American Gunner hunting experiences

[Double Naught Spy]

Cool. I get that, but did not get that from your initial post. Accuracy is a wonderful thing. Some people are just that good that bullet construction doesn't matter so long as it handles the minimal standard of "reaching vital" as noted above. Those folks could be hunting with military ball and have a good hunt (where legal, of course). Most of us don't hunt that well and really could use all the help we can get from a bullet that performs well terminally.

SMKs are noted by most to be a very accurate round in various calibers, it lots of people have failures to recover game shot with them.

I don't really care how a bullet is marketed. I don't care how inexpensive it is. If it does the job that is need is all that matters. Accuracy is not a singular criterion for hunting, however.

[Randy99CL]

I've seen a couple of videos with guys killing hogs with .22LR. Brain shots within 35 yards.

Just got back from a gun shop where I had a discussion with a guy swearing that the 6.8SPC hits harder at close range than our Grrr. He said that the hogs he's shot were usually closer than 60 yards away and that the 6.8 is better at that range.
I tried to get him to define his "hits harder" but he couldn't explain it.
I told him that with a 60 yard brain shot the caliber doesn't matter.

[CaptnC]

I shot a big boar one time at about 5 yards with a 5.56, just above the eye brows...it was free-range not in a trap...Wolf HP ammo...he rolled down in the ditch and wedged against a tree...all four running at WOT...squealing was deafing...put three more in the brisket to get the squealing to stop...I kept the skull because the cutters were nice, bullet never exited!

That's why I have 6.5 Grendel and 7.62x39 AR's...

[1Shot]

I have killed hundreds of white tail deer, did crop damage control for 15 years, with a considerable number of different things from a stick to a 45-70 rifle. Even if you put a bullet through the vitals there is a vast difference as to how far it can travel before the brain gets the message YOUR DEAD. I have killed a couple deer with a 22 long rifle CCI minni-mag HP by shooting them in the lungs. They jump just a little like what bit me, stand there for a little bit and then start swaying and fall down and expire. I have shot them through the heat and lungs with a flat nose cast bullet that weighs 420 grs going around 1450 fps from a charge of black powder from a Sharps rifle in 45-70 and have them run off 100 to 200 yards. Then there is the happening that I just can't explain. Using a 7mm Rem mag with hunting bullets from 139 Hornady interlock, 150 Sierra GK, 145 Speer Grand Slam, 162 Hornady SST 90 % of the time with perfect behind the front shoulder heart/lung shots from close in to around 200 yards deer will jump in air mule kick and the race is on and run 100 to 200 yards before going down and they literally slosh on the inside. But with 154 gr Hornady interlock 90% of the time they drop in their tracks. I am talking about a sample of around 75 deer shot. I have killed deer with Sierra Match King 168 out of a 308 Win. Some shots are wicked expansion and quick kills others act like a FMJ and deer run for ever. Then the animal shot has a lot to do with it. Some deer you can almost holler at them and they drop dead others you can blow them in half and they will run off. All we hunters can do is do our best to put a bullet where it needs to go and try to use an appropriate expanding bullet and then take our lumps when things don't go our way. By the way I have found that most any .257 cal. with 100 to 120 gr hunting bullets and any .264 cal. with 120 to 140 gr hunting bullets are just stone cold killers on deer.

[Double Naught Spy]

I've seen a couple of videos with guys killing hogs with .22LR. Brain shots within 35 yards.

Heck, this guy does it with .22 lr subsonics, very close like what you are saying. I don't know that this hog is 400 lbs, but he is a very large hog. FYI, the video looks really weird because he is using image stabilization as part of his editing, so the hog looks stationary, but the reticle and time stamp dance all around.

[1Shot]

We used to kill domestic hogs when I was a kid with a 22 lr through the top of the head the hoist them up by the hind legs with a chain hoist and slit their throat with a butcher knife and let them bleed out. You had to do this very quickly or they would not bleed. We then dipped them in scalding water pulled them out and scrapped the hide and then cut them up. Made sausage out of some and salt and sugar cured hams, made bacon in Grandpa's smoke house. Those were the days. Makes me hungry just to think about it.

[Goochylogic]

1shot, seems like we could have grown up on the same farm. What you wrote is how I remember what it was like on my grandparents farm in Smyth co Va. Just a great experience when I was a kid. Bet most people didnt know a chopped off turkey’s head will still bite you for 20min. Learned that the hard way.

[CaptnC]

Gooch,

Not only raised on the same farm, but the same county in Virginia!

Do you know any "Foster"s I had an uncle who was in the Marion PD....my grand parents lived on Pew Mountain...I think that was the name of the "knob" they lived on.

[CaptnC]

1shot, I remember one time my dad was the shooter...killed the hog instantly...my grandpa was so mad that they couldn't bleed the hog out. I was 9 or 10...I will never forget the smell of boiling those hogs!

[1Shot]

I grew up in Carter Co. TN. Grandfather on Mom's side was the farm spoken of. E. F. Dugger was his name. Through this linage I am 7th generation Tennessee. 4th Julies and 3rd William Great Grandfathers where on the records as revolutionary solders. Some history books give Julies Dugger as being the first white man to settle in what is now TN. Learned a lot of life lessons on Papa Dugger's farm. I have his corn shelling machine, a tobacco knife and spear that came off the farm.

Grew up squirrel, rabbit and quail hunting on this farm. My dad would give me a few 22 shells and expected me to bring back game for each shell or bring back the shell. Learned to be a good shot and not waste ammo. How times have changed, at the age of 10 I was hunting on the farm all by myself and had been hunting with Dad and Papa since about 4 years old. I don't know many 16 year old kids I would turn loose with a rifle today much less a 10 year old. At the age of 12 I worked my butt off one summer mowing yards and putting up hay and working in tobacco fields and anything else I could find to make some money so I could buy a 1903A3 Springfield 30-06 rifle. Got the rifle and two boxes of 150 gr SP ammo for $45. Rifle was an unissued Remington.

Dad did not deer hunt and my neighbor told me if I got me a rifle he would take me. Deer were few and far between back then. I was 18 when I saw my first deer while hunting and killed it, 5 point buck field dressed 168 lbs. There are deer everywhere now, even on the property that was my grandfather's farm.

[Goochylogic]

CaptnC, Im from Chilhowie. We moved away when I was around 6-7. My families are Jones and McClure. Most of my family still live there. I dont know many others out that way. I will say one thing, I had a great childhood on the farm with my family. If more kids could grow up like that, the world would be a better place. And the kids much happier.

[klr]

I have deer crop damage permits and agree with 1Shot - you just never know. I've seen a small doe sprint 200 yards after taking a solid hit from a .358 Win and I've seen big bucks fold on the spot from a 50gr SP from a 222 Rem.

That said, I tried the American Gunner and won't again. I got a good 50 yard heart/lung shot and a 60 yd follow up shot and the bullets just needled through and caused very little immediate shock/damage to the deer.

I know one example doesn't make it a rule, but I'm not encouraged to try it again.

[NugginFutz]

Paging @rickoshay!

Ballistics gel testing highly desired. I will forward 20 rounds of AG for the cause.

[Goochylogic]

I have deer crop damage permits and agree with 1Shot - you just never know. I've seen a small doe sprint 200 yards after taking a solid hit from a .358 Win and I've seen big bucks fold on the spot from a 50gr SP from a 222 Rem.

That said, I tried the American Gunner and won't again. I got a good 50 yard heart/lung shot and a 60 yd follow up shot and the bullets just needled through and caused very little immediate shock/damage to the deer.

I know one example doesn't make it a rule, but I'm not encouraged to try it again.

Klr, thanks for posting your experiences with the AG ammo. That is the kind of feed back that is needed both good and bad. Thanks again

[imaguy3]

Got to save a javelina piglet from the clutches of death today with the American Gunner. Took the Grendel out for it's first hunt. Saw these javelina in my favorite spot, watched them for about half an hour then turned on the call. About 15 minutes in the coyote pup came right to the cactus they were rooting, then came towards my call. Head on shot about 75 yards away and the coyote dropped like a ton of rocks with the american gunner ammo. If you look you can see the exit out the crotch. He was a small pup...