Tiny bullet - huge hog

Remember me telling you guys about my shooting buddy with the modified Hatsan Flashpup? He is a member here but posts almost exclusively over at GTA. I've witnessed in person him hitting cans and bottles out to 380 - 400 yards with his little slug shooter. He recently went to South GA to hunt pigs with his 177. Here's his adventure as posted on GTA

Guys, I've been hoping to make this post for a long time! This will be long post too 
embarrassed.gif
Those who know me, know I've been tuning and tweaking to no end on my .177 slug gun. I've been working hard and testing to find the right heavy slug that had top notch accuracy at higher than average power levels for .177. I wanted to use a heavier slug than what I used, but the accuracy wasn't good enough for me. When going after a larger pig, accuracy can't be just okay. I can't stress that enough, especially when trying to do what I've been trying to do. I ended up with the 18 grain NSA slug shooting at 1060-ish fps, because that is what worked at power level I wanted to use. In this case, I ended up right at 45 fpe. The gun could do more, but the accuracy just wasn't good enough for me with heavier slugs. With this tune, the gun is same hole accurate, so that's the tune I used.

I've always known a .177 could do a lot more than many people think, and I FINALLY got the chance I needed to prove it 
wink.gif
 

I've gone hunting for a pig with this gun a couple of times before, but the pigs didn't participate. I got a chance to try it again Saturday afternoon, with cool weather upping the odds of success. I got to my spot around 3:30pm, with the temp around 40 degrees. I set up inside the tree line 30 yards from the feeder, concealed behind a lot of brush and trees, but with a clear line of sight to the feeder. This automatic feeder is used for deer, and is set to go off 4:30pm daily. Those of you that don't know, an automatic feeder going off in the silence of the deep woods will surprise the @#$@ out of you, even though you know it is going to go off! After the feeder went off, and my heart slowly crawled back into my chest, I waited. Finally, around 5:15pm, with the temp getting closer to 30 degrees, the action began.

I heard some movement coming through the woods. Slowly, I heard the sound making it's way towards me. Then, I heard a couple of grunts. Now, the heart is beginning to pump with some authority! The wind wasn't the best, so I knew the pigs may be skittish. I kept watching, hoping. Some dark colors flashed between the trees about 20 yards from the feed area. Just a few seconds later, six small 15-20lb pigs came out of the woods from behind the feeder. I knew they weren't the size of the dark movement that had caught my a moment before. Then, out pops the big boy. Just as I had feared, they were all very skittish. They came into the opening, then the boar did a 180 back into the woods, but didn't go far. I waited, and they came out again, only to dart back into the woods a second time, before I could even get the scope on one. For a third time, they all popped out into the opening in front of the feeder. This time, they decided it was time to eat some corn, finally. 

I brought the the boar into the scope to get a proper look, and he was the pig I was looking for! I'm not going to lie, I had already decided I was going to take a shot on the larger one, if it presented itself. The smaller pigs were just too small to really put the setup to the test anyway. I sat there with the gun rested across my leg with the boar in sight, waiting for a shot. He was being very still, for a feeding pig. However, one of the piglets was in front of his head. I just knew, he was going to move out, before the small pig got out of the way. I waited some more, hoping my chance wasn't going to disappear back into the woods. At this point, I was in the zone. My concentration was on point, and there reticle was no longer hopping with each heartbeat. I just needed my shot. The piglet moved, and there was that perfect shot I'd been visualizing in my head for months now. The boar was broadside to me, with his head down digging into some corn. I had the reticle centered perfectly on the temple, right between the eye and ear. It was like the trigger just squeezed itself. An unregulated ping, immediately followed by the WHAP of the little slug hitting home! A big mass of boar hog collapsed in his tracks, and fell over onto his side in slow motion!! I KNEW the shot was on the mark. That motion is unmistakable. As the boar lay there on his side with a few lazy kicks, I put another in the X between the eyes and ears on top of his head, for good measure. I know it wasn't necessary, but I wasn't going to chance this one. There was no way I was going to leave anything to chance, after so much time and preparation had been put into this goal! MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
grin.gif
 
grin.gif
 
grin.gif


I was thinking he was a good 150lb hog when I took the shot. It was when I walked over to move him, that I realized he was bigger than that. I had just dropped a 200+lb boar in his tracks, with my .177 slug gun 
shocked.gif
After a few minutes, help arrived, and we drug him up into the back of the truck. My powder burner friend was in disbelief of what I had just done with an air gun, a .177 air gun at that. I wasn't in disbelief, so much as I was simply overjoyed with a sense of accomplishment. I had finally gotten my chance to prove all that tuning, tinkering, barrel swapping, and countless rounds on target. This smile isn't going to go away for a few days 
cheesy.gif
 

I didn't get to put him on a scale, because it was broken at the processor. The processor estimated him to be around 225 lbs, but I'll just claim 200+lbs myself, haha. I can tell you he was pretty darn hard to get off the ground, and it took both of us to get him up on the tailgate. I hope you guys enjoyed the story, God knows I enjoyed making it! I also hope everyone understands the absolute accuracy and preparation that is required to this with a small bore. This isn't a 20lb piglet with a break barrel, and it isn't something that should be done on a whim, or with a gun that isn't capable. I put a lot of effort into knowing the limits of my gun, and myself. I'm not in this to wound animals, of course. That being said, is sure is a heck of a rush pulling off a proper hog kill with a small bore! 
1226201742n2.1609470571.jpg

 
Thanks from bringing this over Norman! I do read posts on here from time to time, but I don't always get the time to keep up with 2 different forums. Had I thought about it, I would have posted it here. I'm so happy I was able to do this with my little ice pick shooter, I want to tell everybody about it, haha! Thanks for the kind words, of course😁 Feel free to ask me anything you want to know about the gun or hunt!
 
That’s a big fatty and quite an accomplishment! We have a lot of hogs out here in Nor Cal, I’ve killed them with one shot from a 22LR and others I’ve had to shoot over and over with an .30-06 to get them to stop. It’s all about shot placement and Rallyshark, you rang this big boy’s bell! Phenomenal shooting and a great story that you’ll be able to share for the rest of your life. Totally awesome!

Happy New Year. Stoti





As a side note, my son and I were arguing with my brother in law on Christmas about whether or not an air gun could kill a person. He obviously doesn’t know much about air guns! I can’t wait to show him what you did with a .177 air gun and a teeny slug. So freakin’ cool!
 
Thanks so much guys! I don't think I'll be able to top this one anytime soon, or ever probably 😁 Next on the list will be to get a better one for eating, like a smaller boar or a good fat sow! Just for reference, my .177 is using a 23" LW unchoked polygon barrel, and can go over 50 fpe, but I haven't found a slug that is accurate enough at that power level. I think I'm going to try and get my .22 Synthetic Flashpup some bacon next hunt. It is currently tuned to shoot the NSA 28.5 grain at 1015 fps, so it should be able to handle any pig of my choosing, assuming I can get the shot I want. I really do enjoy hunting pigs with the small bore guns, because of the challenge of knowing you only have about a 1" window for success. I've gone through the same process of constant tinkering, tuning, and barrel swapping on my .22. It wears a barrel made from an FX 700mm slug liner, and is capable of 75+ fpe at full tilt. Maybe, if I'm lucky, I'll be able to post a successful hunt with that gun too!
 
Yessir! It has been a long tuning journey playing with the Flashpups, but I've got them figured out now. I guess even a blind squirrel finds a nut sometimes, lol. I know Hatsans aren't the best guns out there, but they are darn hard to beat for the money and tuning potential! They just need a little elbow grease to wake them up. Like Norman said, we've done a lot of long range shooting with all of our guns, and I've managed to get the .177 and .22 pups humming pretty good at this point. My longest hit was a 1 liter pepsi at 400 yards with the .177, and I think 380 yards on a 12oz can with the .22. Both shooting NSA slugs. I don't shoot at animals at those distances, but it sure is a hoot popping cans at long range! Knowing they both have the juice to take out a good pig as well, is just icing on the cake.