So in March, South Texas Arms celebrated it's anniversary ... and in doing so, I offered a hunt for folks that were interested.
Unfortunately due to timing (I guess) or something, we only had 2 fellas show up to hunt with me: a Father and Son duo. Good group of guys. Dad is a customer of mine, built a 6.8 upper for him last year, and he really enjoys it. For Christmas, I gave him a lower to compliment it rather than him find a way to outfit another lower (had a .223 AR already).
Son was given the .223 for the hunt, dad used the 6.8.
We traveled to Victoria for a weekend of spotting pigs under feeders. I've decided that this type of hunting is definitely not for me unless I'm hunting deer.... just too much sitting and not enough scouting.
Anywho, we arrived around snack time (for me) and so we vegged for an hour or so, took care of all the necessities of camp and guiding, and loaded up for boar. I toted along my 6.8 as well, with my Gen 2 Sniper Hog Light (has since been replaced with a Wicked Light), and the Father/Son duo had all of their gear loaded up. First stand we come to I drop off, head into a blind. We corned the sendero and around the feeders with Orange Corn (a new offering from some acquaintances down the road from me) to try out on this hunt. The duo is set off on another part of the ranch.
I sat for an hour or so, until right before dark. Saw some nice cows come in and eat the Orange Corn; some healthy does as well. Right as shooting light was giving away, I noticed movement down the other sendero where the protein feeder was at, roughly 100 yards to my left. I had the windows of the blind open on 3 directions due to wind, and needed as much capability as possible. Turning the rifle out the side window, I turned on my light, and much to my surprise were three pigs at the feeder. All of them had their butts to me, and as I went to target one, he caught sight of my light and booked it to the brush line. So I scanned as he left the scene, and saw a fourth pig in view now. This one was oblivious to my light. As he turned slightly quartering away, I sent my 115gr HPBT his way. Soon as I fired, of course the cloud of smoke and green LED filled my vision and I was temporarily blinded... once the wind carried the plume of smoke away, I realized what my ears had heard, and that was a dead pig. He didn't go far at all... and after the guide came to pick me up about 45-60 minutes later, there was NO movement after that bullet impacted. The pig took me and the guide every bit of the two of us and a makeshift pulley/rope to get the sucker loaded up.
Later on, when we quartered him and put it the cooler, the entry was on the left side of the body, and the exit was quite small.... the wound channel however was nearly the size of a tennis ball. The HPBT expended its entire energy inside the neck and exploded, allowing shrapnel and fragments to exit the other side in small portions.
We retired for the evening and went back out early on, around 0500. About 0730-0800, the stand I was sitting at began to be flush with deer... until something spooked them off. 15 minutes later, a lone boar strolled out and decided to pick up some protein. He was able to get about 10 minutes of chow time in before I decided to send a 95gr TTSX to his vitals. This time, I hit at the shoulder, and blew out the heart, both lungs; he died on the spot honestly.... and didn't go anywhere either. Amazing the two bullets worked perfectly in the distances they were used within... and of course, proved yet again that the 6.8 is a hog killing round....
First time in a while that I've actually been able to go hunt, and kill something other than time! Felt good to finally connect on the specimens I was after!!
Unfortunately due to timing (I guess) or something, we only had 2 fellas show up to hunt with me: a Father and Son duo. Good group of guys. Dad is a customer of mine, built a 6.8 upper for him last year, and he really enjoys it. For Christmas, I gave him a lower to compliment it rather than him find a way to outfit another lower (had a .223 AR already).
Son was given the .223 for the hunt, dad used the 6.8.
We traveled to Victoria for a weekend of spotting pigs under feeders. I've decided that this type of hunting is definitely not for me unless I'm hunting deer.... just too much sitting and not enough scouting.
Anywho, we arrived around snack time (for me) and so we vegged for an hour or so, took care of all the necessities of camp and guiding, and loaded up for boar. I toted along my 6.8 as well, with my Gen 2 Sniper Hog Light (has since been replaced with a Wicked Light), and the Father/Son duo had all of their gear loaded up. First stand we come to I drop off, head into a blind. We corned the sendero and around the feeders with Orange Corn (a new offering from some acquaintances down the road from me) to try out on this hunt. The duo is set off on another part of the ranch.
I sat for an hour or so, until right before dark. Saw some nice cows come in and eat the Orange Corn; some healthy does as well. Right as shooting light was giving away, I noticed movement down the other sendero where the protein feeder was at, roughly 100 yards to my left. I had the windows of the blind open on 3 directions due to wind, and needed as much capability as possible. Turning the rifle out the side window, I turned on my light, and much to my surprise were three pigs at the feeder. All of them had their butts to me, and as I went to target one, he caught sight of my light and booked it to the brush line. So I scanned as he left the scene, and saw a fourth pig in view now. This one was oblivious to my light. As he turned slightly quartering away, I sent my 115gr HPBT his way. Soon as I fired, of course the cloud of smoke and green LED filled my vision and I was temporarily blinded... once the wind carried the plume of smoke away, I realized what my ears had heard, and that was a dead pig. He didn't go far at all... and after the guide came to pick me up about 45-60 minutes later, there was NO movement after that bullet impacted. The pig took me and the guide every bit of the two of us and a makeshift pulley/rope to get the sucker loaded up.
Later on, when we quartered him and put it the cooler, the entry was on the left side of the body, and the exit was quite small.... the wound channel however was nearly the size of a tennis ball. The HPBT expended its entire energy inside the neck and exploded, allowing shrapnel and fragments to exit the other side in small portions.
We retired for the evening and went back out early on, around 0500. About 0730-0800, the stand I was sitting at began to be flush with deer... until something spooked them off. 15 minutes later, a lone boar strolled out and decided to pick up some protein. He was able to get about 10 minutes of chow time in before I decided to send a 95gr TTSX to his vitals. This time, I hit at the shoulder, and blew out the heart, both lungs; he died on the spot honestly.... and didn't go anywhere either. Amazing the two bullets worked perfectly in the distances they were used within... and of course, proved yet again that the 6.8 is a hog killing round....
First time in a while that I've actually been able to go hunt, and kill something other than time! Felt good to finally connect on the specimens I was after!!
