Hog Rifle... what do you use?
- Thread starter CGRifleman
- Start date
- Status
Clipper
Member
I hope to get some pig hunting in this year, and I'll either use my sporterised 91/30, or my wife's 141 Remington pump in .35 rem. Both are peep-sighted and fast handling in heavy cover.
2 rifles for hog...
1. a youth remington .243 with a leupold 2.5 x 20 ultralight in Burris XTR rings with picatinny top. (light and small for toting around doing other things or running the spotlight)
2. A full-sized savage .30-06 with a bushnell elite 3200 1.5-4.5 x 32 with a warne side-mount for mounting a light. (when I'm doing the shooting & someone else is running the spotlight)
Surefire G2L mounted on both...the light actually just helps if you've got to go into brush to follow up on a wounded one, but does put out enough ambient light for a 50 yard shot.
1. a youth remington .243 with a leupold 2.5 x 20 ultralight in Burris XTR rings with picatinny top. (light and small for toting around doing other things or running the spotlight)
2. A full-sized savage .30-06 with a bushnell elite 3200 1.5-4.5 x 32 with a warne side-mount for mounting a light. (when I'm doing the shooting & someone else is running the spotlight)
Surefire G2L mounted on both...the light actually just helps if you've got to go into brush to follow up on a wounded one, but does put out enough ambient light for a 50 yard shot.
pikid89
Member
check your local laws on that
In Florida, on private land, hogs are livestock so no "game" laws apply, however, on public land, they are game animals, thus, are subject to the rule that states no non expanding, military type bullets can be used
MCgunner
Member
Any rifle that works for deer will work for pigs. They ain't elephants. My only autoloaders are a couple of SKSs and a milsurp Egyption Hakim that weighs about like a BAR and fires 8x57 mauser. Since I really only bought the Hakim for a play gun and collector, I've thought about putting optics on it and using it for pigs, but hey, I've got a lot of rifles that will work for pigs. Right now, I've got a lighted reticule scope with spotlight on a .50 caliber CVA Wolf. 
plateshooter
Member
I use an AK type rifle with Wolf 154gr soft points. One shot stopper with the right bullet placement.
Kachok
Member
You can use any plain old deer rifle for hogs, but since most hog kills happen at closer ranges on avarage you don't need a super flat shooting round. Large hogs here have a thick tough hide and heavier, slower, higher SD bullets tend to be a better choice. A 6.5x55 with a 140gr controled expansion bullet is my 1st choice without a doubt, though a 308/30-06 with 180s would be just as good. Hogs here in Alabama grow to over 700lbs, with the record being over 1,100 lbs.
MCgunner
Member
My .308 with 140 Barnes has taken more than just a few hogs. It can penetrate without a high SD, ya know. Just gotta buy the right bullet. Rules for lead don't apply to copper.
Most of the hogs i've taken have been with a .38 special. I shot 'em in the head at 10 feet in the trap. I've done it with a .22, a 9x19, ,357 Magnum, a .45Colt, a .45ACP. Yet to do it with the 9x18 mak, but I'm sure it'll work for that. Hunting does not involve 10 ft shots, though.
Most of the hogs i've taken have been with a .38 special. I shot 'em in the head at 10 feet in the trap.
I've done it with a .22, a 9x19, ,357 Magnum, a .45Colt, a .45ACP. Yet to do it with the 9x18 mak, but I'm sure it'll work for that. Hunting does not involve 10 ft shots, though. 
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2003
- Messages
- 13,329
Harley,
I am ALWAYS practicing for another African hunt.
The only way to stay sharp with a heavy double rifle is to use it often, preferably on game.But to answer your question you'd probably be surprised to hear that hog ran almost 100 yards after taking a 500 gr Woodleigh through the top of the heart. Of course the blood trail wasn't hard to follow but as is the case with all animals they don't always just fall over simply because you put a big hole in their hearts.
Anybody who claims nothing but one shot stoppers/bang flops is either B.Sing or unwittingly commenting on their inexperience.
Kachok
Member
No doubt the copper penatrates better then most lead bullets, though bonded, tapperd jacked bullets like the Accubond always drive very deep as well. If you happen to find yourself looking down the barrel at a true monster hog and all you brought was your regular deer bullets, just shoot them in the neck at the base of their head, this is a larger target then you would think and is not hard to hit. It puts them down like hitting a switch. The world record feral hog was "bang flopped" by a little 7mm-08 placed right behind his ear.
I use an AK74. I used to hunt with a bow but got treed one afternoon. I had to wait until that thing died to get down. He looked like pinhead from Hellraiser with the arrows sticking out of his head. But I believe he was meaner than the hellraiser guy. So now I want 29 to back up #1 shot.
MCgunner
Member
Up close, I haven't done it, but know those that have, my Rossi 92 in .357 magnum is fine medicine. It pushes a 165 grain gas checked SWC to 1900 fps. It's pretty much a .35 Remington light, couple hundred feet per second off the bigger gun, not enough to concern me. I've taken a few with the .357, same bullet, from a 6.5" Blackhawk, one out about 60 yards. From that gun, that load is pushing 1470 fps at the muzzle.
It don't take no cannon to kill a hog, just penetration to the vitals and preferably beyond and a good hit.
It don't take no cannon to kill a hog, just penetration to the vitals and preferably beyond and a good hit.
Remington 760 Carbine in 30-06, 165gr Sierra Game King bullet. 1-6x Burris scope.
Any real deer rifle will do fine. I've taken hogs with a 308, 30-06, 358 Win, heavy 45-70 handloads (more than was strictly necessary, but what the heck). I shot one once with a 350 grain softpoint from a 458 Win Mag, but that was definitely more than was strictly necessary. Anything from a 260 Rem on up will be fine.
kmrcstintn
Member
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2006
- Messages
- 1,236
my pick will be considered overkill...
.300 weatherby mag w/ 180gr spire point weatherby ammunition; I am using a 'southern hog jamboree' hunt as a 'stepping stone' toward a wild boar hunt in a few years using the same rifle
.300 weatherby mag w/ 180gr spire point weatherby ammunition; I am using a 'southern hog jamboree' hunt as a 'stepping stone' toward a wild boar hunt in a few years using the same rifle
Harley Quinn
Member
What H&Hhunter mentions:
Hog running with hole in heart with a 500 grainer, leads me to believe, you are dealing with some tough dudes H&H, nice situation you have going with that pup, bet he helps a lot... Good picture and thanks for answer
Hog running with hole in heart with a 500 grainer, leads me to believe, you are dealing with some tough dudes
H&H, nice situation you have going with that pup, bet he helps a lot... Good picture and thanks for answerSheepdog1968
Member
I've got only two hunting rifles: leveraction in 30-30 and a bolt action in 30-06. I've taken both out for hogs.
soloban
Member
Haven't been yet but I would likely use my scoped K31 or M1 Garand. 30 caliber 168 grain bullet at 2400+ FPS should yield copious amounts of Bacon.
Kachok
Member
Pretty much the same rules as deer rifles. As much caliber/weight and speed as you can comfortably handle is best, no less then a .243win with a 260 being the recomended minimum if you hunt in really big hog turf(600lbs+). They killed a 680lbs hog just a few miles from my house last year (3 shots from a 30-06 ) so I load my 6.5x55 with 140gr just in case, those will blast through any hog.
) so I load my 6.5x55 with 140gr just in case, those will blast through any hog.
DeepSouth
Random Guy
I use a 450 Marlin because I hate hogs and want them really, really dead. And I needed an excuse to buy the gun. I have killed two with one shot and fully penetrated both before, shot one in the head and it blew his eyeballs out. Like the man said "Overkill is underated." I love that gun, it's like Dirty Harry with a rifle.
MachIVshooter
Member
I haven't been around for awhile, but thought I'd weigh in on this one.
Just got back from Turkey, TX. Didn't get any Turkeys, but my AR-10 Carbine with handloaded 150 gr. Ballistic Tips proved to be excellent hog medicine. We spotted them with night vision, but I was using a mounted Surefire with pressure switch in conjunction with Nikon Pro-Staff 3-9x to actually target the animal. They don't hang around long once the light hits them, though, so you've gotta be quick on the trigger. I squeeze as soon as there's a pig in the crosshairs.
My sister did take one with a .22-250 using varmint bullets, but I had to drill it after she crippled it. It wasn't her rifle, the night scope was marginal, and it failed to pick up the next round. Little as she was (~65 lbs), she was doing her best to get away after having the back side of her back legs ripped apart by the 50 gr. HP. The .308 to the back of her head stopped the escape instantly, though.
We were shooting at 40-50 yards.
Just got back from Turkey, TX. Didn't get any Turkeys, but my AR-10 Carbine with handloaded 150 gr. Ballistic Tips proved to be excellent hog medicine. We spotted them with night vision, but I was using a mounted Surefire with pressure switch in conjunction with Nikon Pro-Staff 3-9x to actually target the animal. They don't hang around long once the light hits them, though, so you've gotta be quick on the trigger. I squeeze as soon as there's a pig in the crosshairs.
My sister did take one with a .22-250 using varmint bullets, but I had to drill it after she crippled it. It wasn't her rifle, the night scope was marginal, and it failed to pick up the next round. Little as she was (~65 lbs), she was doing her best to get away after having the back side of her back legs ripped apart by the 50 gr. HP. The .308 to the back of her head stopped the escape instantly, though.
We were shooting at 40-50 yards.
Last edited:
- Status
