Good kill. That's a pretty hog. His head is broad and well defined. Most of Florida's hogs are full of domestic genes from the days the settlers freeranged their hogs and they interbred with the European wild boars the Spaniards brought . Therefore not all wild hog heads look "wild" like that here.Speaking of his head, I noticed in the third picture of the hog where he's stood up that its very easy to see your shot placement. Its so hard for me to shoot for that point on an instinctual level. Even as I imagine aiming at him right now everything inside wants me to pull the crosshairs down to between his eyes. Would it be accurate to say that the proper shot placement for a head-on shot (with the hog's head down) would be to draw and X between his eyes and ears and aim for the center of the X? To me it looks like your shot placement does that. If so, that might make it easier for me to line up to imagine the X.
Quote from: Bullfrog on March 14, 2014, 01:16:23 AMGood kill. That's a pretty hog. His head is broad and well defined. Most of Florida's hogs are full of domestic genes from the days the settlers freeranged their hogs and they interbred with the European wild boars the Spaniards brought . Therefore not all wild hog heads look "wild" like that here.Speaking of his head, I noticed in the third picture of the hog where he's stood up that its very easy to see your shot placement. Its so hard for me to shoot for that point on an instinctual level. Even as I imagine aiming at him right now everything inside wants me to pull the crosshairs down to between his eyes. Would it be accurate to say that the proper shot placement for a head-on shot (with the hog's head down) would be to draw and X between his eyes and ears and aim for the center of the X? To me it looks like your shot placement does that. If so, that might make it easier for me to line up to imagine the X. Yeah Travis that is one of that big misconceptions.For the pellet/bullet to reach the brain by aiming beween the eyes the boar would have to be looking at you, at that point the skull is so slanted that it would be a certain deflection with an airgun, hey we hear storys like that with firearms alot too.if the head was down and you shot right in between the eyes the pellet/bullet would miss the brain, with the head down the spot is exactly where I shot this one, LOL ....How very concieted of me I don't know if you've seen this old thread of mine, but it's a good reference fot whom wants to Hog hunt with airgunshttp://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=49944.0
Manny would I have your permission, to use your pics to try to get airguns legal for hogs in CA?
Quote from: Big Bore Bart on March 15, 2014, 11:46:33 PM Manny would I have your permission, to use your pics to try to get airguns legal for hogs in CA?Absolutely, let people realise what a properly used airgun is actually capable off, however keep it on the big bore range otherwise you'll do what Crosman does and promote small bore for hog hunting but there's to many uneducated people out there and that would be counterproductive,...push for .357 and up, leave the small bores to idiots like me that like to tangle with the hogs in tight places undergunned
I just wanna throw this out there about head shots.Im pretty new to ag, but I've done my share of hunting, including quite a bit of guiding. Imo, the high forehead shot is not optimal. It is effective as long as you are 100% confident of shot placement and penetration, but it has its flaws. Ive shot most of my big game with a bow, and shot placement is very critical, and i have caped many skulls out, from small game to whitetails, and have become a study of wild game anatomy. With that in mind, i would submit that a quartering away shot, at the crease between the neck and ear as being the ideal brain shot, especially with a low energy projectile like these. There are a couple reasons. One, the front brain is the frontal cortex, and can actually be partially destroyed, and allow basic brain function (i.e. a frontal lobotomy). Two, the front of the skull is very strong and in most animals the thickest part, with few of the plates jointed, and its on a long sloping angle, further complicating good penetration. Third, the animal is facing you for the shot. This is just a personal thing, but i don't like taking shots on facing critters. I don't want them have any possible premonition of danger. The rear of the skull is mostly rounded, especially at either side, providing a much better angle to penetrate the skull. It is also much thinner and weaker at the back, as this is where the plates join together. If a projectile enters at the back of the skull, it immediately destroys brain tissue and nerves that are essential to organ function. Given this, i prefer a back of the head shot.This is a personal opinion, and I'm not trying to step on anyones toes. Manny has clearly proven multiple times that a frontal shot with the right equipment will get it done, but there is another, possibly better brain shot to consider. I hope you guys all understand that he is very carefully selecting these shots, and placing the pellet in a very precise area at the correct angle, and with enough power to do the job.Great shooting manny, keep it up man!
Quote from: Mr.Bojangles on March 16, 2014, 10:13:12 PMI just wanna throw this out there about head shots.Im pretty new to ag, but I've done my share of hunting, including quite a bit of guiding. Imo, the high forehead shot is not optimal. It is effective as long as you are 100% confident of shot placement and penetration, but it has its flaws. Ive shot most of my big game with a bow, and shot placement is very critical, and i have caped many skulls out, from small game to whitetails, and have become a study of wild game anatomy. With that in mind, i would submit that a quartering away shot, at the crease between the neck and ear as being the ideal brain shot, especially with a low energy projectile like these. There are a couple reasons. One, the front brain is the frontal cortex, and can actually be partially destroyed, and allow basic brain function (i.e. a frontal lobotomy). Two, the front of the skull is very strong and in most animals the thickest part, with few of the plates jointed, and its on a long sloping angle, further complicating good penetration. Third, the animal is facing you for the shot. This is just a personal thing, but i don't like taking shots on facing critters. I don't want them have any possible premonition of danger. The rear of the skull is mostly rounded, especially at either side, providing a much better angle to penetrate the skull. It is also much thinner and weaker at the back, as this is where the plates join together. If a projectile enters at the back of the skull, it immediately destroys brain tissue and nerves that are essential to organ function. Given this, i prefer a back of the head shot.This is a personal opinion, and I'm not trying to step on anyones toes. Manny has clearly proven multiple times that a frontal shot with the right equipment will get it done, but there is another, possibly better brain shot to consider. I hope you guys all understand that he is very carefully selecting these shots, and placing the pellet in a very precise area at the correct angle, and with enough power to do the job.Great shooting manny, keep it up man!was just looking at pictures of Deer, coyote and other animals and I agree 100 % with you that the back of the head would be a great shot indeed, that way their cranium is so high and exposed makes a great target