hog hunting... calibers you'd use first???

[Magnum Wheel Man]

not wanting to side track the Savage Hog Hunter 223 thread...

I'm curious what you guys think of when you think "hog rifle"... I've not hog hunted, but I would not think 223 would be the optimum caliber for large hogs ( not that it couldn't work with just that "right" bullet or load ) I find it funny they ( Savage ) are offering a gun as a "hog hunter" in 223... maybe I'm wrong...

but I'm curious of what caliber you think of, when thinking "hog hunting" ???

me personally if thinking short action probably wouldn't go any lighter than 6.8 SPC, but would more likely go with my .308 ???

BTW... if for you, the 223 / 5.56 is the perfect caliber... what are you using for ammo / bullets that piles up those hogs???

 

[CowTowner]

I have 2 rifles for hog hunting. When I get the chance to go, that is.
One is a Marlin 1895FG lever gun. (41 Rem Mag)
The other is an AR chambered in 7.62x39mm.
Both are effective rounds for dropping Mr. and/or Ms. Hog.

 

[Saltydog235]

The perfect hog caliber is the one you have with you be it a .17hmr or a 50BMG. As long as you put lead in the nasty vermin, that's all that counts.

 

[979Texas]

I use a .300 Blackout and love it. I have dropped coyote juveniles on the move 280 yards away with a free handed standing shot. I have also dropped a 300 lbs. Boar who was at a dead run 230 yards away running uphill with one shot free handed standing. So even though the 300 BLK ballistics don't look to stellar on paper, it's field performance is tenacious and consistent. But there are many other rifle calibers out there that are much better for hogs than the 300 BLK. What I think is the ultimate rifle/caliber package is an AR-15 in 6.5 Grendel. If I had to choose one top hog rifle with money no issue that's what I would choose for hogs. But other calibers I've used with excellent results are, .270, .30-06, .243 (this is what I have killed a majority of my hogs with.), and .35 Remington this gun just lays em out and blows huge holes in them with massive damage. But due to me not having the most spare money in the world my go to hog guns for the last few years have been my S&W M&P 15 in 300 BLK and my Glock 20 in 10mm go with me on every hog hunt now.

 

[rickyrick]

I hunted hogs on busy farms with lots of animals and activities.
I used .223 that wouldn't exit. A disciplined shot will kill them plenty fast.

I've killed several hundred pigs with .223 it's a fairly predictable in the meat of the neck

 

[979Texas]

Also what Salty Dog just says is true also, at least with me and plenty of other hog hunters and ranchers that I know. There is no right or wrong gun for hogs. You try to have enough firepower but hey if you don't have much firepower on you at the time when the opportunity presents itself then you just let the hogs have it with whatever you happen to have with you whether it be your dog's, your .22 lr, or your AR or deer rifle.

 

[NINEX19]

To qualify my statements below, I will say I have never hunted "hogs", but I do hunt deer, bear, and elk. Large hogs and medium sized black bear are about the same size and are equally aggressive. Would you hunt bear with a .223 or 5.56?

Now, I agree with you. Marketing and hunting an animal the size of a hog with a 223 is laughable, in my opinion. If I were going after piglets...perhaps.

Ethically, I would probably choose something in the 30 caliber range, though common rounds like the .270 and .243 are probably good too, I just don't have personal experience with those calibers.

 

[Magnum Wheel Man]

reason I dance gingerly around the 223 issue, is because how MN worded the law change a couple years ago... it is now legal to hunt deer with a 223 ( in fact it's now legal to hunt deer with a 25 ACP ) in MN

I'm quite sure there are bullets designed tough enough to kill hogs... & I understand how much of a nuisance they are in some areas down south, so, many people are not worried about wounding them, as long as it eventually dies... they are the scourge in some areas... I guess I just look at how effective I'd think the cartridge was, on what it was being shot at...

don't think I'd shoot deer with a 25 ACP , even though it is legal in MN

 

[rickyrick]

Hey, dead is dead.
What's UN ethical is using a big caliber as some sort of crutch to avoid taking a disciplined shot.
Pigs are not particularly tough, they are not aggressive in the open and they are pretty simple to hunt.
I've used 308, 30-06, 303 Brit, 45lc, 9mm and .223.
.223 has been the most effective in my methods.

.223 will scatter piglet innards around pretty well. All that said, I've never taken a pig at more than 100 yards. A vast majority were less than 50.

 

[Dr. A]

I don't live around hogs, but have shot perhaps 25 in my life going south twice yearly. The most memorable one was standing broadside at 25 yards. I shot him directly in the shoulder with my beloved 30-30 and a 170gr. Core lokt. He ran off and died for us to find the next day with no blood trail. My 30-06, 270 have worked wonders, but I keep going back to the old 45-70 that stops them quickly with little effort and with little recoil (moderate 405gr lead load). This is a shorter distance gun, but works great for what I use it for. My 30-30 works with a good shot, but obviously not as sure as the old 45-70. At least amongst relative hog hunting amateurs, the 223 has been pitiful when I've seen it used. I'm sure with perfect shot placement it works fine. Most of our shots have been running, though, and its lacking in ability with these marginal shots.

 

[MarkCO]

There are several very good .223 bullets for hunting that have come out in recent years. The TSX and TTSX are great performers and you can buy bullets and loaded rounds from Barnes and Remington. Remington even calls the loaded ammo the "Hog Hammer". I have used them with very good success on medium sized game and I do not worry about it on hogs, but I agree, not optimum and not even okay for some circumstances.

While most feral hogs are not as tough or as big (I'd bet the vast majority of those shot are under 100 pounds) as some would have people believe, there are big ones, and there are nasty ones. Big and nasty is not a good position for taking one "well placed shot".

I have a .450 BushMaster available and carry a .41 Magnum when shooting Hogs, regardless of what primary firearm I might use. I say pick the right tool and method for you. If I am in a blind over fields, the .223 is great and offers faster dispatching of multiple animals. If I am in the underbrush or woods looking for a big bad bruiser, or may have an up close encounter, I'd not choose a .223.

 

[NINEX19]

Hey, dead is dead.
What's UN ethical is using a big caliber as some sort of crutch to avoid taking a disciplined shot.
Pigs are not particularly tough, they are not aggressive in the open and they are pretty simple to hunt.
I've used 308, 30-06, 303 Brit, 45lc, 9mm and .223.
.223 has been the most effective in my methods.

.223 will scatter piglet innards around pretty well. All that said, I've never taken a pig at more than 100 yards. A vast majority were less than 50.

OK, This fall when I am after elk, I'll take my .22LR so I won't get laughed at for having a "crutch" of too big of caliber. I don't want anyone in my hunting group to think that I am "undisciplined" and a bad shot.

His question was not about "piglets innards", it was about hogs (250lbs+?)

 

[Magnum Wheel Man]

I'm hoping this won't turn ugly & get closed right away...

... so I'm not trying to to criticize anyone's choice... that's why I asked... "if it works for you"... I'd like to know what you're using...

 

[MarkCO]

^ I hear you.

These types of threads always seem to go downhill. There is such a thing as too much gun and such a thing as too little gun for ethically hunting and being good stewards of game and hunting traditions.

The question could be posed as this...

What combination of skill, firearm and sighting system gives the best chance of successfully harvesting a ____________(insert animal type here) over the most encountered conditions while also having the most amount of usable product from the animal.

For that question with "Hog" as the animal and the hunter not having hunted hogs, I would suggest a 1-4 to 2-7 optic on a .243Win, .260Rem, 7mm-08Rem, .308Win or .338Fed magazine fed bolt action rifle in a lightweight configuration.

 

[Water-Man]

Remington Hog Hammer Barnes 62gr. TSX .223

 

[Colt46]

Caliber isn't so important as placement and bullet selection

Know your anatomy and choose a premium bullet and you ought to be good.
I think the .22's and .24's are a bit light, but careful attention to the aforementioned advise will still get bacon in your fridge.

 

[rickyrick]

Piglets and innards was referring to a post about .223 only good for piglets.

Yes I've taken many hundreds of grown hogs with .223. Like I said, hogs aren't challenging to kill, not hard at all.

They are not the mythical beasts of reality TV legend.

 

[natman]

Hogs come bigger and are tougher than deer, so I use some of the larger deer calibers - 308, 30-06, 358. I used a 458 Winchester Magnum with medium handloads once just for grins and it worked well, but it's heavier in both senses than I like to carry around for hogs.

The 223 is in no way suitable. Sure it's possible to kill a hog with one, but that doesn't make it a good choice.

 

[Dufus]

I have always used either a 22LR or a 45 Colt. Both work just dandy for me.

By the way, I load the 45 Colt to around 800-850 fps.

Between the two, I have killed more with the 22LR.

 

[Old Stony]

I doubt the debate over caliber will ever end, as a lot of guys have their minds made up about caliber, bullet types, aggressive nature of hogs, and all the other myths out there. The Savage Hog Rifle will do a fine job if you can just put the bullet in the right place.
Listen to the guys that do it on a regular basis and live in the active hog areas, and you will get a real feel for the sport. Like RickyRick, I have killed a large number of hogs and have killed them with a number of different cartridges. They are not tough to kill and only get aggressive when there is no place to retreat. I hunted last night as I do many nights with an AR in .223 and night vision. Head and shoulder shots drop them easily and I normally just use fmj ammo...you don't need fancy bullets.
There are lots of guys with varied areas of expertise on here...a guy can learn a lot from them. It sort of cracks me up when a guy asks for advice and then argues with the answer...Listen to the voices of experience.