Hog Hunt Rifle Caliber

[Maustypsu]

What will you (would you if you were going) take with you to the Pigmageddon hunt?

I can go as small as a 22lr or as big as a 175 grain 7mm Rem Mag. I've been talking to G2 about it. But figured I would open it up here. Online searches show a wide range of opinions. Buckshot to 300 magnums are all recommended.



I have a super light weight Kimber 8400 Mountain rifle. It is a 7mm-08 with a 1-4 × 24 scout style scope set up. I would shoot that with low recoil 120 grain Hornady Custom Lite. Unless it is going to be very dense. Then I would get the 140 Remington core lokt for the softer, fatter, proven brush-busting tip.

On the other hand, I have a .222 Rem Mag. It shoots hand loads with 50 grain Nosler bullets. Basically it is the equivalent of a long range coyote smacking .223 from a ballistics stand point. Very rare caliber handed down by my Great Uncle. This would be for head shots.

Or I may just go with the bow and my 44 mag pistol.

What do you guys think? What are you all taking?



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[Erniepower]

I am really leaning toward a .44 mag ruger super Blackhawk hunter. Since I'm flying, I can pack that in a checked bag and not have to check another bag. I originally was thinking 10mm, but the .44 packs a bit more punch.

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[ricky racer]

Just my thoughts on the .222 Rem. mag., the 50 grain bullet is to light for a hog. I use a .222 for coyotes and woodchucks and it works great for them but even on those small critters I often times don't get an exit wound, so penetration is minimal. Any cartridge suitable for deer should work well on hogs.

 

[wes k]

The 7mm-08 would work good. I used my 308 savage scout for a Texas hog hunt and it put em right down. It was nice having a lightweight/compact rife. Used 180gr Hornady interbond bullets. Probably didn't need that heavy of a bullet.

 

[IkemanTX]

Typically, I hunt some thick stuff. If I am hunting firearm for pigs, I will do a shotgun with a slug in the chamber and buckshot as a backup. with 40+ yard shots expected, I'll switch over to my 270. with a rifle and scope.


Pig anatomy is quite different than a deer. The heart and lungs sit in line with the shoulder and a bit lower.

With a firearm I typically take shots either quartering away and right behind behind the ear, or with them looking straight at me. this drops them instantly. With a head on shot, you shoot the center of an imaginary X made between their ears and eyes. Pig's brains sit higher in the skull than you would expect and there is no margin of error for shooting low when shooting dead between the eyes. These shots are kind of "controversial" because guys take them not understanding the anatomy of the pig. There's a lot of neck there that isn't vital. The highest percentage shot, though, is the quartering away boilermaker shot I describe below. Same for bow and gun.

With a bow, I almost exclusively shoot slightly quartering away shots. You would aim the same as a perfectly broadside deer, not adjusting your point of impact point back for the quartering angle. This gets you behind the bone of the shoulder as well as away from the extremely thick hide around the shoulder/neck area.

True broadside shots can be very effective, but there is always a chance of catching the bone that surrounds the kill zone.

 

[IkemanTX]

Take note that if you shoot behind the shoulder like a deer, you are JUST catching the back of the lungs. Any variance back in your shot, and you will be behind the diaphragm.


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[g2outdoors]

Thanks for posting. I didn't know about the differences. That explains why the last one I shot didn't die quickly. The pig was quartering towards me and I aimed the same as a deer. I probably only clipped the lungs, if at all. Luckily I broke it's back with the 3 hundo. I followed up with a head shot behind the ear. That did the trick.

 

[IkemanTX]

Thanks for posting. I didn't know about the differences. That explains why the last one I shot didn't die quickly. The pig was quartering towards me and I aimed the same as a deer. I probably only clipped the lungs, if at all. Luckily I broke it's back with the 3 hundo. I followed up with a head shot behind the ear. That did the trick.

No problem. I had one that "got away" and it made me figure out why. If any of y'all have ever done any African hunting, it is very similar to the bone/vitals structure of the plains animals over there.

Though, after gaining more experience with how bad the pig problem is down here... I no long worry about not recovering a pig. I only want to take ethical shots, but when a state legalizes shooting something out of a helicopter with an automatic weapon, you know you have a problem.


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[IkemanTX]

One interesting thing a guy close to me does though...
He keeps a field tip on the arrow he has knocked and shoots piglets behind the ear like I do with a rifle. He takes them right at the end of the suckling stage and never older. I told him he was crazy, but he explained it so well.

"You can pick the whole thing up by one leg and walk out with it whole. And, the whole thing fits on the grill"


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[g2outdoors]

One interesting thing a guy close to me does though...
He keeps a field tip on the arrow he has knocked and shoots piglets behind the ear like I do with a rifle. He takes them right at the end of the suckling stage and never older. I told him he was crazy, but he explained it so well.

"You can pick the whole thing up by one leg and walk out with it whole. And, the whole thing fits on the grill"


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Funny story about that. I just went on a draw hunt on Fort Stewart with 50 other Hunters. One guy brought in 3 piglets, probably 10-20 pounds each.

A couple of the Hunters brought in their wives and kids at lunch for the big BBQ. 2 little girls were walking around looking at all the dead critters (we killed about 40 deer and 20 pigs) when they came up on the piglets.

They burst into tears and cried "you killed Wilbur". The father was laughing, but the hunter felt awful. It was terrible but hilarious.

 

[ImThere]

Funny story about that. I just went on a draw hunt on Fort Stewart with 50 other Hunters. One guy brought in 3 piglets, probably 10-20 pounds each.

A couple of the Hunters brought in their wives and kids at lunch for the big BBQ. 2 little girls were walking around looking at all the dead critters (we killed about 40 deer and 20 pigs) when they came up on the piglets.

They burst into tears and cried "you killed Wilbur". The father was laughing, but the hunter felt awful. It was terrible but hilarious.

Awesome success rate!!! Man I'm looking forward to this!!!!!!



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[Autumnrider]

I've used my savage 223 with 64 gr. Fusion bullet. Ear shots only and over bait. I'll be carrying my savage 270 shooting 140 gr spbt hornady custom for fort stewart

 

[Root]

If I could go I would bring a ar10 308 as long as I didn't have to walk far with it. It's a lot nicer to know you have the ability of quick follow up shots.

 

[brydan]

Of the guns mentioned, 7mm-08 and bring home the pork. I love handgun hunting but usually whenever I hunt a new area or in unfamiliar stands I'll use a rifle first and then switch to pistol on subsequent hunts if it makes sense to use one.

 

[ImThere]

Ruger American 308.
Been letting the air out of whitetails for years now don't see any reason it wont deflate a few hogs.
Thought about bringing the 22-250 trying a few with it also aim behind the ear and let her eat

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[EricS]

Just bring what you would for a deer hunt. The 7mm-08 is a great round that should be accurate enough for head shots but enough bone breaking power should a head shot not be available. If I go I will be carrying a at in 300 blackout. Not because of the fast follow up shots but just because I built it last summer and my son is the only one to draw blood with it.

 

[Maustypsu]

Maybe I should just bring my brush buster. .300 Savage. Slow heavy bullet.

If I'm going to shoot vitals in brush then it's the gun. Shot my first buck with it. I have a nice wide Doctor scope on it. And it is a pump gun.
I was thinking more along the lines of sitting in a tree for headshots on 80lbs and under.


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[swampsnyper]

Behind the ear for small light calibers. I took my brother on a hog hunt in my bow setups. He brought his AR 223 with a deer round. Hog came in at 30 yards facing him. He shot between the eyes. The hog dropped and spun around on the ground then got up and took off. That bullet exploded or glanced off that hard head. He would have been better with a FMJ round with a head shot. That's what my buddies use in 22 mag to kill them in traps. A hog is a different creature than a deer.

 

[justsomedude]

30/30 Hog Hammer!

 

[IkemanTX]

30/30 Hog Hammer!

My favorite caliber for thick areas. The 30/30 round is a tank. It'll punch through the thickest briars like they are nothing.


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