6 ms·

Hey, pigs can be very dangerous too.. many a lad has been treed in rural America in decades past by a herd of feral hogs.. go read the book Old yeller or even w

Hey, pigs can be very dangerous too.. many a lad has been treed in rural America in decades past by a herd of feral hogs.. go read the book Old yeller or even watch the movie if books are not your thing

whizzter 3y ago
"""Legit question for rural Americans – How do I kill the 30-50 feral hippos that run into my yard within 3-5 mins while my small kids play?"""
- moron4hire 3y ago
  I'm assuming you mean pigs, not hippos. My understanding (and you'll have to check your local laws) is that there is no "hunting season" for wild pigs because they are considered a pest species and thus they can be culled at anytime, with no restriction on type of weapon. So basically, this is one case where an AR-15 would actually be a decent weapon for civilian use. Most places won't let you use a high-capacity, auto-loading rifle for hunting, but wild-pig-pest-control isn't hunting. On the other hand, AR-15s are kinda 'spensive, so an AK-47 pattern rifle in 7.62x39mm might be a better choice (and surplus ammo is plentiful). The AK-74 pattern rifles in 5.45x39mm that I've seen have tended to be almost as expensive as a "cheap" AR-15, so at that point I don't know why you wouldn't just get an AR-15 for the more common ammo type. If price is especially a problem, then a Hi Point carbine in 40S&W or 45ACP won't break the bank and should have enough stopping power. Plus, they usually come with some cheap optics that are more than adequate for the effective range of the rifle, which basically makes the thing almost as easy to shoot as a video game. But they are quite, erhm, ugly (mushy trigger pull, bad ergonomics), so if you can swing a more expensive rifle, that'd be preferable.
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
  - zrail 3y ago
    Imma let you finish but 30-50 feral hogs is a meme. See sibling comment.
    - moron4hire 3y ago
      Hrm. Well, I guess I "touch grass" too often to have run across that one before.
  - LgWoodenBadger 3y ago
    While that used to be true, AK-47/AK-74/etc. types of rifles are typically multiple times more expensive than AR-15s these days.
    - moron4hire 3y ago
      Whoa, yeah, just checked. AR-15 prices have really crashed. Glad I talked my dad out of using them as an "investment".
      - porkbeer 3y ago
        Investment quality ars are still holding value fine. The cheap ar rifles are... well, cheaply made. Not my favorite feature of a firearm that rests next to your face while use.
- SideburnsOfDoom 3y ago
  A big gun, .40 calibre or more, elephant gun if you have it. Aim for the brain. If your kids are in the way, it would be very hard to get there in time. https://www.quora.com/What-should-I-use-to-take-down-a-hippo-and-what-should-I-carry-as-my-emergency-gun https://www.quora.com/What-should-I-use-to-take-down-a-hippo... https://www.discountafricanhunts.com/africananimals/hippo.html https://www.discountafricanhunts.com/africananimals/hippo.ht...
- jwilk 3y ago
  For the uninitiated: https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/30-50-feral-hogs https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/30-50-feral-hogs
  - Firmwarrior 3y ago
    I love that a few people familiar with guns and hunting here just went into a clinical analysis of the feasibility of killing 50 hippos in your yard
    - bombcar 3y ago
      A good SRE doesn't only prepare for the obvious failure modes, but also considers other possible avenues (especially since if it works for 50 hippos it will probably help against 50 elephants, maybe).
- bluGill 3y ago
  Rural Americans have a .30-06 (or similar rifle) and know how to use it, and they often have access to more powerful guns. The question is can you hit a moving target without hitting the kids in the yard - unlikely no matter how much you train. .30 caliber is a little light for this job, but it will work if you aim well. Generally you would want a more powerful gun.
  - skymast 3y ago
    Placement takes precedence over caliber size.
    - SideburnsOfDoom 3y ago
      I don't think that still holds true at the extremes. These extremes include 1) very small calibre 2) high stress situation where quick reaction is needed, very precise placement such as the eye is nigh impossible. "head" is a good as you'll realistically get. 3) very large animal with a thick skull. "charging Hippo" is 2 & 3.
- nordsieck 3y ago
  > How do I kill the 30-50 feral hippos that run into my yard within 3-5 mins while my small kids play? 1. This[1] page suggests: > The minimum suggested caliber for hunting hippo is a 375 and up, using solid bullets. I assume that means .375 H&H magnum. If you're actually going to try to kill Hippos, you're going to want to study their anatomy carefully. From what I understand, most hunters take headshots because Hippos are typically mostly submerged. But for most large game, a heart shot is seen as less risky since the brain is surprisingly small and well protected, which is an option unless your yard is deeply submurged. 2. 30-50 is almost certainly impossible in 3-5 minutes. Even with extensive practice. Almost all rifles that shoot such high powered ammunition have an integral magazine, which means you'd have to load each bullet individually. And shooting that many targets at speed virtually guarantees that you'll miss their vitals somewhat regularly. Also, 40-80 rounds of .375 H&H magnum would be extremely physically punishing to shoot. --- 1. https://somerbysafaris.com/species/hunting-hippo-in-south-africa/ https://somerbysafaris.com/species/hunting-hippo-in-south-af...
  - SideburnsOfDoom 3y ago
    > From what I understand, most hunters take headshots because Hippos are typically mostly submerged. If it's active defence against a Hippo charging at you, "running into your yard" then the Hippo is not mostly submerged. If you need to clear the swamp of those pesky Hippos before they kill again, then sure.
  - kerkeslager 3y ago
    I know that the intention is somewhat humorous here, but... A lot of caliber recommendations out there are significant overkill, based on limited data. In cases where we do have data, calibers signicantly less powerful than recommendations often prove surprisingly effective. For example, in a survey of 104 grizzly and polar bear attacks with handgun calibers, there were only 3 failures, all of which involved firing after the bear had already caused damage (an automatic failure) or completely missing[1]. You'll often see guys carrying 44 magnums in grizzly country, but the evidence seems to suggest that common 9mm rounds are effective enough. Even the lowly 22 rimfire is represented in the data with success against black bears (but not polar bears). I don't know anyone who would recommend 22 rimfire for deer let alone bears. Given this, I think it's reasonable to select the venerable 7.62x39. This is a common chambering for semi-automatic and even automatic rifles with high-capacity magazines, which would obviate the need to load each bullet individually. It also is easy to obtain armor-piercing rounds in this caliber if penetration is your concern. This is still a punishing round to fire a lot of, but with a modern recoil management system it's manageable. Additionally, the heart is a small target as well, but luckily most hunters' experience is that larger target including the lung and liver can provide reasonably ethical kills (i.e. the animal dies quickly without a prolonged tracking during which the animal suffers). For most animals striking the scapula proves disabling, allowing for an easier follow-up. So just aiming slightly forward of center of mass should be sufficient--no detailed knowledge of anatomy or high-speed, high-precision shooting needed. All this is to say that with a different approach, killing what can only be described as a stampede of 30-50 hippos in 3-5 minutes isn't as implausible as a more conservative approach might make it seem. [1] https://www.ammoland.com/2021/06/handgun-or-pistol-against-bear-attacks-104-cases-97-effective/ https://www.ammoland.com/2021/06/handgun-or-pistol-against-b...
- aperson_hello 3y ago
  Clearly the answer is a personal Predator drone fleet carrying hellfire missiles. As is my God-given right to own and use as a red-blooded American.
justinator 3y ago
Would you rather fight 10 pig sized hippos or one hippo sized pig?
- iancmceachern 3y ago
  Or choice #3 - 4 hungry hippos!

whizzter 3y ago

"""Legit question for rural Americans – How do I kill the 30-50 feral hippos that run into my yard within 3-5 mins while my small kids play?"""

moron4hire 3y ago
I'm assuming you mean pigs, not hippos. My understanding (and you'll have to check your local laws) is that there is no "hunting season" for wild pigs because they are considered a pest species and thus they can be culled at anytime, with no restriction on type of weapon. So basically, this is one case where an AR-15 would actually be a decent weapon for civilian use. Most places won't let you use a high-capacity, auto-loading rifle for hunting, but wild-pig-pest-control isn't hunting. On the other hand, AR-15s are kinda 'spensive, so an AK-47 pattern rifle in 7.62x39mm might be a better choice (and surplus ammo is plentiful). The AK-74 pattern rifles in 5.45x39mm that I've seen have tended to be almost as expensive as a "cheap" AR-15, so at that point I don't know why you wouldn't just get an AR-15 for the more common ammo type. If price is especially a problem, then a Hi Point carbine in 40S&W or 45ACP won't break the bank and should have enough stopping power. Plus, they usually come with some cheap optics that are more than adequate for the effective range of the rifle, which basically makes the thing almost as easy to shoot as a video game. But they are quite, erhm, ugly (mushy trigger pull, bad ergonomics), so if you can swing a more expensive rifle, that'd be preferable.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- zrail 3y ago
  Imma let you finish but 30-50 feral hogs is a meme. See sibling comment.
  - moron4hire 3y ago
    Hrm. Well, I guess I "touch grass" too often to have run across that one before.
- LgWoodenBadger 3y ago
  While that used to be true, AK-47/AK-74/etc. types of rifles are typically multiple times more expensive than AR-15s these days.
  - moron4hire 3y ago
    Whoa, yeah, just checked. AR-15 prices have really crashed. Glad I talked my dad out of using them as an "investment".
    - porkbeer 3y ago
      Investment quality ars are still holding value fine. The cheap ar rifles are... well, cheaply made. Not my favorite feature of a firearm that rests next to your face while use.
SideburnsOfDoom 3y ago
A big gun, .40 calibre or more, elephant gun if you have it. Aim for the brain. If your kids are in the way, it would be very hard to get there in time. https://www.quora.com/What-should-I-use-to-take-down-a-hippo-and-what-should-I-carry-as-my-emergency-gun https://www.quora.com/What-should-I-use-to-take-down-a-hippo... https://www.discountafricanhunts.com/africananimals/hippo.html https://www.discountafricanhunts.com/africananimals/hippo.ht...
jwilk 3y ago
For the uninitiated: https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/30-50-feral-hogs https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/30-50-feral-hogs
- Firmwarrior 3y ago
  I love that a few people familiar with guns and hunting here just went into a clinical analysis of the feasibility of killing 50 hippos in your yard
  - bombcar 3y ago
    A good SRE doesn't only prepare for the obvious failure modes, but also considers other possible avenues (especially since if it works for 50 hippos it will probably help against 50 elephants, maybe).
bluGill 3y ago
Rural Americans have a .30-06 (or similar rifle) and know how to use it, and they often have access to more powerful guns. The question is can you hit a moving target without hitting the kids in the yard - unlikely no matter how much you train. .30 caliber is a little light for this job, but it will work if you aim well. Generally you would want a more powerful gun.
- skymast 3y ago
  Placement takes precedence over caliber size.
  - SideburnsOfDoom 3y ago
    I don't think that still holds true at the extremes. These extremes include 1) very small calibre 2) high stress situation where quick reaction is needed, very precise placement such as the eye is nigh impossible. "head" is a good as you'll realistically get. 3) very large animal with a thick skull. "charging Hippo" is 2 & 3.
nordsieck 3y ago
> How do I kill the 30-50 feral hippos that run into my yard within 3-5 mins while my small kids play? 1. This[1] page suggests: > The minimum suggested caliber for hunting hippo is a 375 and up, using solid bullets. I assume that means .375 H&H magnum. If you're actually going to try to kill Hippos, you're going to want to study their anatomy carefully. From what I understand, most hunters take headshots because Hippos are typically mostly submerged. But for most large game, a heart shot is seen as less risky since the brain is surprisingly small and well protected, which is an option unless your yard is deeply submurged. 2. 30-50 is almost certainly impossible in 3-5 minutes. Even with extensive practice. Almost all rifles that shoot such high powered ammunition have an integral magazine, which means you'd have to load each bullet individually. And shooting that many targets at speed virtually guarantees that you'll miss their vitals somewhat regularly. Also, 40-80 rounds of .375 H&H magnum would be extremely physically punishing to shoot. --- 1. https://somerbysafaris.com/species/hunting-hippo-in-south-africa/ https://somerbysafaris.com/species/hunting-hippo-in-south-af...
- SideburnsOfDoom 3y ago
  > From what I understand, most hunters take headshots because Hippos are typically mostly submerged. If it's active defence against a Hippo charging at you, "running into your yard" then the Hippo is not mostly submerged. If you need to clear the swamp of those pesky Hippos before they kill again, then sure.
- kerkeslager 3y ago
  I know that the intention is somewhat humorous here, but... A lot of caliber recommendations out there are significant overkill, based on limited data. In cases where we do have data, calibers signicantly less powerful than recommendations often prove surprisingly effective. For example, in a survey of 104 grizzly and polar bear attacks with handgun calibers, there were only 3 failures, all of which involved firing after the bear had already caused damage (an automatic failure) or completely missing[1]. You'll often see guys carrying 44 magnums in grizzly country, but the evidence seems to suggest that common 9mm rounds are effective enough. Even the lowly 22 rimfire is represented in the data with success against black bears (but not polar bears). I don't know anyone who would recommend 22 rimfire for deer let alone bears. Given this, I think it's reasonable to select the venerable 7.62x39. This is a common chambering for semi-automatic and even automatic rifles with high-capacity magazines, which would obviate the need to load each bullet individually. It also is easy to obtain armor-piercing rounds in this caliber if penetration is your concern. This is still a punishing round to fire a lot of, but with a modern recoil management system it's manageable. Additionally, the heart is a small target as well, but luckily most hunters' experience is that larger target including the lung and liver can provide reasonably ethical kills (i.e. the animal dies quickly without a prolonged tracking during which the animal suffers). For most animals striking the scapula proves disabling, allowing for an easier follow-up. So just aiming slightly forward of center of mass should be sufficient--no detailed knowledge of anatomy or high-speed, high-precision shooting needed. All this is to say that with a different approach, killing what can only be described as a stampede of 30-50 hippos in 3-5 minutes isn't as implausible as a more conservative approach might make it seem. [1] https://www.ammoland.com/2021/06/handgun-or-pistol-against-bear-attacks-104-cases-97-effective/ https://www.ammoland.com/2021/06/handgun-or-pistol-against-b...
aperson_hello 3y ago
Clearly the answer is a personal Predator drone fleet carrying hellfire missiles. As is my God-given right to own and use as a red-blooded American.

justinator 3y ago

Would you rather fight 10 pig sized hippos or one hippo sized pig?

iancmceachern 3y ago
Or choice #3 - 4 hungry hippos!