I'm looking to schedule my first hog hunt later this month. I plan to use my 16" 1-9 twist ar. I purchased some Federal Premium .223's with Nosler ballistic tips and they were very accurate out of my rifle scoped with a Bushnell Elite 3x9x40. Does anyone have any real world experience with this load? Thanks in advance for any input.
which 223 load should I use for a hog?
- Thread starter zauer
- Start date
Zauer,
That all depends on how you are planning to hunt hogs. From a stand or behind dogs your .223 will be fine as you will be able to make head shots. If you are stalking them on the ground I wouldn't use a .223 at all but if I did I would use a solid or at least as stout a bullet as I could find. The .22 caliber ballistic tip does not fit in that catagory. It also depends on how large your hogs are in your area. Where I hunt in TX we get some muy grande puercos in my area on the big ones it's not uncommon to find old bullet wounds on them in the shield area that still contain fragmented soft point bullet parts. A big hog will walk away from high velocity light frangible bullet wound in the shield more often or not.
The .223 is fine for smaller hogs. We get some in the 350 to 450Lb class up were I hunt and we hunt them on foot no stands no dogs and your most common first shot is a texas head shot running striaght away. Or at least running real fast. On a big hog in this situation you need a round that penetraits.
That all depends on how you are planning to hunt hogs. From a stand or behind dogs your .223 will be fine as you will be able to make head shots. If you are stalking them on the ground I wouldn't use a .223 at all but if I did I would use a solid or at least as stout a bullet as I could find. The .22 caliber ballistic tip does not fit in that catagory. It also depends on how large your hogs are in your area. Where I hunt in TX we get some muy grande puercos in my area on the big ones it's not uncommon to find old bullet wounds on them in the shield area that still contain fragmented soft point bullet parts. A big hog will walk away from high velocity light frangible bullet wound in the shield more often or not.
The .223 is fine for smaller hogs. We get some in the 350 to 450Lb class up were I hunt and we hunt them on foot no stands no dogs and your most common first shot is a texas head shot running striaght away. Or at least running real fast. On a big hog in this situation you need a round that penetraits.
Art Eatman
Staff in Memoriam
If you can get a shot from quartering-front, and hit close to the eye, most any .223 bullet will work. From the side, between the eye and ear. From quartering rear, into the ear.
Self-control, self-discipline, is the key to the deal, since a .223 just really isn't that good a choice for an animal constructed as is a hog. A shot that scrambles the brain is pretty much a necessity for a clean, ethical kill.
Art
Self-control, self-discipline, is the key to the deal, since a .223 just really isn't that good a choice for an animal constructed as is a hog. A shot that scrambles the brain is pretty much a necessity for a clean, ethical kill.
Art
I defer to what Art says (always), but I load my wife's Mini-14 Ranch Rifle with Winchester 64 gr Power Points for neck shots on east Texas whitetails at short range (less than 75 yards) and "opportunistic" head shots on small feral hogs (less than 100 lbs).
I don't know about the Ballistic Tip rounds, but I believe the M193 55 grainer was designed as a medium range antipersonnel round. At ranges under 100 yards the slug turns and fragments in flesh or ballistic gelatin. Having cleaned a few feral hogs I can tell you I'd want something that penetrates a little better in case of less than optimum shot placement.
I hunt hogs from stands in both east and west Texas. I use a .25-06 with 120 grain Remington or Winchester soft points. I have carried a S&W 629 and intend to take a hog with it at some point but the opportunity hasn't yet presented itself. I'll use a 240 grain softpoint or a 300 grain SWC when I do.
One more thing. Those critters can move faster than you'd think, and are very aware of their surroundings.
Kurt
I don't know about the Ballistic Tip rounds, but I believe the M193 55 grainer was designed as a medium range antipersonnel round. At ranges under 100 yards the slug turns and fragments in flesh or ballistic gelatin. Having cleaned a few feral hogs I can tell you I'd want something that penetrates a little better in case of less than optimum shot placement.
I hunt hogs from stands in both east and west Texas. I use a .25-06 with 120 grain Remington or Winchester soft points. I have carried a S&W 629 and intend to take a hog with it at some point but the opportunity hasn't yet presented itself. I'll use a 240 grain softpoint or a 300 grain SWC when I do.
One more thing. Those critters can move faster than you'd think, and are very aware of their surroundings.
Kurt
Art Eatman
Staff in Memoriam
BigG, it's possible those bullets would work better, but the basic problem remains: With a .223, anything less than a near-perfect shot leaves the possibility that the animal could take off running and not leave much blood trail.
From a stand, limiting the shot to only the head, the odds are that almost any of the available bullets will work.
No matter what the animal is, from squirrel to elephant, the idea is that the bullet can penetrate hide and bone and then destroy tissue inside. An exit wound which creates a blood trail is frosting on the cake.
Art
From a stand, limiting the shot to only the head, the odds are that almost any of the available bullets will work.
No matter what the animal is, from squirrel to elephant, the idea is that the bullet can penetrate hide and bone and then destroy tissue inside. An exit wound which creates a blood trail is frosting on the cake.
Art
Well since what you are trying is about the same as shooting an Elephant with a .338 Win Mag, why not an all Copper solid bullet?
http://www.barnesbullets.com/solids.htm
The 50 Grain .224 all copper solid would be the best choice for a mouse gun.
70 grain solid would be better but they don't make one.
http://www.barnesbullets.com/solids.htm
The 50 Grain .224 all copper solid would be the best choice for a mouse gun.
70 grain solid would be better but they don't make one.
Roman Knoll
New member
It is beyond doubt that brain shot with .223 will kill a hog. The actual bullet used is not much of an issue. My acquaintance in South Africa culls warthogs with .223 for the pot and gets hundreds of them every year. However, the range is always short (30 – 40) meters, he’s got good support for the rifle and he’s superb shot. He also shots piglets mostly.
That said, I personally think that going after a hog with .223 is asking for trouble. I would not do it myself. Margins for brain shots are thin and did you ever think what happen if you miss.
Roman
That said, I personally think that going after a hog with .223 is asking for trouble. I would not do it myself. Margins for brain shots are thin and did you ever think what happen if you miss.
Roman
Mick Mason
New member
As long as you are realistic about the size of the beast and the ranges you will be shooting at there is nothing wrong with using your AR. The one essential is that you use a quality projectile.
The pigs in my attachments were all shot using my mini14 firing factory PMC 60gr spitzers. All were shot at 20 meters or less and fell where they were shot.
They made for a fine feed.
Mick
The pigs in my attachments were all shot using my mini14 firing factory PMC 60gr spitzers. All were shot at 20 meters or less and fell where they were shot.
They made for a fine feed.
Mick
Attachments
Mick Mason
New member
which 223 load shold I use for a hog?
Zauer:
Sierra does not recommend their matchking bullets for game. They are designed to accurately punch holes in paper and not constructed for hunting.
A couple of interesting sites for hog hunting follow:
www.texasboars.com
www.jesseshuntingpage.com/hog.html
I especially like the second one. Lots of good info, including hog anatomy, recommendations on suitable calibers, etc.
As previously stated, the 223 is capable of killing hogs with _careful_ shot placement. Large hogs can take a lot of punishment and still run 30-40 yards. Good hunting!
Regards,
hps
Zauer:
Sierra does not recommend their matchking bullets for game. They are designed to accurately punch holes in paper and not constructed for hunting.
A couple of interesting sites for hog hunting follow:
www.texasboars.com
www.jesseshuntingpage.com/hog.html
I especially like the second one. Lots of good info, including hog anatomy, recommendations on suitable calibers, etc.
As previously stated, the 223 is capable of killing hogs with _careful_ shot placement. Large hogs can take a lot of punishment and still run 30-40 yards. Good hunting!
Regards,
hps
To Mick Mason: It is America and you can carry whatever you want to into the woods, that being said, I would probably snicker (trying to be nice) at someone carrying a 'gun' like that. (folding assault style) Plus from your photo it appears that you gut shot that pig. Is that something to brag about? Personaly I would like to have something big enough to do more than make these dangerous critters mad as hell!!!!!!!! Hope I don't catch too much trouble for my strong oppinion. If I do; oh well it's America and that is my right.
Happy shooting from The REDRIDER!!!!!!!!!!
Happy shooting from The REDRIDER!!!!!!!!!!
Art Eatman
Staff in Memoriam
Well, now, redrider, that shoat obviously didn't get away, no matter where it was shot. I grant that gutting out any gutshot animal is a bit messy, but it doesn't ruin any meat...
Halfway serious, I hit a deer a bit far back one time. In the paunch instead of the heart/lung hit that I'd hoped for. Field dressing wasn't bad at all; huajilla leaves don't smell bad at all!
And shoats ain't big enough to be mean. Ya gotta wait a couple or three years more, and then they're big enough to be worrisome. I wouldn't take a shot on a worrisome-sized hog if I wuz on the ground with him and only had a .223.
Art
Halfway serious, I hit a deer a bit far back one time. In the paunch instead of the heart/lung hit that I'd hoped for. Field dressing wasn't bad at all; huajilla leaves don't smell bad at all!
And shoats ain't big enough to be mean. Ya gotta wait a couple or three years more, and then they're big enough to be worrisome. I wouldn't take a shot on a worrisome-sized hog if I wuz on the ground with him and only had a .223.
Art
Mick Mason
New member
Redrider
snicker all you want, I'm glad I could brighten your day. The mini14 was what we call in Oz my "ute gun", compact, rugged and always handy so that when you are driving around checking fences or whatever and some pest wanders into view you can shoot him. Never had to carry it more that 100 yards or so. I don't think I was bragging at all, let alone about my shot placement. But since you brought it up, that brindle pig was running away from the car at an angle and was already a good 20 metres away when I shot him. I was quite pleased to be able to butcher him out as he is a good size and I was happy to have not bruised him up.
That pig was a target of opportunity and if he was bigger or any further away I would probably would not have taken a shot but hunted him up with the 30.06.
As for little pigs like that fella being dangerous, if you are worried about meeting that little guy in the bushes you ought to be sitting at home instead.
Mick Mason
You also might want to look a little closer at the posts before firing off a reply, I don't live in the USA.
snicker all you want, I'm glad I could brighten your day. The mini14 was what we call in Oz my "ute gun", compact, rugged and always handy so that when you are driving around checking fences or whatever and some pest wanders into view you can shoot him. Never had to carry it more that 100 yards or so. I don't think I was bragging at all, let alone about my shot placement. But since you brought it up, that brindle pig was running away from the car at an angle and was already a good 20 metres away when I shot him. I was quite pleased to be able to butcher him out as he is a good size and I was happy to have not bruised him up.
That pig was a target of opportunity and if he was bigger or any further away I would probably would not have taken a shot but hunted him up with the 30.06.
As for little pigs like that fella being dangerous, if you are worried about meeting that little guy in the bushes you ought to be sitting at home instead.
Mick Mason
You also might want to look a little closer at the posts before firing off a reply, I don't live in the USA.