Originally Posted by
super_hunt54
People have underestimated the toughness and tenacity of wild hogs for many years falcon. While I am far from against the use of a PRB, you HAVE to know their limitations on penetration. I have seen a few of the hogs from your area that Jon posted up on here and can tell you that your winter hogs have a good bit of fat on them. You add that heavy fat layer up with that tough as hard tack leather shield and you have some serious protection of the vitals. Even with a big ole ball from a .54 loaded up you shouldn't shoot past 50 yards on a healthy 150# boar hog. That heavy protection will flatten out a PRB and while yes it will still most likely be lethal, the terminal performance of it will be severely limited. Hydrostatic shock will be dang near nullified since most of it will be spread throughout the fat layer. I've seen heavy winter hogs do the exact same thing after being hit perfectly behind the shoulder with well penetrating .30 caliber center fires.
Okay, I got a bit of a head ache trying to understand this.
We are all agreement that the .54cal fires a larger and heavier ball, correct?
The larger ball carries higher knock down power #'s.
I shot my 175-200lb hog at 47 to 50ish yards with 80gr 2fg goex and a 177 grain .490" round ball. The ball went straight through the hogs shoulder bones, breaking both completely in half during inspection while butchering the hog.
How exactly does the .54cal which fires a heavier, more Ft lbs of energy round ball, still have the limit of my 50cal on hogs?
Also, what plate are we talking about? I saw a typical shoulder plate but nothing that was thicker than elk or deer that I have shot. I'm pretty sure I hit that plate with my .50cal round ball.
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I really wish we could have found that hog, but with no light and thick brush, we will never know what happened.
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On second thought, I believe grouse said he was can hunting hogs with some guys and they were shooting 2-3-4 shots into these hogs before they died. And they were using big lead conicals, not round balls.