Looking for a pig rifle

I'm looking for a large-bore, medium-long range rifle for pig hunting. It will probably be a lever action, any suggestions on the round? I'm looking for something generally in the .45-70 or .450 marlin range

Marlin Guide-gun in .444 Marlin.

Doc, +1, absolutely.

.50 Beowulf AR-15

.50 beowulf is comparible to .45-70 and it's dangerous game we're talking about so a quick follow up shot is an important ability.

I'm looking for something under a grand. :(

I took a nice Russian Boar with a T/C Encore pistol in .444 Marlin. It dropped with one shot. I can only imagine the power with that nice long tube!!

I have heard that the Marlin Guide Gun is extremely accurate, as in MOA.

how about a shorty Saiga in 308?

.308 is a nice round but I'm looking for a larger bullet, I already have a .270 and .30-06 for smaller, higher-velocity rounds

Nevermind.

The Marlin 444 sounds great for a really BIG pig, how about a .41 or .44 Marlin?

you can get a .50 beowolf for under a grand. $649 for entry upper. They sell lower for $343, or you could go to Del-Ton for a complete DPMS or Stag lower at $225. just thought id throw that in. Its a nice semi auto option.

The Marlin Classic Model 1895 in 45/70 Gov't. (22" barrel) Retail $592
http://www.marlinfirearms.com/Firearms/bigbore/1895.aspx

The Marlin Model 1895G in 45/70 Gov't. (18.5" barrel) Retail $603
http://www.marlinfirearms.com/firearms/bigbore/1895G.aspx

The Marlin Model 1895M in 450 Marlin Retail $649
http://www.marlinfirearms.com/firearms/bigbore/1895M.aspx

The Marlin Model 444 in 444 Marlin Retail $590
http://www.marlinfirearms.com/firearms/bigbore/444.aspx

I would probably buy the Model 1895M because the 450 Marlin round packs a very bigger punch and shoots a heavier bullet than the 444 Marlin and produces higher velocities than the 45/70.

i know its not a rifle, but you could allways go with a S&W 500

I picked up a very slightly used (<20 rounds) 1895 Winchester in .405 - I tell you what, when I bagged a decent sized hog with it, all that ran through my mind at the time was remember back to when I was a kid watching a boxing match hearing Howard Cosell screaming "Down goes Frazier, Down goes Frazier".
No matter what cartridge you choose, my advice is to opt for the biggest diameter projectile you can stand and go from there. While I got my rifle for a song, it would be very, very difficult to walk away from a Guide Gun in 45-70. Big cartridge, great platform, BIG hole - sounds like the perfect hog gun to me!

I'm with Furious on this one

Get either a Gibbs rifle company No.4 Enfield converted to .45-70 or a Navy arms version. They appear to be the same to me though I don't know if Navy arms makes them anymore. The one draw back is the mag only contains 3 rounds but it is a very fast bolt action. I would also invest in one of the synthetic stocks and you have an inexpensive hog rifle. One nice thing about it being a bolt action and not a lever action is you could use pointed bullets if you wanted to. Or if you like to reloading you could load your own 500 grain lead bullets :)

http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting2005/kingandcountry/index.asp

check out this review of the .45-70 enfield

Brother in Arms

I use a 91/30 Mosin Nagant, it has taken a few pigs. I prefer a 180 or 200 gr soft point, but the Barnes Monolith Solids (which are on sale everywhere due to being discontinued) with bust a shoulder as good as anything. I always considered big bores to be a waste of meat and overkill for just about any pig. Then again I hunt to fill my freezer not to get a kick.

I recommend anything over 150gr going fast enough to break a shoulder. (one vote for .30-30)

Ruger 44 MAG carbine - according to the add it got the gorilla.

I live in Florida and hunted hogs 20 years. Used 44 mag. If i used rifle 45-70 would be great. daleltaylor@att.net

Gee, most of the people here in N Texas seem to use AR15s in .223.
Must be smaller pigs here

Large bore? Under $500?
12ga. slugs work for me, and no complaints from the piggies, either. DRT:cool:

The Guide Gun is a great suggestion. One question, though - What distance are you thinking about, when you say medium-long? Others may be proficient with a .45-70 at long distances, but if you mean long, such as ~200-350 yards, I would pick something else.

I think the Guide Gun is at it's best in the under 150 yard range.

i know its not a rifle, but you could allways go with a S&W 500

You can get one in a single shot rifle I believe but you don't need one.

Don't know if you reload or not but if you don't I would go 44 Magnum. Probably a Marlin, Winchester or Ruger in 44 Magnum. A 44 Magnum out of an 18 inch barrel is a potent round. Lots of hunting options available also. If you want to go with one of the really big bores I'd go 45/70. Around here it is more common than the 444.

Puma 92 in .454 Casull, not good for long range though.

marlin 45/70 is more than enough.

I recently saw a BIG Hog taken with a T/C Encore Carbine chambered in .500 S&W (the X-Frame Revolver Round). Whew! This +700 lb tusker dropped like he was hit with a supersonic telephone pole.

I recently saw a BIG Hog taken with a T/C Encore Carbine chambered in .500 S&W (the X-Frame Revolver Round). Whew! This +700 lb tusker dropped like he was hit with a supersonic telephone pole.

Where did you hit it?

I didn't shoot him, my partner did. From the side, slightly downward angle, mid-neck between the bottom of the ear & the leading edge of the shoulder.

P.S.) I love Alabama too..., and Auburn, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Miss. State, Gerogia, Vandy, Arkansas, South Carolina, and even those rotten Gators of Florida. I almost forgot LSU, I love them too. But, MOST of ALL, I love my Big Blue Basketball Wildcats from the University of Kentucky. God Bless the SEC!

I'm looking at one of these myself.
http://www.henryrepeating.com/h006_bigboy.cfm

creekwalker

I have taken a lot of pigs with my Remmington 7600 in .35 rem. Excellent gun for shooting pigs on the run.

I had a 26", .444 Marlin barrel built for my Encore with the main idea of "stalking" hogs with it. So far, it has. proved itself time and time again on hogs from 60 pounders on up to 300+ pound bars. It really likes the Hornady leverevolutions and will consistently shoot sub 1", 3 shot groups at 100 yards. The nice thing about the 26" Encore barrel is that I get all the performance of the longer barrel, but the carry feel of a 22" barreled rifle. I have not felt handicapped by the single shot at all.

Marlin .45-70 is your best bet if you want a largebore rifle. It's also usable for elk, moose, bear, etc. It can be easily downloaded for deer, or uploaded for big, bitey stuff. One of my faves.

Rich

Here is what I would do if I wanted a pig gun right now and didnt want to break my wallet doing it (aka going to waffle house and finding the bacon on their menu cheaper than what I just invested to shoot the pigs myself...)

1) Go to J&G website (or do google search for J G ammunition)
2) Go look at their rifles for sale (M44s/M90s)
http://www.jgsales.com/index.php/military-bolt-action-rifles/russian/cPath/209_219_261
3) Get your FFL dealer info ready and buy one of the 7.62x54R soviet rifles for $79.99.
IF you have a BIG 5 Sporting Goods store you can buy one there for $89.99.
4) Order the ammunition that costs all of $7/box of 20 for soft point.
http://www.jgsales.com/index.php/ammo-for-rifles/7-62x54r/cPath/12_42
5) In 3-5 days your whole set up to hunt one of the five little pigs is at your local dealer with ammo at your door for under $150 (thats including some extra practice ammunition and that just in case ammo you all like to keep).

The last step (and I dont think it needs mentioning) is to stick it in the ground and have a family/neighborhood BBQ!!!

Enjoy!

7.62x54R'll tear 'em up pretty good, too.

Hell yes it will.

+1 Doc, and I think you could find something way under 1k.

I'd go 45/70 That is on my list of guns to get next. It all depends on your approach to them.

I do a lot of walking through brush. So going with a scoped gun makes no sense and going with a bolt gun makes no sense either.

So a Lever Gun is the best option.

I think you will be good with one of those Marlin Levers.

7600rem in 308win will do it good not a pig on earth that you can't drop with combination. plus if he dont stop you can always chuck it at him and climb a tree but if that big you ain't safe in the tree either.lol

I like 30-30, Ammo is cheap and works fine for pigs.

I am a huge fan of medium bore Marlin Lever guns. My absolute two favorite guns for Florida hogs are:
Marlin 336SS-35LTD (35Rem Guide Gun)
Marlin 375 (375Win)

+1 to anything by Marlin and in .30-30 win and up.

Local Gander Mountain has a beautiful used .45-70 guide gun with a tag for $375 on it. If I hadn't been set on buying a single six I would have bought it.

My old friends favorite hog gun was a Brown Bess musket. A .72 caliber ball weighing 535 grains can do a job. Modern day 12 gauge shotgun with Brenekke slug would probably be even better.

Brother in Arms

for pig I use a Remington 700 CDL in .30-06. I also bring along a S&W 686 as a sidearm and a Remington 870.