50 Beo as an Indiana deer rifle.

[Hookeye]

Buy what you want for deer, as the hogs are not going to move up here.
Yeah there were some, a few here and there still exist.
Michigan DNR helped put the stop to illegal stocking.
The hype from the TV shows is just that...........hype.

Even so...............whatever you would use for deer as a primary, ought to be dandy on any pig that would ever show.

 

[Hookeye]

On the M500 recommendation up thread.
Yup, even smoothbore and non ported, they seem to work very well.
But when mounting a scope at proper height the top tang safety can be an issue.
Quake and some other places made/make offset safeties to help with that.
Even then, a higher comb might be needed (can make one rather easily w foam and tape, or get a Beartooth slip over, or maybe even fab something more permanent).

But shotgun ergonomics are kinda crappy IMHO. A rifle is usually more trim, better trigger.........and one can select cartridges that are a little less abusive to the shoulder.

Of course, one can tie a pop can to a short string and let it clank against their rifle, if they really miss the old 500 rattle.

 

[Tactically Fat]

Well, be advised that Indiana hunters have been using .72 caliber rifles on deer for a number of decades. It is hardly overkill.

Dude, you know perfectly why, too. Let's not play silly games.

12ga slugs are overkill, too.

highly effective, absolutely. But overkill.

Granted, I'd settle for overkill than under kill, but I know that you know the jist.

 

[Hookeye]

I don't believe 12 gauge slugs are over kill on deer.
Sure, some deer give up the ghost rather quickly, but some don't............even with perfect shot placement.
Even when slammed up close.

Now overkill to the shooter's shoulder might be an arguable point..........

It seems as though deer get tougher (not just in flavor or tenderness) the bigger they are.

Old Fosters (slang for Forstner)........not uncommon to have a solid hit have a deer run 100 yards, sometimes farther.

Like a 12 gauge, kinda fun to go old school now and then. Never felt undergunned.

 

[craigkim]

I don't believe 12 gauge slugs are over kill on deer.
Sure, some deer give up the ghost rather quickly, but some don't............even with perfect shot placement.
Even when slammed up close.

Now overkill to the shooter's shoulder might be an arguable point..........

It seems as though deer get tougher (not just in flavor or tenderness) the bigger they are.

This is very, very true in my experience. A good shot low through both lungs and breaking ribs on the other side would still allow that deer to run a pretty good distance despite the huge hole in its side. That is totally contrary to my experience with the newer high velocity SABOT slugs like Win Partition or XP3. Those seem to drop them VERY fast. Mind you the older sabot slugs were garbage in our experience, but these newer ones are the real deal.

I guess its overkill with PERFECT shot placement, but how often do you get that with a smooth bore shotgun shooting monstrous slugs? Sure sometimes, but a lot of the deer I see are moving and at 75-125 yards.

 

[Hookeye]

There was a pretty good old type slug

Winchester Hi Impact Supreme sabots may have been similar to the regular BRI.....but the reaction of deer shot with them was dramatically different.
I crumpled several. They shot great too.

Rather surprised I was, when I blasted an 8 pt at 12 freakin' yards, quartering toward me, from the ground. Hit on shoulder, got slug from hide at back opp ham. Deer ran about 75 yards and just stood there, head down. I shot again and he fell dead.

When I initially examined it, there was one hole in and out through the front shoulders. My exit of shot 2 was entrance of shot 1. Kinda funny.
But the tuft on the back end..............I knew what that was

Deer wasn't that big, slugs had dropped bigger. Ya just never know.

 

[RAMBOCAT]

+1 for the 458 SOCOM

 

[curraheeguns]

My 12" barreled .50 Beowulf deer rifle should be shipping soon. I think it will be a thick brush magician...or at least I hope.

 

[OutdoorDad]

When hunting pigs in dense cover, I'll take an AR in .223 with a 30 rd mag over anything else I can think of.

Anatomy. Shot placement.


Ok, I'd also take an AR-10. But that's just because I'd like an AR-10.
It is still about shot placement.