# Where EXACTLY to shoot a hog



## azpigs (Jan 7, 2015)

Hi all, 

We are going to be slaughtering/butchering our first hog in a couple of weeks. He is big, about 600lbs. I volunteered to do the shooting. After a little research, I realized that this might not be quite as simple as it first sounded, and that if I don't hit it in the exact right spot, it can go pretty badly. My goal is to shoot it, then we'd cut it and bleed it out. 

Where EXACTLY in the head am I supposed to shoot this hog? What angle should I shoot at? From how far away should I shoot? Like I mentioned, he is big, and I imagine his skull is pretty darn thick... I was planning to use a 22 long rifle. Any expert tips would be much appreciated! 

Sarah


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## oldasrocks (Oct 27, 2006)

Pick a spot in the middle of his eyes about 1/2 way to the top of his head. I've dropped many a hog and 1,000 beef this way too. As close as you can get. 2 to 3 ft max.


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## barnbilder (Jul 1, 2005)

Imagine an X made from lines drawn from the right ear to the left eye and from the left ear to the right eye. From that intersection to an inch above it is your target.You have a walnut sized area that the skull is probably a quarter inch thick and a dime sized circle that it is even thinner. You need to be head on shooting down on him a little. I shoot as far away as the pig is comfortable with me, preferably within twenty feet. The most important thing is to wait for the perfect shot, if it takes twenty minutes and a bucket of corn, so be it. Apples can be good, they sometimes raise their head a little to eat them, and look at you.


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## barnbilder (Jul 1, 2005)

Again, I can't stress enough, the first shot is much easier to get precise than the second, third and so on.


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## vicker (Jul 11, 2003)

What are you shooting with? Ultimately, you want to aim at the base of the brain. Shooting straight down from the top is easy. If you're shooting from the side, try to enter between the eye and the ear, aiming at the opposing ear. Don't try a between the eyes shot. That's where the skull is thickest.


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

This photo may help as it shows the location of the brain:

http://sugarmtnfarm.com/2011/08/20/of-pig-brains-and-tea-cups/


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## IMFoghorn (Jan 28, 2012)

I use *barnbilder*'s method. 22 lr standing square in front of the hog about 10 feet away hitting the intersection of the x mark *barnbilder* described. Take your time, make the first shot count.


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## azpigs (Jan 7, 2015)

Thanks for the replies, very helpful!


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## azpigs (Jan 7, 2015)

Great picture, thank you!

Where would the eyes have been on this skull?


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## gerold (Jul 18, 2011)

Feed the pig on the ground , stand in front (22 LR copper) close if possible 1-2ft. shoot between eyes 1 inch. up. Hold rifle 90degree to head. 

Hand off rifle to someone and stab asap. within 8 sec.


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## Allen W (Aug 2, 2008)

oldasrocks said:


> Pick a spot in the middle of his eyes about 1/2 way to the top of his head. I've dropped many a hog and 1,000 beef this way too. As close as you can get. 2 to 3 ft max.


Dropped a 300+ lb. feral sow the other day like a rock she never even kicked just this way.


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## sinthome (Jun 2, 2010)

An idea I might try is feeding vodka soaked grain (1 qt per hog) or let em swill a 6 pk of cheap beer, then make the shot while they are nodding off. Anyone do this?


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

azpigs said:


> Great picture, thank you! Where would the eyes have been on this skull?


Just at the front of the brain case.

-Walter


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## KIT.S (Oct 8, 2008)

Because our animals know me well, I do the killing. I put apples on the ground, stand right there and lay the muzzle of the 38 right on the back of the skull where it attaches to the neck kind of aimed toward the head. They're eating, don't care what I'm doing and go down instantly. Also, this way I can make sure the bullet won't ricochet off the dense forehead, nor will it go through and possibly hit something beyond the animal I'm after. I've seen heavy loads slide right off a bear's skull, and I've measured a big pig's skull. I don't want the bullet going anywhere but where it'll do the most good.


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## KFhunter (Feb 21, 2010)

I'll never use a .22 again on a large boar, I aimed in 'just the right spot' at point blank range and "Blap!" it didn't do anything, he squealed a little bit then staggered away obviously stunned but still standing and trying to stay away from me. 

I had a .223 AR ready to go just in case and that dropped him like a rock but I wanted to avoid using a higher powered gun and get fragments in the skull. Next time it will be a .22 mag. I'll borrow one as I don't currently own one. It's a sickening feeling to shoot a boar in the head and it not drop like a stone.

Some will contend that I may have not gotten a perfect shot but I can tell you I'm not new to slaughtering animals, this was my 1st large boar though. I took my time and waited for "X" marks the spot and waited for the right angle the boar was very cooperative. Did I miss by a fraction of an inch? Possibly - but I contend that if the .22LR requires _exact perfection_ and has no room for even the smallest human error then it's too small to do the job. I would use the .22LR for market pigs around 6 months old but will never use it again for a mature boar. 

I may include a picture of the head sawed to show the bullet penetration and path, I know it has to be _almost_ dead on.


I will also add that I love the F. Dick pig sticker. I slid that in at the base of the throat aiming towards the tail, a little flick inside and the arteries were severed and gushing. I've slit a lot of throats and this was much nicer, faster and cleaner.


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## mustangglp (Jul 7, 2015)

Keep in mind that your bullet will be below the line of sight at close range more so with a scope.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

OK.. as far as a "higher power" gun.... 

I've shot hogs with a .22.. BOOM.. flat footed drops/ I've shot them with .9mm... and had them stumble on.. 

I shot a bull with a 22LR and it's legs fell out from under it.. then I shot a cow 2 times with a 9mm, a friend then put 2 .45's into it, then it took me 4 more 9mm's before it dropped... 

It's not about the power.. It's about placement... and no matter how well you think you placed it, until you hit the perfect spot... 

Kind of like people who have been shot in the head and lived with half their head and brain missing, and still walk and talk.. and others get hit with a nail gun and die... 

If you worked in the medical field, you may find it interesting to know how many times people had to shoot their selves in the head before suicide was committed..


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## KFhunter (Feb 21, 2010)

mustangglp said:


> Keep in mind that your bullet will be below the line of sight at close range more so with a scope.


 I didn't aim, I literally stuck the barrel on it's head at the X, adjusted for angle so it didn't slant too low or too high then BLAP :runforhills:


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

KFhunter said:


> I didn't aim, I literally stuck the barrel on it's head at the X, adjusted for angle so it didn't slant too low or too high then BLAP


If you didn't aim then perhaps you missed. Seriously. It may have been the wrong spot. Being point blank doesn't guarantee the stun.



KFhunter said:


> Did I miss by a fraction of an inch? Possibly - but I contend that if the .22LR requires _exact perfection_ and has no room for even the smallest human error then it's too small to do the job.


Then maybe I'm not human. I've use .22LR on hundreds and never had a problem. Some of them were big boars and big sows. All dropped instantly. I use hollow point copper jacketed. Seems to work fine. Statistically significant sample set.

By all means, use what you're comfortable with.

-Walter


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> I'll never use a .22 again on a large boar, I aimed in 'just the right spot' at point blank range and "Blap!" it didn't do anything, he squealed a little bit then staggered away obviously stunned but still standing and trying to stay away from me.


If it didn't do anything, it really wasn't "the right spot"
I suspect you had the angle incorrect

http://www.vdpam.iastate.edu/HumaneEuthanasia/anat.htm


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## KFhunter (Feb 21, 2010)

I get this hog down off the hook I'll take a picture of the hole it's skull. Maybe the spot wasn't where I thought it was :huh:

Sure looks like the right spot though, when I said I didn't aim I meant I didn't use the sights like you'd normally aim a guy, instead I just poked his head with the end of the barrel, he thought I was scratching his head with a stick again and stood very still as he enjoyed getting scratched with a stick very much.

It was CCI performance round, JHP. Only thing I can think of is it was old stuff. I test fired a round first and it had the normal 22LR snap. The one I used on the hog sounded normal.


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

Please do cut the skull in half and post the photo. It will be interesting and educational.

Cheers,

-Walter


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## KFhunter (Feb 21, 2010)

Don't have a bandsaw


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## KFhunter (Feb 21, 2010)

the 22 seems to have penetrated a little over 1 inch but stopped at the inner skull, I wonder if I didn't angle the shot up a little too high


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Impressive skinning of that skull..

That shot looks a little higher than I'd shoot. I'd shoot about an inch lower, and I'd also soot at more of an angle into the skull than you have. I would have lowered the butt of the gun just a hair more.


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## gerold (Jul 18, 2011)

Shot does appear just a bit to high. Thanks for posting.


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

Thanks for the photo. The placement of the shot was too high.


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## KFhunter (Feb 21, 2010)

Thanks for the input, it's been a learning experience. 

I didn't take all the meat off the skull because I shot it with an AR .223 fragment round. After the 22LR failed, I wanted it down right now, and wasn't sure if it was going to run around all crazy. Glad I had the AR ready.


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## Laura Workman (May 10, 2002)

That shot probably would have been fine if the barrel were at 90 degrees to the skull, but I'd have brought the shot down toward the eyes about half an inch. Angle can definitely make a huge difference. The first time I tried to shoot a pig, I was using a .22 revolver six feet from the pig and didn't get the angle right. The final kill shot entry hole was only 1/4 inch away from the first shot. There were six shots in between. Bad day for everyone. I'm sorry yours didn't work on the first try.


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## KFhunter (Feb 21, 2010)

OK so I decided to cut the skull open after letting the birds and coyotes work on it for a bit. Sorry it's gross but I think it has some educational value. As you can see just a wee bit more power was needed to get through that inner skull surrounding the brain, the bullet lodged in the sinus cavity and I did see some fragments in there but scooped out the junk for clarity.


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## KFhunter (Feb 21, 2010)

You can see the .223 hole in the first picture in the ear hole on the left side of the skull, it scrambled everything in there at the very back of the brain where it connects to the spine.


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## Shrek (May 1, 2002)

When we slaughtered hogs my father had a compressor driven captive bolt gun and the shot was placed so the spike went in between the eyes and penetrated the brain stem and medulla also to kill them instantly.


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