.300 Win Mag for Hogs?

[Panzerschwein]

Hello all! I am thinking about a hog rifle since I've decided not to use my Mosin Nagant for hog hunting purposes. I do not want to damage them, as they are historic rifles to me and part of a growing collection of mine.

So I've been looking at the options, and am thinking about a Ruger Guide Gun in .300 Win Mag:



http://www.ruger.com/products/guideGun/specSheets/47116.html

Doesn't that look cool? I love the camouflage laminated wood pattern, and with the stainless steel and muzzle brake it just looks so bad to the bone!

I am going on a pig hunt at the end of the month in Oklahoma, it will be stalking through the brush. Will a .300 Win Mag be enough power to keep the pig down? What kind of load should I use on the pig, and what type scope would be best for stalking in Oklahoma brush?

Any input would be appreciated guys! Thanks!

 

[Ohen Cepel]

Great gun but I think a lot more than you need for a hog.

I went with a 10mm pistol and it worked fine on the 300lb hog I got. Your follow up shots will be slow and ammo $$$ with a Win Mag.

I think there are better options for stalking hogs. 308 would be fine I thing, or a 30-30 lever gun if the ranges are close.

 

[ClickClickD'oh]

.300 win mag will most certainly do a pig in. You might want to look at stepping down to something lighter unless you really like that caliber or have an elk hunt on the schedule.

 

[Liberty1776]

I'd go with .308, and use iron sights. Not that you asked...

 

[Panzerschwein]

I really want the .300, I like the power. I don't care if I can do it with less gun. I want that hog to drop like a rock!!!

 

[zerobarrier]

I really want the .300, I like the power. I don't care if I can do it with less gun. I want that hog to drop like a rock!!!

Then that Ruger will do what you want. It does look like a nice rifle. Also remember even tho it is a powerful cartridge you still need proper shot placement.

 

[Robert]

Doesn't that look cool?

No. No it does not.

300WM should be plenty. If I ever get to go I will be taking my 375H&H

 

[MCgunner]

Sorta like shooting squirrel with a .458 Win Mag, but hey, it'll kill 'em! You can always download it if you handload, though. This was my thinkin' when I bought a 7mm Rem Mag instead of the .280 Remington I was pining for at the time. I ended up with a stainless Remington M7 in .308, though, and it's been my pig and deer rifle ever since. I never did work up a light 7 mag load. It's full throttle for that one, but I don't hunt with it anymore. I like the light, short little M7. It's REAL handy and 3/4 MOA accurate with a 150 Nosler BT.

 

[d2wing]

Not to many of us would ever tell you not to buy a gun you want. When you're young a big boomer might be just the ticket. It was for me. A few decades later it is different. Go for it.

 

[Stony]

Massive overkill....people tend to over rate the hogs in toughness. I drop them regularly with stuff like 44/40's.

 

[txcookie]

Heck yea!!!! Get the cannon. I use a 270.

 

[entropy]

Sorta like shooting squirrel with a .458 Win Mag, but hey, it'll kill 'em! You can always download it if you handload, though.

If you handload for that 7mm Rem. Mag., you know that no, you cannot down load the .300 Win.Mag. very much. It actually produces higher pressures when downloaded.

The .300 Win. Mag. will work fine for hogs, cooldill, and if it's power you want, it has it! The Ruger Guide Gun is a nice choice, though if $$$$ is no object, may I suggest the Nemo Omen Watchman 2:

 

[Deog]

My hog gun is a Marlin 30/30 drops em dead every time.
300 win mag is way over kill dude.

 

[cat_IT_guy]

I love the gun. And hey, its a pig. If you want to shoot it with "too much gun" (apparently, according to some...) go ahead.

 

[Panzerschwein]

If you handload for that 7mm Rem. Mag., you know that no, you cannot down load the .300 Win.Mag. very much. It actually produces higher pressures when downloaded.

The .300 Win. Mag. will work fine for hogs, cooldill, and if it's power you want, it has it! The Ruger Guide Gun is a nice choice, though if $$$$ is no object, may I suggest the Nemo Omen Watchman 2:

Oh MAN that is HAWWWTTT!!!!!

But a little out of my price range.

 

[MCgunner]

Only thing I don't like about that Ruger is the muzzle break. I'd rather take the recoil than the noise. Magnum rifles are LOUD.

 

[MCgunner]

If you handload for that 7mm Rem. Mag., you know that no, you cannot down load the .300 Win.Mag. very much. It actually produces higher pressures when downloaded.

If that's the case, explain to me why the Speer number 11 manual shows a 150 grain spitzer pushed by 65 grains of H414 at 2819 FPS...or 63 grains of H380 at 2746 fps (that's roughly .308 Winchester) or 24 grains of SR4759 at 1743 fps?

If there's too much space in the case above the charge, one can use a filler like corn meal which is commonly done with black powder, though the Speer manual doesn't mention doing this.

 

[jerkface11]

You can't download .300 winmag???? That's what slower powders are for.

 

[BigBore45]

I shot my hogs with a 45 colt in a 94 ae. They went down right on the spot. Ruger only loads. 300 win mag is so big It shouldn't be used on anything under elk size. The factory ammo for the 300 win mag has to hard of bullets for lighter game. Just my 2 cents, ymmv

 

[Lloyd Smale]

I like the 300 mag and use it a lot. Its a bit more then is needed for hogs and that 20 inch barrel is about going to turn it into an 06 anyway. and that short barreled ported 300 is going to about give you shell shock when you pull the trigger. If you want a short handy .30 cal pig slayer probably the best would be a short barreled 308. ALOT less noise, cheaper ammo and probably a cheaper gun to boot. Any 300 mag in my safe is going to have at least a 24 inch barrel.

 

[Sav .250]

"Will a 300 Win mag be enough power to keep a pig down?" If you do buy one, the answer to your question is................. Are you kidding me!

No matter the cal, it`s the shot placement that seal`s the deal. That`s what keeps "the pig" down.

 

[MCgunner]

I like the 300 mag and use it a lot. Its a bit more then is needed for hogs and that 20 inch barrel is about going to turn it into an 06 anyway. and that short barreled ported 300 is going to about give you shell shock when you pull the trigger. If you want a short handy .30 cal pig slayer probably the best would be a short barreled 308. ALOT less noise, cheaper ammo and probably a cheaper gun to boot.

That's a fact. . The gun is not going to be efficient with factory ammo in a short barrel. 24" barrels are on most .300s and 26" is better, really. You're going to get a LOT of flash/bang out of that 20" tube and with that muzzle break, the noise is going to be horrendous.

I shot my hogs with a 45 colt in a 94 ae. They went down right on the spot. Ruger only loads. 300 win mag is so big It shouldn't be used on anything under elk size. The factory ammo for the 300 win mag has to hard of bullets for lighter game. Just my 2 cents, ymmv

Too big? IIRC, H&H shoots a .470 Nitro Express a lot out of a double rifle on hogs. I recall him saying it was to stay one with the gun for his African trips, but hey, too big? There are too small calibers....like .22 anything, but too big?

 

[TimSr]

Is the cost an availability of ammo a consideration? You can spend a lot more time shooting with a lot less money in 30-06 or .308 and still have sufficient overkill.

 

[jerkface11]

that 20 inch barrel is about going to turn it into an 06 anyway.

A 20 inch 300 is going to have more power than a 20 inch 06.

 

[jim in Anchorage]

Is it just the picture or is the recoil pad on thac gun 3" thick?