I have never hunted hogs at the distance you are talking about, but we grew up using dogs and a bowie knife to kill hogs. I have shot some BIG ass boars with 00Buck in the past, and I never had to hit them more than once to drop them in their tracks. I wouldn't sweat it. As for shooting pigs with .40... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Good luck. I have put mags of .45 into boars to almost no effect. I'm sure that eventually you'd put the damn beast down, but it's not the preferred method. I always have pistol for snakes and such, but I would rely on a primary if a boar charges you. Doug
Surprisingly with the wife's blessing, I'm now in the market for a varmint/plinking gun. I'm already doing my research into it and will be stopping by some gun shops later this week, but I figured y'all might have some advice to offer on what make/model/caliber to look into as well. A few very tentative parameters of what I'm looking for in a plinking/varmint firearm: - Purposes: target/plinking, but also will be used as a varmint gun. So this is going to be dual-purpose. - Easy to modify. This'll be a "project gun" which I'll upgrade over time. - Semi-auto or select fire capabilities. - Cheap/available ammo. This is why I'm looking into the lower calibers; I don't want to break a sweat every time someone runs through a clip. I'll be buying my rounds in bulk. - Range. Shooting targets that need some kentucky windage is always fun, but like I said, this will be a varmint gun as well. I want to be confident that a good shot will still knock out the coyote when it gets there. I'd say 100 yards is a solid minimum range. - The cheaper the better, though I won't let a budget get in the way of a significantly superior firearm. - This gun will be used by my wife, and also children (when we have them).
Looks like I should be getting my grandfather's 1911 for christmas. It was his uncle's and supposedly used in WWI. I've done some research and according to the serial number (253996, also has prop of us gov. or something on the frame.) it was made in 1913. I'm hoping with a look over from a gunsmith I can get it shooting again.
AR-15 .223 variant that fits your budget with a folding stock to fit the wife and kids? I don't know what's affordable and still good brand-wise but it sounds like an AR would fit the bill perfectly. You could paint it for hunting if you wanted too for cheap.
After some research, I was looking at the .223, .22-250, and the AK-47s and variants (specifically because of the cheap ammo and ease to modify). I was also considering doing .22 hornet and stocking up on Varmint Grenades. The brand isn't terribly important, as I'm going to be modifying it it pretty heavily anyway; unless it comes how I want it out of the box, I'm going to be changing the stock, sights and forend and adding a bi-pod at least. Picatinny rail is basically a must. I want to make it look and operate more or less like a tactical rifle.
The AK I worked on turned out pretty well. Having a stock with much better dimensions makes it more controllable. Lots of fun to shoot, although not very accurate. I'd go with the AR. There's way more choices for everything and quality parts too. Lots more people modifying them than AK's too. A 22-250 is a pretty hot round... 40 grain bullets going 4000 fps have results. However the .223 rounds are way cheaper and you won't gain anything over the .223 when you're plinking. Less recoil and sound would be better for that anyways.
What he said. I put a VLTOR adjustable stock on mine and my wife, all 5'-2" - 95lbs of her, has taken it over. Mine is a heavy barrel DPMS rifle and she was shooting hanging skeet @ 75 yards, with it. Moving her out to 100 yards next weekend.
Pay attention to how it is balanced too... those plastic stocks are light and you don't want a very muzzle heavy gun.
Thank you for the suggestions. I'm still looking for a Colt, but I ended up picking up a Taurus PT1911 for $375. I took it to the range tonight and had a blast putting 150 rounds through it. Do any of you have any suggestions to to pick up magazines cheaply? Cheapest I have found so far is $35 for 3 8 round nickel magazines. <a class="postlink" href="http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/8-rd-1911-45-acp-mag-stainless-steel.aspx?a=282533#matrixCartLink" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/8 ... ixCartLink</a> Same question for bulk ammo. I've been looking at Midway, but would love to know if any of you have a better source.
No such thing as cheap 45 ammo. That's the number one reason I went with a 40 cal. As much as I shoot and now that my wife shoots with me, I'd go broke trying to feed a 45.
I am looking for a waistband or similar holster that I can wear while jogging to carry my Beretta 950 BS .22. Any suggestions, or good places to start? Also, since my days of plinking things with a .22 single shot rifle, I always thought that there was .22 and .22 LR. Is .22 Short the same as just .22, or is that a different round altogether?
There's .22 short, long, and long rifle out there. All of them fire heeled bullets of the same diameter and the short rounds have, well, a shorter case and the standard bullet is 29 grains (vs the LR standard 40 grain). Longs use the LR case but fire the same 29 grain bullet as the short and are pretty much obsolete except for CB rounds (no powder, just primer).
I don't know if IWB is the best way to go for jogging. You might be asking for some major chafing. Do you have a dog that you run with or do you run by yourself. If you run with a dog, you could always get one of these <a class="postlink" href="http://www.ruffwear.com/dog_packs" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.ruffwear.com/dog_packs</a> My dog looks a little stupid wearing it when I take her running around town, but you can use it to carry your gun, water, and you can even stuff poop bags in it so you don't have to carry them.
No, I run by myself. I run on trails a good bit, and often in approaching darkness. I was looking at something like this, outside the waistband, rear carry. Maybe for my Colt Mustang .380, but probably the Beretta .22 since it's a good bit lighter.
Just picked up my new baby: Bushmaster carbon 15 M4, .223 Came with a solid red dot sight. For plinking, the ammo is (relatively) cheap enough that I won't have to worry. For varmint hunting, it's damn accurate. And for home defense, like an in-law said: no one likes getting shot, even a little bit.
Okay, after reading some bad reviews of the PistolWear version, I ordered the Belly Band from DeSantis. I will report back how it does while jogging. Also, damn, .22 Short ammo is hard to find - no go at Dick's, Academy and Bass Pro Shops, but Walmart had it.