in the day. Definately hurt the pig but also my shoulder. Switched to a 44mag lever.

I think, my heart is saying buy a cool lever action and my head is saying buy a shotgun

[womble]

It’s what animalpest was saying and he would know.
There’s nothing quicker at close range.
It’s very simple. You just put the bead on the target. It’s that simplicity under stress. Bead and boom.
With all our modern tech fancy pants holo sights prism sights whateva today, still nothing beats it. Nothing is faster at close range.
There’s no scope to line up crosshairs. Red dot ok but only with a lot of practice.
You don’t want to be trying to find the dot while the pig is moving rapidly.
A shorter barrel will point quicker at close range too.
Say you had a double barrel will 00 buck. That pig is running into a wall. That’s where it looks like. Just hit a brick wall.

[Beno]

16 pellet buck 1 shells are good for most pigs in most situations. Distance plays a part on your selection. obviously the further away the target is, the less pellets will hit it, so a shell with a few more pellets will help at range but then you gotta consider shot size and effective penetration etc.