Emerging bullet technology has shotgun- and optics-makers scrambling to keep pace. Mossberg was one if the first gunmakers to offer rifled slug barrels; its newest model is this 935 autoloader. Nikon's SlugHunter scope feature a ballistics compensation reticle specifically designed for shotgun slugs.

Boar Thumper
In Texas I was shooting a Benelli Super Black Eagle II with a ComforTech stock (an advanced recoil-reduction system that most certainly helps with the muzzle flip problem explained by Henderson) and Burris variable-power scope. The Super Black Eagle II, at about eight pounds with scope, is one of the heavier guns available to slug-gun hunters, and I didn't notice any lack of accuracy consistency at the range. Shooting Federal Premium Barnes Expander loads, there was no problem grouping shots that I could cover with the palm of my hand--as Henderson suggests, reasonable slug-gun accuracy. Certainly, it was plenty of accuracy for the shooting distances we expected when hunting hogs in the Texas salt marshes.

Our plan was simple: With the camera rolling, Joe and I would spot hogs feeding in the tall marsh grass and stalk to within fifty or seventy-five yards of them, then lay down the hammer. I've had the good fortune of hunting with Joe a couple of times during the past ten years. I enjoy his company, have learned from his experience, and I have noticed that he has a unique, often subtle and sometimes humorous way of making a point.

"Now, Lee," he whispered as we began stalking a young mud-covered boar, knowing that I hadn't shot a game animal with a slug gun before, "I think you'll be surprised at what that slug gun will do to that hog."

Part of the attraction of hog hunting is that you often can get very close, whether you're hunting oak ridges or a salt marsh. Slug guns are a mid-range weapon, which makes them perfect for this type of hunting.

With the wind in our face, we crept to within spitting distance of the red boar, and when the shot was right, I planted a one-ounce Expander into its side.

Wow!
Wild hogs are as tough as they come. I've shot them with everything from a .308 to a .300 Ultra Mag, and from twenty yards to 300 yards--rare are the times that I've seen them rolled so handily as that Texas pig was.

A second hog, black from nose to tail and quite a bit larger, was also planted where it fed. Sunlight was slipping fast when I hit it through the shoulder with the big slug, knocking it high off its feet just before Joe's cameraman ran out of filming light. You might not see it in the final edited version of this particular episode, but at one point with eyes wide open, I turned to look at Joe.

"So, tell me, what do you think?" he asked with a half-grin.

Okay, so now that I've had some practical experience, as well as a brief history lesson and some advice on how to shoot better from a most knowledgeable slug-gun shooter, what's left? Fortunately for us hunters, there is always opportunity to hunt hogs.