There are some boar I want to get rid of. Out to 50 yards, I can put 4+ pellets in a 10" circle using OOO Buck and 2.75" shells. Is this enough to take down a boar, or not? If so, up to what size?

Somebody answer this. I'm thinking that this guy is ready to go shoot a hog. Plenty of them around here but I haven't hunted them myself. I've been invited. I think these guys use slugs.

Yes you can kill a hog with buckshot. I have, but at much closer range than 50 yards. I like buck when fighting your way thru thick briars and brush to get back into their living room. I'd suggest slugs or a rifle. If you shoot a hog try to shoot below the armor which covers the back and about 1/3 down the side. Armor is hard to penetrate sometimes. When shooting buckshot and 4 pellets are in a 10" group, only 1 or 2 of those pellets may be below the armor. Then you have a wounded pig. He runs off, he suffers, you find him mad, or not at all.

Check this out:

viewtopic.php?f=77&t=197028

With really big buckshot you don't have to worry about a big hog's gristle shield!

I would rather stick with something more conventional. I know Dixie Slugs has a good rep, but I still consider them "exotic". I like to stick with ATK/Remington

Big round lead balls from a smoothbore are exotic!

I suspect the Tribes that encountered the Spanish in 16th century would agree!

I don't like buckshot for hogs. It tends to wound them unless you are very close, and usually leaves a poor blood trail. Adds up to a formula for more lost and suffering pigs than dead and recovered ones.

Its all according to how big the hog is. I put 4 Nosler 160 gr Partitions from a 280 Ackley into my first wild boar, a 450 pound California mix of Russian and domestic before he was down for the count. My first shot was broadside on a walking hog at about 50 yards and if I had not seen the dried mud fly off his side I would have thought it a miss. He didn't even break stride or speed up on the first shot. Archery hunters get a lot of practice at tree climbing on those big ones. The younger, better eating pigs don't take nearly as much killing.

Hrmmm, might use Hydrashok slugs instead. Will see how my M4 likes them.

That is only true of small buckshot like 00 or 000.

What about OOOO? That is the largest I can find, and even that is made by an exotic company, and I really don't like exotic ammunition manufacturers. Thye have spotty QC, and they sometimes have stuff available and sometimes don't, it's just a mess I don't deal with.

000 buck for hogs works fine out to 40 or 50 yards. If its a big boar hog, you should aim for the head as the shoulder sheilds will stop buckshot.I kill a few a year with 00 or 000.

M4FAN:

I understand your position. There are many outfits that throw something together and make outlandish claims. Yes, I avoid those also.
On the other hand there are smaller firms with well tested and developed concepts that the big firms don't want to fool with. These small firms don't make outlandish claims or charge ridiculous prices.

I do not recommend any product which I have not personally tested.
I have tested Dixie Tri-Ball ammunition and found it to have top notch quality control and consistant performance.

I have encountered shotgun ammunition defects from many of the big name manufacturers. This is particularly true of product lines designed for a consumer price point rather than Premium or LE ammunition lines. I have personally encountered big name buckshot ammo with flared crimps that would not feed in any repeater, leaking buffer, and mangled high brass heads. I avoid these also.

Use what you have confidence in.

RMc

If Dixie Slugs were still making ammo/taking orders I would try it perhapse.

From the Dixie forum:

viewtopic.php?f=77&t=192469

00 and 000 ain't "small" buckshot.

lossking:

In the "traditional sizes" 00B (.33" 54 grains) and 000B (.36" 70 grains) are on the large end of the scale. However, in today's shotshell world that is no longer the case. In 12 gauge Tri-Ball 3" loads the .60" 315 grain (3/4 ounce) pellets dwarf the traditonal sizes.

viewtopic.php?f=77&t=198405

Just as the world of shotgun slugs has changed in recent years so has buckshot.

RMc

If Dixie Slugs were still making ammo/taking orders I would try it perhapse.[/quote]

From the Dixie forum:

viewtopic.php?f=77&t=192469[/quote]

Thanks for the info. I dunno, still seems VERY proprietary and I dislike proprietary. I might buy some though to try out when they open again. How much $$ for the tri-ball loads?

M4Fan:

My last order for 12 gauge Tri-Ball 3" was placed in Sept. and ran $10 per box of 5 - including shipping with 5 box minimum order. For every 10 boxes ordered at one time they include an extra box at no additional charge.

RMc

That's really not so bad. Tempting, but I like to order stuff by the case, and that would get $$. I still might buy some.