Giant wild boar shot in Herefordshire countryside

The boar was shot at a range of 80 yards with a 30.06 Mauser 98 rifle and RWS 180grn bullet.

By Barnaby Dracup

Wednesday, 03 December 2008

This gold medal wild boar weighing in at an amazing 518lb (234kg), is believed to be the largest ever shot in the UK.

The huge beast measured 92 inches from nose to tail, 22 inches from top of shoulder to underside of belly and had eight-inch long tusks.

Sporting Gun reader, Luke Hollis from Herefordshire, accompanied by his two shooting pals Jody Marsh and Roger Clarke, shot it.

“We had been tracking the boar for a few months, without any luck,” said Jody. But this time we arrived early at 9.20pm and set up in a grass field near to the woods at Ross-on-Wye.”

Within a few minutes the boar appeared on his way to a field of freshly harvested maize. He stopped for a moment, just long enough for Luke to squeeze off a shot, which killed it instantly.

“Our first attempts to weigh it ended in total failure,” said Jody.

“Not only did the 220kg-rated scales break almost instantly with it only partially lifted off the ground, it also completely straightened the steel hook supporting the scales and the block and tackle!”