Body Armor

By Dustin Bergen

The Shield

If he does become compromised and an attempt on his life is made, he has another layer of protection (quite literally); body armor.  Mature hogs develop a thick fat/cartilage shield around their rib cage.  This protects the vital organs from damage sustained from fights with other hogs, attacks from predators, running through wild brush, briars, and debris at knee-level as well as your barrage of lead.

This bullet-resistant vest also provides another unforeseen difficulty which aids his escape.  If he is wounded, this hardened shell of cutaneous tissue helps prevent the hog from excessive bleeding.  It helps with coagulation and acts as a sealant, closing up fat around the hole in his body, which can make blood tracking a real pain, if not impossible.  He may die, but you will never know where he went or how far he made it until he tipped over.  Conversely, he may not die and your tracking a trail that is still headed for the hills at 40 mph.

Still, many doubt the strength of this shield and some even doubt it’s existence.  That is, until they witness us digging out .243s, numerous buckshot loads, broadheads, field tips, and countless .22 and .223 rounds while skinning a pig out.  Typically, they will be 1-1.5” thick and we’ve even seen shields go almost 2″ on some of the larger specimens.  Even if you’re fortunate enough to put a bullet through that hide, it may not come out the other side — and that cuts the size of your blood trail in half.

Your Plan

Your plan should be to immobilize the hog.  We suggest looking for the front leg and move straight up the shoulder about halfway in between the top and bottom of the body.  This strategy is fourfold;

1. It avoids the thickest part of the shield, which is right behind the shoulder.
2. By taking out the shoulders, you are removing his ability to use his front legs and in-turn, his ability to run off.  Sometimes they will attempt to ‘wheelbarrow’ themselves out of the area by using their back legs to push the front of the body along the ground.  Doing this allows you to keep him within sight (no blood tracking required) and allows for a quick follow-up shot if necessary.  Note: If he’s still moving after 20-30 seconds, a second shot is necessary.
3. The veins and arteries that travel from the body to the brain come to a bottleneck near the front of the shoulders.  This increases your odds of making a quick, ethical kill.  Good for you and respectful to your quarry.
4. This shot placement gives you a larger margin for error if the wind is wrong (on a longer shot), if the bullet deflects of an unseen branch, if you pull the shot or if the pig moves suddenly (which they do…a lot!)

Hogs do not have the exact same anatomical locations as a deer does.  A hog’s heart is right at the armpits, resting at the bottom front of the ribcage.  If you aim for the standard aiming point on a deer you will have a liver/lung shot.  If you’re a low, you miss underneath (or get a gut-shot).  If you’re a little forward, you might take out a leg.  If you’re a little back, it’s definitely a gut-shot.  If you’re a little high, you can hope for a lung/liver shot, but the dorsal circulatory artery/vein or a spine-shot is the only real hope you’d have for a recovery.  If the dorsal is hit, it may still require a mile-long tracking job.

Your best hope is to go up the front leg, halfway between the top of the back and bottom of the chest.  Nearly all of the vital organs are grouped together at this one spot.  Traditional is great for traditional game but not always great for hogs.  “Up the leg” gives you the best chance for a sure kill.

We recommend .30 calibers and larger on hogs for your best chance of success.  As far as bullets go, round nosed bullets typically expand too early and don’t penetrate the shield as effectively.  Full metal jackets usually just poke a hole through the animal without causing enough trauma to kill quickly.  Jacketed soft- and hollow-points and ballistic tip type bullets will provide the best odds of a quick, efficient kill due to their specialized expansion characteristics.

Occasionally someone points out, “Hell, I used to kill hogs on my grandpa’s farm with a .22.”  Sure you did…when you could walk right up to it in a pen and put one behind the ear.  But let’s be clear – This is not your grandpa’s farm and this isn’t a domestic pig in a pen.

Also keep in mind that wild hogs do not sit still for very long.  They are constantly moving and trying to keep your cross hairs on a jittery pig can be very challenging.  Remember your basic marksmanship skills and don’t wait too long for the “perfect” shot, as it may come and go in a split second.  Be prepared to seize the opportunity as soon as it presents itself.  Prepare for an immediate follow up shot, keep your eye on the animal and you should be happy with the outcome.

Next — “Intelligence“