I know a lot of people say to aim behind the ear, but I do a LOT of hog hunting down here in the swamps of the dirty south. The ONLY time I take a ear shot is early in the year when I can only use a .22 rifle. And then, I very rarely pull the trigger. Actually, I don't shot behind the ear. I aim right for the ear canal. No bones to stop the bullet.

That being said, when open gun season starts that marks the end of my ear shots. I always aim for the area just above where the front leg meets the body. With my 7mm mag or 30-06, it will go in one side, through the heart, and out the other side. It will also take out the animals front legs. This makes it impossible for the hog to run away, and kills the animal quickly with as little suffering as possible.

Even with a 7mm mag, a hog isn't going to leave a blood trail like a deer, so shot placement is key. I can't tell you how many people I talk to tell me about all the pigs they have shot but never found. There is NO excuse for that!! If you shot a hog and couldn't find it then you either need to spend more time at the shooting range, or quit taking pot shots at wild game. In my 23 years of hunting hogs I am yet to loose one. BUT, quite often I will be trying to get a good shot off and end up letting the animal go because I wasn't able to get a shot placement I was comfortable with. Particularly during .22 cal. season.

My advise, a good heart shot with your 7mm mag.

Stan