Originally Posted by
ecorrigan
I've shot competition .22 for years. Most of that at distances twice what you mentioned here. 50-yards was where we'd start, shoot a few warm-up shots and then move out, engaging targets at 10-yard intervals starting at the 50-yard line and going all the way to 100-yards. Being able to put about 10-rounds in a group approximately the size of a ping-pong ball while kneeling, sitting, prone and if we're lucky, offhand. It's not easy. I'm not trying to be argumentative but rather trying to show that it's easy to make a shot with something smaller if you practice. Although you mentioned taking shots through brush, which is sometimes required during hunting. If a shot like that were to be taken with a .22 the bullet likely wouldn't hit the target due to deflection.
And how much energy do you think those bullets have at that range? Even using the hottest standard load I could find, it only has 204 ft.lbs at the muzzle. Or about 120 ft.lbs at a hundred yards.
I guess I just don't see the need for all the large calibers when it can be done with less.
I would highly suggest that you read my previous posts again. As I said, accuracy is but one factor that changes things.
Hell, people spear pigs and from what I've been told, will take them with nothing but a knife (now this I've got to see... while sitting out of reach of the pig) and they do it successfully.
The wounding mechanics of a spear or knife are completely different from that of bullets. Also those folks that spear, or knife their hogs also run dogs. Ya see, your bay dogs go out first and chase and circle the hog, keeping it in one spot, then you send your catch dogs in and they latch on. Then the handlers will either tie the hog to a tree and stab it, or hog tie it, and then make the kill.
Why do we need something big to do it? The head of a pig isn't that small, I guess I just don't understand why something smaller can be used.
Because as I said earlier, without the use of dogs, the hog is free to move as it pleases, the brush is very thick here, just like when deer hunting, you are more likely to get a body hit than a head hit, To get through the gristle plate, even at 0 range, you need more than the .22 can offer. My son's pellet gun offers 160 ft.lbs of energy at the muzzle. So as that is close to many standard loads in .22 would you recommend that I use that when most of my shots on hog are 75 to a hundred yards and a head shot is more often than not, not an option.
Is this anything like my enjoyment of shooting gophers with a .223? Actually probably not. I do that at distances farther than my Anschutz will shoot.
Nope, it is being an ethical hunter that wants to reduce the amount of suffering my game will feel, and reduce the chances of loosing an animal.