Author Topic: 30-06 for hog (Read 2490 times)

Highbrass · « **on:** April 03, 2004, 04:25:25 PM »

Hello everyone,
I just got done reading a post about someone shooting a hog with a 270 and it got away.I have never hunted for hog but i hopefully will this fall.I use a 30-06 and 12 gauge (with slugs) for deer.Are either of these good enough for hog or am i gonna have to get something bigger?I know shot placement is crucial but these animals seem to have one heck of a reputation for being tough.Maybe I should get some grenades or something. :blaster:

howie1968 · « **Reply #1 on:** April 04, 2004, 01:58:49 AM »

Yep i am the culprit i was the one who shot it and it ran off looking back i made a few mistakes and had ample oppurtunity to put it down i shot dropped it in its tracks then celbrated with my 8 yr old daughter he got up ran off fell a couple more times i finally got the bolt cycled then my nightblaster light came disconnected so my fault A 30-06 will kill a pig and kill it dead ive shot some pretty big boars with the gun using only 150 gr core lokt bullets neck shots always dropped them in there tracks but shoulder ashots they would always run about 50 yards i shot them angling towards me slightly away but always they ran maybe a heavier bullet such as the 180 or 220 the main thing is shot placement on a pig the vitals are more forward of the shoulder than behind like on a deer and the heart is actually lower than youd think good luck and keep us posted

Bearwolf31 · « **Reply #2 on:** April 04, 2004, 09:32:20 AM »

A 30-06 is way plenty, I use just plain ole 00 buckshot in a 3 1/2" 12 gauge on all the hogs I have shot and it works fine. But as with anything it all depends on where you shoot em. Ya don't need a 500 nitro to kill off a hog, unless you shoot em in the butt maybe.

I know several people that have shot many many hogs with nothing more than a 222 &223 remington or a mini 30.

Lawdog · « **Reply #3 on:** April 04, 2004, 04:38:35 PM »

Highbrass,

There are hogs and then there are hogs. Size of the hog has a lot to do with what you use, that and the type of country you will be hunting in. Your .30-06 will work fine, just remember to use a good bullet(165 gr. or larger Partition works) or a good slug in your shotgun. Just remember that the rifle you use is the one you will have in your hands if you end up wounding one and have to follow him into the thick stuff. I helped haul out two hunters out of the brush that used the wrong calibers(.223 Rem. and a .220 Swift - both using 60 Partitions) to try and take a 200 lb. Russian. Thankfully they had a third friend that bailed them out with his .300 Win. Mag.. Some hunters have it in mind that hogs are like those barnyard cousins. Get between a sow and her litter, wound one or even corner one and you got the makings for trouble. My advice is do not hunt them alone. Lawdog

howie1968 · « **Reply #4 on:** April 05, 2004, 02:31:28 AM »

I wish they were like the barnyard variety lol maybe there would be a chance to get one hehe just teasing but man they can be super tough to hunt when free roaming i spent the majority of the day roaming wilderness area found good sighn followed wind but not one even close they are the toughest thing to hunt sometimes a coyote ranks right up there with them

Steve Pennington · « **Reply #5 on:** April 06, 2004, 06:19:24 AM »

You don't need a grenade, just shoot em in the head. They don't run off then.

Bushnell Boy · « **Reply #6 on:** April 06, 2004, 06:50:53 AM »

I shot two last year over 200 lbs with an .06 and neither one ran more than 30 yards. I shoulder shot both of them with a remington 150 gr Nolser partition bullet. I did have an exit wound on either one but they both went down fast.

I did buy a 450 marlin to hunt them with this year. I want to so a spot and stalk them next time I go. I would like to get up close and personal to them

howie1968 · « **Reply #7 on:** April 06, 2004, 10:01:05 AM »

i know that 450 will blow through them

Bushnell Boy · « **Reply #8 on:** April 07, 2004, 06:30:03 AM »

Sure hope so. We hunted out of stands last year and that gave me a rush. I'd really like to get up close and shoot one next time. Thats got to be an amazing feeling.

howie1968 · « **Reply #9 on:** April 07, 2004, 06:46:43 AM »

It is an amzing feeling what is amazing to me is how those big boars can quietly sneak within 15 yards of you and you never see them coming in last yr i had that happen twice on to decent sized boars i was sitting by a feeder looking in all directionswhen on both occasions i looked to my right and they were standing so close to me it scared the heck out of me luckily i recovered and shot both. on the black boar i shot about 30 min earlier a big olde brown boar came to with in 40 yards and started huffing at me then took off i was about 50 yards from a creek and had the wind in my favor i had just baited the area heavily with soured corn the other pigs came from the west heading east the big one came from the south and there was a north wind lol go figure i think that is the closet i w ant to get to a pig again becasue after i shot the white colored boar he ran right at me luckily i got behind some trees he fell daead about 20 yards past me send me a pm and ill send ya pics of both these boars

Dusty Miller · « **Reply #10 on:** April 10, 2004, 07:42:24 AM »

Several years ago I was lucky enough to be able to shoot a wild sow in southern Russia. My 30-06 was loaded with a 200 grain premium Speer bullet that I'd chronographed at 2900 fps. The pig came out of the brush about 30 feet away and my only shot entered over the right shoulder, travelled the entire length of the pig and stopped just inside the skin on its left hip. Along the way it blew out a lung and a chunk of the liver. This animal didn't so much as flinch, she just took off hell-bent-for-leather and finally dropped dead 75 yards away. Yeah, shot placement is important but don't count on getting an ideal shot. If this'd been a big boar who took umbrage at some capitalist shooting him I'd've been in trouble. I'm a big believer in safety margins and next time I'm going to pick out a smaller pig or get some kind of .30 caliber magnum rifle to handle the job. I'd like to use my .44 mag Anaconda for pig hunting but if I do it'll be to take a younger, smaller animal that would go well on the BBQ.

headshooter · « **Reply #11 on:** April 10, 2004, 07:13:53 PM »

Quote

Hello everyone,
I just got done reading a post about someone shooting a hog with a 270 and it got away.I have never hunted for hog but i hopefully will this fall.I use a 30-06 and 12 gauge (with slugs) for deer.Are either of these good enough for hog or am i gonna have to get something bigger?I know shot placement is crucial but these animals seem to have one heck of a reputation for being tough.Maybe I should get some grenades or something.

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I can tell you from 25 years of shooting razorbacks in Australia that a hog is a tough critter and can definitely take some punishment I have shot/culled and hunted Hogs with a 222 rem (although placement is a must---behind the ear, or in the eye, or straight up the nostril).

30/06 with 180 grain projectiles, 270 with win 150 grain silver tip( excellent accurate hog stopper)
7mm weatherby with 150 grn nosler ballistic tips (one shot one kill)
300 weatherby ( my favorite caliber) 180 grain and also with a Marlin 444 ss with 240 and 265 grain projectiles( this caliber is very destructive on even the largest mud encrusted boars( on shoulder shots through 2 inches on mud/armour it spray painted everything on the opposite side red for 6 feet or so.

You will find the 270 to be very capable and very flatshooting and accurate....but PLACEMENT is the most important thing....and 30/06 is a great choice too whether you handload or not, you can buy ammo at any mom and pop store anywhere...and if you handload it's very versatile as in bullet weights etc from light to heavy..there's not much on this earth you cant kill with it.....just remember placement and be proficient with your weapon.

Good luck and good hunting

Ditchdigger · « **Reply #12 on:** April 11, 2004, 05:14:16 AM »

Headhunter ; You're right on about the 6'wide blood trail with the 300 Wby. and 444. I use the 180 B.T. at 3175 fps. and the 444 at 2275 with the 265 gr. Hornady.
Usually when these hogs in Okla. have been wild for 5 or 6 generations you can run the sows off with a shot and take their babies home with you.My wife and I have raised 3 of the little stripped rascals,and they are very entertaining pets. My friends and I steal the little ones all the time , the sows usually will run off and stand at a distance until we leave. Digger

headshooter · « **Reply #13 on:** April 11, 2004, 08:21:04 AM »

Ditchdigger: you brought back some memories afer reading your post lol, you are right about being able to chase the suckers (piglets) on foot lol

I have brought home many, with the intention of razing it for the spit :twisted: the next year, however pigs are smart critters and adapt to ANY environment, mine became pets actually guard dogs/pigs lol and my family would not let me eat them lol... :roll: .but ofcourse those tusks have to come out....(like having a D9 dozer live in your backyard)

Ltr and good hunting :-D

Ditchdigger · « **Reply #14 on:** April 11, 2004, 12:08:36 PM »

Headshooter I usually get them out of the nest when mine were about a week old,(there navels had just dried) and after my wife had kept them in the spare bathroom for 2 days,and then let them out. After she opened the door for them she came back in the living room and sat down on the couch. The little rascals made three attempts before they made it in the living rm. , walked up and smelled my wife,and promptly jumped up on the couch and got in my wife's lap and went to sleep. It seemed like 20 min. before my wife could close her mouth or say anything.
These babies were only about 4 or 5 in's tall at the time but they had no problem with jumping on our couch. A lot of my friends trap them,and it takes a very strong 6 or 7' tall fence to hold them. Digger

RaySendero · « **Reply #15 on:** April 11, 2004, 04:28:34 PM »

Highbrass,

My project rifle for this year is an 8x57 Mauser. I plan on making it into a hog and close range deer rifle. My plan is to load 220 grain bullets for it to the 2,400 - 2,500 fps range.

elmer · « **Reply #16 on:** December 10, 2004, 06:06:37 PM »

I use 30-06 165 Gr Core-Lokt and I'm 1 for 1 so far (one shot, one kill).

VTDW · « **Reply #17 on:** December 11, 2004, 12:39:13 AM »

Check my link below to see how the 444 does on hogs.

http://www.clan-mcgough.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=59

Dave

elmer · « **Reply #18 on:** February 21, 2005, 05:32:19 PM »

Update on my earlier post. It's now two shots and two kills with 30-06 165 Gr Core-Lokt. Neither one of them went more than their body length. The second one spun 180 degrees and dropped.

kenscot · « **Reply #19 on:** March 12, 2005, 02:36:37 AM »

I took two 300 pounders with my 06 using nosler 180 gr partitions both dropped on the spot

Dusty Miller · « **Reply #20 on:** March 17, 2005, 10:30:09 PM »

The pig I shot in Russia was taken with a 200 gr. Speer Grand Slam. I think that I'll go to Nosler Partitions when the Grand Slams are gone.

Grunthunter · « **Reply #21 on:** April 27, 2005, 02:57:08 PM »

Y'All need to first figure out what ya want to do with the hog after you shoot it. If you after meat, which sounds like most of you are, then you don't go shooting them in the shoulders or hind quarters or trying to break their backbones! That's where all of the meat is. You shoot them in the head or in the neck. I have never had one run after being shot in the neck, they drop like a sack of potatos. If you're after a trophy mount then it's a totally different scnerio and expect to shoot it more than once.

Zachary · « **Reply #22 on:** May 21, 2005, 02:10:27 PM »

Quote from: Highbrass

Hello everyone,
I just got done reading a post about someone shooting a hog with a 270 and it got away.I have never hunted for hog but i hopefully will this fall.I use a 30-06 and 12 gauge (with slugs) for deer.Are either of these good enough for hog or am i gonna have to get something bigger?I know shot placement is crucial but these animals seem to have one heck of a reputation for being tough.Maybe I should get some grenades or something. :blaster:

It's not just the cartridge and shot placement that is important, but also bullet construction. On hogs, my favorite bullet is the Barnes X, or now the Barnes TSX (same thing except it has 3 rings to reduce friction and increase velocity).

One of my favorite hog rifles is my .30-06 BDL SS with an HS Precision stock. I shoot 165 grain Barnes X bullets which work well for both deer/hog combo hunts. If you want even more penetration, then you can use 180 grain Barnes X.

BTW, you know how the Barnes X ads show these beautiful "x" shaped bullets after expansion? Well, I once used my .300 Win Mag using 180 Barnes X. A 250 pound hog was about 50 yards away in front of me, and about 20 feet below me (I was in a tower blind). The hog was facing towards me and I could see the top part of his back. Well, I put the cross-hairs right behind his head on the neck which was pointed a little towards my right, meaning that if the bullet were to pass through, it would have to go through HIS left shoulder - and grisle plate. Well, at the shot the hog dropped and kicked its legs for a while. When we took that beast at camp to clean it, my dad found the bullet and it didn't look like a clear "X" but, believe it or not, almost like a regular mushroomed bullet! :eek: I guess that the hog was so close and the impact velocity was so fast, and the grisle plate on that 250 pound pig was so hard and heavy, that the X-Bullet kinda got smushed.

Even after a .300 Win Mag and 180 Barnes X, we still recovered that bullet. I'm sure that if it would be any other lesser bullet, then it would have blown-up and crippled that hog. That's why I strongly recommend stout bullets like Barnes X, Trophy Bonded, Nosler partition, Swift-A-Frame, etc. for use on hogs - especially the larger ones.

Zachary

buzztail · « **Reply #23 on:** June 01, 2005, 11:26:32 AM »

Quote from: Grunthunter

Y'All need to first figure out what ya want to do with the hog after you shoot it. If you after meat, which sounds like most of you are, then you don't go shooting them in the shoulders or hind quarters or trying to break their backbones! That's where all of the meat is. You shoot them in the head or in the neck. I have never had one run after being shot in the neck, they drop like a sack of potatos. If you're after a trophy mount then it's a totally different scnerio and expect to shoot it more than once.

Exactly. I have taken them with a TC in .223 55gr SP you just have to shoot them in the head or neck. An '06 with 200s and a knife and dog(not sure of the weight :-) ) all in years gone by
I will be using a 480 Ruger SRH this year just because I like it. I still have the '06 just in cast I feel nostalgic

elmer · « **Reply #24 on:** June 03, 2005, 06:28:03 AM »

I'm now four for four with 30-06 165 Gr Core-Lokt. If you hit them just behind the ear and a little down then they drop like a sack of potatoes. The last one was at night and I shoot through the ear, same result.