# Kill story and the .22



## RedneckPete (Aug 23, 2004)

Well, I butchered a pretty big pig last Saturday. He was born in April of this year, and was around 350lbs live weight.

Once again, the kill didnât go well.

Iâve come down on the side of the humble .22 long rifle, properly placed to humanely dispatch a pig. Iâve done it, having used it flawlessly on the last two pigs I did in. The one before that didnât go so well either, but I had chalked that one up to inexperience.

Without attempting to reopen that age-old debate, I do wish to change my position. The .22 is too small to do the job reliably and humanely.

Hereâs my latest story. Pig is loose in the field, as always. Drop a bit of food, stand a couple feet away and wait for the moment. The adrenaline is pumping as killing a pig still is still a bit of a big deal to me. Iâve done it plenty of times before, but always get a bit of a ârushâ from the experience and treat it as a serious matter.

So, Iâm waiting for the moment, slide off the safety, finger on trigger, ease it in... I KNOW I can hit what I am aiming at... Just at the point of no return the pig lifts its head a bit.

The bullet hits exactly where I am aiming, but in a split second the target (pigâs head) moved up an inch. The bullet just misses the front of the brain cavity, smashes the poor pigâs sinuses and ends up stuck in the flesh of his jowls. The pig goes absolutely ape----.

Now, Iâm running around the field trying to get a second head shot, and seriously thinking about running to the house for the .303 to go for a double lung (maybe heart) shot.

The badly wounded pig eventually calmed enough for me to take a second, this time perfectly placed shot, quickly followed up with a good stick. At this point the pig was in the bottom of a 15ft deep ravine that skirts the edge of my pasture, with dense brush on both sides. I just opened this area up to my pigs this fall, and with the frozen ground they hadnât cleared it yet. Regardless, I had a good shot and took it, and was now faced with a dead and bled pig in the bottom of a ravine.

It took every ounce of strength four healthy, physical labor type men could muster to drag the 350lb pig up the hill and onto an area where it could be gutted.

I will never use the .22 on anything more then a BBQ pig again. Had the first shot been with the .303, it probably would have blown the pigs snout clean off, with the sheer impact rendering the pig unconscious at least long enough to get a good stick. Gross maybe, but humane yes.

The .22 is way too dependent on shot placement. Talking about shot placement while sitting behind our keyboards is one thing, but in real life, out in the field, with adrenaline, cold fingers, slippery ground, and a moving target is another thing altogether.

Once more, my dogs cleaned the skull off perfectly for me, before consuming most of it the next day. I examined the skull for the shot placements, and once again noted how small a pigs brain is. On the 350lb pig, the brain is no bigger then a golf ball. Unless you can reliably hit a moving golf ball with a .22, the gun is inadequate for you. I canât do that, and wonât attempt it again.

Pete


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## VApigLover (Oct 6, 2004)

If it makes you feel better, I upgraded from a .22 to a 7.62, works MUCH better and does not damage the head any more than a .22 rifle. Smaller hogs sure a .22 properly placed, but when they get 350 or larger, more volocity and impact does not hurt a bit, for both our sanity and the hogs dispatch in terms of humaness. I only use a SKS 7.62 hollow point, very good results and always a very good bleed out. I'll never risk near missing with a .22, as long as I am close with 7.62 (Stay around six inches or less from head, aiming at the center of the X), the hog is always down one shot.

We all learn what works best for each of us.


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## LittleRedHen (Apr 26, 2006)

My husband hasn't been pleased with his .22 rifle the last two times either. The one time the bullet dind't even penetrate the skull! Those were I think umm.. some sort of bullet. I forget what? Hollow shots? Well the last time he went to the store, he told the man what he needed the bullets for and the man told him to buy this other sort of bullet but I forget its name. I guess it does more damage when you use it. That wouldn't have helped in your problem though because it threw the angle off.

My husband has been wanting a bigger gun and I think if we keep up with pig butchering that he just might get his wish.. We will be butchering our sow after she weans her piglets this Spring and shes going to be probably about 350 at that time too. I have no idea how we are going to do it with the .22 after reading your story.


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## RiverPines (Dec 12, 2006)

We use a .22 on animals 100lbs and under.
Hollow point is better as it mushroom outs easier, causing more damage. A solid bullet will make a small hole, often to clean and small of a hole requiring more shooting.
Anything over 150 pounds, bigger gun. I forgot what my DH uses.

We have a pellet gun too...works for rabbits!!! 
Oh, flat top pellets work best...not beebees or points.


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## JLusk (Mar 1, 2006)

Use a 12 gauge slug about 6 inches from the head. They don't squeal or run around they just drop where their standing.


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## agmantoo (May 23, 2003)

Your are faulting the gun but the problem is the user. A poorly placed shot is just that. Wounded deer are lost all the time due to poor shot placement regardless of caliber of gun. Shot place is somewhat like computer problems. With computers the bulk of the problems are between the KB and the CH. That KB and Ch being the keyboard and the chair.


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## JLusk (Mar 1, 2006)

My first hog I shot 5 times directly in the head with a .22 and it was still walking around. Use a 12 gauge slug and the most it is going to do is take a step back.


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## nathan104 (Nov 16, 2007)

If you are going to dispatch and large animal with a .22, you need to make sure of your shot placement. You should shoot point blank, not standing back. If you put the barrel of the gun where you want the bullet to go. that is where it will go. You may get a little splatter up your barrel, but nothing a quick rodding will not clean out. Of course, if you are not going to use the head or skull for any reason, a larger caliber gun is a much better choice. If a .22 is needed, a good hollow point hypersonic bullet is best. They are more powerful than your normal velocity bullet. And, a subsonic bullet should not be used as they may not have enough punch to go through a heavy skull. It is also a good idea to have the animal in a small pen when dispatching becuase if for some reason the first shot does not do it, you can get off the second shot without it running wild along the countryside and suffering longer.


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## stanb999 (Jan 30, 2005)

I use a little Kel-tec 9mm. It is about perfect for pigs and goats. It fits in your pocket. Will put them down in an instant. But isn't so much that I've had it go through. The big plus is it's cheap....150 for new. But you can get a used one for 110.00 or so. It's my little bang gun for the wild dogs also.


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## RedneckPete (Aug 23, 2004)

nathan104 said:


> If you are going to dispatch and large animal with a .22, you need to make sure of your shot placement. You should shoot point blank, not standing back.


Anyone who has ever actually shot a pig knows that placing the barrel of a long gun on the forehead of a pig is nothing more then wishful thinking.

The second the barrel touches or even comes within a few inches of the pigs head, they start moving their heads all over the place, trying to figure out what the strange object is that is trying to bump into their head. This makes the job WAY more difficult. Standing back a step (18 inches from muzzle to head) makes the job much easier.

Trying to hold the muzzle nicely against the pigs skull is probably just about as easy as jumping onto it's back and tearing out it's juggler with your teeth.

Pete


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## RedneckPete (Aug 23, 2004)

agmantoo said:


> Your are faulting the gun but the problem is the user.


Actually agmantoo, I'm taking complete responsibility for the disastrous results. I'm acknowledging that my skill level is not up to the task. That's why I'm making the decision to use a bigger, more powerful gun to make up for my lack of skill.

The .22 can do the job, I just can't make it do the job.

I'm sure you could hunt deer with a .22 and get consistent clean kills by shooting them in the eyeball. Not many people have the skill to do that, thus they choose a bigger, better gun.

I'm doing the same thing with my pigs.

Pete


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## Farmerwilly2 (Oct 14, 2006)

How about using a framing nailer that way, if you don't get your clean kill, you at least have the sucker nailed down to shoot again.


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## agmantoo (May 23, 2003)

RedneckPete
You need to look at a hog skull and observe the location of its brain. Once you have a good idea of where the placement needs to be you can then adjust the angle to where the bullet must travel to get to the brain. Often, when the animal is on the ground and eating, the shooter may have to drop down on one knee to get the placement needed. A larger gun will only inflict greater injury if the placement is incorrect. Many hunters believe that the larger caliber weapon is the solution but it isn't. A deer with one leg shot off will run just the same as one shoot with adequate caliber if shot in the leg. The blood trail may be greater with the oversize caliber but the deer was not killed humanely due to shoot placement. We both know that we would not intentionally prolong the animals suffering. We want to stun the animal with one shoot each and every time. Mishaps do occur and I am not typing this to be critical.


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## copperkid3 (Mar 18, 2005)

I won't pretend to be an "expert" in killing pigs but it seems to me that there is an almost fanatical belief in shooting the pig straight on between the eyes, at that imaginary "X" where you run a line from ear to eye and from ear to eye. And maybe that is why it is so hard to hit a moving target because the pig "sees" it coming or at least wants to know what that thunder stick is doing in his neighborhood. 

I had a *BIG PIG * that needed to be taken care of........doing the string length to girth measurements placed him in the 530 pound range and I had no experience in killing or butchering one. However, I did have a neighbor who had done plenty and he agreed to help out in exchange for half the hog. Asked me to bring out my Ruger carbine .22, which he then very carefully placed just behind "HAMBONE"s' right ear; about 4-5 inches away. And while the pig was busy eating some grain scattered on the ground......the deed was done!!! I've NEVER seen a pig that big drop like a sack of wet cement and just quiver. The neighbor then handed me the weapon and took the sticking knife and slit his throat. If we weren't planning on butchering that pig, I'm convinced that the .22 would have done the job without having to use any knife. I don't believe he would have ever got up again. So it isn't necessarily "written in stone" that you must shoot a pig dead-on from the front; in fact, shooting one in the side of the head seems to make more sense when he is busy and doesn't see the gun at all. But that is just my experience; YMMV


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## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

It made me happy to see the Canadian refer to his 303. I've been a gun nut forever and like to see truth in the old stereotypes. 

I used a 22 rifle last week on a 350 lb hog. I normally aim just a half inch to the side of center, thinking there is a tiny chance a perfect center shot might slip between the lobes of the brain with less damage to the good parts. Probably not possible, but they drop just as fast with an off center shot. I've used a very wide variety of weapons to drop them, and they all worked except a 357 Blackhawk with 125 gr HP on a 1000 lb sow. First shot looked perfect but she stumbled then walked off. I was on the low roof of a shed so I could shoot down on her. She came back by and the hole still looked perfect, so I put one more in the same hole and she dropped. I like a 22 magnum rifle very much for hogs.


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## tyusclan (Jan 1, 2005)

I use a .22 for everything domestic. I don't use that to hunt because I can't get as close. I use a bigger cartridge for hunting because I don't aim for the same vital. A head shot is very risky in hunting situations, but should not be in a domestic kill. I can get within a couple of feet with animals I've raised, but I can't do that with wildlife.

I agree, a missed shot with a bigger gun just makes a bigger injury.

And, again, not to be critical, just an observation, most missed shots on livestock are because the shots are taken from too far away. Get as close as possible. The closer the shot, the less likely a miss will occur.


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

So far, knock on wood, I've always had a perfect kill. I've done pigs as big as 600 lbs or so. I use a .22 rifle. I want a small hit, not to blow the pig away. Too big a hit punches through the back of the skull which is not what you want.

Cheers

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
in the mountains of Vermont
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/blog/
http://HollyGraphicArt.com/
http://NoNAIS.org


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## BobK (Oct 28, 2004)

I use 22 long rifle rounds in a revolver with no personal mishaps.......but I also have the pigs in a pen and about a month or so before the deed will be done I make sure to always be scratching their heads and rubbing between their eyes with a small stick.....they like it! I also put a small bowl with a bit of milk, water, sweet cob and if I am feeling realy generous I'll add an egg.....pour this into the bowl and once the pig starts drinking their head remains rock solid.......whatever you need to use to get a confidence in a clean kill will be best but I have found in helping others that too big of a caliber bullet kills them too dead to bleed out properly.....for me the 22 revolver works just fine!


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## RedneckPete (Aug 23, 2004)

agmantoo said:


> RedneckPete
> You need to look at a hog skull and observe the location of its brain.


Been there, done that. Re-read my first post. Every hog I've killed has had the head boiled and fed to the dogs, who are happy to clean it off (before eating it the next day) so I can examine the skull for bullet holes and the kill zone. I know exactly where to shoot, it's hitting the spot on a moving pig that is the problem.

A bigger gun will solve my problem. Imagine aiming a 6" cannon ball at the pigs head. It would be hard to miss. Somewhere between that and a 220 thousands of an inch bullet is the sweet spot.

Pete


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> Anyone who has ever actually shot a pig knows that placing the barrel of a long gun on *the forehead * of a pig is nothing more then wishful thinking.


There's the problem. The shot should be at the BACK of the skull to take out the brain stem. The frontal portion of the brain in not the best option.

It's like Agman said. Its all about shot placement. "Between the eyes" works great on people who are facing you. Its not so good on hogs at a downward angle



> The second the barrel touches or even comes within a few inches of the pigs head, they start moving their heads all over the place, trying to figure out what the strange object is that is trying to bump into their head.


They never see it when you approach from the back of the head. You dont have to "touch" them. Just get within a couple of inches while they have their heads down eating

Its not the tool so much as the technique


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## tn_junk (Nov 28, 2006)

Growing up we always shot them in the back of the head, base of the skull, with a .22. My great aunt would have shot us if we had ruined the brains. Her favorite part of the hog.

alan


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