The Broadside Pocket Shot

Lesson 24 of 35 · Module 6, lesson 2

Assumes the Hunting Primer. New here? Start there first.

Your objective

By the end, you'll be able to locate the broadside pocket shot on a feral hog and explain why the hold must be lower and more forward than on a deer.

Procedure ~8 min

The boar is broadside at 30 yards. He’s calm, giving you time. You squeeze the trigger from your deer-hunting muscle memory — and he trots off. He was standing right there. What happened? Odds are your hold was mid-body, and the shot went over the lungs. The pocket shot fixes that for good.

Quick recall

From Hog Anatomy and the Shield — roughly where does a feral hog's heart sit in the chest, compared to a deer?

Lower and more forward — about one-third up from the belly, near the front legs At roughly the same height as a deer's Higher in the chest — near the spine line

Show answer

Correct: Lower and more forward — about one-third up from the belly, near the front legs — Right. The heart is low — nearly at armpit level on a broadside boar. The pocket shot aims for exactly that spot.
Not quite: At roughly the same height as a deer's — This is the deer-hunter's error. A hog's vitals are noticeably lower — one-third body height, not half. If it helps, think: the heart is almost between the legs.
Not quite: Higher in the chest — near the spine line — Higher is wrong in two ways: the vitals are low, and shots above the spine have little stopping power. Low and forward is the target.

Finding the pocket — step by step

The pocket is not a vague concept. It’s a specific, consistently locatable aim point on any broadside hog. Here’s how to find it every time:

Step 1 — Orient to the front leg. Look at the front leg from the side. The back edge of that leg is your vertical reference line. Everything else flows from here.

Step 2 — Drop to one-third body height. Starting from the back of the front leg, measure mentally about one-third of the way up from the belly line (not the back line). On most hogs this is nearly at armpit level — surprisingly low.

Step 3 — Move just behind the leg crease. Your aim point is in the soft tissue just behind the leg, not on the shoulder itself. This clears the scapula (shoulder blade) above and places your shot in the heart/lung zone below.

Step 4 — Wait for clear access. Brush, other hogs, or a leg-forward posture can hide the pocket. If the front leg is pulled back tight or a branch covers the lower shoulder, wait. A partially obstructed shot on a hog is a recipe for a shoulder hit with no vital penetration.

Schematic silhouette of a broadside hog facing left. The vital zone is marked as an oval in the lower chest, just behind the front leg, at approximately one-third body height from the bottom. — Diagram (not a photo) — pocket reference. The aim point (orange oval) sits behind the front leg at the lower third of body height. The mid-body hold that works on deer passes over this zone entirely.

The common deer-hunter mistake, visualized

It helps to see exactly how the error happens. A deer hunter’s reflex is to aim at mid-body, right behind the near shoulder — and that hold works on a deer because a deer’s heart and lungs ride at that height. On a hog, mid-body is above the lungs. Your shot sails through the upper chest, clips a lung tip at best, and the hog runs.

The fix is deliberate at first, then automatic:

Old hold (deer): mid-body, behind shoulder → over the vitals on a hog
Correct hold (hog): lower third, behind the front leg crease → through heart and lungs

Edge case What happens if I aim too far back?

Too far back is the secondary error, compounding the too-high mistake. A shot that’s both too high AND too far back enters the liver or guts — a wound that is eventually lethal but slow, difficult to blood-trail (hog fat plugs the exit wound), and often requires hours of waiting and a long recovery. Always aim forward and low. When in doubt, err forward rather than back.

Broadside with the leg forward vs. back

A hog’s posture shifts the pocket slightly. When the front leg is extended forward — taking a step, reaching to feed — the armpit opens and the pocket is fully exposed. This is the ideal moment. When the leg is pulled back, the shoulder closes over the pocket and the entry window shrinks. Learn to read posture before pulling the trigger:

Leg forward, hog feeding: pocket open, ideal shot
Leg back, hog standing alert: shoulder closes the window; consider waiting
Hog turning slightly away: the quartering-away angle can be equally good (the off-shoulder is the aim point — see Lesson 2’s deeper scenario)

Walk the shot decision

Decision

A 150-pound boar is feeding broadside at 35 yards at a bait pile. His near front leg is slightly forward and he is relaxed. You have a steady rest from your ground blind. Where do you hold?

Mid-body, right behind the shoulder — the deer hold

The shot clips the upper chest. He sprints 60 yards, stops, then trots off. Blood trail is thin. You likely need to wait an hour and trail carefully. The vitals were 4 inches below where you aimed.

Lower third, just behind the front leg crease — the pocket

The shot drives through the heart and both lungs. He runs less than 30 yards and piles up. Recovery is quick and certain. That's the pocket working.

Directly on the shoulder blade to anchor him

Heavy bone, possible shield on a mature animal. He may drop, but you risk a broken-off shot that doesn't reach the lungs. You got away with it, but it wasn't the right call. The pocket clears the bone.

Decision

The same boar has walked to the edge of the bait and stopped. His shoulder is partly obscured by a small tree trunk on his near side. You can see his flank but not a clear pocket. There's another hog behind him. Last light in 10 minutes.

Take the shot anyway — you can see enough of him

The bullet clips the tree limb, deflects, and wounds the boar without a lethal hit. He bolts, the sounder scatters. You've got a wounded hog that's now a night-long search, and a spooked, educating group. The 10-minute pressure was the enemy of the right call.

Wait for him to step clear or move to the open bait area

He steps forward two minutes later. Pocket is clear, legs forward, relaxed posture. Clean shot, quick recovery. Patience paid.

Try a flank shot since the shoulder is blocked

A flank shot that doesn't pass through the chest cavity is a wounding shot — organs are too far forward. Never substitute a poor-angle shot for patience.

Make the call

Knowledge check

On a broadside hog, your vertical aim reference is the back edge of the front leg. Your aim point height should be…

About one-third of the way up from the belly — nearly armpit level Mid-body — about halfway between the back and belly Just below the backline — where the spine runs

Show answer

Correct: About one-third of the way up from the belly — nearly armpit level — Correct. One-third body height, just behind the leg. That's where the heart and lower lungs live on a hog. Lower than your deer-hunting instinct tells you.
Not quite: Mid-body — about halfway between the back and belly — Mid-body is the deer-habit error. On a hog that aim point is above the lungs. Drop to the lower third and you're in the vital zone.
Not quite: Just below the backline — where the spine runs — Shots near the spine are in the upper chest, well above the heart and lungs. That's not a reliable vital hit on a hog. Aim low, at one-third body height.

Knowledge check

A hog is broadside but his near front leg is pulled back tight against his body, partly closing the shoulder. What should you do?

Wait — the pocket is partly blocked; take the shot when the leg steps forward Take it anyway — the shoulder will stop him Switch to a behind-the-ear shot instead

Show answer

Correct: Wait — the pocket is partly blocked; take the shot when the leg steps forward — Right call. When the leg closes the shoulder, the pocket window narrows. Wait for a posture that opens the pocket rather than forcing a shot into bone.
Not quite: Take it anyway — the shoulder will stop him — Shoulder shots carry real risk: heavy bone, possible shield on a mature animal, and no guarantee of vital penetration. The pocket, not the shoulder, is the standard.
Not quite: Switch to a behind-the-ear shot instead — The ear shot requires a known-angle, stable broadside position — not a hasty substitute for a blocked chest shot. Wait for the pocket to clear or take the ear shot if the conditions for it are right. Don't mix up the two.

Knowledge check

You're shooting a rifle. A boar is broadside at 40 yards with a clear pocket. But light brush is right in front of his near shoulder. Do you shoot?

No — wait for a clear lane; even light brush can deflect or alter a shot Yes — a rifle bullet will punch through light brush easily

Show answer

Correct: No — wait for a clear lane; even light brush can deflect or alter a shot — Correct. Light brush can deflect a rifle bullet enough to miss the pocket or hit the shoulder instead. A clear lane is non-negotiable, especially when the aim point is as precise as the hog's pocket.
Not quite: Yes — a rifle bullet will punch through light brush easily — This is a dangerous assumption. Even small twigs can deflect a bullet. On a target as specific as the lower-pocket aim point, any deflection risks a shoulder hit or gut shot. Wait for a clear lane.

Take it to the woods

Range drill: build the hog pocket hold

0/5

Print or sketch a broadside hog target with a front leg clearly marked.
Mark the pocket at one-third body height, just behind the leg crease — draw a 4-inch circle there.
Mark the mid-body deer hold above it so you can see exactly how far apart the two points are.
From your real hunting position (seated, from a blind rail, or off sticks), put 3 of 3 inside the pocket circle. Not the deer circle. The pocket.
Safety Maintain safe muzzle discipline and finger off the trigger until sights are on the target.

Sources

Bass Pro Shops / 1Source — “Hog Hunting Shot Placement: Don’t Make This Common Deer Hunters’ Mistake”: https://1source.basspro.com/news-tips/wild-hogs-boar/7770/hog-hunting-shot-placement-dont-make-common-deer-hunters-mistake
Outdoor Life — “Where to Shoot a Hog”: https://www.outdoorlife.com/hunting/where-to-shoot-a-hog/
MeatEater — “Shot Placement for Feral Hogs”: https://www.themeateater.com/hunt/wild-hog/shot-placement-for-feral-hogs
Sightmark — “Hog Hunting 411: Shot Placement”: https://www.sightmark.com/blogs/news/hog-hunting-411-shot-placement
HogMan Outdoors — “So, Where Do I Aim For The Quickest Kill?”: https://www.hogmanoutdoors.com/blog/so-where-do-i-aim-for-the-quickest-kill

If you remember nothing else

The pocket is the soft triangle just behind the front leg, at the lower third of body height — not mid-body.
Use the back edge of the front leg as your vertical reference; aim one-third up from the belly line.
On a broadside hog with the front leg extended, the heart is nearly at armpit level — very low.
Aiming at mid-body (deer habit) places your shot over the vitals, often catching only lung tops or missing entirely.
Wait for a clear, unobstructed broadside — thick brush in front of the shoulder can hide the pocket entirely.

How ready do you feel?

How ready are you to line up the pocket shot on a broadside hog and hold in the right place under field conditions?

Before you go — a quick look back

Distributed practice: one fast recall from an earlier lesson keeps it from fading.

Quick recall

From Hog Anatomy and the Shield — where does the gristle shield sit on a mature boar, and what does it mean for your broadside shot angle?

Show me the answer

Show answer

Correct: Show me the answer — The shield covers the lateral shoulder and ribcage from the base of the neck to the front of the hips. On a broadside shot the pocket — low and behind the front leg — sits below the thickest part of the shield, which is why the pocket shot is the standard approach. Shooting into the center of the shield with a marginal projectile risks deflection or poor penetration.

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