JAVELINA
Fond Memories of the Little Porker

by Jim Taylor

The Javelina were making their way up the canyon when I came upon them.   There were 8 or 9 pigs in the herd that I could see clearly.  One large pig came out of the brush and into the open and stopped, looking and listening.  It was a long ways across the canyon - maybe 130 or 140 yards - but I was confident I could get on the pig.  Setting down on the hillside and resting the Ruger .45 across my knees, I eased the hammer back, lined up the sights and touched it off.  A large dust cloud boiled up directly above the pig maybe 2 or 3 feet.  It jumped but did not run.   I lowered the front sight just a bit and fired the second shot.  At the shot the pig jumped and flipped around the hillside, typical of a headshot. 

After it lay still I worked my way down the mountain and across the narrow canyon.  Climbing up to the pig I found it was a good sized boar.  The 300 gr. .45 slug launched at 1150 fps had taken it behind the right ear and exited below the left eye. Instant knockout.  I cleaned the pig, then looked around and realized the only way back to the truck was straight up for nearly 3/4 of a mile!

Records

Over the years I have kept records of the game I have taken.  Looking back over these brings fond memories of good times. I have  recorded the type of game animal, the gun used, the load and its ballistics, the distance the shot was taken, and the effect on the animal. Having taken a few head with a handgun and then going back over the records not only brings back memories, it allows me to discern some interesting data.   For instance, most of the game I have taken with a handgun was taken before 10 AM.   The average distance was 90 yards.  However, when it comes to Javelina, if I sort them out from the rest of the animals, the average distance was only 40 yards.   Of all the pigs I killed fully 75% of them were boars. Most of them were taken with the Ruger .45, though I took one each with a .454 Casull,  a  .44 Magnum,  a .41 Magnum,  a .32-20,  and a .44 cap & ball Remington 1858 Model.  If I had not shot that one at about 130 yards the average distance would have been much shorter, for most of them were taken under 20 yards and some in less than 20 feet.

Short Range

My records for March 1985 shows that I took a Javelina sow at the distance of 10 feet.  It may have been closer.  I remember I had climbed a mountain in search a herd that I knew was in the area. I worked my way up the hillside through grass that was almost waist deep.  We had gotten heavy Spring rains in the mountains that year and the vegetation was thick.  As I moved as quietly as I could, I came into a clearing and all of a sudden -THERE THEY WERE!  I stopped and noticed the pigs were around me on three sides. Suddenly the burst out running in all directions!  They either winded me or heard me or both.  One came charging right at me running full out.  I had the Ruger out and fired as quickly as I could find the front sight. The pig tumbled, rolled, squealing down the hillside past me.  I jumped down after it and almost landed on it.  It raised up on it's front legs snapping its tusks in defense and I put a slug through its neck, ending its game fight.  The first shot was a bit far back but broke its spine.  The loaded was the 300 gr. Lyman #457191 sized .452" over 18.5 gr. 2400 fired by a Federal Large Pistol Primer.

Another close range shot was in March of 1989. I had taken my 9 year-old daughter with me looking for the little pigs. We had hiked up over some high ridges, glassed the canyons, searched the places where I usually found them all with no luck.  About 10 AM (the magic hour?) we were coming down into a canyon bottom looking for a place that was shady where we could stop and rest and have something to eat.  All of a sudden a commotion broke out below us on the hillside and I could see pigs running.  I pulled up the gun and fired - directly over the head of a running pig.  It stopped, turned and came running right for us.  I motioned to my daughter to be quiet and we waited - it seemed a long time but could only have been a minute or so.  The pig ran straight up the hill at us and when it got within 30 feet I shot it.  Hunt over. 

Loads

Looking over my records I did not use too many different loads on the pigs.  I am the kind who, when I find something that works well for me, I look no further.  On a number of the hunts I used the .45 Ruger and the 300 gr. Lyman #457191 over 18.5 gr. 2400.  This load has always been very accurate and that is the first thing I look for.  I also used the Keith #454424 260 gr. SWC over 18.5 gr. 2400 in the same gun.  This load accounted for pigs at distances from 20 yards to 80 yards, all with very noticeable impact.  For instance, one sow I shot at about 70 yards with this had just run into a clearing.  I was in my "field rest" position: leaning back on my left elbow, the gun held alongside my upraised right knee.  I put the sights on her as she came into the clearing.  At the shot she jerked and a rainbow-like spray was blown out the offside.  I found later I had hit her a bit too far back behind the diaphragm, through the stomach.  The pig started shaking all over, walked a couple steps and fell down. I also used the SSK 270-451 bullet by J.D. Jones.  This bullet is sort of a "truncated cone" and has a meplat the same size as the Keith SWC.  In game I can detect no difference in the bullet wounds between the two.  Again, this was loaded over 18.5 gr. 2400 in the 45 Ruger. One other bullet was the #454629GC - the Freedom Arms 305 gr. bullet that Roger Barnes now produces.  To me this is THE BEST all-around bullet in the .45 and .454.  It is accurate, has a shape that is good for long-range and a nose flat large enough to kill well.  I have used it on pigs, deer, Javelina, coyotes, Corsican Rams and Catalina Goats.  It works well.

The Javelina I took with the .454 Casull, I used this bullet.  I had tried various powder charges and always came back to my old standby, 18.5 gr. 2400 and a Large Pistol Primer.  In the .454 this load averaged well under an inch at 25 yards with groups as small as 3/8" center to center for 5 shots.  I was confident of the accuracy and knew it had 10 times the power needed to kill one of the little desert pigs.  On opening morning, March 1987, I was deep in the canyons following tracks. As I worked my way up over a small hill I could hear the pigs feeding, so I stopped and waited.  The herd was feeding toward me so I stood still.  In a few moments what later  I found to be a large sow was within 25 yards.  I eased the hammer back quietly, held the sights on her left eye and touched the trigger.  She dropped in her tracks.  The bullet hit within 1/4" of where I was aiming and exited her right ear.  Lights out.  No, I did not need the power of that load, but BOY!!  I sure liked the accuracy.

The other guns were used only on one hunt so I do not have a lot of load data.  I found a load for each gun that was accurate, that would do the job, and used it.  And it worked. Personal confidence in the gun and load go a long way toward making a hunt successful.  I offer the data below on some of the other guns used in hunting this "Little Big Game".  If you have never hunted them, you ought to consider it.  They will get into your blood.

webmaster@sixgunner.com