What’s the minimum caliber you use for hogs?

[Gator1067]

I was at a local gun shop when a young man walks in and says I want to start hunting hogs what caliber do you suggest. The guy behind the counter says I’ve heard the 300 win mag is good for them. The other guys around me start telling him that he has to have a 270 or 30-06 with a 180gr minimum. Now I’ve taken 1000’s of hogs with smaller calibers .22lr 22 mag 22-250 .243 and most recently .17 WSM all lighter grain rounds with great success. Use AR’s at work and just never got into them so never used .223 but know a lot who have with no issues. What are your thoughts. No wrong opinions. Just curious what the answers would be in the same situation for a new young hunter.

 

[Gator1067]

Two hogs taken recently. One with .22 mag game point .40gr and one with .17 WSM Hornady 20gr. Both at 50 yards.

 

[SAWMAN]

Head/neck ONLY . . 204Ruger,223/5.56 using fast and light bullets.
Anything else,a happy medium is a 300BLK,7.62X39,30-30Win,or the one I use . . 6.8SPCII,10.5" or 18". Also a Ruger Mini 14 chambered in 6.8SPC.
I have also built a longer range hog gun. 28" bbl . . 22-250Rem using Barnes 53gr TSX @ >3800fps. --- SAWMAN

 

[fl57caveman]

guess it depends on several unknown factors.



price range, hunting distance and time/place of hunt, how strong the shoulder is, but a 30-06 with 165gr Hornaday would never be a poor choice

ymmv

sounds upselling to me.....300 winmag?

 

[Gator1067]

I loved my rem 700 bull barrrl 22-250 but after shooting them out of the truck window for years then going to having to carry it around just got too heavy. I agree shot placement is critical with the lighter rounds.

 

[SAWMAN]

What kills the 22-250 is it's bbl twist rate. The older guns were 14,mine is 12.
If I were building one my bbl would be 28 inches with a 1:9.5 or 1:10. That would allow you to shoot >62gr bullets.
It would be everything that the 224Valkyrie wished it was. --- SAWMAN

 

[Gator1067]

My usual go to for hogs is the .243 w/ federal fusions either in shoulder or neck. Havnt lost one or had them go more than 15 yards from 50 to 300lbs.

 

[Gator1067]

I agree. After 55gr I might as well have been shooting a 12 ga at 100yd.

 

[FrankT]

AR 15 in 6.8 is ideal, if you want heaver go AR10 in 308

 

[Gator1067]

My expertise when it comes to rifles is buying a rifle buying 5 different boxes of ammo finding which one it likes and playing with the action screws to tighten up that round. The wealth of knowledge you all have after reading the Various post is very very informative.

 

[Rebel_Rider1969]

Just like cars, there's no replacement for displacement. That way if ya make a bad shot it won't matter.

 

[Rebel_Rider1969]

What kills the 22-250 is it's bbl twist rate. The older guns were 14,mine is 12.
If I were building one my bbl would be 28 inches with a 1:9.5 or 1:10. That would allow you to shoot >62gr bullets.
It would be everything that the 224Valkyrie wished it was. --- SAWMAN

I heard that, We shall see!

 

[Gator1067]

I will definitely research the 6.8. Now is that for an AR platform round only or do they make it in a bolt gun. Like I said no offense but I’ve never been a fan of AR. I’m a rarity I know. Qualify with them at work but outside of that just shoot my friends when they make me. Lol

 

[Dave308]

Iv only killed a few hogs with 308 and 50 muzzle loader. I have brought along the 357 lever gun and AR in hopes of getting one with that as well. I certainly wouldn't tell someone they need a magnum to kill a hog. Those gun shop employees should just stick to just selling guns.

 

[SAWMAN]

Bruce just sold a Remington 6.8 bolt gun on this forum.
Can't think of any more. I have one also in a Ruger Mini-14. Shoots great. Probably the most accurate Mini chambering ever produced. --- SAWMAN

 

[MauserLarry]

277 Wolverine shooting a Hornady V-Max bullet @110 grains in an AR platform, really light
Previously lugged around an H&K 91 in 308, great gun but heavy
used a M1 carbine way on back, nice and light but not very impressive stopping power
I use no bolt guns in case I miss, or worse, wounding a hog that may try to run down my fat ass

 

[Gator1067]

Lol. I use bolt guns to make sure I don’t miss but I’m shooting one or two at a time for the table and bolt guns is what I trained with for years. Now if I was protecting crops like a lot I see on here or managing a property I for sure would have to learn to love a semi auto. Every one has their favorite weapons of choice and as long as your shooting there is no wrong answer in my eyes. Lol

 

[Nat Hat]

I would think that it mostly depends on the range that you would be shooting at them. I'd say a 270 would be good enough in all the lower contiguous states in the US that hogs reside.

 

[wildrider666]

Seems to me the gun shop clerk "I heard..." is useless and the peanut gallery overkill recommendations are about the same. 458 Lott and 404 Jeffery will also work. I have no problem with an uninformed young man asking a general question. I do have issues with "assumed knowledgeably" person(s) tossing out a SWAG and not clarifying the question/issue then providing expertise "IF" they actually have it. I don't even care what shop it was, I think it's all too common to get bum scoop from the "help" and casual passersbys.

 

[OldMan]

fuk a gun...
pack of dogs,at least one a good GamePitBull, and a Knife with a foot long blade....