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I hunt hogs 12 months of the year and kill 20-50 per year. Most of my hogs are shot with a .50 muzzleloader. One of the places I hunt is 14,000 acres and the place is restricted to shotguns with small shot and rimfires during small game season. I hunt hogs there with a .22 magnum and it does do a very good job on hogs if they are shot right. Have killed over 20 hogs with my .22 magnum and most were DRT: Never lost a wounded hog. Biggest hog I have shot with the .22 magnum weighed 302 pounds field dressed-it was DRT at the shot. I limit my shots with the .22 magnum to 50 yards.
If the hog is standing broadside put the bullet in his ear on or a line between the ear and the eye.
Wild hog meat has an undeserved bad rap. Chops from a wild hog are the best meat on this planet. In this area meat from boars to 200 pounds very seldom tastes strong: The meat of sows is never strong tasting.
Hog meat spoils very fast. Lots of hog meat is ruined, especially in hot weather. Hog meat spoils quickly even in cool weather, it is not improved by hanging. If a person kills a hog when the outside temperature is 80 degrees he/she has a max of about four hours to get that hog iced down or in a cooler before the meat starts to go bad. When the temperature is 90 one has a max of three hours to get the hog cooled. Last month I killed a 375 pound wild boar hog when the temperature was 105 degrees. That hog was rolling fat and the meat is good.
Do not let your meat processor keep your hog in his cooler more than 5-7 days before processing the animal. A lot of hog meat is spoiled or is starting to spoil before the meat processor gets the animal cut up. Last winter I gave a friend a huge sow that was well cared for. The processor kept the animal for two weeks before cutting it up. My friend complained about the "strong tasting meat." He brought me a cooked chop and it was rotten.
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