Hog Rifle
- Thread starter slickone
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RPRNY
Member
That rifle and scope combination with which you are most accurate and comfortable.
I understand that this is not the detailed description you may have been looking for but it is true. People very successfully earhole pigs with .22lr. I have seen a vid of Jim Shockey taking hogs with a .22 air gun. I would not be comfortable with .22 caliber rifles because I am much more comfortable with neck and lung shots which give you a larger effective target area.
What are the conditions that you will hunt hogs under. Walking up bottomland usually means pretty close shots. Baited shots are also pretty close. A 336 30-30 with Skinner sights would do you very well. If you are frequently shooting over 100 yards, a good bolt gun with well penetrating rounds in quarter bore and above "deer cartridges" will do you very nicely. Savage makes a Hog Hunter in .308 that seems to be both well designed and well received. I also think an older Remington 7600 in .270, .280, or .308 would make a great hog gun.
If you can brain shoot them with confidence, .223 seems a perfectly good choice but I am skeptical about 223 performance in neck and lung shots (flaming to commence shortly). I would say 120 gr or more at terminal velocities for your hunting conditions that provide good expansion. Unless, you have some kind of long-range hog hunting conditions, open sights or a low powered "shot gun" scope would do you fine - the Simmons Pro Hunter 1.5x5/32 for example is a great budget scope for such a rifle.
I understand that this is not the detailed description you may have been looking for but it is true. People very successfully earhole pigs with .22lr. I have seen a vid of Jim Shockey taking hogs with a .22 air gun. I would not be comfortable with .22 caliber rifles because I am much more comfortable with neck and lung shots which give you a larger effective target area.
What are the conditions that you will hunt hogs under. Walking up bottomland usually means pretty close shots. Baited shots are also pretty close. A 336 30-30 with Skinner sights would do you very well. If you are frequently shooting over 100 yards, a good bolt gun with well penetrating rounds in quarter bore and above "deer cartridges" will do you very nicely. Savage makes a Hog Hunter in .308 that seems to be both well designed and well received. I also think an older Remington 7600 in .270, .280, or .308 would make a great hog gun.
If you can brain shoot them with confidence, .223 seems a perfectly good choice but I am skeptical about 223 performance in neck and lung shots (flaming to commence shortly). I would say 120 gr or more at terminal velocities for your hunting conditions that provide good expansion. Unless, you have some kind of long-range hog hunting conditions, open sights or a low powered "shot gun" scope would do you fine - the Simmons Pro Hunter 1.5x5/32 for example is a great budget scope for such a rifle.
savage hog hunter 308
marlin 336 35 rem or 30-30
308 marlin express
mossberg 30-30
marlin xl7 243 or 308
mossberg 100 atr 243 or 308
savage stevens 200 in 243 or 308
your options are practically endless.
As far as scopes go, the redfield revolution in 3-9x40 with an accurange reticle would be a good choice.
marlin 336 35 rem or 30-30
308 marlin express
mossberg 30-30
marlin xl7 243 or 308
mossberg 100 atr 243 or 308
savage stevens 200 in 243 or 308
your options are practically endless.
As far as scopes go, the redfield revolution in 3-9x40 with an accurange reticle would be a good choice.
MachIVshooter
Member
Well, I use a Remington 673 Guide gun in .350 Rem Mag topped with an ATN Mk 390 Paladin NVRS. But I only get to go after hogs once a year for 2-3 days, so I want to be sure that I have every edge in case we don't see many. So far, we only ever see them at night, the shot angles aren't always great, and they spook easily.
LeonCarr
Member
I agree with the distinguished gentleman from New York...the Remington 760/7600 pump is a great hog rifle.
A friend of mine has a Remington 760 Carbine with the 18.5 inch barrel in .30-06 with a spotlight mounted to the scope tube for nighttime (Legal in Texas for Hogs) hunting. With a 10 round aftermarket magazine it is devastating on hogs...I call it The Redneck Assault Rifle.
Another guy I have hunted with on several occasions has a Remington 7600 in .35 Whelen, and it stomps hogs...period. 250 grain Remington Core-Lokt Factory Loads are what he shoots, and he has never had one run, ever.
Just my .02,
LeonCarr
A friend of mine has a Remington 760 Carbine with the 18.5 inch barrel in .30-06 with a spotlight mounted to the scope tube for nighttime (Legal in Texas for Hogs) hunting. With a 10 round aftermarket magazine it is devastating on hogs...I call it The Redneck Assault Rifle.
Another guy I have hunted with on several occasions has a Remington 7600 in .35 Whelen, and it stomps hogs...period. 250 grain Remington Core-Lokt Factory Loads are what he shoots, and he has never had one run, ever.
Just my .02,
LeonCarr
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Captcurt
Member
If it works on deer it will work on hogs. Personally, I would not feel undergunned with a 22 Mag.
Texan Scott
Member
ANY 30cal or 7.62 rifle. Lots of others! But you can't go wrong with a 30
An SKS is fine.
An SKS is fine.
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
I like a fast handling .44Mag levergun for hogs with either a receiver sight or low power variable. They are typically shot at short range and in thick brush so long range cartridges and big scopes are completely unnecessary.
lovethosesooners
Member
I have 2 that are really great for a little "texas hoggin"....
Remington 750 30-06 carbine (18" barrel) with a Leupold Hog Scope which includes an illuminated reticle-shoots 1 1/2" groups with cheap 180 grain core-lockt, does NOT jam, great handling rifle.
For day or night hunting, FNAR .308 with a Bushnell Elite 6500 2.5x16 and a wicked light green night light.....awesome combination!
Remington 750 30-06 carbine (18" barrel) with a Leupold Hog Scope which includes an illuminated reticle-shoots 1 1/2" groups with cheap 180 grain core-lockt, does NOT jam, great handling rifle.
For day or night hunting, FNAR .308 with a Bushnell Elite 6500 2.5x16 and a wicked light green night light.....awesome combination!
Abel
Member
The Ruger American with a Redfield Revolution 2-7x33mm.
GregC
Member
I use a Marlin 1895 (45/70) with 400 grainers. Leupold Hog scope. Hit them just about any location at any angle and they will not go far! Using the low end on that scope, you can keep both eyes open for shots up close or in the brush.
adelbridge
Member
Its not hard to kill a hog. Optics are more important than center fire caliber but when picking a caliber choose something that is going to create an entrance and exit wound for best tracking. I have hunted hogs with magnum handguns and 9 times out of 10 you dont get an exit wound and less than half the blood trail because the entrance wound is usually small. Its more fun to get up close and personal with a handgun but if it is your first time go with a rifle cartridge. Back to optics, hogs are mostly nocturnal and in Texas I shot 80% of my hogs in the dark under feeder lights or spot light. Putting a black reticle on a black hog doesnt work. I use a Vortex Crossfire 3-9 with illuminated reticle and it has been enough to take a moonlight only shot at 50 yards.
TexasPatriot.308
Member
I use .17hmr all the time up to a .308. any caliber in between works, unless you got to have a magnum canon.
Wow folks. that is a lot of info. Everyone has their favorite ways. My friend will be taking me out to Hog hunt in a couple of months. I have not hunted anything in my life. I have fired a lot of weapons after over twenty years in the Army but decided in my old age to shoot those nasty hogs. I think that would be the only thing I would hunt.
I really do appreciate all of your answers. The next thing is to sort it out and do it. Hopefully everyone had a great Thanksgiving.
Thanks
I really do appreciate all of your answers. The next thing is to sort it out and do it. Hopefully everyone had a great Thanksgiving.
Thanks
KansasPaul
Member
- Joined
- Jun 14, 2011
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- 194
My idea of a great hog gun is an AR15 chambered in 6.8SPC. 16inch barrel makes it light, plus you can mount just about any kind of optic you want. Effective range is 300yards. Lots of info available on the web regarding this cartridge and it's use to take hogs.
Paul
Paul
CountGlockulla
Member
conrad427
Member
i have a friend who uses a norinco m-1A clone. never seen a man smile so wide.
Inebriated
Member
My favorite rifle for them is an AK. Not many long shots around here.
+1
+1
Kachok
Member
Any quality bolt action between 243 and 30-06 shooting a quality (deep penetrating) bullet should do the trick nicely, I prefer my 6.5x55 and 308. If you shoot the head or neck a 223 works just fine too.
plateshooter
Member
I use my SAR1 with Ultimak rail and red dot, or an AR with a 20" barrel in 762X39 with a 1.5-4 scope. I shoot Wolf 154gr soft point ammo. So far, it has been 2 shots, 2 hogs, both DRT. Will be going for the 3rd one in March.
T.R.
Member
I've had very good luck with my .308 rifle and 2X - 7X scope.
TR
TR
Double Naught Spy
Sus Venator
Lots of answers without asking much about the hunting environment. That can be significant, especially for the optics, and especially for distance and light level.
While anything that will kill a deer can kill a hog may be true, the smaller the caliber (generally speaking), the smaller the sweet spots and the more precision that may be needed. Going with a bigger and more powerful round is the side to err on, going with a larger and more powerful caliber that you can shoot well. Since most folks shoot hogs at less than 300 yards, I think the .45-70 is a very good choice in this regard. Somebody above mentioned 400 grain bullets for it, which are great, but you can get a bit flatter trajectory and fine accuracy with Leverevolution 325 gr rounds. They are not only accurate (MOA accurate out of Marlin 1895s), but are one of the least expensive hunting rounds. I get about 1900 fps out of my Marlin with these.
People talk about the shield of a hog stopping bullets and apparently this can happen, but I have not see it happen with a proper shot inside 100 yards with .223/5.56 to .45-70. In fact, I have had my .45-70 punch through both sides of a 200+ lb. boar's shields and have seen it with .308 (just not my shot).
.45-70 has quite a bit of recoil, but it isn't horrific. I find it much less bothersome than shooting a 12 ga with slugs (another possible choice for hogs, especially shorter range hunting).
I like hunting with my 5.56 AR15 and most commonly go with CNS shots to the head and it works well, but these are usually at stationary hogs inside 100 yards and often inside 50.
Optics? A lot will work, but what sort of ranges and lighting. You can't go wrong with a good optic that has very high light gathering capability. You can go wrong with any optic that is darker. There are some fine broad daylight scopes and red dots that are not good low light optics and there is a good chance hog hunting will be low light or night hunting.
If low light or night, then you will likely want a light for your rifle (assuming legal in your state). You will need to be able to mount it. That may influence what optic, rail, rings, or rifle you get such that you have another place on the rifle to mount the light.
As a final note, since this is a new endeavor, I would stay way from newer of stranger calibers, not that they aren't fine calibers for the job, but for things like military calibers or classic standbys like the .45-70, ammo can be had at relative bargain prices. So if you end up not liking hog hunting and don't plan on hunting much anyway, you have a gun that will be reasonably less expensive to shoot otherwise and ammo will be widely available.
While anything that will kill a deer can kill a hog may be true, the smaller the caliber (generally speaking), the smaller the sweet spots and the more precision that may be needed. Going with a bigger and more powerful round is the side to err on, going with a larger and more powerful caliber that you can shoot well. Since most folks shoot hogs at less than 300 yards, I think the .45-70 is a very good choice in this regard. Somebody above mentioned 400 grain bullets for it, which are great, but you can get a bit flatter trajectory and fine accuracy with Leverevolution 325 gr rounds. They are not only accurate (MOA accurate out of Marlin 1895s), but are one of the least expensive hunting rounds. I get about 1900 fps out of my Marlin with these.
People talk about the shield of a hog stopping bullets and apparently this can happen, but I have not see it happen with a proper shot inside 100 yards with .223/5.56 to .45-70. In fact, I have had my .45-70 punch through both sides of a 200+ lb. boar's shields and have seen it with .308 (just not my shot).
.45-70 has quite a bit of recoil, but it isn't horrific. I find it much less bothersome than shooting a 12 ga with slugs (another possible choice for hogs, especially shorter range hunting).
I like hunting with my 5.56 AR15 and most commonly go with CNS shots to the head and it works well, but these are usually at stationary hogs inside 100 yards and often inside 50.
Optics? A lot will work, but what sort of ranges and lighting. You can't go wrong with a good optic that has very high light gathering capability. You can go wrong with any optic that is darker. There are some fine broad daylight scopes and red dots that are not good low light optics and there is a good chance hog hunting will be low light or night hunting.
If low light or night, then you will likely want a light for your rifle (assuming legal in your state). You will need to be able to mount it. That may influence what optic, rail, rings, or rifle you get such that you have another place on the rifle to mount the light.
As a final note, since this is a new endeavor, I would stay way from newer of stranger calibers, not that they aren't fine calibers for the job, but for things like military calibers or classic standbys like the .45-70, ammo can be had at relative bargain prices. So if you end up not liking hog hunting and don't plan on hunting much anyway, you have a gun that will be reasonably less expensive to shoot otherwise and ammo will be widely available.
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