bullet selection 454 Casull for Hog

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normAK
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bullet selection 454 Casull for Hog

Post by normAK »

I'll be hunting hog just south of Van Horn Texas in late April. The guide said day time shots may go 300+ yards. I have a Vortex scout scope mounted on my Rossi '92 454 Casull, so I feel comfortable taking game out to 200 yards but any further and the holdover starts getting pretty big so I'll probably pass on shots much past that distance. My hunting partner will be using a 308 so he will pretty much be the designated distance shooter.

My usual loads for bear protection here in Alaska are 335gr hardcast, but if I go with a 250gr Barnes XPB it will shoot a bit flatter and I will have about half the holdover at 200yd. Does anyone have any experience with using the Barnes 250gr XPB on pigs? Any advice is appreciated.
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Re: bullet selection 454 Casull for Hog

Post by Ranch Dog »

I use cast. The outfitter must be hunting some open country; most hogs are shot inside 70 yards here in South Texas.
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normAK
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Re: bullet selection 454 Casull for Hog

Post by normAK »

I had heard that north west Texas is less brushy and more open than the rest of the state and what the guide said would seem to confirm it. I have shot pig in both Florida and Texas before and my longest shot has been 100yds, the others have been 30-70yds.

He told me the night hunting will be in the range I am used to, but shots in the day while glassing could be 300+
I really want to hunt with the Rossi, but now I'm starting to think that bringing my Mossberg 300 win mag with a Vortex Hog Hunter 3-12X56 AO might be my best bet. The 300 win mag is a tack driver and I can always toss the Echo1 on it for night hunting. Bring the right tool for the job at hand instead of trying to drive nails with a wrench just because I want to use my wrench. ;)
As much as I want to knock something down with the Rossi,it might be better to use when the country isn't quite as open.

Decisions, decisions.....
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Re: bullet selection 454 Casull for Hog

Post by pacificpt »

Take both and switch as needed. And definitely take a camera so you can share pics with us after the hunt.
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Re: bullet selection 454 Casull for Hog

Post by normAK »

pacificpt wrote:Take both and switch as needed. And definitely take a camera so you can share pics with us after the hunt.
I gave this some serious thought, but I'm already bringing a rifle so my buddy can hunt. I'm flying down from Alaska and bringing 3 rifles for a two day hunt just isn't appealing.... Next trip to Florida or south Texas the Rossi will see some action for sure!
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Re: bullet selection 454 Casull for Hog

Post by runfiverun »

NW texas ain't all that open.
unless he is hunting the desert area along the new mexico border.
airc it's got cedar trees and rolling hills through that area.

my idea of open is more like the grass/sagebrush plains of North Dakota or Wyoming, or the west desert of Utah, but then again I hang out with guy's that bow/pistol hunt antelope in those places.
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Re: bullet selection 454 Casull for Hog

Post by GasGuzzler »

Depends on what is meant by NW Texas.
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Re: bullet selection 454 Casull for Hog

Post by Ranch Dog »

GasGuzzler wrote:Depends on what is meant by NW Texas.
As a Texan, I was thinking the same but didn't want to correct. Culberson County is Far West Texas as a general expression, and it was once known as the Trans-Pecos. Now it is officially referred to as the "Chihuahuan Desert and Mexican Mountains." I figure the latter was a move by the Obama Administration to assist Mexico in regaining territory that the corrupt and evil America had stolen. Yeah, that's going to happen! As a guy that is still hunting there, it's called the Trans-Pecos. I suspect the hunting is going to take place in the alfalfa and winter wheat fields in that County.
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Re: bullet selection 454 Casull for Hog

Post by GasGuzzler »

Yeah my point is TX doesn't have a NW corner......and West Texas from Midland to El Paso isn't quite like the pan handle (which is NOT called North Texas or West Texas despite being the farthest north point, DFW is called North Texas). We have all terrains for the most part other than frozen tundra.
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Re: bullet selection 454 Casull for Hog

Post by normAK »

The ranch I'll be hunting at is halfway between Van Horn,TX and Valentine,TX
I have never been there before, all I have to go on is what the outfitter told me. :(

If anyone here know that area I sure would appreciate some input as to what the terrain is actually like. I sure want to bring the Rossi, but not if I'm shooting past 200yds!
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