For a good long while now, I’ve been a fan of Single Action (SA) revolvers. I’m pretty old school in most of my sports, and it’s no different with handguns. Especially in the foul weather patterns that have closed-in on us lately. Not that I’m shy to take my old recurve out in the rain, but a soggy bowstring and flat wet feathers on my arrows can affect my point of aim. Not that I mind missing a shot on a hog, but it’d hurt my heart badly to make a poor shot and just hurt one.
So, lately I’ve been taking my handgun to the field to collect some fresh pork. I began hunting on and off with a revolver, back in the late 1980s, carrying a Colt “Python” in .357 caliber. That six inch barrel, really placed those 150JHP invitations to supper, right where they needed to be. But, although more than adequate, it didn’t deliver quite the knock down power I was hoping for when I’d get in real close to a big boar hog.
Over the years I’ve experimented with the .44 Remington Magnum, .454 Casull and eventually settled on the .45 Colt cartridge, firing a 255 grain JHP, delivering up to 1,300 lbs on knockdown power. I’ve taken deer, hog, antelope and some mighty ornery gators (not in Florida) with them.
I’ve toyed a few SA revolvers in the caliber; Berretta, Uberti and Ruger. But, it’s the Ruger “Vaquero” I’ve settled down with and it’s five and a half inch barrel is just perfect. It balances nicely in my hand and is even accurate on a quick draw, should I be charged by a big boar with a bad attitude.
Just last weekend, I was asked to take a few hogs off of a cow pasture on the eastern edge of our county and despite the foul weather, I just didn’t have it in me to decline. I checked the cylinder for a full load and set out to settle Old Porky’s trespassing habit.
Mister J showed me the trails where the hogs had been entering and exiting his pasture and left me to sit and wait. It was drizzling rain and purely uncomfortable, but after two and a half hours of soaking up some liquid sunshine, I heard the bottom strand of barbed-wire creek as a fat, young boar arrived.
I was carrying my Ruger in a leather Buscadero style holster (John Wayne Style) and I slipped the hammer thing off and lifted that big-bore revolver into action.
Now, I was only about sixty feet away, so it was no mean feat of marksmanship, but in less than three seconds from the barbed-wire’s creaking and I had a fine job of skinning ahead of me. Mister J heard the shot from his back porch and rode out on his side by side scooter and brought us in out of the rain. I snapped a few pictures and rendered that rascal down for Mister J’s table.
If any of you would like to give handgunning a try, reach out to me at [email protected] and I’ll help you out, all that I can. God Bless and good hunting!
