Originally Posted by
ecorrigan
My thoughts are that pigs don't differ much, key word being 'much'. I wasn't saying that the hunting was the same, I meant the animals are pretty much the same. If you place your shot well, you can do it with something smaller than what is typically thought to be needed for the animal.
WDM Bell hunted elephants with the equivalent to a .30 Caliber rifle and figured any rifle in .30 Caliber that would shoot a bullet over 200-grains was perfect for elephants. My point being, there is no need for a large caliber rifle if a person can place their shot well. I look at like this: I hunt with a .308 rifle. There is nothing in the United States as far as wild game, that I would feel I couldn't effectively take with that rifle and that caliber if I do my job and place the shot well.
My point being, it's all about shot placement. Regardless of what you're hunting and where you're at!! All the knockdown power in the world ain't gonna make a bit of difference if the shot isn't going in an effective place!!
(By the way: "(remember there is a difference between ignorant and stupid)"... Now you're talking to me like I'm stupid. I would be willing to bet I'm a little older than you think!!)
No. I am not talking to you like you are stupid, ignorant simply means you don't know. Age has little to do with it. Ive met men twice my age that know half as much, and kids half my age that know twice as much.
And yes, shot placement is key, and if you can get proper shot placement you can kill em dead. However because of our terrain, and lack of dogs, often times you will not get the shot placement required when using a .22. A .22 lr can kill a man dead during a defensive shooting. But given the choice, and knowing that you likely wont get the perfect shot placement required would you rather carry a .22 or a 9mm?
Also, yes, animals are different state to state.
And while you can kill an elephant with something that small, most found it best for the big bore deep penetrating stuff.
A .44 mag might sound like overkill, but really it isn't. It just has good penetration, and using good HC lead there is very little meat destroyed with the shot. A good 80% of the hog hunters Ive spoken to in my area say most of their shots are from 50 yards or more, though moderate to thick bush, and a body shot, not a head shot. Very different from running dogs in a wide open field, or what not.