My most recent heresy has been to shift temporarily to shooting hogs with a shotgun. This is with my wife's SKB 20 ga U/O. Load is 20 pellets (1 oz) SSG buckshot (.270"). In U.S. parlance that would be #2 buck. Pellets stack two per layer in Remington SP wads. Load is 24 gns Blue Dot in European style plastic cases.
Patterns are good. Our SSAA Lever Action pig target is 23” long by 8 ½” deep, corresponding to a small sow. Bottom barrel (Modified choke) puts around 18/20 on the pig at 25 meters, and the top barrel (Full) puts the lot on.
Part of the motivation for the shotgun has been to deal with newly orphaned suckers, which are pretty slippery shooting with the rifle. This is pest destruction, so suckers count. The shotgun is also a better proposition for a quick second shot at the more adult runners. Suckers are best shot with smaller than SSG, but we must still load for the largest hog likely to be encountered.
Several days ago I took out the 20 and knocked up nine for nine shots. First engagement was a good sow quarter facing, followed by a bolting weaner. The second engagement was another sow even more front on and close, followed by all six of her suckers. Sows dropped where they were shot. For these close shots I have found the shotgun drops the adults more decisively than the rifle.
More recently I shot this sow. Range was 16 paces and presentation broadside. The pattern got the head and neck, including one in the temple, so not quite the demonstration I was looking for.
My realisation of the value of SSG and similar, when everyone still thought pigs needed SG/OO, came a couple of generations ago. I bought some nice red roll crimped 12 gauge Polish Pawam “Boar” cartridges. They even had a picture of a boar on the case. They were actually 7 mm shot size, which is a fraction bigger than SSG. The trial pig was a big boar baled up by the dogs. He copped the lot, went straight down, and the pellets were all under the skin on the far side. Can't do better than that.
Buckshot, and commercially made buckshot at that, is probably a bit off theme for CBA, but then at least it is lead, and the cartridges are reloaded.
You are only as good as your library.
