GTA
All Springer/NP/PCP Air Gun Discussion General => Hunting Gate => Topic started by: Rallyshark on December 27, 2020, 06:56:20 AM
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Guys, I've been hoping to make this post for a long time! This will be long post too :-[ Those who know me, know I've been tuning and tweaking to no end on my .177 slug gun. I've been working hard and testing to find the right heavy slug that had top notch accuracy at higher than average power levels for .177. I wanted to use a heavier slug than what I used, but the accuracy wasn't good enough for me. When going after a larger pig, accuracy can't be just okay. I can't stress that enough, especially when trying to do what I've been trying to do. I ended up with the 18 grain NSA slug shooting at 1060-ish fps, because that is what worked at power level I wanted to use. In this case, I ended up right at 45 fpe. The gun could do more, but the accuracy just wasn't good enough for me with heavier slugs. With this tune, the gun is same hole accurate, so that's the tune I used.
I've always known a .177 could do a lot more than many people think, and I FINALLY got the chance I needed to prove it ;)
I've gone hunting for a pig with this gun a couple of times before, but the pigs didn't participate. I got a chance to try it again Saturday afternoon, with cool weather upping the odds of success. I got to my spot around 3:30pm, with the temp around 40 degrees. I set up inside the tree line 30 yards from the feeder, concealed behind a lot of brush and trees, but with a clear line of sight to the feeder. This automatic feeder is used for deer, and is set to go off 4:30pm daily. Those of you that don't know, an automatic feeder going off in the silence of the deep woods will surprise the @#$@ out of you, even though you know it is going to go off! After the feeder went off, and my heart slowly crawled back into my chest, I waited. Finally, around 5:15pm, with the temp getting closer to 30 degrees, the action began.
I heard some movement coming through the woods. Slowly, I heard the sound making it's way towards me. Then, I heard a couple of grunts. Now, the heart is beginning to pump with some authority! The wind wasn't the best, so I knew the pigs may be skittish. I kept watching, hoping. Some dark colors flashed between the trees about 20 yards from the feed area. Just a few seconds later, six small 15-20lb pigs came out of the woods from behind the feeder. I knew they weren't the size of the dark movement that had caught my a moment before. Then, out pops the big boy. Just as I had feared, they were all very skittish. They came into the opening, then the boar did a 180 back into the woods, but didn't go far. I waited, and they came out again, only to dart back into the woods a second time, before I could even get the scope on one. For a third time, they all popped out into the opening in front of the feeder. This time, they decided it was time to eat some corn, finally.
I brought the the boar into the scope to get a proper look, and he was the pig I was looking for! I'm not going to lie, I had already decided I was going to take a shot on the larger one, if it presented itself. The smaller pigs were just too small to really put the setup to the test anyway. I sat there with the gun rested across my leg with the boar in sight, waiting for a shot. He was being very still, for a feeding pig. However, one of the piglets was in front of his head. I just knew, he was going to move out, before the small pig got out of the way. I waited some more, hoping my chance wasn't going to disappear back into the woods. At this point, I was in the zone. My concentration was on point, and there reticle was no longer hopping with each heartbeat. I just needed my shot. The piglet moved, and there was that perfect shot I'd been visualizing in my head for months now. The boar was broadside to me, with his head down digging into some corn. I had the reticle centered perfectly on the temple, right between the eye and ear. It was like the trigger just squeezed itself. An unregulated ping, immediately followed by the WHAP of the little slug hitting home! A big mass of boar hog collapsed in his tracks, and fell over onto his side in slow motion!! I KNEW the shot was on the mark. That motion is unmistakable. As the boar lay there on his side with a few lazy kicks, I put another in the X between the eyes and ears on top of his head, for good measure. I know it wasn't necessary, but I wasn't going to chance this one. There was no way I was going to leave anything to chance, after so much time and preparation had been put into this goal! MISSION ACCOMPLISHED ;D ;D ;D
I was thinking he was a good 150lb hog when I took the shot. It was when I walked over to move him, that I realized he was bigger than that. I had just dropped a 200+lb boar in his tracks, with my .177 slug gun :o After a few minutes, help arrived, and we drug him up into the back of the truck. My powder burner friend was in disbelief of what I had just done with an air gun, a .177 air gun at that. I wasn't in disbelief, so much as I was simply overjoyed with a sense of accomplishment. I had finally gotten my chance to prove all that tuning, tinkering, barrel swapping, and countless rounds on target. This smile isn't going to go away for a few days :D
I didn't get to put him on a scale, because it was broken at the processor. The processor estimated him to be around 225 lbs, but I'll just claim 200+lbs myself, haha. I can tell you he was pretty darn hard to get off the ground, and it took both of us to get him up on the tailgate. I hope you guys enjoyed the story, God knows I enjoyed making it! I also hope everyone understands the absolute accuracy and preparation that is required to this with a small bore. This isn't a 20lb piglet with a break barrel, and it isn't something that should be done on a whim, or with a gun that isn't capable. I put a lot of effort into knowing the limits of my gun, and myself. I'm not in this to wound animals, of course. That being said, is sure is a heck of a rush pulling off a proper hog kill with a small bore!
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Wow!!!! buddy good on you!!! great patience and good shooting. David
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Wow!!!! buddy good on you!!! great patience and good shooting. David
Thank you Mr. David!!
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Very well done! ;D You did it right the whole way. Enjoyed the story of the hunt as well. Enjoy the meat and your status. There can not be too many people that have taken a hog that :o big with a .177 and dropped it on the spot.
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What a great and satisfying accomplishment. From beginning to end!
Thanks for sharing a great story!
Dave
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Great shot, Rallyshark. Your patience and expertise truly paid off. The details of your hunt kept me on the edge of my seat.
Congratulations on your journey to bring this to fruition !
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Donny, excellent shooting & great story. Congratulations!
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Nice one Donny!
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what a great climax to a fantastic adventure ! congrats !!
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Congratulations. Your story and writing kept me interested and wanting more. I do not know what the sound of a deer feeder is but I am very curious now.
Wow, 1060 fps and accuracy with 18 grain is amazing. Looks like the trees behind the hog are where you were stationed. Like to see where you were hiding as you must have been very concealed. Dumb question time... Camo clothing or did you show up in a jacket, jeans and boots and just hide well?
Anyways, that's awesome. I took a nutria with .177 but never dreamed a 200+ lb hog could be downed with it!!!!!!! You know it can be done and will do it again.
Your success is inspiring and makes me want to do better.
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Congratulations! You are the reason I chose a Hatsan flash for my first pcp.Thank you for your willingness to help others!
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Awesome! Fantastic story; and a successful culmination of your efforts.
That's a lot of pork; for sure. :D
Congrats,
Jesse
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I missed something . . . i got the .177 part . . . i didn't get the manufacturer ??
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I missed something . . . i got the .177 part . . . i didn't get the manufacturer ??
...I ended up with the 18 grain NSA slug shooting at 1060-ish fps...
Yes!! That sure is an achievement!! Great shooting! Enjoy all that pork!!
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All I can say Donny is Totally Awesome shooting and fantastic tuning, planning and finally getting to the Nirvana . . . very cool 8)
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Donny, You da man !
225 pounds ÷ 18 grains = 87,500 to 1 !
Now you have to post a link to the build thread on that nifty looking camo bulpup.
Hunter
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Congratulations! Not just a challenging mission accomplished, but from the very beginning. Great story and thanks for sharing all the steps.
Your second shot was wise. I had a big boar (forehead shot with a shotgun) that seemed already dead on the spot, but was passed out.. After about “30” seconds it did an uncontrolled run for a few meters with a HUGE!!! energy.
Regarding wind.., I put some sour corn at the bait station when I arrive and I drop some of used motor oil in some places around. I think that it does not disturb the meal, and, at least, their sense of smell should get a bit confused about me..
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Donny
You done "GOOD",
outstanding results and info, now for the little ones and ma should be around some where.
I hope you saved the skull, have it cleaned and do the European style,
would be neat to show that 17 cal hole, in the proper place.
Length of cutters?
Would be interesting to see the expanded slug for weighing etc.
Great and outstanding shooting and story, done the proper way................. ;)
Thank you,
Don
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Awesome build! What a reward for time spent tuning & building.
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Holy Guacamole ;D, that's a nice pig..... great shooting with the .177, great story too ;)
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Holy moly Donny! That is a shot, mod and tune of a lifetime! Congratulations sir! Woo Hoo!
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Thanks so much for the kind words guys!! I'm still smiling, haha.
Congratulations! You are the reason I chose a Hatsan flash for my first pcp.Thank you for your willingness to help others!
Thanks man! The Flash platform definitely has a ton of tuning flexibility, and that's the reason I use them. They're simple, and very un-Hatsan in the weight department ;)
Awesome! Fantastic story; and a successful culmination of your efforts.
That's a lot of pork; for sure. :D
Congrats,
Jesse
Thank you! Unfortunately, the "lot of pork" was not to be :( This boars shield went almost all the way to the back of the ribs, and the processor talked me out of getting him processed. The meat on the boars down in South GA starts to get really really gamey around 175lbs in most cases. How far back the shield goes on them is usually a good indicator, and this one was well past the borderline. The smell of cooking the meat on the larger boars will run you out of the house! It basically felt like solid bone all the way down his side. It wouldn't be an issue with a sow, but the boars are another story. I was VERY disappointed in that regard. I questioned even mentioning this, but it's the truth. It is unfortunate just the same. These hogs are absolute destruction down there, and there are tons of farmers that drop them and leave them where they fall. We'll just say there are a lot of fat coyotes down there. Needless to say, I'm going for a good fat sow, or small boar next time. This boar was pretty much my only choice on this hunt though, and the land owner was happy to see one less.
I missed something . . . i got the .177 part . . . i didn't get the manufacturer ??
Donny, You da man !
225 pounds ÷ 18 grains = 87,500 to 1 !
Now you have to post a link to the build thread on that nifty looking camo bulpup.
Hunter
Thanks! I had not considered the ratio! The gun started life as a Hatsan Flashpup, but has morphed into a bit of a Turkenstein gun, lol. Long story short: It is a Wood Flashpup, with a BT65 air cylinder and a 23" LW unchoked polygon barrel. Of course, lots of other small details and tuning were involved. Here's the thread of the build and the gun that eventually emerged :D
https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=166895.msg155869464#msg155869464 (https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=166895.msg155869464#msg155869464)
Donny
You done "GOOD",
outstanding results and info, now for the little ones and ma should be around some where.
I hope you saved the skull, have it cleaned and do the European style,
would be neat to show that 17 cal hole, in the proper place.
Length of cutters?
Would be interesting to see the expanded slug for weighing etc.
Great and outstanding shooting and story, done the proper way................. ;)
Thank you,
Don
The cutters were broke off on the right side, but were only a couple of inches on the left side. They were pretty small for a boar of that size. I would have liked to see that slug too, but decided not to bother with it in this case. I absolutely would have done that, and got a good skull mount, had the cutters been better! I imagine that little pill was nothing more than a gob of lead, ha!
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Excellent hunt and story Donny. Perfectly executed hunt.
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Congratulations. Your story and writing kept me interested and wanting more. I do not know what the sound of a deer feeder is but I am very curious now.
Wow, 1060 fps and accuracy with 18 grain is amazing. Looks like the trees behind the hog are where you were stationed. Like to see where you were hiding as you must have been very concealed. Dumb question time... Camo clothing or did you show up in a jacket, jeans and boots and just hide well?
Anyways, that's awesome. I took a nutria with .177 but never dreamed a 200+ lb hog could be downed with it!!!!!!! You know it can be done and will do it again.
Your success is inspiring and makes me want to do better.
I was across and down from the feeder a bit, inside the tree line. This picture is deceptive, because the only real clear shot line I had at the feeder. I was pretty well concealed, and wearing some .40 backup on my belt, just in case ;) This picture is before I went and got him. Clearly, he didn't go anywhere though!
I was wearing a combo of camo and tan insulated overalls. Camo isn't super important with the pigs for the most part. Like deer, they'll spot motion more than colors. I was sitting in a fold out canvas chair that I plopped down in the brush. I actually prefer hunting from those chairs, because my crossed leg gives me the perfect gun rest.
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Great shot Donny! And great job putting a 17 caliber airgun together with enough snuff to take down a 200-225lb pig. Very impressive sir.
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Congrats to the holy grail pig harvest, fantastic tuning job Donny. There is nothing wrong with having a to do a follow up shot, it's better than looking for one all night.
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THE HOLY GRAIL!!!! An insane accomplishment Donny, congrats on making all the hard work deliver the goods. Bar-B-Que shoot at your place? ;D
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Well done indeed !!
Tho figure I'll just be shooting .177 slugs at the Ground Squirrels :o
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Nicely done and great shooting
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Thank you! Unfortunately, the "lot of pork" was not to be :( This boars shield went almost all the way to the back of the ribs, and the processor talked me out of getting him processed. The meat on the boars down in South GA starts to get really really gamey around 175lbs in most cases. How far back the shield goes on them is usually a good indicator, and this one was well past the borderline. The smell of cooking the meat on the larger boars will run you out of the house! It basically felt like solid bone all the way down his side. It wouldn't be an issue with a sow, but the boars are another story. I was VERY disappointed in that regard. I questioned even mentioning this, but it's the truth. It is unfortunate just the same. These hogs are absolute destruction down there, and there are tons of farmers that drop them and leave them where they fall. We'll just say there are a lot of fat coyotes down there. Needless to say, I'm going for a good fat sow, or small boar next time. This boar was pretty much my only choice on this hunt though, and the land owner was happy to see one less.
Wow :o did not know that the boars become "armored" and completely inedible as they age; it's (thankfully!) feral-swine free where I am so don't know much about them. Still an awesome shot; and a huge boar with a .177"!
Jesse
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heck of a shot, Donny! Dang...that's a story for sure! It also goes to show that precision and accuracy are a definite "must-have" when going for the larger game choices. For myself, I doubt I'd be able to accurately reproduce the needed precision, even though the gun may be accurate. My hat is off to you, sir!
Shame that the meat wasn't able to be harvested. My cousin harvested one about the same size a couple of years back; the meat did have a bit of musk to it, but it wasn't too bad. I'm surprised to learn that hogs of that size in your area don't really have consumption value. I'll count myself lucky that the pigs here aren't too gamey overall.
Speaking of overall, at least you removed a stud from the population. He more than likely sired his fair share of piglets, so there's one less male to propagate. Taking out the sows will definitely make a dent (at least I hope so), so I'll be looking forward to another post of a sow falling victim to the Turk. 8)
Thank you! Unfortunately, the "lot of pork" was not to be :( This boars shield went almost all the way to the back of the ribs, and the processor talked me out of getting him processed. The meat on the boars down in South GA starts to get really really gamey around 175lbs in most cases. How far back the shield goes on them is usually a good indicator, and this one was well past the borderline. The smell of cooking the meat on the larger boars will run you out of the house! It basically felt like solid bone all the way down his side. It wouldn't be an issue with a sow, but the boars are another story. I was VERY disappointed in that regard. I questioned even mentioning this, but it's the truth. It is unfortunate just the same. These hogs are absolute destruction down there, and there are tons of farmers that drop them and leave them where they fall. We'll just say there are a lot of fat coyotes down there. Needless to say, I'm going for a good fat sow, or small boar next time. This boar was pretty much my only choice on this hunt though, and the land owner was happy to see one less.
Wow :o did not know that the boars become "armored" and completely inedible as they age; it's (thankfully!) feral-swine free where I am so don't know much about them. Still an awesome shot; and a huge boar with a .177"!
Jesse
just as an aside, the plates they have on their shoulders are no joke. If you slash it with a knife, all you're going to do is break skin. If you stab it hard enough, you may get to the meat underneath, but you'll need a long knife to hit the vitals.
I've seen shields that have buckshot in them. :o
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Congrats, Donny!
That accomplishment is epic, and the reading was great!
It is such a shame you couldn't use any of those of protein, but you took one large, destructive menace out of the picture.
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Yep, that will do it.
The precise shot with a heavy .17 at 45 FPE is nothing to take lightly.
Well done.
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Thanks guys! I too, was very disappointed about not getting the meat. I mean, really disappointed. It took a lot of the joy I had out of it, to be honest. I was hoping, since he was a youngish fat boar, that the meat may be okay. The processor was pretty adamant about not processing the meat. This dude had one heck of a shield on him. It was like tapping a solid bone plate all the way down his side. Unfortunately, I wasn't in a position to clean it myself, since I was traveling without all of my means to deal with it. I was reliant on the local processor to deal with the meat side of things. I would have had a heck of a time strapping that sucker to the top of my Ford Focus,lol! Can you imagine the looks I would have gotten rolling down the interstate with a 200lb pig strapped to my roof? That would have been hilarious, hahaha!
On the bright side, the land owner was happy to see a big hog removed from his land. Oddly enough, there is a surprising benefit to the the farmers leaving hogs where they fall. Bald Eagles! The Bald Eagles apparently love dining on a dead pig in a field. The farmers tell me they almost always see Eagles, when they leave one in the field, and Eagles are pretty rare in that part of GA. Of course, fat coyotes don't mind it either. The land owners down there consider any dead pig a good pig. I can't honestly put myself in that camp. I would very much prefer to put that meat to good use, in my freezer. I guess mother nature's critters see it as being put to good use, being put in their bellies instead.
Still, I will be looking for a smaller boar or fat sow next time I get the chance. I also think it is time to give my .22 "Turkenstein" a chance at it's first piggy. Some 28.5 grain NSA slugs at 1015 fps should make for some good medicine :D After seeing what can be done with that .177, I don't really feel like I have a size limit with the .22 at 65 fpe, assuming I can get the shot I want. That's the whole key with small bores though, accuracy and perfect shot placement. I spend a lot of time finding what slugs will work on the upper end of power levels for that very reason. If I can't shoot a hole in the target, and then hit that same hole, I ain't gonna be using it for hunting ;)
Manny, you'll be happy to hear that I actually topped the gun off with a hand pump! It was cold enough, that the air in my cylinder had dropped a little below what I would normally fill to, so the hand pump was required to finish off that fill. That does make it a bit more gratifying ;)
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Congratulations on the successful hunt Donny, you put in the work, and earned the rewards. Too bad about not getting the meat, but that's not going to take much away from your accomplishment.
And I am elated to be able to take this opportunity to officially welcome you to the brotherhood of big game smallbore hunters. There are not many of us, and what we can do with our smallbores boggles the minds of most people outside of our ranks. Some will say it can't be done, many will say it shouldn't even be considered, and even more would call us unethical. But I believe all that do say such things are simply jealous, and mad that they don't possess the assets that allow us to be able to accomplish what we do with our little lead pills. Knowledge of our own skills, our equipments capabilities, our patience, preparation, planning, and practice. But to them we say "we know what we're doing, and how to get it done, and what it takes to get the job done", and we make no apologies to the naysayers. We open their eyes to what's possible, when you focus and have the dedication and put in the effort.
Go forth with pride and confidence in your skill and achievements brother, and know that you are now and forever more one of a very special few. We thank you for your achievements.
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Well done Donny,
Its a pity the reward was not so sweet, but you have certainly proven that flashpup to be a worthy adversary!
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Makes me wanna buy a Rainstorm in .17 :) :)
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Awesome hunt, great story and fantastic shooting!
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Donny, this was a stunning kill and an even more spectacular story!
Your post should appear as an article in an airgun hunting magazine of some kind, it's that good.
Thanks and (almost) Happy New Year! 8) 8) 8)
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Makes me wanna buy a Rainstorm in .17 :) :)
Or if, you can get your hands on it, a Sumatra carbine in .17
Your ears may have to duck, you'd be grinning that wide.
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No meat aside, I'm still smiling about this one :D :D I think it will be hard for me to top this, but that doesn't mean I won't try. Thanks again for all the kind words too! I previously killed a 100lb pig with my old Bullboss .22, and it was only barely more power than this .177. The larger boar with a smaller caliber is definitely more rewarding. I do plan on going back at the first opportunity, to get my .22 it's first large game kill, and put some meat in the freezer. I won't lie though, if a 300+lb boar with good cutters walks out, I WILL take that shot. I have full confidence in my .22 in the 65-75 fpe range, and it is just as accurate. I have countless slugs that didn't work to prove I put the work in finding the slugs to make it a laser.
Don't think I'm done with the .177 ice pick shooter either! I have a couple of different barrel blanks in the pipeline that I hope to get my hands on soon. They are 650mm barrels with faster twists of 16" and 14.5". I'm hoping that extra couple of inches of barrel and twist will be the recipe I need to get this gun to it's full potential with the heavier 20-24 grain slugs ;) I'd love to be able to get it to work well with a solid 50 fpe tune. The silence of this gun is nuts, and that's part of the reason I like it so much. .177 combined with a larger NC LDC make it downright deceptive. The slug hitting the animal is louder than the gun by a long shot. When that little slug hit that pig, it sounded like somebody walked up to him and slapped the #$% out of him, LOL!
I think a Rainstorm or Sumatra .177 would be a pretty sweet build! Basically any gun with power to spare is a good candidate, because it takes a lot of effort to get these little bitty bullets up to these power levels. If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times, but an FX 700mm slug liner in .177 would be an awesome thing to get our hands on...
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Congrats on the bruiser of a boar, that was one heck of a shot with the ole .177 airgun.
All of your hard work paid off in the end and still work to be done testing more barrels & ammo.
I wished we could hunt pigs over bait & with an airgun here in Commiefornia, it would be a real hoot and fun to take a porker with an airgun.
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Congrats! That is a big pig. Love seeing small calibers get the job done with work and skill.
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Congrats on the bruiser of a boar, that was one heck of a shot with the ole .177 airgun.
All of your hard work paid off in the end and still work to be done testing more barrels & ammo.
I wished we could hunt pigs over bait & with an airgun here in Commiefornia, it would be a real hoot and fun to take a porker with an airgun.
Wow, they're doing their best to ruin your fun over there :( In south GA, and most other places, the pigs are downright pests. Most jurisdictions allow you to kill them by most any means necessary. They cause billions of dollars in damage in the southeast US for sure. I wonder if there's a loophole where you could bait them with something that grows there that they are already feeding on? Like fruit from local trees or crops etc.?
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Makes me wanna buy a Rainstorm in .17 :) :)
Or if, you can get your hands on it, a Sumatra carbine in .17
Your ears may have to duck, you'd be grinning that wide.
I think a Storm .17 would be a beast,....sooo tempted. :)
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I think a Storm .17 would be a beast,....sooo tempted. :)
“You only live once...” ;D
I myself am in the middle of trying to justify why I need an FX Wildcat MkIII... ::)
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Nice job smoking that bacon! Too bad you didn't get to enjoy it but at least you have a great memory to keep.
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Excellent! You slapped him into the next life Donny congrats and I hope you get to post about your 300lb porker someday too!