My first feral hog hunt

[ldlfh7]

I will be going on my first feral hog hunt in a couple months. I do not know much about hunting hogs. I figured I would ask for advice from people who have done this before. I have a 308 win, 30-30, 12 ga, and 20ga shotgun and .357 revolver. What would you use and with what ammo? Any other tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[pikid89]

litterally any of those will kill a pig no problem, with the right ammo

What kind of hunting will you be doing?
Tree stand or blind? = .308 with Remington Core lokts or similar...high dollar ammo is a waste on a hog you should be shooting in the head anyway

Stalking? = .30-30, again with corelokts or similar

truck or buggy hunting, 12 ga is probably perfect if stoked with 00 buck and maybe some slugs in reserve

save the .357 for back up or finishing, unless you are supremely confient in your handgun abilities....hogs arent paper targets and good shot placement is important for solid kills...tracking hogs sucks

popped this guy at 250yds with a 110gr .270 Win


got this one with a 10/22


buddy killed this one with a .257 Wtby, overkill imo


buddy killed this one with a .243


if it launches bullets, chances are its killed hogs, so use what you got, take good clean shots, and remember, hogs aint T Rex so you dont need a howitzer to kill em.

 

[bigwheel]

.30-30 lever action (for fast additional shots) is normally considered the top of the heap for brush country hogs 150-170 grain bullets should work fine. Can't go far wrong with Winchester or Federals. More open area or hunting from a tree stand the .308 would be a good choice. I would pack the magnesuium as a backup with either just in case things go South. What is the general game plan on the hunting strategy?

 

[sleepyone]

I killed my one and only hog this past deer season with my 4" S&W 686 Plus using a single DPX 125 grain round to the shoulder from about 21'. A sounder of about 12 hogs ran up on me while I was changing the timer on my feeder around dusk. There was no exit wound, but the entrance hole was large and the hog ran about 50 yards before dropping. It weighed about 100 lbs. Unfortunately, I did not find it until the next morning as I was not going to track a wounded and angry hog with her buddies in the woods at dark.

The 686 Plus is usually my hunting sidearm of choice. Out of the weapons you listed, I would go with the .30-30 in 170 grain or 12 gauge with slugs simply for capacity and faster follow-up shots than a bolt action .308.

 

[ldlfh7]

My strategy -> A friend owns several hundred acres with an abundant pig population. He knows their movements and I will be sitting in a stand, or on a log. He says he will push them towards me. Basically sit and wait. However, the brush is quite thick and I cannot imagine a shot over 75 yards.

 

[pikid89]

if its a drive, id roll with the .30-30 With good sight pictures and a fast lever, there is no reason you cant drop at least 2 or 3 with the 30-30

 

[adelbridge]

Optics may be more important than rifle choice. I am not sure where you are hunting but in Texas the hogs are mainly nocturnal. I have seen hogs at last light a few times but 95% of the hogs I shoot are after dark. I bring two rifles, one with night night vision scope and one with an illuminated reticle scope. If they show up under the feeder with feeder lights they get the illuminated reticle. If they show up away from feeder lights they get the night vision. Instead of night vision you can get a green rifle mounted light if you can shoot them after dark. Green Ultrafire CREE are about $15 to $20 on ebay and work fine. Anything 30-30 /7.62X39 or better should be ok for hogs. I bait and run feeders so I set up for 80-90 yards max at night.

 

[41 Mag]

The 30-30 or 308 which ever you shot the best and/or the fastest. If they are coming once the shooting starts it is fast action. Get on them and do what you can finish them off with the handgun.

Either rifle using 150gr ammo or heavier will drop them. Just remember they aren't quite like shooting a deer. Use the front leg as a guide if they are moving and aim straight in line with it and about 3" up for a heart lung shot. If you aim behind the shoulder you will hit stomach and gut, and have a trailing job to do.

If you have the option of a head shot aim in line with the eye and just below the ear.

Here is a good site with some info if your interested,
Texasboars

Look under the "Tactics and Tips link.

 

[Ms_Dragon]

I'd be reading Flintknapper's thread at the top of the page about killing hogs.

It's over 40 pages of highly entertaining and enlightening reading along with some awesome pictures.
You may not have Flint's fire power but he goes into depth about other aspects of pig hunting, shot placement etc.

He even goes that extra mile to actually show pictures of pigs he's dissected after he's shot them to show bullet penetration, damage done, internal anatomy of the pig to show why that bullet placement is so important.

I think you'll get a great deal out of his thread.
I did.

 

[nathan]

My first hog was taken by a Russian SKS dated 1950 in 1996. I hit it at 7 yds away to the back of the head. What a feeling . Ammo used was those Russian HP . I remember they were like $10 for a brick of 120 rds .

 

[theblakester]

I'd say scoped 30-30 or scoped .308. A round that will expand well or ballistic tips are good for shots head/neck shots. Aim about 1.5 inches behind and 1.5 inches below the ear. If u take a heart/lung shot... Well look at some pictures of a hogs anatomy. the vitals on a pig don't sit the same as they do on a deer. If u take a shoulder/lung shot make sure your ammo is made to penetrate and not fragment.

 

[Scrumbag]

^^^ +1

 

[Geno]

I would say it depends on where you hunt, and how close of shots you anticipate. If you are hunting swamp, a quick-handling .30-30 Win or a 12 gauge is great. If you are in more open area, and shot could be between 100 to 200 yards, I would opt for the .308 Win.

Good luck on your hunt. Let us know what you selected, and how the hunt goes. Pictures are a must.

Geno

 

[Patocazador]

I've only killed about 20 hogs total but none of them were killed with a centerfire rifle. 3 or 4 were with a blackpowder or centerfire revolver. 2 with a blackpowder rifle and the rest with a 12 or 20 ga. shotgun with buckshot. The farthest shot was 80 yards; the closest was 5 feet.

What I'm trying to say is use the gun that you are the quickest and most accurate with regardless of type or caliber.

 

[Eb1]

Behind the ear with a 30-30 Winny Power Points or the Federal Blue Box 150/170 grain. I'd opt for a 150 grain PP, but what ever you are comfortable with in your gun. That is is I were buying ammo.

I'd carry one of my 30-30s with a 125 grain Sierra HPFN moving around 2500 fps. Bang flops all over the place. I'd take the 30-30 for nostalgic reasons. Nothing like a lever gun in the woods killing varmints.

 

[theblakester]

I will tell u right now anyone who claims they consistently kill 100+ lb boars at 80 yards with standard store bought buckshot, is full of you know what. And I'd love to see some pics of the specific gun/ammo combination and the pattern that said person is getting at these ranges. A tight choke, flight control 000 buckshot may do the job on a 30 lb piggy at less than 30 yards, but for any real hog hunting, don't use buck shot. A 12 ga with a scoped rifled barrel and some sabot slugs will work great though.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I will tell u right now anyone who claims they consistently kill 100+ lb boars at 80 yards with standard store bought buckshot, is full of you know what. And I'd love to see some pics of the specific gun/ammo combination and the pattern that said person is getting at these ranges. A tight choke, flight control 000 buckshot may do the job on a 30 lb piggy at less than 30 yards, but for any real hog hunting, don't use buck shot. A 12 ga with a scoped rifled barrel and some sabot slugs will work great though.

I've heard people say that their 12 ga boomstick will kill deer every time with 00 at 100 yards. I've never believed them and don't really care.
I have seen 18" cylinder bore (jug choked) 12 ga put boxes of standard 00 into the scoring rings of a B-27 at fifty yards.. meaning nine holes in the scoring rings with each shot. That's a dead 30 lb piggy, every single time.

 

[Eb1]

My Maverick 88 12 gauges with a modified choke will put plain jane slugs into 3" groups @ 100 yards without a scope or rifled barrel.
That would be a dead pig up to 400 lbs out to 100 yards. No, if, and's, or but's about it.

I still say the 30-30 is the wiser choice unless you are shooting past 175 yards.

 

[nathan]

Okey , its grill time for pork chops.