Pig hunting...what gun do you use

[Tipsy Mcstagger]

I mostly use an ar15 with 55 fmj and a 1x red dot. Sometimes it pokes holes, sometimes the wound is so large you could stick a baseball bat in the exit wound. I have yet to have one get away, though. Because I rarely hunt from a blind, I come upon them and they know I'm there and I choose capacity and follow up shots above power. And i don't take long shots on them with that gun. I would not choose this round and rifle if I routinely came across large hogs and I was amongst them (300+ lbs). If I'm in a blind or staying in one spot, I'd choose 308 and 243. I choose those cartridges when I'm deer hunting because deer hunting is different than hog exterminating.

 

[Scorch]

Whichever rifle I manage to grab when I reach into the gun rack while loading up. 223, 22-250, 7.62X39, 30-30, 7X57, you name it, it will kill a pig. You don't need a howitzer to kill a pig. Killing power has more to do with bullet construction than what you launch the bullet with.

 

[jwise]

First pig was taken with a 69gr BTHP launched from a 16" AR with a scope set to 4x.



But now my rifle of choice is a 10.5" AR in 5.56 with a can a RDS and a light, as most of my hog hunting is spotlighting for them in vehicles.

 

[Ibmikey]

I have related my recent kill on several other threads but the Boar was so incredibly big (to me) that I will have fond hunt memories for the rest of my days. I built a heavy barrel AR for my buddy for night vision hog hunting in 223, we found the rifle with all the acessories to be extremely heavy for us old guys to lug around but it still took a lot of hogs with great regularity. I since built a much lighter upper and exchanged it for the heavy.
My Buddy has killed close to 500 hogs on one of his properties, many of them with a 55 gr FMJ .223. My hog (350#) was taken with a 16" AAC Handi Rifle in 300 Blackout, Nikon 3x AR scope, given to me when I arrived in Texas ( I brought AR's in .223 and 300 BLack but did not use them). I love that little rifle and took six smaller hogs with it but my AR's still rule for fun shooting. By the way that big ole Texas bore went down with a 125 gr Sierra 125 gr TNT with 17 gr H110 pushing it.
If I never have another hunt in my lifetime the warmth of Texas hospality , generosity of a buddy and large hog population will live with me forever.

 

[BumbleBug]

When my brother & I hunt hogs here in Texas we always aim for the head or neck so pretty much any accurate rifle works for us. If you bring one to camp shot anywhere else you get a ribbing! If you miss a hog, they'll usually come back again with a short wait. We pick smaller sows & we eat what we kill, although land owners say shoot'em & leave'em lay. The local saying here is:

"The sows are having litters of 8 & of those 8, 10 will survive."

...bug

 

[aarondhgraham]

I haven't gone yet but I will soon,,,

I haven't gone yet but I will soon,,,
I finally met someone with land (uncles land) who has a hog problem.

I'll take my H&R Handi-Rifle in .357 Magnum,,,
It's scoped with nice Leupold glass,,,
And I hit very well with this rifle.

I don't think I'll have any problems dropping a hog.

Aarond

.

 

[Saltydog235]

Pit Bulls, Catahoula, Curs and a knife. This one cut up two dogs pretty good and ended the day. Two more his size were in the thicket, no safe shots for the gun, grown men were climbing trees.

.308 w/ a 165gr Nosler BT at 120yds. This slew foot had the thickest shields I've yet seen on a hog. 2" where the bullet entered. Bullet clipped the spine, Lodged on the far side and he was DRT.

 

[rmocarsky]

Had a guide tell me once that a 12 gauge slug gun was the best thing to use.

The place we hunted was kinda thick.

Rmocarsky

 

[aarondhgraham]

Dang, that be one ugly critter,,,

Two more his size were in the thicket, no safe shots for the gun, grown men were climbing trees.

Man, if that monster was after me I wouldn't climb a tree,,,
I would levitate to the top of the dang thing.

That's the Devil's pet for certain.

Aarond

.

 

[Chadvoyage]

Went hunting for an 80-100 lb "meat hog" this week up above St Helena near Napa, Calif. All I saw was this big nasty 300 lb boar, but damn if he doesn't taste like ranch pork. Almost no gamey taste.

I guess it was a combo of an acorn fed hog, plus he just grunted and fell where he stood. 100 yards, Remington 700 in 30-06, 150 gr "Hawg Hammer" ammo. In just at top of shoulder, and blew a dollar coin sized hole out the other side just forward of the shoulder. Didn't hit the heart but seemed to take care of his lungs and spine enough to drop like a stone, not even a quiver.

 

[Chadvoyage]

This is my first post. Let me try a photo

 

[Saltydog235]

Man, if that monster was after me I wouldn't climb a tree,,,
I would levitate to the top of the dang thing.

That's the Devil's pet for certain.

Yeah, that group was rank. You should see the Pit he cut up, that is a bad dog. He stood on top of the dog box with his ham laid open staring with hatred at that pig while we took pics. Dog's name is Django, he's a hog's worst nightmare unchained.

 

[Unlicensed Dremel]

Holy heck, saltydog, I'm really surprised that the ballistic tip went through that gristle plate, then all the way to the far side - that's impressive for a BT. Nosler does make some good bullets, don't they?

Course, that was at 120 yards. At 50 yards, it might have blown up - who knows.

And that first one - was actually killed by a man with a knife? I've seen it done - just making sure that's what you're describing. By your or someone else?

 

[Yankee Doodle]

Ruger #3 in 45-70. My go-to gun for just about everything. No such thing as "overkill"

 

[mxsailor803]

Yankee- I have a hunting buddy in central FL that his dad carries a Marlin 45-70. I asked him why and he dropped his pants to show the scar where a wounded hogs tusk cut him from a few inches above his ankle to his hip. Thats part of the reason why you'll never see me carry anything smaller than a 30 caliber rifle or .44mag pistol. Granted, I've killed hogs with smaller calibers but after seeing that kind of injury, no such thing as overkill with these animals.

 

[jason75979]

Lever lover here too Deerhunter. But, basically whatever I have in the chamber is hog ready.
I will say, if I have the 6.5 mag and the 120 TTSX's, I'll slip one in ahead of the AB's and cut loose.

 

[Saltydog235]

Holy heck, saltydog, I'm really surprised that the ballistic tip went through that gristle plate, then all the way to the far side - that's impressive for a BT. Nosler does make some good bullets, don't they?

Course, that was at 120 yards. At 50 yards, it might have blown up - who knows.

And that first one - was actually killed by a man with a knife? I've seen it done - just making sure that's what you're describing. By your or someone else?

I've gotten decent penetration on hogs with heavier BT's, they don't seem to come apart when pushed at moderate velocities. I seldom get pass throughs on these bigger pigs. Small sows and pigs will get a hole blown in them. I prefer shooting them in the head but that one wouldn't keep his noggin still and I was losing my light in that hole.

Yep, the top one was killed by a knife and 4 or 5 dogs on the catch. Took a bit for the dogs to get it down, that Catch pit got thrown around pretty good to start. We have some mean nasty pigs in those swamps and bays, things get hairy and tight in there at times.

 

[BIG P]

AR15 & 454Casull we have some pretty mean rooters around here.

 

[Jack O'Conner]

I've had good luck with my Savage .308 lever gun. 180 grain round nose core-lokt ammo is a keeper!

Jack

 

[AweomeLawson]

Mate, can't go wrong with a good old Winchester 30-30 lever action, big round for a big boar. Wonderful rifle!