Dogtown 55gr HPS, how will they do on hogs?

[Rushthezeppelin]

So I'm starting into 223 reloading and got a bunch of dogtown HPs. So far I have been VERY impressed with the accuracy on these suckers, they are shooting easily sub-moa out of my DPMS carbine with IMR4895. Got some H335 to pick up soon from a local dealer as well so I should be able to shrink those groups to half-moa or better. I'm about to hopefully soon go on my first hog hunt here in Texas and was wondering if anybody knows if these would make effective hog rounds. I would probably go for behind the ear or neck shots with these considering I have good confidence in the accuracy of the bullet and myself. Anyone think these would have problems like maybe expanding too fast and not getting enough penetration or should they work just fine?

 

[Lj1941]

I would use a 70 Speer Semi spitzer ahead of a healthy load of WW- 748 if I had to use the 223. These bullets were at one time recommended for use on small deer and should not blowup like a HP. It is my understanding that hogs are not that easy to kill. Hopefully someone with experience hunting them will comment.I loaded some of these 70 Speers and they did a job on a whitetail from a 225 Winchester quite a few years ago.

 

[splattergun]

I suggest that you need better penetration than dogtowns on tough hogs. They are designed for immediate expansion, even disintegration, upon impact. A partitioned bullet should work better for pig.

 

[stavman11]

I have shot DTHP through 3/8" Steel.... and Impacted the Backside of the Steel Column as deep as a .357 round did

I cant see why they wouldnt do the Job........ .223 is a very impactful Round.... Meaning... Hits Hard.. and Penetrates Hard.....

Now I dont know how Hard HOGS are ta drop...... But..... any deer I have shot would drop with the DT....

 

[Rushthezeppelin]

Hmmm not sure if I can go all the way up to those 70gr, I have a 1/9 twist so I might have stabilization issues.

Kind of surprised but Midway actually has these http://www.midwayusa.com/product/66...liber-224-diameter-60-grain-spitzer-box-of-50 in stock atm. Think they would work well? Boy they are pricey though at 50c a round >.>

 

[R.W.Dale]

I have shot DTHP through 3/8" Steel.... and Impacted the Backside of the Steel Column as deep as a .357 round did



I cant see why they wouldnt do the Job........ .223 is a very impactful Round.... Meaning... Hits Hard.. and Penetrates Hard.....



Now I dont know how Hard HOGS are ta drop...... But..... any deer I have shot would drop with the DT....

How a bullet behaves on steel has absolutely no relevancy as to how it will behave on flesh and bone. With steel speed is EVERYTHING and bullet construction is irrelevant. A 45g varmint HP from a 22-250 will shoot through more steel than a 180g 300win mag if the range is close.

In general I'm a fan of 22 cal centerfires on hoofed game WITH PROPER BULLET SELECTION. The dogtown bullets being discussed here however are tantamount to asking the question "what is the least suitable 22 bullet for hogs."

Don't get too hung up on accuracy for a hunting load. Instead worry about terminal performance. A 3moa load will hunt any game you care to hunt at just about any range the average hunter has business hunting. I will take a 3moa load with a proven hunting bullet and day of the week and twice on Sundays over a .5moa load using an inappropriately constructed bullet.

 

[R.W.Dale]

I use the 55g Sierra game king SP for my 22 caliber deer bullet of choice. They're pretty cost effective, accurate and I know for a fact they penetrate deep enough to shoot a deer's heart to bits on a straight on full frontal shot at 22-250 speeds

 

[kelbro]

I've killed a lot of hogs in Texas. If you can't shoot them IN the ear, take a bigger gun. Even though they are vermin, they deserve an ethical kill.

 

[oldpapps]

I just love the 'Dogtown' bullets.

I would think that hitting the proverbial 'dollar spot' on Mr. Porker would do the job. Unfortunately, Mr. Porker, doesn't see it that way and they just don't hold still with the picture perfect profile for you.

To be fair to Mr. Porker, I would have to pass up a lot of shots. Humm, is that why I'm playing with .300 Blackouts, but till I get satisfied with that one will still carry my little old .308 Win. (Getting close)

I still love the 'Dogtown' bullets.

Having the ump may not mean the job will get done, properly. A 22RF can do it but not by me.

 

[R.W.Dale]

ITo be fair to Mr. Porker, I would have to pass up a lot of shots..

Do the environment and every other game animal a favor and shoot Mr Porker however you can shoot porky.

Every other game animal loses when you let one of these invasive vermin walk. Hogs are the ONLY animal I have 0 scruples about how, when, where or how many I shoot.

 

[gamestalker]

I punch holes in steel also, and it means absolutely nothing when regarding flesh and bone. When a bullet pierces steel it does so much like a plasma cutter, it's not actually the projectile coming out the other side. Retrieve a projectile in a large container of water on the opposite side of your steel and you'll retrieve a half sphere shape of steel in the water container, the lead and jacket pretty much vaporize.

As for JHP's on pigs, it probably won't do very well, and might even fail horribly. I would go with a good PSP, the Speer is great, but most any decent bonded bullet will get the job done well,just steer clear of HP's for hunting game.

GS

 

[TIMC]

I would go with something that holds together well, the dog town bullets may not, the might just splatter on impact and do little to nothing but give the pig a headache.
I know I have been out coyote hunting with 55 grain V-Max bullets in my 22-250 and had pigs come out. Three different times I have shot pigs in the head with that rifle/bullet combination and rolled them a few times but they get back up and run, no penetration with those bullets at all; I wouldn't have a lot of faith in the dog town bullets either.

 

[spitballer]

The Dogtowns seem to be pretty accurate for me, too, but I would be reluctant to use them on a hog hunt for anything other than a head shot, and I'm not sure just how sporting that would be. I know if I were a hog and someone were hunting me for food I'd rather take the shot in the heart like a man... I mean, like a hog. I've considered buying a lever action 30/30 for such a hunt, though. Good luck.

 

[oldpapps]

"Do the environment and every other game animal a favor and shoot Mr Porker however you can shoot porky.

Every other game animal loses when you let one of these invasive vermin walk. Hogs are the ONLY animal I have 0 scruples about how, when, where or how many I shoot."
R.W.Dale

The OP was questioning the use of what I view as an excellent bullet but not for the questioned use.

I fully agree with you (and the Missouri Department of Conservation) and that is why until I am completely happy with the .300 Blackout (I'm very close, 110/125s are too light breakup - 147/150s not quite what I want - cast and 'PC' ~135 grain is looking very good), I will continue to use a bolt action .308. I know it will do the needed job. I like pork and my dogs do too.

 

[788Ham]

i'd leave the DTHP's for P-dogs, they make them disappear! But hogs? You'd best try something a bit stouter, won't do either of you much good, maybe an ear-hole shot, but don't count on many of those. Be prudent on your hunts, kill with the best round for the game, I'd leave that .223 at home!

 

[Rushthezeppelin]

The more I'm looking into this, the more I'm wanting to build a 300 blk upper now. I had been looking at an alternate caliber upper for a bit but I think this is pretty much solidifying my decision to do so. I would love to do something like a 6.8, but the cost between a rather expensive upper and the brass/bullet cost/availability is swaying me more towards the blackout. I don't absolutely need the extreme long range capabilities for just hunting especially in Texas where you can hardly find shots longer than 200yds anyway in average hog situations.

So anyone know where I could find these powder coated 308s available commercially or are they pretty much strictly home cast and coated? Also would I need something with a gas check? I'd certainly like a cheap but effective option if at all possible but will drop the money on something like barnes if I have to (If I go the 300 blk route).

 

[mdm]

Those Dogtown 55 gr HP are a good, accurate plinking round. They would be good for critters in the prairie dog size range. I wouldn't use them on anything bigger.

I've shot them into gel at 100 meters. At 100 meters the plating pretty much explodes and does a whole lot of damage at around 2 to 4 inches into the block. The lead core goes in around 8 to 10 inches along with one or two larger pieces of the copper tagging along. I didn't do any testing beyond 100 meters.

 

[greyling22]

probably fine for smaller hogs, and anything in north america if you hit it in the head. Probably fine for bigger hogs too. I have yet to see anything in texas that I would consider a monster hog, and I personally feel that this whole "hogs are like armored tanks and hard to kill" thing is wildly overblown.

And finally, keep an eye on the 25-45 sharps round that just came out. that looks pretty yummy. 300 whisper is really best suited to heavy bullets with a suppressor.

 

[horsemen61]

I wouldn't use the DTHP on hogs

 

[Fatelvis]

I've killed a lot of hogs in Texas. If you can't shoot them IN the ear, take a bigger gun. Even though they are vermin, they deserve an ethical kill.

Agreed. Head shots or don't shoot.

 

[rangerphil]

I have hunted pigs on our farm in Texas for over 20 years now. Unless you have hunted pigs, you cannot imagine how tough they can be. With an absolutely perfect shot under ideal conditions, a 223 with a quality hunting bullet will work. I've seen lots of pigs shot with a variety of calibers and have had the displeasure of tracking some of them through thick brush when they run off after being hit. Bigger is not always better, but a larger caliber does give you some additional room for error when the shot is not perfect. My go-to pig gun is a Ruger M77 in 30.06 shooting a 180 grain Federal soft point bullet with the target zone being a neck shot. They go down right on the spot and do the "Curly" shuffle for a second or two. In my opinion, a hollow point bullet as you describe would only serve to make 'em mad.......

 

[oldpapps]

Rushthezeppelin,

'PC' (Powder Coated) rifle bullets are in the beginning stages. Over on Cast Boolits and 300BlkTalk are sub forums dedicated to 'PC' bullets and .300 Blackout cast bullets.

I have seen some listing for 'PC' pistol bullets, don't remember where, but not for rifles.
The 'PC' process is quite simple, far simpler than the casting process. I'm not qualified to explain the variations and methods. I do know that I'm hooked.

Sorry, I didn't want to hijack this thread.

 

[Rushthezeppelin]

Well I pulled the plug on a 300 BLK barrel so far http://www.midwayusa.com/product/65...p-melonite-finished-chrome-moly-matte-pre-ban. Hopefully in two or 3 more paychecks I'll have an upper finished and then work on casting and powder coating stuff.

So much for hunting with .223, I think I've officially given up on that idea (unless it's smaller game that's too big for 22lr). Thanks again for giving me honest advice about the limits of .223 guys.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Those 60gr Nosler Partition bullets linked to above IMO are the bare minimum to use in the .223 for hogs. They are a very tough hunting bullet.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/66...liber-224-diameter-60-grain-spitzer-box-of-50

I would also go with a larger harder hitting round. An upper shooting a 6.5mm Grendel, 6.8mm SPC or the above mentioned 300 Blackout would be better choices. Personally, I would choose the 6.8 Remington SPC.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/66...with-free-float-handguard-phantom-flash-hider
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/91...ee-float-handguard-flip-up-sights-flash-hider
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/51...ee-float-handguard-flip-up-sights-flash-hider

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/52...-with-m4-handguard-a2-front-sight-flash-hider

Another option would be shooting a AR-10 in .308 instead of the AR-15 but the recoil could get old half way through a heavy day of hunting. I think a different upper for your AR-15 would be the best choice.

 

[Rushthezeppelin]

Those 60gr Nosler Partition bullets linked to above IMO are the bare minimum to use in the .223 for hogs. They are a very tough hunting bullet.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/66...liber-224-diameter-60-grain-spitzer-box-of-50

I would also go with a larger harder hitting round. An upper shooting a 6.5mm Grendel, 6.8mm SPC or the above mentioned 300 Blackout would be better choices. Personally, I would choose the 6.8 Remington SPC.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/66...with-free-float-handguard-phantom-flash-hider
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/91...ee-float-handguard-flip-up-sights-flash-hider
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/51...ee-float-handguard-flip-up-sights-flash-hider

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/52...-with-m4-handguard-a2-front-sight-flash-hider

Another option would be shooting a AR-10 in .308 instead of the AR-15 but the recoil could get old half way through a heavy day of hunting. I think a different upper for your AR-15 would be the best choice.

Already one step ahead of you...building a 300 blk upper, and for WAY cheaper than those pre-assembled ones (partly cause I'm using my bolt from my 5.56).