Where to Shoot a Hog

Over four decades of hunting hogs, I’ve lost count of the number I have killed. I’ve shot them on spot-and-stalk hunts, behind hounds, on trails between feeding and bedding areas, in open fields at night, and at water holes and feeders. I’ve shot them with snow on the ground and in 100-degree heat. Through those experiences, I’ve learned a thing or two about where to shoot a hog.

Hogs aren’t as bulletproof as some people would have you believe, but they can be very tough to put down if you don’t place a bullet or arrow precisely. Wounded hogs almost always run into the nastiest brush they can find, and rooting a big boar out of the thick stuff isn’t my idea of a good time. Tracking a wounded pig can quickly turn into a rodeo, and I know several hog-hunting guides who have tusk scars on their legs to prove it.

Good shot placement is the key to avoiding such unpleasantness, but before I detail shot placement options, here are a few golden rules to follow that will help you make the shot.

Bullet Selection, Range, and Accuracy

Rule number one: select the proper cartridge and bullet. With a few exceptions, most any popular deer cartridge will work on hogs, but it’s important to use tough, expanding bullets that will hold together and penetrate deeply. Big hogs have a thick shield or cartilage and heavy bones, so you’ll want a bullet that can punch through and reach the vitals. Good examples include the Nosler Partition, Swift A-Frame, Federal Terminal Ascent, Hornady InterLock, and Barnes Tipped TSX. 

Second, get as close as you can before setting up for a shot. Hogs are easy to stalk, and getting close helps you place your shot precisely. 

Read Next: Best Calibers for Hog Hunting

Third, build a solid shooting position. Use shooting sticks or a tripod, shooting bags or a pack to get as stable as possible before taking a shot. Any rest is better than no rest. Finally, be patient and wait for the right shot opportunity. Active hogs are fidgety and move almost constantly. If you wait long enough, one of the time-proven shot placements detailed below, with pros and cons for each, will eventually present itself.

Hog Shot Placement

The Heart/Lung Shot

Pros

• Always effective when properly executed
• More margin for error
• Best option for bowhunters

Cons

• Hogs may run into cover before expiring
• May result in some meat waste on the offside shoulder

I’ve killed more hogs with heart/lung shots than with any other placement, but it’s also the shot I’ve seen more hunters fail with. In several instances, seemingly hard-hit hogs flopped on the ground, only to jump up and run off while the hunter was high-fiving his buddies. That was usually because they shot the hog like they would shoot a deer, behind the shoulder — and that’s a mistake.

Hog anatomy is different than deer anatomy. The vitals are located lower and more forward. The bones of the leg angle forward at a level roughly at the bottom of the chest. This creates a pocket where you want to place your shot, roughly one-third of the way up from the bottom of the chest, directly above the back edge of the facing leg. Think of it as shooting them in the armpit. The shot works well on a hog standing directly broadside. Slightly quartering-away is better than quartering toward you. I like to wait until the facing front leg is extended forward, if possible, as this reduces the chance of hitting a leg bone.

Hogs sometimes drop on the spot with this shot placement, but they’ll often run a short distance before expiring. Give the hog a little time to check out before looking for it. If you’re confident the shot was good, don’t bother looking for blood where the animal was shot. Start your search at the spot where the hog ran into cover. Hogs don’t always leave a good blood trail, so take your time and be thorough.

The Shoulder Shot

Pros

• Hogs generally drop in their tracks
• More margin for error

Cons

• May result in substantial meat waste
• Not a good choice for bowhunters, especially on big hogs

For hogs that are truly broadside, one of the best shots is directly through the shoulders. The old hog hunter’s maxim of “Pin them through the shoulders, and they won’t go far,” is as true today as it ever was. Not much of anything goes far with two smashed shoulders. This shot placement not only accomplishes that, but also takes out the lungs, if not the heart or arteries supplying it. With this placement, you’ll need a tough bullet to do the job. All-copper bullets are ideal for shoulder shooters. Just make sure you don’t shoot too high on the shoulder, or you may miss the vitals.

The Head Shot

Pros

• Hogs drop in their tracks
• No meat waste

Cons

• Little margin for error
• Not for bowhunters

Some hunters think head shots are unethical, but they are increasingly favored in places like Texas, where a lot of hog hunting is done at night using thermal scopes or night vision optics. Head-shot hogs typically drop in their tracks, and no one wants to go stomping around in the dark looking for wounded hogs in rattlesnake country. 

Controversy over head shots stems partly from hunters attempting shots on hogs that are directly facing them. Hogs have relatively flat-sloping foreheads when the head is held fully erect. The aim point for a head-on shot is in the center of the skull directly above a line drawn between the eyes. This bullet placement requires an accurate rifle and steady aim. Miss a little low, and you’ll maim the animal. Miss a little high, and your bullet may graze the top of the skull. I’ve executed this shot successfully, but I’ve also skipped a .44 Mag bullet off the skull of a charging boar when helping to follow up someone else’s wounded hog in thick brush. I jumped aside and was fortunate to put one in his ear as he ran past me.

Head shots on hogs are best taken when the hog is standing still and broadside. The aim point should be the base of the ear, the ear hole, or slightly behind the base of the ear if the hog is slightly quartering away. This is one case where smaller-caliber bullets, such as .223 Rem/5.56 NATO, work fine if you can place a shot precisely. Hogs have thick skulls and relatively small brains. This is not a preferred shot if you want a skull or euro mount from a trophy hog.

The Neck/Spine Shot

Pros

• Executed properly, hogs are DRT
• A near-miss may take out the lungs

Cons

• Dodgy for bowhunters
• May result in some meat waste

Traditional neck/spine shots on hogs can be tricky because the spine curves sharply downward from the top of the back to the skull. For proper shot placement, draw a line from the base of the ear to the front middle of the shoulder, and stick a bullet in the center. This works well on a hog standing broadside, but precise bullet placement is required. I prefer a variation on this shot, as taught to me by Bill Wilson, of Wilson Combat fame. Wilson, who has killed a freight-train load of hogs, prefers to place a bullet a little further back, vertical center of mass where the neck meets the front of the shoulder. It’s perfect for hogs that are quartering toward you. Again, it pays to be patient and wait for the optimal shot opportunity.

Wilson calls this his “Plan A, Plan B” shot. Plan A: You sever the spine and the hog drops in its tracks. Plan B: A near-miss takes out the lungs. In this case, the hog may run off, but will usually drop within 75 yards or less. Wilson prefers to use a semi-auto rifle for a quick follow-up shot if the hog doesn’t instantly drop. It’s also the firearm of choice if your goal is to take out multiple animals in a sounder.

Read Next: Best Guns for Hog Hunting

Where to Shoot a Hog with a Bow

Hogs, especially big boars, are semi-armored with a thick cartilage shield, heavy shoulder bones and thick rib bones with little space in between, limiting arrow placement options. The best shot placement for bow hunters, by far, is the heart-lung shot. Again, aim for that pocket or armpit immediately behind the facing front leg. Slightly quartering away is better than broadside, and low and forward is better than high and rearward. Maximum penetration is the goal, so small-diameter arrows and heavy, tough, fixed-blade broadheads are generally preferred, slung from bows with at least a 60-pound draw weight.

Final Considerations on Where to Shoot a Hog

If you’re not confident in your ability to precisely place head or spine shots, stick with the heart/lung shot or the shoulder shot, which provide a greater margin for error. If you’re hunting from an elevated blind and shooting for vitals, take the downward path of the bullet or arrow into consideration. 

Always approach a downed boar with caution, from behind or uphill. Don’t start celebrating the moment you knock a hog down. Watch the hog for several minutes and always be prepared for a follow-up shot. A marginal shot can stun a hog and put it down temporarily, fooling you into thinking it’s dead. Finally, there’s a difference between hunting hogs and trying to eradicate them, where the goal is to simply knock down as many hogs in a sounder as quickly as possible. If you’re hunting for a trophy or for the table, patience and precise shot placement will help you bring home the bacon.