Henry Rifle Forums

anyone watch Swamp People on the History Channel .. .. we've watched it since season one and have enjoyed watching the cast mature over time .... it is interesting to me to see the wide range of calibers they use to take gators .... some use a 22 mag, others use much higher calibers .... I'm still waiting to see one of them use a Henry ..

http://www.history.com/shows/swamp-people

A gator head is like shooting a steel plate so you must watch out for bullet or bone splatter if you miss the soft spot in there head . I never see them showing bullets bounding back or bone splatter . So bullet placement and caliber is very important when shooting them at 1 foot . I enjoyed the show but there is only a few way to hunt or kill gators and each show is like watching reruns .

tx gunrunner wrote:A gator head is like shooting a steel plate so you must watch out for bullet or bone splatter if you miss the soft spot in there head . I never see them showing bullets bounding back or bone splatter . So bullet placement and caliber is very important when shooting them at 1 foot . I enjoyed the show but there is only a few way to hunt or kill gators and each show is like watching reruns .

I've seen several episodes where bullets have hit wrong, shattered, and the hunters have been hit by them and bone spatter .... I believe that Willie had shrapnel embed in his cheek, just below his eye .... they say the soft spot is about the size of a quarter, hence the need to get close and shoot straight down .... what I don't understand is, with that being the case, how do they make the long range kills

JEBar wrote: I've seen several episodes where bullets have hit wrong, shattered, and the hunters have been hit by them and bone spatter .... I believe that Willie had shrapnel embed in his cheek, just below his eye .... they say the soft spot is about the size of a quarter, hence the need to get close and shoot straight down .... what I don't understand is, with that being the case, how do they make the long range kills

A bullet speed [fps] not size will drill a hole in steel . The smaller the caliber like .223 and the faster the bullet the easier it will make a hole in steel . Most sabot are 17 caliber inside like a 308 bullet . The 308 will keep the speed up at long range and the 17 or smaller will drill the hole when it hits the target .

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabot

I would think a Mare's Leg would be perfect for the job.

Sir Henry wrote:I would think a Mare's Leg would be perfect for the job.

a few use revolvers .... most appear to be 22 mags .... I've seen episodes where hunters stuck their rifles down to get close for the shot and the gator grabbed the rifle and went into a roll .... the rifle was jerked from the hunters' hands and really messed them up .... broken fingers and deep cuts .... I think that having the gator grab a revolver could get really bad in a hurry ....

How many fingers does a person really need?

I would think they could ease em up to the surface and choot em as soon as they break the surface. But then we wouldn't get to hear Troy say "choot em" 10 times an episode. Full disclosure, yes I watch!

I'm sure that when the cameras aren't rolling, they ease as many to the boat as they can .... that wouldn't make good TV so I'm sure that when the cameras are rolling they try to make it exciting ..

JEBar wrote:I'm sure that when the cameras aren't rolling, they ease as many to the boat as they can .... that wouldn't make good TV so I'm sure that when the cameras are rolling they try to make it exciting ..

And that's why "reality tv" isn't.

when it comes to catching big gators, Troy is about as good as they come .... Bruce's buyer is done for the year, can't help but wonder how long it will be before the others shut down

I watched a couple of episodes of the first series when it screened over here, but I just couldn't really get into it. I suppose it would be a lot more interesting if you had actually experienced it, or watched the real thing.

it is a show that most certainly doesn't appeal to everyone .... the actual taking of a gator is pretty much the same .... we've watched it from the start and enjoy watching the interactions among the hunters ....

JEBar wrote:

tx gunrunner wrote:A gator head is like shooting a steel plate so you must watch out for bullet or bone splatter if you miss the soft spot in there head . I never see them showing bullets bounding back or bone splatter . So bullet placement and caliber is very important when shooting them at 1 foot . I enjoyed the show but there is only a few way to hunt or kill gators and each show is like watching reruns .

I've seen several episodes where bullets have hit wrong, shattered, and the hunters have been hit by them and bone spatter .... I believe that Willie had shrapnel embed in his cheek, just below his eye .... they say the soft spot is about the size of a quarter, hence the need to get close and shoot straight down .... what I don't understand is, with that being the case, how do they make the long range kills

They farm the long range kills out to North Country Gal.

Sir Henry wrote:They farm the long range kills out to North Country Gal.

long range kills are one of the things I have yet to figure out ....you are in a boat, the gator is swimming across the surface ump'teen yards away ... they aim at the gator's "quarter size kill spot," on the top of its head, and manage to make the bullet come down into that kill spot .. .. yep, I find it hard to picture the trajectory

I liked watchin that show when they had the 2 women teamed up together in boat. Those Cajun women are so tough girls. Al

BigAl52 wrote:I liked watchin that show when they had the 2 women teamed up together in boat. Those Cajun women are so tough girls. Al

they sure are .... toward the end of last season they announced the series would end .... it was reported that some of the hunters wanted more money, Liz was one of them .... there was a huge outcry and the History Channel renewed the series with fewer cast members .... (Liz's partner) has been in a couple of episodes

I'll admit that I watch and I also watch Mountain Monsters!

ace73 wrote:I'll admit that I watch and I also watch Mountain Monsters!

truly a first class combo ....

a new season of Swamp People begins on Feb 1, 2018 on the History Channel .... I wasn't aware that they would be back for a 9th season .... I'm looking forward to seeing where they focus the show