Hog Arsenal

C

camper4lyfe

New member
So my dad has this wild idea that he wants to go hog hunting for his 60th birthday, after falling in love with the show "Hog Wild." This poses an interesting conundrum. First of all being that he hasn't hunting anything bigger than a squirrel in over 30 years. Secondly, he doesn't own anything other than a .22lr, and a 20ga. Thirdly, he wants to take my brother-in-law and myself. We are in the same situation, aside from us both hunting regularly. I have a .22-250 and a 12ga. To the best of my knowledge, my brother-in-law doesn't have anything other than a 12ga and a 17HMR.

What would be a recommended gun for a hog hunt? I know we could use the 12ga with slugs. I also know that some of the requirements will be based on the setup and location of the hunt (woods vs fields). What would you suggest for a gun for a hog hunt? I doubt we'd go out and buy anything, but might be able to borrow a couple rifles if needed.
 
Any good Deer rifle would work just fine.Imo a good fast action in the swamp,
or a good bolt action in the field.Dont know about NY.But anything from 223-300mag works here.
 
Reports and viable populations are apples and oranges... You could have a few herds here and there that will manifest in many reports.

That said...

No gun needed if you get him on a dog hunt. No guns needed...

Brent
 
sounds to me like 3 guys need hog rifles, and anyone who hunts hogs will tell you to get 3 pretty well put together and maintained sks's. cheapest to practice and shoot with, cheapest to accessorize, and best of all cheapest to buy 3 of.
 
Within the proper range and proper shot, anything in .223 or better will work.


Dragging a dead pig further than fifty yards can be a demanding task, depending on size.even the smaller ones. So unless you can get the chosen DPTV LOL (dead pig transport vehicle) (just made that up) near the dead pig, don't shoot them to far away.


A wounded pig will run to a bush, or similar device, and hide. They can scrunch down amazingly low with the jaw flat to the ground, you can walk right by them and not see it.
 
Reports and viable populations are apples and oranges... You could have a few herds here and there that will manifest in many reports.

That said...

No gun needed if you get him on a dog hunt. No guns needed...

Brent
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There's enough that the DEC has released a statement saying to shoot on sight, with any means necessary, in any numbers, at any time of day. They're coming up across the PA border.
 
What would be a recommended gun for a hog hunt? I know we could use the 12ga with slugs. I also know that some of the requirements will be based on the setup and location of the hunt (woods vs fields). What would you suggest for a gun for a hog hunt? I doubt we'd go out and buy anything, but might be able to borrow a couple rifles if needed.
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12 ga slugs out of a smooth bore shotgun barrel are probably best at distances 50-75yards or less just because of accuracy issues, which for hunting in the woods may be much more range than you will need. The same for the 20 ga. The .22-250 should work fine.

Dragging a dead pig further than fifty yards can be a demanding task, depending on size.even the smaller ones. So unless you can get the chosen DPTV LOL (dead pig transport vehicle) (just made that up) near the dead pig, don't shoot them to far away.
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LOL, we drug a 130 pounder only about 100 yards and it had us winded pretty good. It would have been easier to carry it over my shoulder, but then I would have been all bloody. Pedestrian dragging of pigs is not efficient at all.
 
12 ga slugs out of a smooth bore shotgun barrel are probably best at distances 50-75yards or less just because of accuracy issues, which for hunting in the woods may be much more range than you will need. The same for the 20 ga. The .22-250 should work fine.
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You really think the .22-250 would work? Obviously I'd need something in the 55gr+ range, correct?

Both of our 12ga have rifled barrels, so the range is a bit more than 50-75, though I wouldn't go much past that just because it gets hard to see out that far.
 
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If your hunting hog with dogs, and are gonna dispatch a bayed hog, a .22 Rifle is perfect, because you wont over penetrate and hit the dogs.

If you still hunting from a blind or tree stand for hogs with no dogs, any good deer rifle should work fine. Good Luck.
 
Anything that will kill a deer will work fine on hogs. Just remember to shoot them in the right place........Close to the road.
 
Greetings
I would not hessitate to pop a hog with a slug but not a BIG piggy with a hollow Forester type.
I prefer round ball in my 12 guage double. Did some penetration experements some years ago as the standard hollow 12 bore slugs were bouncing off the neck armor of large crocs. Round ball will outpenetrate a hollow slug about 3x. So anyway if I was gonna try for a 300+ pounder I would want a solid body slug or a roundball in my barrel. 12 guage Roundball was a common elephant thumper for many years (although considered minimal).
So anyway small piggies are not anything hard to hurt permenantly. A .22 through the ear cannel will do them in.. But I would go with the 12 bore if that was all that was available knowing it will be enough gun by far.
Mike in Peru
 
Just remember to shoot them in the right place........Close to the road.
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The nice thing about CNS shots is that the hogs usually drop on the spot. In my experience, when hogs do run after being shot, they almost never run closer to my truck or into a nice open and well manicured pasture. They seem to like to run into the densest woods with the most briars and poison ivy or down into the creek bottoms, either way making locating and extracting unpleasant.

Close to the road would be fine.
 
I hunt 'em year round...

with anything from a .243 win to an SKS to a .308 to a 7 mm mag to .450 marlin depending on if the freezer is empty. Most anything that will take a deer will take a hog.
 
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