was told" .308 too light for hog!"?

"By the way, an ex-Navy Seal and a tired old Green Beret I know, and their friends, hunt them with large hunting KNIVES (The $200 + variety).
They hunt with pit-bull dogs and when the dogs distract the "pig" they jump on his back and cut his throat... Go figure!"


Just a second.....I need to put my boots on.....OK, I'm ready, tell me some more stories.
Click to expand...

Thev ex-Navy SEAL and green beret thing may be B.S., but I believe the rest of it. There are plenty of guys around here who hunt with dogs, and they usually have the dogs bay the pig, then a guy jumps on it with a knife. A couple of guys I work with have tried to get me to go with them. They'll cut its throat with a knife, but they usually carry a glock or 357 for backup. FWIW pigs they've brought back have been as big as 250#.

Jumping on a pig with a knife is not my kind of thing. Besides, these guys have been in trouble for poaching before (knives are quieter?) and that's not my kind of thing either.

Somebody I trust a little better may talk me a dog hunt some day, but I think I'll take my spear.

Some of the farmers around here will catch them live. I'm not sure how. From what I understand, the reason they take them live is to bleed them, then feed them like a domestic pig, and it gets rid of the gamey taste.
 
From what I understand, the reason they take them live is to bleed them, then feed them like a domestic pig, and it gets rid of the gamey taste.
Click to expand...
Wow those pigs without any blood must get hungry! I've shot about a dozen hogs while deer/ hog hunting with federal 270 130 grain nosler ballistic tip. every one dropped in its tracks. I dont remember trying any head shots,mostly behind the shoulder low.
 
People:

Perhaps you guys will not mind too much if I throw in my two-cents worth.

First, if you care to take a look at another, lengthy thread addressing this very issue, take a look at www.falfiles.com and "click" along the following trail:The FAL Files Forums » Discussion Forums » General Firearms Discussion » Russian Boar (and feral pig) Guns. Fairly entertaining and enlightening discussion.

To date, I have killed two large Russian hogs and one fairly large Razorback in Tennessee, and have personally observed another approximately 25 similar animals killed by my buddies. There is no question but that these are tough animals to bring down, and potentially dangerous if you take a poor shot. But from my experience, I have no doubt but that a .308, reasonably placed, will do the job, particularly if you follow hog shooting tradition and shoot, and continue shooting, until the hog is dead. There is no place for "admiring" the first shot, 'cause that may get you a quick trip to the emergency room.

Having lauded the .308, I personally have never used one to take a hog (but have seen it used with great success many, many times). Personally, my preference is for the big-bores, but that is because I like the big-bores for all my shooting. And I have never been enamored with bolt guns.

My first Russian boar was killed with a Marlin Guide Gun in .45/70. I was shooting a Remington 405 grain jacketed soft point (handload) at about 1500 fps. A fine combination. One dead 325 pound Taliban hog head on the wall.

My second Russian boar was killed with a Magnum Research BFR revolver in .45/70 using the same load as above, but traveling at approximately 1350 fps. Again, a very fine combination. For those of you not familiar with the BFR, you need to get on the Magnum Research web page and take a look for yourself. As nicely made a production handgun as comes down the pike. And at a price that will not permanently break the budget. And different from the 500 Smith, the BFR .45/70 handles well and is not too heavy to carry in the woods. In addition, recoil of this weapon is far more a "push" like a black powder load (unlike the Smith 500, which is like hitting the palm of your hand with a ball peen hammer...I owned one of those only long enough to run 20 rounds through it at the range).

The final hog, a Razorback, was taken with a scandium .44 mag Smith revolver; the first shot (through and through) was at the hog running at about 20 yards, and the finishing shot came a few minutes later at about 10 yards after the dogs brought him to bay. The heavy .44 mag load pushing a Hornady 240 xtp performed just fine.

Where we hunt in Tennessee, the terrain is rough and the woods thick, the hogs are generally moving, and the shots are taken close and quick. Any of the combinations above work just fine under those circumstances.

But in answer to the question whether a .308 will get the job done... no question in my mind but that it will. For what it is worth.

Boarhunter
 
Yup, the .308 can handily take down a hog...even a big one. I know, 'cuz I've seen me do it. I've also seen me fail to do it.

The issue is at the "margins". If presented with a follow-up "Texas Heart Shot" on a hog, I'll take it with anything I'm carrying.....but I'm not too hopeful about the results from the .308. Same with a frontal shot. Is it "enough gun" for hog? I think so; Is it the "ideal gun"? I don't think so, unless your hunting over a feeder; If that's what I owned, would it require me to get a new wiz-bang smoke pole from hell? Absolutely not.

As so many here have pointed out, shot placement requirements vary inversely with caliber. Still a 45-70 placed slightly off is certainly less efficient than a 180 gr .308 placed perfectly. But it's the issue of how many people report "perfect" placement that always raises my eyebrows.

Either they're hunting over feeders or from blinds or they're truly World Class ...or something else. Perfect example: in the other thread cited, airbiscuit took two hogs at 125 yards 5 seconds apart. First one took one in the head.....OK, I'll buy it. The eyebrow raiser is the second shot, 5 seconds later....the classic, perfect neck shot. Anybody note a factual conflict here?....like either it was tied down, deaf, domestic or RUNNING at the sound of the First shot.

I'll take him at his word that it was wild hog. Therefore, he did a perfect neck shot with a rifle on a running hog at 125 yards. I call that World Class.....or something else.

Moral of the story:
The .308 will do the job. But, if your placement is not perfect with that or any gun, make certain you report THAT story along with all your "one shot kills". Nobody looses an audience quicker than a hunter who never misses.
Rich
 
A friend suggested I post on this since I had used a 30-06 on my last hunt and assumed it would be the same as a .308 - this was my response:


Actually, I used 180 grain from my 06 and it punched right through the shoulder and exited nicely - out near Saturn's moons I think about now. None of my 308s will group with 180 grain bullets - do not know why unless it is the twist. One guy on the hunt shot a pig in the shoulder with a 308 in 150 grain - Nosler bullet - the pig swapped ends and started running and even with dogs they never found it - doubt it would have been different with an 06 but I think the 180 has more punch and of course your 405s from the 45-70 even more - sometimes the margin matters.

I think the angle of the shot, the weight of the bullet and its construction as well as the depth of the gristle plate on the hog that is hit all make a difference - my thought is and was - rather have a bit too much than just not enough - even so I would use a 308 with a well made 150 grain bullet - I think penetration is more important than expansion on hogs - the bone if struck will provide all the shrapnel that you need to stop the hog. That is my limited experience and I hope and intend to have many more.
 
Rich Lucibella,

I find no criticism in your analysis and your suggestions.

Will a .308 work? Certainly, assuming an appropriate bullet is used. Are there more effective cartridges (or better stated, are there cartridges more effective over a broader range of circumstances)? Certainly.

For hunting large wild pig, "better" equates to large caliber cartridge with heavy, tough-constructed bullet designed to maximize penetration. It is not an easy task to penetrate the gristle plate and heavy bones protecting a boar's vitals, even without considering the occasional, sometimes necessary, Texas heart shot. For me, the 45/70, particularly in a warm reloaded format, is as close to ideal as it gets, regardless whether fired from a carbine or a Magnum Research BFR.

Both Russian boar personally taken with the 45/70 were frontal shots, and penetration was more than impressive and effective. I would not have been as confident in those shots were I shooting a "lesser" cartridge, particularly if the bullet were of less than ideal construction. But then again, I am toying with using an AK in the fall, firing the 7.62x39. And my guess is that I will be successful when I do. But it would not be the "ideal" cartridge for hog hunting.

Which gets us to the issue of shot placement.

One would think that a 12 gauge shotgun firing slugs would guarantee one-shot kills on even the largest of Russian hogs, but that is not always the case. It took 5 shots, 45 minutes, and a handful of good dogs to bring down a Russian boar on one trip, because the shooter's shot placement was not particularly good...the first shot took out one of the hog's front legs (only), and the chase was on. Nope, that was not me doing the shooting. But it demonstrates that shot placement is critical, regardless the weapon/caliber selected.

Boarhunter
 
For me, the 45/70, particularly in a warm reloaded format, is as close to ideal as it gets
Click to expand...
Never thought I'd see me do this but.....
+1
:D

BH-
We're on the same page. I don't think .308 is "ideal" for hog. But if you own a .308 I see no need to buy another gun just for hog.....unless you want another gun. Bottom line, if I could own only one rifle in standard bolt action, it'd probably be a .308.
Rich
 
Goood piggy.....goood piggy!

Just to add another story of pig shooting. A friend of mine who is a very seasoned hunter and specialises in pigs here in Australia shoots mostly with a marlin 30.30. He has an old 6-8X (I think) scope on it. He has bagged some impressive animals with this rig but he is a real "old school" hunter. No moonshots for him, he stalks his quarry and takes his shot from the closest possible range.

He bagged a nice little boar on his last hunt, offhand, running with his 22.250 Tikka with a Leupold scope, not sure of the mag, up to 24 I think. If you didn't know this guy you'd say "lucky shot!" With the 22.250 he always places his shot behind the ear (his particular shot wasn't behind the ear, it was a neck shot on a non-trophy sized boar) He told me this as I was admiring a big boar head on his wall (he does the taxidermy himself too) and sure enough, upon examination, the hole was there.

This was a trophy boar too not an adolescent. The trophy wan't moving when shot BTW :) and he got it with the 30.30.

Anyway, the lesson is that its the stalk that gets you in a position to make a clean kill with a smaller caliber. I think a hog would be gone no problems if my friend was shooting a .308! :D

He is planning to get a .308 to take on his 'round Australia trip next year. He really wants to tip over a Water Buffalo, I was trying to talk him into a .338 Lapua but he said "nah! the 308 will be enough"
 
Last edited:
I'm not sure if this has been beat to death yet or not but heres my $.02.
Sometimes we hunt for sport, sometimes for meat, somedays we may want to lay up on a hill top and and make that 500yd long shot. Sometimes I miss, sometimes I dont, but on those days I bring the 300 WM, shooting pad, bipod, and the standard range gear. This is shooting at live targets, not hunting.

There are times when you need a broad sword and times to use a scalple. I enjoy both. I mainly hunt hogs with a 22Hornet, 222, and 22-250. However, on the hip is the big iron. 44 loaded to the hilt with the big 300 grainers. As for the 45, good if you can get them to stay broadside, but angry hogs dont stay broadside. We have bounced some 45s off the scull of some big hogs, after skinning the skulls (for educational purposes) we found the bullets only cut tiny furrows. Head on is a poor angle of attack with a 45 and a 300#+ hog. And yes, light guns will bring them down, it may take a few shots if the first one isnt at the base of the ear. One night a friend and I were sittin up for them on a hill (me 22 Hornet him 22-250) and a big feller came out at ~ 175 yd. Took 4 shots from the 250 and 4 from the Hornet and alot of running on our part but he finally fell to a Hornet in the skull at about 15yds.

Then there are the thick brush runnin and gunnin hunts, Salt marsh, yaupon brush, mesqete, or river bottons. For this I like the 44, a good hot 357 (my load uses 35 Wheelen stitzer bullets seated in 38 spec cases runnin hot out of a Smith 686) and 870 Express mag #2 buck and a partner. These hunts start as a stalk and end with alot of heavy breathin. One note ESTABLISH LANES OF FIRE and do this well before it starts to get western.

As for the 300 WM for hogs, it works. As to getting a new gun for the purpose of hog hunting, get it if you want one. Heck, I wanted a .308 for hog huntin, got a 7-08 instead. I still want a .308. If you need a reason to buy a new gun...well its friday, go buy a new gun.
 
A whole lot of this has to do with hunting for the rifle you're carrying.

Rich is absolutely right about shot placement usually being a matter of how you hunt. If you plan to walk up or jump your hogs, better carry enough gun. If you plan to ambush or stand-hunt your hogs, you can step it down a little, because you'll have more leisure.

Rich saw me (from a mesa about 900 yards away) stalk up on some hogs and push my stalk too far before they cut and ran across a clearing. I was hoping to pistol the far one. :rolleyes: Now, as I started into that clearing, I could have taken the far one (~80 yards) with a scoped .223 to the earhole, if I had taken a rest on that nearby mesquite tree-- she never knew I was there. But I didn't because:

  • [A]That's not the kind of hunt I wanted to have, and
    I wasn't carrying a scoped .223. :)


But when the near hog raised the alarm, and the far hog ran, and I launched a shot at the far hog-- I did so with the knowledge that a .35 Whelen pushing a Sierra 225g at 2500 fps will thump a hog, if I can hit the boiler room. Unfortunately, I didn't do my part, and I threw my shot (high, it felt), and I missed it clean. No blood, no hide, definitely no thump of bullet hitting hide. 10 minutes later I snap-shot again at a hog at about 100 yards as it disappeared behind some brush, and again missed. I'll claim brush deflection on that one... :rolleyes:

While I didn't cover myself with any kind of glory on that occasion, I can definitely say that I was carrying at least a minimum caliber to be trying such shots. I would NEVER try such things with a light deer caliber-- I've seen hard-hit hogs run off before. The only times I've used light cartridges (.30-30 from a trapper carbine and a .22 Hornet) on hog, it was because the hogs were targets of opportunity, were cooperating for my shot, and were small animals (well, I thought the hornet hog was smaller...). I wouldn't recommend light cartridges for designated hog use, if running 'em down.
 
Re "I was told the 308 is to light", while the 308 does not have quite the punch of the 30-06 and some others, as to it being "to light", what might it be that you plan to shoot at?

When I was competing actively in High Power Match Shooting, I found that out to and including 600 yards, I could do better with the 308 than I could with an equivalent quality rifle in 30-06, and good ammunition (Handloads). Beyond 600 yards, meaning 1000 yards, I did much better with the 30-06. I never could shoot effectively with the 308 at 1000 yards. Other people obviously could, I couldn't.

I realize that hunting and target shooting are not the same things, however I could hold 10 ring elevation (12" at 600 yards) with iron sights on a 308 bolt gun. Did you ever take a shot at game at 600 yards?
 
The 'arm chair expert' you spoke to really does not know what he is talking about.

I have shot most of the wild pig I have taken with a .222 because it has been what I have been carrying at the time that the opportunity arose.

THe .222 is I think a bit too light and creates a need for good bullet placement and often a second shot.

More suited is the 7.62x39 or 30-30. .308 would be ideal. Anything heavier is a matter of choice, but is un-necessary.
 
Although a bit of a distraction from the central theme of this thread, an account I recently read from "The Wit and Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln" struck me as both humorous and instructive and certainly worthy of sharing with others interested in the pursuit of slaying the mighty hog:

BRAVERY

No one can succeed all alone. Even the bravest heroes need help from time to time. To illustrate this fact, Abraham Lincoln told the following story:

"Back in the early days, a hunting party went out to track a wild boar. But the game came upon them unexpectedly, and they all scrambled toward the treetops, all save one, the bravest hunter of them all, who, seizing the animal by the ears, undertook to hold the beast. After holding it for some time and finding his strength giving way, the hero cried out to his companions in the trees:

"'Boys, come down and help me let go!'"


My guess is that those of you who have hunted hogs long enough understand exactly what the "hero" was saying.

And along those same lines is the Jerry Clowers punchline that goes something like this: Shoot up here amongst us, one of us needs some relief!

Pretty good stuff. Thought I would share.

Boarhunter
 
we'll see

I'm going hog hunting in AK in Sept. I'm taking a .243, however, I'll be in a stand. I'll let everyone know how it turns out(especially if I bag a big one).
This is my first time and I'm pumped wish me luck.

diggs
 
Truth be told the 308 is probably a bit too much. Worries about the exit would are most likely related to the fact that the bullet hits so fast and hard it goes straight through. You can buy 308 hunting rounds that will mushroom well and have been 'stepped down' a bit for lighter game like whitetail and hog.
To tell the truth I accidently gut shot a deer with mine last year. A hunter who saw the deer pass by said he'd have put it down for me, but there was so much visible damage (guts hanging out) that he figured the deer would go down within a hundred yards or so. I proceeded to track what looked like a 2 mile murder scene--blood and parts of that poor animal everywhere. Lesson learned is shot placement. Use even a 500 Nitro with poor shot placement and you lose the animal. Yet a well placed 22 rimfire round at proper range will drop anything in North America. Oh, and I know there's a bit of a difference here, but when my grandpa wanted to butcher a pig or a bull he used a 22 short to put the animal down.
 
.223 in the earhole

I remove hogs from state land here in FL and don't use anything more than a .223 to get the job done. I use 55grn barnes X-bullets, 55grn trophy bonded bear claws or 60grn nosler partitions, and they do the job. BUT you have to have good shot placement (hit the earhole or between the ear and neck). This will take any size hog if done properly. Is the .308 too much gun? No way, but for me it was easier to master and repeatedly shoot well with a smaller caliber...and with the great bullets we have available today the .223 will take care of deer, too (if your state allows it). I have a .44mag (SW629 light hunter) in a bandolier holster in case of a charging animal I can't take down with the rifle, but I have never had to use it for that. I have shot plenty of pigs with the .44 mag and it drops em quick, but the muzzle blast and temporary hearing loss takes the fun out of it for me (I don't like hearing protection in the field, and I can't afford the expensive game ear type thingies). You can use claymore mines and grenades if you want, but lighter calibers will do the job if you do your part.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top