feral hogs to kill - bullet and rifle confusion

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Texasred51

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I used to shoot as a kid and into my 20s, lately... except for occasionally making certain the shotgun and .38 work, not much shooting except a .22 for fun. My dad died this year and my mom wants to stay on the farm and as they say in Texas, there are only 2 kinds of places, those with hogs and those that are gonna get hogs... My dad bagged a few and seemed to have chased them off but we got 'em again.

I thought I had the situation in hand... with research I decided to get a .243. The 30/30 I inherited (and did shoot decades ago) is too heavy (336 Marlin) and as I recall too much kick for me to be comfy. I looked at the Tikka T3 lite, at 6.25 lbs, then I went to the gun store, egad! I never heard of most of these calibers, but the guy there was pretty concerned that I would be up against a dozen of these hogs at a time, so he suggested a .223 or a .276 something (maybe 09) in a Kel Tec auto rifle at 5 lbs. The gun feels good weight wise, but I know that the weight of the gun also determines some of the recoil. What am I getting into here? Which bullet works the best with the least kick? Guess I had better say... I am 140 lb woman, way stronger than average, but...

I also want a caliber (and heavy enough grain) that will work on the hogs and one that is readily available... not some wierd stuff I can't get without going to the gun shop.

Last question, should I get a scope? I get up in the dark to wait for the pigs and usually spot them at first light. I am an excellent shot with a .22 with iron sights, never used a scope.

confused in Texas!
 
the guy there was pretty concerned that I would be up against a dozen of these hogs at a time, so he suggested a .223 or a .276 something (maybe 09) in a Kel Tec auto rifle at 5 lbs.
Click to expand...

No. Even most experienced hunters consider the .223 inadequate for hog. The .243 is on the light side if you run across a biggun and aren't a crack shot. I would say that .30-30 would be about perfect. You can get light recoil loads for it and a good slip on recoil pad would help. It is considered a good all around cartridge and is plenty powerful to take all but the monster hogs out there. Maybe even a strap on shotgun pad for your shoulder.

I would also stick with irons unless you really are concerned with long range.
 
Oh geez... maybe I should buck up and get the Marlin out? Now I realize, it was a 7.62 39 caliber... that he was talking about. Also too small?
 
It's my understanding that the 7.62x39 pretty much has the same ballistics as the .30-30.

We've shot hogs with everything from the .243, .303 British, .270 and .280 Remington. They'll all work if you use a good bullet. I got a nice one with a Rem Core-lokt bullet and another with a Hornady soft point.

An autoloader would be nice, but all the ones we've shot have been with bolt guns. I had some so close, one time, I wish I had had a 12 gauge autoloader loaded with slugs or OO buck, but then the rest of the time, they're too far away for a shotgun.
 
If the 7.62x39 is used with a 5 lb gun, would that give more recoil? The Kel Tec I looked at was that light without the magazine.
 
If you want a low buck solution - get an SKS in 7.62x39, cheap ammo - low recoil and no big investment and it is automatic 10 rounds and generally quite reliable - a friend uses one on Feral hogs and is satisfied with the results. The 30-30 ballistics are very similar, but often the design of the stock and light weight of the gun make recoil a bigger problem - I love my Win 94, but it kicks worse to me than a 30-06 - just my thought.
 
Welcome to the High Road. That is a little confusing post.

Your questions as I see it are:

''What caliber rifle should I use when hog hunting? I would like a light rifle.''

If you are hunting in low light conditions against hogs you will likely want a larger caliber semi automatic rifle. An AR in 6.8 mm is good cartridge in a light rifle. You did not mention price. Figure $700-900. If you want a cheaper option an AK-47 or SKS is a good option. But a bit heavier, lower power and not normally as accuarate although totally reliable. I do not recommend the .223 unless you are hunting from a tree stand or the bed of a truck (if such things are legal in your state). If the hogs are very large an AR-10 in .308 is a good choice.

What kind of optics should I use in low light conditions?

Open sights are likely best for your purpose. Practice at shooting in low light conditions at hog sized targets with critical areas makred is important. If it is quite dark a flashlight mounted ith a mometary switch is not a bad idea.
 
>which has more kick, the 7.62 39 or a low recoil 30-30?

The 30-30, all else equal. The 7.62X39 is usually loaded with 125 grain bullets a little slower than 30-30 (and the more common 30-30 loadings are 150 grain); the advantage of the 7.62X39 is that it uses pointy bullets which don't lose velocity to the air as fast. So you get about the same energy at 100 yards for less recoil and less muzzle blast.

That said, what will be your usual range? Some flat places in TX you might do better with the .243, and the .243 doesn't kick much.
 
Thanks Titan6... a bit clearer for me. I was totally confused when I left the gun shop.

$700-900 is not bad, that is the price range I was looking at.

BTW, in Texas on your land you can kill feral hogs anyway you want, any caliber, anytime, from any position. They are destructive!
 
telomerase,

Where the hogs are is a bit hilly and very brushy. I can get clean shots at about 75-125 yards if I wait... I know their habits.
 
Try an SKS or Saiga in 7.62x39. You can find a variety of ammo to choose from from import to domestic. I'm thinking softpoints may work well. Also, try shooting the 30-30 again; if you're like some of us, you may find that old rifle kick doesn't feel as bad as it did as a kid.
 
Here's a thought. If you're going into the brush, get a good shotgun - either a 20 gauge or a 12 gauge, pump or autoloader. Load with either buckshot or slugs. It'll do the job out to 50 - 75 yards. If you're in the thick stuff, a pump or autoloader loaded with these kinds of rounds will do the job.

If you want to stick with a rifle, give that .30-30 a dance. It might not be as bad as you remember. The lever action is a fast handling gun; the .30-30 will be plenty of gun for a hog; and it's very easy to find - every gas station and pseudo-gun shop will have a couple boxes of Remington, Winchester or Federal on the back shelf.

Have fun!
Quoheleth
 
I hefted a SKS today in the 7.62x39, heavier than the kel tec, but lighter than the Marlin 336 30-30 I inherited. I may go back and look again, AND, I will get the Marlin back out and give it a whirl. You are right about things changing with age. I can lift double the weight at 56 than I could at 26.

OK OK, I will give it a shot... so to speak!!
 
I have a Mossberg 20 guage pump too... didn't think about that! I have some slugs for it.

Thanks!
 
What area of Texas do you live? If you live near Fort Worth or Austin, you can go to Cabelas... they have new/unissued Yugoslavian SKS' for about $150. Definitely worth it.
 
What part of Texas are you in? Myself and couple others would be willing to help with the hogs, shooting or trapping. We are in the DFW area, not sure what part of the state you are in.
Bill
 
Assuming you live in a rural area where hunting is legal any method of killing them is pretty much okay. You do need a HL but there is no bag limit. I know of people who trap, bow hunt or hunt them with just about every type of firearm. Hogs are pretty much considered a pest.
 
The farm is in Hays county west of Kyle. I go back and forth, I live in Austin, I know... an oxymoron for a gun owner and advocate.

Titan, In Texas a landowner does not need a license, but anyone else coming onto my property does. Texas is, indeed, gun friendly. The new laws about carrying in your vehicle, just has to be concealed and the castle law, you do not have a duty to retreat and you cannot be sued in civil court after the fact!
 
A 20ga with slugs would work, but as mentioned, your range will be somewhat limited.
 
I'll check out the Tx rifle assoc, John... Thanks.

Didn't know about Black bear either... is cool... I have a surefire, but I really like the idea of rechargeable.
 
I don't carry a .223 because I usually hunt with .243 or larger because the only times I've "hunted" hogs is when deer hunting. The encounters have been purely accidental. But I'd use .223 for hogs in a heartbeat if that is all I had. It aint the 'injin, it's the arrow. Shoulder shots are to be avoided with the .223 on anything but small pigs. A lot of it depends on how you hunt, but I don't set out to be surrounded by a band of ravenous hogs.

Of course, I wouldn't advise a beginner to start with such a light caliber. Most bullets are poorly constructed, but there are some that are perfectly adequate for medium sized game. The problem is that you don't know when hogzilla is going to step out of the woods and all you have is the ol' poodle-shooter.
 
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