While gearing up for the porcine search in the southeast part of the Texas panhandle, I was told that smart money was on having a handgun of appropriate power level to have always accessible if needed. As I was to come to find out, a gun full of shot cartridges would have had more utility, but there was still some comfort to be had from having a .44 Magnum at hand.
The .44 Magnum I took for personal defense was the 5-inch S&W Model 629 Classic. Sharing the underlugged barrel style of the Smith and Wesson L-frame series, the 5" 629 used the front sight arrangement of the "DX" - a spring-loaded plunger arrangement that allows easy change of the front sight. The Classic was in good company: Surefire's Dick Williams had selected a Novak customized S&W 629 Classic - to which they'd added their light-rail!
The holster I used was the Galco Dual-Position Phoenix. A thumb-break holster with screw-post tension adjustment, the Phoenix can be carried straight or cross-draw. I selected cross-draw as I'd be spending lots of time sitting in a blind or on one of the topside seats on the ton-and-a-quarter truck. Galco sent along their 2x2x2 pouch for spare ammo, though I didn't figure the hogs would require that much firepower. Also, one of their nice leather belts was sent along to round out the ensemble.
I added a Tuff Products Quick Strip, to which I added six rounds of Hornady 225 grain FTX LeveRevolution ammo.
During sight-in - the guns were new and hadn't been fired, the 629 Classic fired a tight group at fifty yards, likely as far as I'd take a shot. The Hornady ammo contributed to the accuracy as did the welcome weight of the Classic barrel.
Hornady provided the FTX ammo, for which I am grateful.
So, in addition to thanking Hornady, I want to express appreciation to the camp crew, Smith & Wesson, Surefire, XS Sight Systems and Galco for assisting in this trip.
There is a certain type of mentality that thinks if you make certain inanimate objects illegal their criminal misuse will disappear!
Damn the TSA and Down with the BATF(u)E!
Support the J P F O to "Give them the Boot"!!
I sometimes wonder about people. I hunted boar for many years in the Cumberland Mountains of TN.
I always carried a .44 Magnum, just in case. A Ruger Redhawk, 5.5" barrel, in a cross-chest shoulder holster. Elmer Keith's pet load ... 21 grains of 2400, standard primer, 250 grain hard-cast LSWC. There are hotter loads out there, but this always worked for me.
50 yards? If a boar is 50 yards away, use your rifle. The revolver is for emergencies. Like 20 feet or less.
I've been there, several times. The author of the article has his opinion, I have mine. And I do have two mounted boar heads staring down at me as I write this.
Great eating.
"Youth and skill are no match for age and treachery." Unknown
“A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity.” Sigmund Freud
"Oderint dum metuant." ("Let them hate, so long as they fear.") Accius
I've carried a .44 Mag Mountain Gun for more miles than I'd care to consider.
Heck of a lot easier to carry with the thin 4" tapered barrel.
And it's more than adequate out to 50Y+.
A 50Y zero? Not bad, I find that @20Y puts me on again out @75Y depending on the ammo.
We won't mention that it's normally loaded with the old Skeeter load of 7.5gr of Unique, a 250gr Keith bullet and .44 Special cases, someone might think I've wimped out. I'd rather have a big bullet that I can control and can fire fast and accurately than more power than I can use effectively anymore.
And in Texas, I'd more likely stuff the first chamber or two with a shotload made with #12 (dust), I just don't like snakes. Okay, I'd really leave the .44 loaded normally and pack the Dick Special with the shotloads.
