.357 mag lever action for hog hunting?

[peacebutready]

Do some good hunters use lever action .357 carbines for hog hunting? Up to what weight hogs would .357 carbines be good for? Remember, .357 mag out of a carbine is plenty more powerful than through a pistol. Some loads out there nip on the heels of the 30-30 at short ranges.

 

[FL-NC]

Sure, why not. They aren't that hard to kill.

 

[cheygriz]

Just MHO, but I'd be much more comfortable with a .44 magnum or a .30-30.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

Use appropriate ammo and you will do fine.

 

[someguy2800]

Load her up with 158 grain JSP and go nuts.

 

[Llama Bob]

It's fine as long as the shots are short.

 

[sabbfan]

I hunt deer with mine, a 357 Henry. Use 158 XTP handloads, I wouldn’t hesitate to use it on hogs. Might step up to a 180 grain XTP depending on the size of the hogs, but either should suffice.

 

[TexasPatriot.308]

someone said they're not too hard to kill....I've killed big pigs with a .17hmr and I have had them run from .308s and 30-06s. it's all about bullet placement. I don't ever go after one with less than a .357 mag with loads like Buffalo Bore and Grizzly but I prefer .44 mags and my trusty old Ruger Blackhawk Bisley in .45 Colt loaded hot.

 

[If1HitU]

What about 357 Mag.158 gr. store bought,is it as good as handloads?

 

[Texas10mm]

What about 357 Mag.158 gr. store bought,is it as good as handloads?

Nope. Not even close.

 

[ColoradoMinuteMan]

The short answer it yes, .357 is plenty capable of killing a hog. Like using any other cartridge for hunting, you should understand the limitations of the ammunition, the firearm, the shooter, and the game and operate within them.

 

[BigBore44]

When it comes to big hogs, the bigger the better. Anything under 200 lbs, a 357 in the boiler room is fine. Above that and I’d be taking a neck or brain shot. Big hogs don’t bleed well. And they can cover a lot of ground very quickly. You want to stop them as soon as possible. A friend of mine shot a big hog (almost 400lbs) a couple weeks ago with a 300 WinMag with 220 gr partitions at just over 130 yards. He took it like a champ and ran almost 200 yards. Very little blood trail. But the pig was full of it.

Hogs aren’t bullet proof. But the big ones are tough. If I’m chasing pigs, I leave my 44 Mag at home and take my 444 or 45/70. You never know when Mr. Big will step out. If he does and doesn’t offer the neck or brain, I want the biggest caliber I can. Because tracking pigs where I hunt can be pretty hair raising. YMMV

 

[marksman13]

I’ve killed pigs with everything from a 22LR to a 50 BMG with a ton of things in between. A 357 mag carbine will kill the heck out of a pig out to about a hundred yards with proper bullet placement. Shoot them in the neck or head and they are DRT. Shoot them in the shoulder and you’ll likely be doing some blood trailing and that can be difficult with pigs. That thick hide and fat layer just seems to slow down the bleeding.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

When it comes to big hogs, the bigger the better. Anything under 200 lbs, a 357 in the boiler room is fine. Above that and I’d be taking a neck or brain shot. Big hogs don’t bleed well. And they can cover a lot of ground very quickly. You want to stop them as soon as possible. A friend of mine shot a big hog (almost 400lbs) a couple weeks ago with a 300 WinMag with 220 gr partitions at just over 130 yards. He took it like a champ and ran almost 200 yards. Very little blood trail. But the pig was full of it.

Hogs aren’t bullet proof. But the big ones are tough. If I’m chasing pigs, I leave my 44 Mag at home and take my 444 or 45/70. You never know when Mr. Big will step out. If he does and doesn’t offer the neck or brain, I want the biggest caliber I can. Because tracking pigs where I hunt can be pretty hair raising. YMMV

I have said it before and will say it again, if you don't do significant CNS damage to the hog, either directly (physical impact) or indirectly (hydraulic or hydrostatic shock), expect the hog to run.

I’ve killed pigs with everything from a 22LR to a 50 BMG with a ton of things in between. A 357 mag carbine will kill the heck out of a pig out to about a hundred yards with proper bullet placement. Shoot them in the neck or head and they are DRT. Shoot them in the shoulder and you’ll likely be doing some blood trailing and that can be difficult with pigs. That thick hide and fat layer just seems to slow down the bleeding.

Yep, they can be self sealing, like the fuel tanks on military aircraft and such.

 

[marksman13]

“I have said it before and will say it again, if you don't do significant CNS damage to the hog, either directly (physical impact) or indirectly (hydraulic or hydrostatic shock), expect the hog to run.”

And expect them to run hard, fast and far...

 

[Garandimal]

From a Carbine at 50 yards:

The Federal AE 158 gr. JSP has over 800 lb-ft of energy, sets up nicely, and doesn't expand very much.

The HDY XTP 180 gr. JHP, handloaded with H110, is a rugged controlled expansion bullet that has almost 1100 lb-ft of energy, sets up nicely, and doesn't expand very much.

Both work.

But for big piney-woods rooters that can go 3-400 lbs?

Thermonuclear 180 gr. HDY XTP.




GR

 

[HamSlamma]

357 sure ,,,,like he said, shot placement is the key!

When I hog hunt I use a 45/70 and a .454 casull

 

[fpgt72]

Pulled what looked like a 30 rifle bullet out of a shoulder blade that looked like it had been there a LONG time. They can be tough, and I think their bones are thick....it stopped a boat tailed bullet somehow or another.

I think with anything shot placement is key.

 

[cdb1]

I've killed hogs with a 30-06, 30-30, .270, 6.5x55, .243 and .223 with about the same result. Most of the time I use a 30-30. I think a .357 Magnum would do just fine.

 

[BigBore44]

This is the hog my buddy shot. If he’d have shot this with a 357 in the boiler room, he wouldn’t have recovered it without a good dog. And maybe not even then. Myself and 3 friends hunt this piece of property. In 7 years, we’ve never seen a hog there. We’ve seen some sign. But nothing that would suggest a guy this size. You never know.

 

[Choctaw]

Yes, it is enough. The first two pigs I ever killed were with a Ruger Blackhawk in 357 with a 6.5" barrel. I still shoot them with 357 revolvers and with whatever else is at hand.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Use quality ammo.

 

[Bfh_auto]

Pulled what looked like a 30 rifle bullet out of a shoulder blade that looked like it had been there a LONG time. They can be tough, and I think their bones are thick....it stopped a boat tailed bullet somehow or another.

I think with anything shot placement is key.

300 black out?