I’m curious if anyone has ever shot a hog and had zero blood come out of the exit wound.

I shot a hog through both shoulders with a 6.5 CM 143 ELD-X and didn’t find a single drop. Hog was DRT.

Shot em with black powder ml's in 50 cal and
didn't have blood.
That blubber and hair and mud and trash will
plug up a hole like a stopper
Unless you're making a big hole with a 12ga
slug, or a big broadhead arrow, stick to the
ear and eye

Personally, I'm glad to not see any lately

Yup. Couple years ago I shot a 125 lb sow broadside. She ran off and died some 30 yards away. Not ONE SINGLE DROP OF BLOOD to be found. Small entrance hole and equally small exit hole (not the best bullet for this application) but no blood.

On a proper size pig I honestly expect to not find a blood trail. That’s why I shoot them in the head

Only ones I got a decent blood trail on were shot low, through the heart. And that was with a 223 and 65 gr Sierra GKs.

The best blood trail we've ever had was center mass shot in the hill country that seemed to paint the limestone red. Most of the others not so much unless they were DRT and left a puddle.

I looked all around the ground and brush and couldn’t find a single drop.

Had that happens dozens of times, mostly on larger hogs.

There are a variety of reasons for it.

Unless shot low on the body it very easy for the hog to be bleeding internally but not from an exit hole.

I pretty much never 'expect' to find any blood in the first 40-50 yds of a trail they left on.

I've had hogs leave a blood trail a blind man could follow and some that never dripped a single drop.

Most of the hogs I shoot don't leave a drop of blood not even hair. They run about 30 yards, exhale painting everything around them with blood and die right there. Mid shoulder shots. If I want them to stay put I'll shoot in the neck or ear. I don't really like for them to bleed at the feeder or hog logs. It seems like they avoid that area for a few days after.

I'm glad it wasn't just me who experienced this!

I've gone to head shots. I guess I need the instant gratification to know that I hit them.

The 6.5CM is a terrible cartridge and usually ends up with wounded animals that don't leave a blood trail. Just ask Judd. You'd be better off re-chambering to a 6.5 sweede.

I shot a big sow behind the shoulder and there was a piece of lung where the hog was standing. I tracked where it ran off and never found a drop of blood.

Sometimes I am truly impressed with the blood pigs can leak. This was done with a 150 grain Partition. Both pictures are entrance holes.

My .416 TSX at 2800 fps certainly left a blood trail, but I’ve seen very little blood in the past even from a .300 WM.

.300 WM

.416 TSX

Shot a just dead hog with 30/30 @ 5 ft, through the gut - just got green drippings out of exit hole. Same at the shoulder didn't get penetration. 185gr cast 2100 fps. Shot one (texas heart shot) with 165gr cast 40sw. Broke front leg, exit through jaw. Just a few blood drops on the weeds for 50 yds or so. Unless you hit the pump, no blood.

Many times not much of a hole/blood with my .308. One I had his insides were jelly but barely a drop. Another DRT I rolled over several times and finally stood on her to find the entrance. This pic was the second from a accidental double - my primary target was DRT and when I walked up I didnt expect it.

The magazines, etc. push for lung shots on deer- to save the antlers and I get that but on hogs, if they are close enough and you have the time and there is a lot of dense cover- a head shot makes a lot of sense until you want to mount the head.

Think most of the no blood is looked error. I’m not calling y’all bad lookers and not me, I’m right there with ya. I’ve found dozens of hogs and deer that ran “without a blood trail” only to start at the found dead animal and piece together a sparse trail we just didn’t see before.

If you don't hit an artery or heart, you got no blood. Head shot hits 'blood' as there is lots circulating around the brain (cooling and O2).

I use a 6.5 needmore and I always have lots of blood. Trick is shoot somewhere in the head. No more trailing! Broadside in a big pig won't exit.

They shoot the same bullets.

Ten, others have reported those eld to pencil though game. You are not alone. Yet others rave about them. Go with what you see from what you did. You can read all kinds of opinions on the internet.

It's the bullet. NOT the headstamp.

Or is it?

It been a few years ago but I shot a 249 lb boar at 100 yards in Feb

After being shot he ran straight to me and died at my feet...within 10 yards of my feet

Plastic tipped 55g Hornady, 22-250 punched both sides and sprayed amongst the yellow grass of the time

First time I guess I really ever noticed spray like that live

But for those who havent, a 249 looks like a bull dozer w feet..they are 2 foot wide

Thats when I believed speed was king, gimme speed at reasonable distances over all else

Sounds like a rodeo I'd want no part of. LOL.

What bullet, specifically, are you talking about? I'd imagine a 55 out of a hot loaded .22-250 would be doing about 3350 or so at 100 yards. If it was a V-Max, I don't see how it could possibly penetrate and exit. I haven't seen everything, though.

Out of curiosity, I just looked at Hornady's website to see what they have available in .224 inch at 55 grains. I could swear there was a 55-grain V-Max at one time, but it ain't there now. Maybe there never was...I dunno. I don't use a lot of .22 caliber Hornady bullets.

But, I insist that the headstamp does none of the work. It may (and does often) determine the maximum possible impact velocity but that's it. The things that matter are WHAT bullet is it, WHERE does it hit, and HOW FAST it is going when it does. An argument that the headstamp matters would need to include range as a factor as well...and IMO that gets us into the weeds.