Big Bores for Hogs, Varmints, and Critters

Mark A Ouellette

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Folks,

This thread is for those who find alternate uses for their Dangerous Game Rifles when they are not in Africa.

I'll start off with my post of a long awaited trophy for my Trusty .458 Win Heym 88B double rifle,

Here it is,

I've waited for over a year for a safe shot at a woodchuck with my .458 Win Heym 88B double rifle! Today I spotted a woodchuck otherwise known as a groundhog (Marmota monax), between me and my 12' tall topsoil shooting berm. I would not want a heavy projectile ricocheting off my property into a house a half mile away! Toward that, the last thing I want is to see the state police coming down my driveway a few hours after I’ve been shooting my dangerous game rifles in my back field.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundhog

I quickly opened my safe, grabbed my Trusty .458, and picked up a few rounds of my lighted bullet loaded, 420 grain Cutting Edge Raptors with muzzle velocity of 2325 fps. Then I slipped out to start my stalk. Slowly I crept for woodchucks have tremendous long range vision. Had this small example (8 lbs) of the hole digging, berm safety violators spotted me it would have ducked into cover. But thanks to my stealthy movements, it did not.

With 45 yards of open field between me and this tunnel rat, I took aim and launched the 420 grain Raptor. The all copper projectile struck about an inch above my preferred contact area but as the photos show, it’s hard to argue with the effectiveness of 5000 foot pounds of energy against 8 pounds of woodchuck.

Did I mention I as a farm boy in my native Potter County Pennsylvania, on Sweden Hill to be precise, I developed my shooting skills pitted against this most noble of game animals.

PS: I am trying out the Aimpoint H-2 on my Heym 88B. I don't know if any advantage in less dot flare of this sight provides is worth the increase in size over my Trijicon SRO.

2026 Heym 458 WoodC_ (3).JPEG



2026 Heym 458 WoodC_ (7).JPEG



2026 Heym 458 WoodC_ (9).JPEG
 
I'm going to love this thread.

I'll have to look for pictures, but we used to have "Big Boars with Big Bores" weekends at my friend's huge deer lease in South Texas (any rifle, .375 H&H and above... though we always chided those with .375s as using the ladies rifles :) ).

Best ever story from those weekends was me and my buddy see two big hogs meandering a long sendero towards us one evening. We bail from the truck and start working our way to close the distance. For whatever reason, we ended up on each side of the sendero as the pigs walked up on us. "how do we know when to time our shots?" My buddy just shook his head and we sat down resting our rifles on our knees. The pigs had now closed within 50 yards, and as they were foraging, the two got very close to one another... I was already beginning to squeeze the trigger when their heads lined up. Austin's .375 went off a microsecond before my .416 Rem Mag... BLAMBLAM The pigs were flattened as our rounds caught both boars in their heads. Each of us shot a 2 for 1.

I gotta find that picture...

Ed Z
 
PS: I am trying out the Aimpoint H-2 on my Heym 88B. I don't know if any advantage in less dot flare of this sight provides is worth the increase in size over my Trijicon SRO.

I have the SRO on my 89, and personally I think the Aimpoint H-2 looks more at home on your rifle than the SRO.... purely aesthetically speaking. I wouldn't think there would be much of a weight difference but I may be wrong there.
 
I have the SRO on my 89, and personally I think the Aimpoint H-2 looks more at home on your rifle than the SRO.... purely aesthetically speaking. I wouldn't think there would be much of a weight difference but I may be wrong there.

The Aimpoint H2 weighs a couple ounces more than the Trijicon SRO so that is negligible.

I like the Aimpoint's solid windage and elevation adjustments. 1 click really does equal 1/2 inch at 100 yards or 1/4 inch at 50 yards.

My astigmatism makes red dots flare into a lopsided weiner or something. At close range who cares? At 100 yards for plains game or long range big bore ground hogs, it starts to matter. The Aimpoint flares much less for me.

The longer Aimpoint does interfere with my one handed carry as it covers some of the rifle's balance point. In Africa this doesn't matter since a one handed carry would point my weapon at the man in front of me. That's not going to happen!
 
Folks,

This thread is for those who find alternate uses for their Dangerous Game Rifles when they are not in Africa.

I'll start off with my post of a long awaited trophy for my Trusty .458 Win Heym 88B double rifle,

Here it is,

I've waited for over a year for a safe shot at a woodchuck with my .458 Win Heym 88B double rifle! Today I spotted a woodchuck otherwise known as a groundhog (Marmota monax), between me and my 12' tall topsoil shooting berm. I would not want a heavy projectile ricocheting off my property into a house a half mile away! Toward that, the last thing I want is to see the state police coming down my driveway a few hours after I’ve been shooting my dangerous game rifles in my back field.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundhog

I quickly opened my safe, grabbed my Trusty .458, and picked up a few rounds of my lighted bullet loaded, 420 grain Cutting Edge Raptors with muzzle velocity of 2325 fps. Then I slipped out to start my stalk. Slowly I crept for woodchucks have tremendous long range vision. Had this small example (8 lbs) of the hole digging, berm safety violators spotted me it would have ducked into cover. But thanks to my stealthy movements, it did not.

With 45 yards of open field between me and this tunnel rat, I took aim and launched the 420 grain Raptor. The all copper projectile struck about an inch above my preferred contact area but as the photos show, it’s hard to argue with the effectiveness of 5000 foot pounds of energy against 8 pounds of woodchuck.

Did I mention I as a farm boy in my native Potter County Pennsylvania, on Sweden Hill to be precise, I developed my shooting skills pitted against this most noble of game animals.

PS: I am trying out the Aimpoint H-2 on my Heym 88B. I don't know if any advantage in less dot flare of this sight provides is worth the increase in size over my Trijicon SRO.

2026 Heym 458 WoodC_ (3).JPEG



2026 Heym 458 WoodC_ (7).JPEG



2026 Heym 458 WoodC_ (9).JPEG
Great stalk and fine shot mate! Humour spot on…

Aimpoint micro’s…hard to beat, and a nice rifle there.
 
We dont have varmints to shoot here, least nothing that would be practical with my DG guns. Coyotes tend to be a long range affair. Deer season is always incredibly rainy... Dont want to subject my babies to that.

I need to make a trip to TX or any other place that is dry and loaded with wild pigs. It would be an absolute hoot to shoot pigs with my 8-bore!
 
416 Rem with 350 grain Speer hot core does a number on coyotes and pretty much anything else that gets in front of it.
Looks like what a 458 FTX does to one at about 65yds...
1786160146526.jpeg


Mange has been a problem here for almost 15 years. This one needed to go....
 
In Arkansas, I can't hunt squirrels with anything larger than a 22...unless there's a broader modern gun or alternative season in effect at the same time. Then I can shoot them with whatever I'm carrying for that season.

So @Mark A Ouellette's head shot on the ground hog got me thinking that if I use my straight-wall 458 Win Mag during the alternative deer season, then I could also head shoot squirrels with it too & maybe accomplish a two-for-one in the same hunt. If I see a squirrel up in a tree, I wonder if there's any safety issues with lobbing 404gr Shock Hammers towards the sky... :unsure:
 
Pigs with the .404 Jeffery and .416 Rigby.

Foxes with the .375 Holland & Holland and .500 Jeffery.

Rabbits with the .458 WM.
 
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No pigs, but for the first 6 or 7 years of me getting my hunting license I shot foxes and roe deer with my 375 h&h. Because it was my only rifle besides the 22lr I had.

Dreamed of going to Africa one day with it (did happen) and didn't had enough money at the time when I got into hunting to buy multiple rifles. Luckily times have changed. My main go to rifle nowadays is the meager 7x64 ;). But still have my trusted 375 h&h.
 
I like to take my 375 groundhog hunting
My mother has had a groundhog take up residence in her backyard, unfortunately I believe the city of Auburn would frown on me if I cut loose with my .375.
They are evidently moving south, never heard of ground hog south of Interstate 20 until about 20 years ago.
 

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