Unless your hogs are significantly different than the ones we have in our Florida swamps, I'd say from much experence that the safety issues are generally overblown. We hunt them on foot, no dogs. Been doing it this way for 25 years or more. Best time is in the late fall/winter when the wind is blowing good.
You can work through the palmettos as quietly, if not significantly more so, than a group of hogs will. We slip into the wind and can often times get right up on them. I've taken them with everything from a bow to a single shot .44 Contender, my old .35 Rem and a shotgun. My wife uses a single shot .243.
I can think of three different hogs that were so close that the muzzle blast should have singed hair. Been there for 75 or more kills and never seen one charge.
What is said about the shoulder shield is correct, it is tough. Rifle bullets are unfased by it though. One the other hand buckshot, if the distence is to great or the angle wrong, or if you use to small a shot, well then you will have problems.
We use 3 inch 00 from a full choke but if your hogs are really big, or if you are taking long shots use 000.
And it's a VERY good idea to pattern your gun with the buckshot first. Know where it will through it. You might also consider something like Hevi-Shot that has a density and hardness above that of lead.
As for slugs, they will hammer a hog, but will mess up some meat if you hit bones!
