Which semi auto is best combo for plinking/hogs

[whatever]

I want to get ONE rifle that is the best combination of plinker 9(i.e. cheap ammo and mild recoil) and hog hunter (all shots on hogs would be 100 yards max).

The gun must be a semi auto.

What would be your pick and why?

 

[trex1310]

Ruger 99/44 Deerfield. Guaranteed, absolute hog killer! How do I know?
By the dozens of hogs my 99/44 has dispatched (usually 1 shot).

 

[HDCamel]

M1 carbine maybe?
.30 carbine isn't TOO expensive, but it ain't cheap.

They're handy little rifles and I think they're lighter than a Mini-14...

 

[68wj]

SKS. Cheap, effective ammo and accurate enough for those distances.

 

[TexasPatriot.308]

Springfield Armory M1A or Armalite AR10A2, I love my iron sight .308s for hogs at any range.

 

[Ranger30-06]

SKS or Saiga in 7.62x39. That's about the best you'll get with that combination of criteria. Besides that +1 on the Ruger 99/44 Deerfield.

 

[kfgk14]

AR-15, but that's personal preference/familiarity with the platform more than anything else. The ammo is pretty cheap nowadays, and the options are endless. accurate, reliable if bought from a reputable manufacturer and lubricated, etc.

 

[MrWesson]

9mm/.40/.45 carbine

Id go with .40 for hogs but they all would work well.

 

[Girodin]

Sounds like two purposes a good AK could fill. I'm partial to converted Saigas. As a bonus, prices on them have come down as low as they've been in years.

 

[Al Thompson]

Norinko SKS. Still see them for 250 bucks or so around here..

 

[nathan]

AR
AK
Mini 14

 

[Art Eatman]

Another vote for the SKS. When hogs are part of the deal, the heavier bullet is, IMO, better than the .223s...

 

[Mikey Idaho]

Ruger Mini in either .223 or 7.62 depending on your ammo preference. Crazy reliable, cheap to shoot, always fun

 

[Gunnerboy]

My vote is an SKS

 

[mortablunt]

SKS, AR-15, AK, Mini-14.

 

[kenjs1]

Well you can't get cheaper ammo than 7.62x39 nor a cheaper semi auto than an SKS so.... Was going to add that there is not a more reliable $300 semi auto made than the SKS - but might change that to any semi auto period! Tons of mods, ability to load 10 w/o an extended clip- and uses stripper clips for fast loading and can handle rampant abuse. Not as hard on my ears as the 223's either.
I would love an AR, or even a Remington Woodsmaster or BAR but....really, except for perhaps long distance shots they offer nothing over the practicality of an sks. Most of my hog shooting is within 50 yards or so.

 

[sixgunner455]

Depends on what you like, really. I prefer the AR to the SKS by several orders of magnitude, but that may have something to do with the years I spent carting one about in uniform.

I think you can still get an AK for less than an AR, but I built my AR for not much more than AKs cost. An AR tends to weigh less, if that is a consideration for you. The cheapest (currently) ammo for plinking would be 5.45x39. Don't know if you want to shoot hogs with that or not. All things considered, if I were going to be close-range hog hunting with a semiauto, the AK in 7.62x39 would be a front runner, neck-and-neck with the AR, probably. You can get an AR in a 7.62x39 upper, and that would be an interesting rifle, for sure, but it's a less common variant, and less common usually means more expensive.

I got rid of my SKS. I was never shooting it, because it wasn't accurate enough to be interesting to me.

 

[EmbarkChief]

AK or SKS
AR-15

Cheap plinking and enough juice for hogs. Really the M1A is king for the hogs but the cost of plinking is pretty steep.

 

[againstthagrane]

ar-15 with a .22 upper for plinking and a .50/.450/.458/6.8/300aac upper. there really is not other choice in my opinion if you only want one gun.

 

[GCBurner]

An SKS, AR-15, or Ruger Mini-30 in 7.62x39mm. Equivalent to a .30-30 Winchester in a lightweight semi-auto carbine.

 

[chevyman097]

I use my AK and always a side arm. Usually my .40

 

[451 Detonics]

My AR in 300 Whisper has been very effective on hogs...the 220 SMK really slaps them down. I would imagine the .458 Socom would be a great hog harvester as well.

 

[Sky]

I started out using the AR and night scope; better hunting and not so hot at night. Then being lazy and not wanting to remove a night scope one day plus not wanting to get an AR trashed out in the brambles and muck I used the SKS. Have only used the SKS on two pigs but a soft nose 124 or 154gr is a destructive round and I have no doubt in the SKS or the 7.62x39s I use.

Have only used the AK once but did not see any pigs for popping and did not really push myself. All of these weapons will take out a piggy and if the first round did not do the job they are ready for more at the touch of a trigger. Next daytime hunt I will be using an AR in 7.62x39 with an Eotech if the area and ranges are right for the ammo and weapon. Everyone of these weapons will stop a pig no problem.

I will be honest if all I had was a .22 then I would use it and may do so before the year is out; just depends on who is shooting with me and the ranges the shots are to be taken/anticipated.

 

[Ignition Override]

Somebody published a very clear, up close photo of the grisly wound channel in a large Texas feral hog. The single, fatal jhp shot was from an SKS.

This was about two-three years ago and don't know which gun website had it, either 'THR', 'Thefiringline', 'Gunandgame' or maybe 'SKSboards'.

 

[d2wing]

Pretty hard to beat any suggestions, AK cheaper and more penetration, you might not the the accuracy of an AR at those ranges. The AK is front heavy which some guys like. The AR points better and is lighter. In addition to the Ruger, you might look at a BAR, new FN made would include Winchester and FN models or older BAR. They are heavier and more expensive unless you find a good deal used or close out. A dealer I know has new Winchester tactical version in .308 for $900. I'd buy it but it is heavy. Another accurate nice handling semi auto is a Remington 7400 or newer version. The older 742 are cheap but prone to well documented jamming issues. For under 100 yards, I'd consider a 30-30 lever myself.