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  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  

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   

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  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  

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!