The Ideal Hog rifle

[rickt300]

I have played with various rifles and cartridges for years and have taken more of them with a 308 or 7x57 than alll others combined. Some of the hogs on our lease are huge and I mostly hunt them stalking hog toys or feeders during a full moon. Often I have to go by myself because there are just so few willing to sneak up on feral hogs at night? If a hog goes 50 yards into the brush at night I wait till daylight to look for him.  I always shoot at the neck or head and so far I have only had to look for a hog once. And I never found him. No one makes perfect shots every time. My most recent hog kill I hit in the spine above the shoulder because I was mistaken exactly where on the hog I was looking, his head was in a hole he had dug. At any rate my future testing will be with a 358 winchester using 250 grain bullets, The Speer spitzer and some pre interlok Hornady roundnoses I found at the gunshow saturday. I have a feeling this will be a fine combination.

[curdog]

when i carry a rifle which is not very often the 35 rem. in my marlin lever action works real well

[Land_Owner]

Mostly now I shoot them with my bolt action Stainless Steel Ruger K77/22RP in 22LR caliber.  The rifle likes cheap Federal 36gr hollowpoints and prints in a dime at 65 yds.  Hogs don't scatter at the report and usually go straight back to feeding.  From a rock solid rest and a range of not more than 25 yards I can kill three or four under a feeder before the rest "get the hint".  Hit them in the forehead in the "X" between the ears and eyes and they are dead.  Their brain is just underneath and they don't take it too well there.

Otherwise, for longer range, I use my .270 caliber Winchester Model 70 Classic Featherweight.  A rock solid rest out to 250 yards, 50.5 gr of IMR 4831, and a 150 gr Nosler Partition through the neck and they never take another step.

Kids like to use the 30-30 caliber Marlin 336 out to 100 yards.

[Swampman]

I vote for the Marlin Guide Gun in .45-70.

[.308sniper]

I like the 308. But my dad has used the 358 on a couple of hogs and dropped them in their tracks.

[markc]

Marlin lever gun in 35 Rem.   I never wait till morning, if I don't drop one in it's tracks, I jsut head into the woods after a few minutes and look...

[elmer]

I am partial to my Savage 116 stainless steel in 30-06.

[Minnesota1]

I have tried 7mm, 30-06, 308,  and I find the one to kill them and drop them in there tracks is my Browning BAR in 243  with standard 100 gr. core-lokt bullets!!!  A 270 comes a close 2nd but that 243 really does a number on them.  Low recoil, cheap ammo and a great killing caliber.

Bob

[Zachary]

With the exception of "head shots right between the eyes," hogs are tough to put down and generally require bigger cartridges and heavier bullets.

I once had my brother use my 7mm Rem Mag, with plain jane 150 grain Winchetser Power Points, on a 250 lb hog.  My brother, who is not an avid huner, aimed right at the shoulder, thinking that it would anchor the hog.  Bad idea.  At the shot, the hog dropped, made a few circles, got up, and ran off....never to be found.  At the place of impact, there was chucks of bone and blood.  However, after about 10 yards or so, there was no blood trail whatsoever.  My brother should have used what I told him to use...a 160 Nosler Partition or Barnes X.  Even then, I don't advocate shooting pigs on their shoulder because it is like a steel plate.

Don't laugh, but do you know what my favorite hog rifle is....at least for large hogs?....A .375 H&H Mag with 300 grain Nosler Partitions.  Do you need such a big gun?  No.  Is it added insurance for big pigs...heck yes!

Another fine choice is a .30-06 with 180 grain Barnes X.  These bullets really penetrate!

Zachary 

[rickt300]

Having shot a bunch of hogs I find the most common bullet related problems being the use of deer bullest and high velocity at close range like the 150 grain power point from the 7 mag. I have used the 150 grain partition in my 270 and it works fine but the rifle has great muzzle flash and being temporarily blinded in the dark after making a shot just isn't good. I have had good success and often complete penetration using the heavier for caliber Speer and Remington bullets pushed to 2500 - 2600 fps. I like the 160 grain Speer in 7MM and the 165 -180 grain corelokts in 30 caliber with my favorite being the 170 grain RN made for the 30-30. a far tougher bullet than most realize. The reason I am going to the 358 is that there are at least 2 hogs in the area of our lease affectionatly called "Rhino hogs" weighing well over 500 pounds and I figure more bullet weight can't hurt any. Iam sick of these two hogs knocking over our feeders, beating the timer boxes off of them and rolling the 55 galllon drums around, destroying the legs and generally using them as toys till all the corn is out of them. You have to see it to believe it. They made a hole in one of the sandy roads that you could park my 3/4 ton 4x4 truck in.

[Swampman]

I wish I lived where they were thick.  I might see one or two a year if I'm lucky.

[Bluegunner]

Thought someone may find this interesting!  Last summer I research several bullets in the .224 size hoping to find a load that would work well in my 22-250 for hog, bobcat, and coyote (lots work for bobcat and coyote but were to light for hogs).  After talking with several manufacturers I settled on Barnes XFB 53gr Triple Shock.  Following is the final load data:

Bullet - 53gr Barnes XFB Triple Shock (This a solid copper bullet that holds together on impact well opening to cut like a broadhead)
Power - 35gr Hodgdon's Varget
Primer - CCI 200
Case - Reminton

During the week of Jan 29th, this year, my son and I each took a hog at my Brothers ranch in West Texas.  Using the 22-250 I shot a 140-160# boar from about 110 yards.  The bullet penetrated through the flat part of both shoulders well raising holly hell with everything  between.  The hog didn't go 10 feet.  It make a believer out of me and I wouldn't be afraid to take a hog twice the size of this boar with Barnes new Triple Shock.  My Son took a 110- 120# sow with pretty close to the same shot placement and she went about 50ft.  He shot her with a 25-06 120gr Reminton Core-Lokt.

[elmer]

Zachary,

I must be doing something wrong because I use plain ol' Remington Corelokt 30-06 165 grain and they just drop on the spot. 

I due chamber another round and watch through the scope for movement. I'm ready to shoot again if they even look like they might get up. The idea of tracking a wounded, angry hog into the woods at night just isn't my cup of tea.

[qajaq59]

Dropped mine where he stood with a head shot using a 170 gr handload in my Marlin 30-30 lever.

[The Sodbuster]

Bullet - 53gr Barnes XFB Triple Shock (This a solid copper bullet that holds together on impact well opening to cut like a broadhead)
Power - 53gr Hodgdon's Varget
Primer - CCI 200
Case - Reminton

Just curious; is that a typo?  I load for .22-250 and have doubts you can get 53 grains of powder in the case.  35 grains sounds more reasonable.

[Shawnee Gene]

I use a Mossberg 695 12 ga. rifle and Hornady SST slugs.  Works for me.

[rickt300]

Feral hogsunder 200 pounds are easily taken with most cartridges an dbullets. Get on the 300 pound plus ferals and you start needing more gun.

[Bluegunner]

The Sodbuster,

Thanks for correcting me, that is a typo!  The correct figure should be 35 gr Varget, and 35 is close to a full case load. I corrected the post, thanks again.

[SourMash]

I'm beginning to think my T/C G2 in 30/30 is an ideal hog rifle.
I've taken 2 with it in the last 6 months, and both have been DRT.

[oso45-70]

SourMash

Congratulations on a successful Hunt, Its always nice to finish a hunt with a photo. Since I moved to the northern part of New Mexico I don't get to do any Pig hunting and sure do miss it. On top of that I miss the meat more than anything. Read some of your past posts and really enjoyed them. Continued success to you Sir.......Joe......

[Tn Jim]

I use  T/C Encore in 45-70 with a 350 grain Hornady JFP on top of 45.3 grains of Re-7. Good for 1700-1750 fps. Here in east TN you never know what you might run into.

P.S. we have black bear in the same area.

[rickt300]

Full moon coming up next weekend. BLR 358 sighted in with 250 grain Speer's amd feeders have been running all month. I bet Noah and I get shots. His rifle is a 270 loaded with 130 grain ballistic tips. I hope he can shoot his rifle well under pressure.

[SourMash]

oso45-70, since you can't hunt hogs in NM, how about them Javies? Surely there are a few in your area! I know what you mean about missing the meat. I've cooked me up some several ways over the last week or so, good stuff! Thanks for the comments.

[oso45-70]

Sourmash.

Same problem, There are plenty of Collared Peccury/ Javalena in the southern part of the state but that is also where the wild hogs are. I lived about an hour from the Mexican Border and all along the Mexican border was loaded with hogs and Javalena. I have had both and must say i enjoyed the wild pig meat best. I ran a trap line in that country for years so the opportunity was there for the taking. I also have had the opportunity to see animals that are not the average every day run of the mill kind. Like Jagaur, Coati Mundi{sp} Mexican Wolves and many more. Its some wild country believe me. To stay in line with the post I would say  45-70 what else Have a good day Sir............Joe..........