[cbrgator]

What is the smallest grain 30-06 round that will effectively kill a hog? Will the 125gr managed recoil remingtons work? Or do I need a 150gr?

[Shawnee]

One of my sons regularly kills them with the .204 Ruger and head/neck shots. I've shot a bunch with the 87-gr. BTHP from a .243. A former neighbor shot a bunch of them with the 87-gr. bullets from a .257 Roberts. Two hunting partners used 130-gr. bullets from their .270s.

Seems like a 125-130 gr. bullet from a 30/06 might be up to the task.

:cool:

[Eskimo Jim]

6 years ago I used a .30-06 for my first Russian boar. I was told to use a 180 grain fail safe from Winchester. It worked! Since Fail Safes aren't available anymore, you might try Winchester's XP3.

Jim

[hps1]

I've shot lots of hogs w/150 gr. Nosler Partitions. Have also killed a 200# hog w/55 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip. Yep, varmint bullet right behind the ear will drop 'em in their tracks, but placement is critical on a lighter constructed bullet. A lighter constructed bullet hitting the shoulder would very likely result in poor performance.

Regards,
hps

[kragluver]

I've not shot a hog with an '06, but my brother has shot several with a 6mm Rem (90 gr). He's lost quite a few hogs that ran off into the thick brush. I've been trying to convince him he needs more rifle. My personal feeling is that an '06 with 150-180 gr bullet would work fine (assuming correct placement).

[Frog48]

I've heard of people killing hogs with .223 Rem, so I'd guess that any .30-06 load should be effective.

[Jeff F]

Let's see, Smallest I've hilled a couple hogs with would be with a .22 hornet. Killed them with a .38 spl, .357, 30-30, .308, 30-06, .303, .375 win, 12 guage with slug and buckshot, oh yea and a .32 winchester. Those are the calibers I can remember, theres probably a few I forgot. I lived in hog heaven for about a year and killing and eating hogs was about all we did.

[nathan]

I use the 150 gr Winchester Power Point SP as they are the most available and cheap to get at Walmart. Last time I shot a hog was just using a surplus S KoRean FMJ, and it reap the hog pretty bad. It was dead as dead. A good heart shot will put them down for good. A head shot is much better as theres no meat damage.

[sarduy]

if you hit a wild hog with a 30-06 i', sure that you'll kill it in he's tracks, why? because 30-06 (150-180) can kill anything here in the US and it's not a mouse (varmint) round, a .223 can kill a hog too but shot placemnt is more critical with smaller calibers

http://www.texasboars.com/hunting/photos/kz.jpg

[ARTiger]

.30/30's have taken more hogs than probably any other round around here. I think any loading in .30'06 would suffice.

[TxState101]

I've had one hog run off from my .30-06 and I recovered it about 55 yards away.

The rest were all DOA. There's something so right about finding that mushroomed bullet in their back sheath with the fat stuck in the bullet.

[TAB]

I've had 30-06 fail to pentrait a charging pigs head. NO BS... a pig is very easy to kill, but placement is every thing.

[jpwilly]

^^^Anything short of 50BMG is rolling the dice.

[Jeff F]

I've had 30-06 fail to pentrait a charging pigs head. NO BS... a pig is very easy to kill, but placement is every thing.

I did the same thing with the .375 winchester. It stopped him but only for less then 30 seconds. man was I surprised when he came back to life. I missed him clean with the second shot and put his lights out with the third about 50 feet from where he jumped back up. First shot was taken at 25 yards.

[shevrock]

Will 7.62x39 work? Or 7.62x54r ?

[cbrgator]

So basically, yes... if I place the shot right...?

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

I lived in hog heaven for about a year and killing and eating hogs was about all we did.

Where was that?

[Jeff F]

I lived in a cabin at a place called the Jade Mill roughly between King City and Coalinga Ca. South of Idira in the Clear Creek area.

[TCB in TN]

A solidly constructed 30-06 into the heart/lungs will give you a dead hog, going into the lighter bullets and smaller cals then neck/spine/head shots are more important. I personally have killed them with everything from a .22lr (head hot a point blank range) to the .243, .270, 30-30, 30-06, 12GA slugs, etc. and most of the time the shot placement was much more important than the cal. But again the smaller and lighter you go the more you need to make sure you get the prime shot.

[cbrgator]

So is 125gr small enough where I really need to be super focused on shot placement...how much less forgiving is a 125 than a 150gr?

[Chipperman]

Will 7.62x39 work? Or 7.62x54r ?

54R is fine, x39 I would not use on hogs.

[TCB in TN]

So is 125gr small enough where I really need to be super focused on shot placement...how much less forgiving is a 125 than a 150gr?

Good question, and your definitive answer is that it all depends! It depends upon the actual bullet and the size of the hog, the angle of the shot, and a host of other factors.

In my experience most hog hunting is done at 150yards or less and honestly if you are shooting a 30-06 then inside of 250 there is really no reason that I am aware of to drop down to the smaller bullets. I would always err on the side of the bigger bullet. Now if you have a boat load of 125s and want to shoot them, or know of a great deal on a bunch of 125s then I wouldn't feel a bit under gunned, but unless there is some incentive that I don't know of then I would go ahead and shoot the 150s.

[MCgunner]

On BIG hogs, go with 150 minimum. A Barnes 140 works fantastic, though. I'd worry about a 125 spitzer not making it through the gristle plate unless it were a controlled expansion bullet like Barnes.

[cbrgator]

OK, 150 it is.

[nathan]

I d stay within 75 yds range for a sure energy dump on any sized hog for the x 39 round.

The 54 R is capable to up 200 yds , it has the energy equal almost to .308 power so i thas enough to do the job.



Join Date: 07-06-08
Posts: 167 Will 7.62x39 work? Or 7.62x54r ?

[skinewmexico]

As long as they die, I don't care where they do it. They just varmints.

[MCgunner]

I d stay within 75 yds range for a sure energy dump on any sized hog for the x 39 round.

The 54 R is capable to up 200 yds , it has the energy equal almost to .308 power so i thas enough to do the job.

And that relates to the .30-06 how? :D

[Jeff F]

For a 30-06 I'd just get a box of 150 gr and go hunting. I have shot a lot of 06 and I don't think I have ever shot the 125's, that sounds like some kind of a varmint bullet, I have no experience with them.

[cbrgator]

well with the 125's, what i was intending to use was the Remington managed recoil. The synthetic stock is so lightweight on my stevens 200 so it kicks pretty hard. I handle it just fine but i think a lesser recoil would help my accuracy, even if it's only psychological.

[TCB in TN]

Nothing wrong with using the lighter loads, just be aware that your penetration will be lessened and you will need to be more careful about your shot selection.

[MCgunner]

Quote:
Will 7.62x39 work? Or 7.62x54r ?
54R is fine, x39 I would not use on hogs.

Poppycock! 7.62x39, with a 150 grain load, is plenty. I want enough bullet, though. Most hogs you're going to find are under 300 lbs. There aren't that many of the hogzilla types. Yeah, on a really big one, shooting the shoulder might be a little iffy with the 7.62x39 unless you were loaded with a controlled expansion bullet that you knew would work, like a Barnes. I've let a really big one walk right by my stand before, though. The get gamey once they exceed much over 200 lbs. 150-200 is great eatin'. I have an SKS dedicated night hunting hog gun. It's killed one small one so far, just the other night. I needed the meat. We're infested with the things, but I don't set my trap this time of year, too hot.

[Geno]

The weight isn't the most significant factor. What is most significant is the projectile configuration, i.e. say contrast a 150 grain Barnes' monolithic solid versus 150 grain Sierra hollow point. See my point? In such a case, sectional density (which is what you are really asking) is nearly a mute point. By the way, a Monolithic Solid is not needed for hogs, unless they are truly massive. The massive hog that I took in 2001 was taken with 2 shots of a Federal Premium .375 H&H, with 300 grain Nosler Partitians. The beast did not so much as flinch. IMHO, expansion is needed, but controlled expansion. If I were taking a .30-06, I would prefer a 150 for small hogs, a 165 grain for medium and a 180 to 200 for the massive hogs. In closing, remember, placement.

Doc2005

[TCB in TN]

Another issue with hogs is whether you are talking about feral or real wild/russian or razorback type hogs. Feral hogs are typically just 1st or 2nd gen escaped or released domestic hogs. While they grow pretty big they don't have the gristle plate over the ribs that the Russian type have. A lighter bullet will work better on the feral, than on the Russian of the same size. Further more big boar hogs will be harder to bring down than sows and the smaller hogs are much better eating!

[Nathanael_Greene]

Here's a thread with a reference to a pig hunter who uses the 125-grain Managed Recoil in .30-06:

http://www.texashuntingforum.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/474488/an/0/page/0/gonew/

It works, at least for one hunter. I think I'll give it a try my next time out.

[xd45gaper]

its a hog not a cape buffalo! people have used everything from knives to 375 H&H Mags! lol

[Cypress]

It's amazing how many different opinions there are on this subject. It's also amazing how much difference there is in the physical characteristics of hogs from different loacations. IMHO ANY big game bullet in the 30-06 will work on anything short of Hogzilla. The managed recoil should be fine. The shield on a boar(some here are up to 2" thick) is no match for a 30-06. The penetration problems come from heavy bone structure and the need to punch through that to get to the forward set vitals. The 30-06 will do it easily. If you want to ensure an exit wound go with 180's but I generally want the hog to absorb as much energy as possible.

[Water-Man]

XD45gaper... +1

[FLORIDA KEVIN]

I dont really see how recoil is a problem ,as you are only shooting a few shots ! it isnt as if you were shooting 50-100 shots in a short time like at the range ! Use the 150-180 grain bullets that are designed for big game ! Take 1 or 2 shots to check zero then 1 or 2 more to kill your hog ! Kevin

[K3]

I've shot lots of hogs w/150 gr. Nosler Partitions. Have also killed a 200# hog w/55 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip. Yep, varmint bullet right behind the ear will drop 'em in their tracks, but placement is critical on a lighter constructed bullet. A lighter constructed bullet hitting the shoulder would very likely result in poor performance.

A 60gr VMax between the eyes produces an interesting result. I mozied on down the road to pop a coyote I had spotted after the shot, came back to get my hog (which dropped like a sack of bricks), and it was gone.

I bet it had a helluva headache.

No more little lightly constructed bullets for Porky.

[MCgunner]

Well, here's a typical feral hog on my place. There's very few true european stock in the US. Almost all wild hogs are feral, just vary in how many generations they've been feral. Picture quality from the camera phone sux. Sorry. :D

These are from 75 to 150 lbs. I like the smaller ones for the table. There are some out there over 300 lbs, but I haven't messed with 'em. Let one walk right under me, once, had to be 350 if he was an ounce. Mean lookin' SOB. But, on these little farts, a 7.62x39 is plenty. .30-06 is overkill. The .30-06 will kill he biggest hog out there, though, in short order. I'd use something in the 150 or higher grain weight in a lead bullet, but I have a 140 Barnes X load just for hog hunts where I might want a monster. Yet to shoot one, though.

http://thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=77972&d=1210370619