feral hogs

[tew45]

Does anyone hunt feral hogs with a .223? If you do what success do you have with that caliber? I want to use a .219 Zipper and think it might work well with correct shot placement.

[Outpost75]

Years ago I shot feral hogs with an M16 and M193 Ball ammunition and it did OK with good shot placement, but an M60 machinegun was much better.

[super6]

Years ago I shot feral hogs with an M16 and M193 Ball ammunition and it did OK with good shot placement, but an M60 machinegun was much better.

LOL.I pop em with a 30-30.

[HWooldridge]

.223 kills them dead as hell but they will likely run off a ways. I've shot 3 hogs in the past 5 years that we lost until the buzzards found them for us. 30-30 is better - 45-70 drops them like a hammer.

[Rattlesnake Charlie]

My nephew kills them regularly with .223. Likes the tough bullets like Hog Hammr.

[Larry Gibson]

Years ago I shot feral hogs with an M16 and M193 Ball ammunition and it did OK with good shot placement, but an M60 machinegun was much better.

7.62 NATO......better than American Express, accepted worldwide, never leave home without it......

[white eagle]

7.62 NATO......better than American Express, accepted worldwide, never leave home without it......

couldn't have said it better :Fire:

[fastdadio]

7.62 NATO......better than American Express, accepted worldwide, never leave home without it......

And here's my wall hanger that proves Larry's advice is to be well taken. Springfield M1a. 308, 50yds, bout 330lbs, hit him just below and behind the ear. He never heard it coming, and just laid down with out a fuss.
298185
Thats a .58 hawken hangin there for scale. He was a big boy.

[Wilderness]

I shot a few with .218 Bee a long time ago, but the only place to hit them was midway up the neck, right behind the head. Even that could need topping up.

My Dad had a .222 when they first came out - same story with the Remington 50 gn factory ammo of the day. Better .22 bullets are now available, heavier and stronger, and a lot of pigs have been shot with .222 and .223, but runaway pigs are the rule unless it's a head shot or a good neck shot.

I'm with Larry - .308 is tops, but .30-30 is pretty good too.

PS The best THS I've ever seen was done with a .222. Three of us were cutting up meat for a dog baiting campaign - the local Authority organised the poison and coordinated the participants so the whole district was done on the same day. Where we were cutting up was about 50 metres from a molasses feed trough that I intended to watch for pigs later that evening. Anyway, the pigs arrived early. I got to my .30-30 and shot the sow. As the suckers ran off, one of the others nailed one with his .222 - not a mark on the sucker. Size (pig size that is) matters.

[Rapier]

I have killed hogs on the ground, while they were running, with a Mini-14 in 223. Killed them dead, 53g Sierra JHP went right through both sides, just behind the shoulder. I grabbed the Mini because I just finished an accuracy build on it, because I could, went from a 4” to a 3/10” rifle.I have shot a couple with a 16” AR and 55g Hornadys. All those 223 hogs were under 100 yards.

The 223 works, but do not bet the farm on it if you have bigger bullets and a better cartridge available. I also have 6.8 SPC AR guns and the 90 SST makes more sense than the 53-55 223 for hogs.

[SeabeeMan]

7.62 NATO......better than American Express, accepted worldwide, never leave home without it......

*Grins in M240B*

[Texas by God]

Like with any other cartridge, bullet placement is key. I've killed a few deer and hogs with the .223 with no problems. I will shoot hogs with whatever I have with me at the time if in range. The last one was with a 22-250- he ran about 50 yards after the lung shot and fell.

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[txbirdman]

I’ve shot a couple of hogs with a .223. One was small but the other weighed about 200 lbs. Neither were 1 shot kills. I have a friend that has a lot of hogs on his farm. He likes to use his AR and shoot them through the ear for a quick kill.

[versa-06]

223, Good Round for all intended purposes. But due to bullet weight it doesn't penetrate well into bone & heavy tough body mass. Sure a good lung shot will work & work well, but on the not so perfect shots there will be less penetration & far less blood trail because the bullet didn't exit. I've killed several at close range with a 30-30 & it worked well. But all around use especially at longer ranges Larry chose the medicine 7.62 NATO (308).

[725]

I've shot a few hogs, and a .223 will do the job well with the right bullet used. Weight and expansion are key. Use a heavier bullet and push it fast for me. Anything will work, but when you're on the ground and Mr Wiggley objects to the exercise, using enough bullet is a good thing. I've taken them with a ML pistol and had 'em drop right there, but I had a 10mm in reserve for the just in case event. Good luck.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

ANY FIREARM, BOW, SPEAR works with CORRECT SHOT PLACEMENT. Something that works when shot placement is NOT correct should be considered. How big a hog do you expect, Killing a hundred pound critter is a lot different than a 500 pound critter. If you must use a 223, I would want one of the Barnes or other 'solid copper' bullets or the Nosler 60 grain Partition. Shot placement can exceed power but more power seldom causes problems when killing critters.

[Reverend Recoil]

I prefer the US Rifle Cal. 30 M1. If it was good for killing fascists and communist it is good for killing hogs.

[LIMPINGJ]

As others have said placement is everything. In the 22 calibers I’ve used M193 Ball, Remington factory load in 222 Mag and 22LR. All one shot kills and dead on the spot.

[gunseller]

I like the idea of using a pig on a pig. You can mow the grass with a 60.
Steve

[SoonerEd]

As many have said placement will be key with a head shot if you don't want them to run off and die. If your taking chest or shoulder shots you'll need something else for DRT. I occasionally use a 220 Swift with a 60 gr Partition at 3,650 fps. Even at that speed and a superior bullet, I still head shoot them. Don't shoot them looking at you in the forehead unless they are small hogs as the bullet might glance. Typically i use a deer rifle. Where I typically hunt i can get shots further than I can take a clean shot.

When I hunt in the swaps, most shots are 20-50 yards. When hunting there i use a 45-70 marlin guide gun with a ghost ring and a 405 FN boolit at 1,300 fps.

What I've found with hogs is small holes fill with tissue easily and they dont leave good blood trails or bleed out quickly. So go for big holes or keep your bullet velocity up to introduce shock. I've killed them with 22 mags shot behind the ear. But that is not my preference as the shot must be well placed and kept at about 75 yards or less. I only do this when I'm "squirrel" hunting on federal land and that's the largest cartridge that is legal.

[gunseller]

Trw45 if you do come up with a load for 219 zipper I would be interested in bullet and powder. If you wanted to give me the charge I would work with it. I have a 1959 produced Marlin and I have never got it to shoot as well with handloads as it does with remington factories ammo.
Steve

[Texas by God]

Coming home last night, a large hog strolled across the gas well road in front of my truck. By the time I backed up and dug out my rifle, it was gone. My rifle was a Nylon 66 and I have no doubt that it would have worked - it always has at close range.

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[missionary5155]

Last night I watched a Texas hog hunt program "Where to shoot a Hog". They ended the night with about 180 hogs. Thermal scopes and semi-auto 308's. I do think they were a company as they had very good "tools" and commo.

[missionary5155]

Was also stated Texas has an abundance hogs....

[veeman]

Lat spring I went to Texas for a hog hunt and didn't see but 1 dead one. Rather disappointed. Good thing it was free.

[Murphy]

Oklahoma has it's fair share of feral hogs. Some kill them and use the meat, some won't touch one with a 10 foot pole. Either way, shooting a hog is shooting a hog, domestic or feral. One thing I have witnessed first hand, hogs can do massive destruction to land and crops in short order if they go unchecked. One local farmer lost 200 acres of corn in a weeks time to a herd of them. Destructive, or dangerous animals gone unchecked I have no problem shooting on site.

As for caliber choices, it's the shooters choice. I've killed them with .22 LR's behind ear from 35-50 yards (a quick death). And, I've seen them killed with plain 5.56 ball ammunition. Exotic calibers aren't needed for all intent and purpose when it comes to dropping feral hogs. Just do your best to ensure a clean kill quickly as possible. And, if you have the latest and greatest cartridge and are looking to find out just how good it is? I can't think of a better way to find out than to try it on a feral hog. Happy hunting and good luck.

Murphy

[missionary5155]

I would be very happy to pop one at 30 yards with our 450 Bushmaster.

[warren5421]

I think a Russian bore may be harder to kill than a feral domestic hog. I know there are some Russian that have gotten out of hunting preserves and mixed. I have not hunted feral but raised on farming I have see hogs take a lot of lead before they died. Seen a 500-600 pound bore get out that became POed and put a young man on a cane the rest of his life. He had 7-8 .30-06 bullets in and through him before he dropped.

[Cast10]

My ranch is in Texas and they’re like rats!

I shoot them with 6.8 ARP in a AR-15 platform. Deadly.

Recently I’ve been shooting them with my cast boolits; Lee 170-TC in a 10mm carbine. Shot two boars and a coyote this past weekend. One out to 120 yards, DRT.

I’ve also gotten in to Muzzleloading and shot a good size boar with a 50cal Hornady pill.

Some boys on the place use 223/55.6 until they learned their lessons. Lots of tracking with little return. Some of the higher caliber cartridges just ‘bore’ a hole right through them and they run and run if you don’t bit CNS. The 6.8 is a super killer on hogs. My largest with it was 353lbs. I’d personally stay away from 223 caliber unless they are within 30 yards and all head shots can be made.

[Giggles]

*Grins in M240B*

as long as someone else cleans it

[GregLaROCHE]

When the Mini 14 came out in .223, they became very popular with Alaskan natives around where I lived. They preferred them to 30.30s they where mostly using before. A lot of moose fell to .223 rounds, all thirty that were in the magazine.

[William Yanda]

7.62 NATO......better than American Express, accepted worldwide, never leave home without it......

I like the way you think.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

Murph, lets say you kill a half dozen or so. if you do not want the meat, how do you deal with them?

[Texas by God]

Cosmic Charlie, on our deer lease and on our farm, we drag them to the dead animal boneyard and let the buzzards and the rest of nature's clean up crew have at them.
To naysayers- they are destructive varmints- not GAME animals. I have eaten a few but anymore I don't bother with it.
I'm not speaking for Murph, but I feel he's simpatico with my view.

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[Milsurp Junkie]

Texas by god, let me know if you need any help! i will respect any and all rules you set forth. I prefer stalking and ambushing them, 30-30 is my preferred weapon for that, although I have a 358 win that I want to try it with. It is a single shot, but i can pop off several rounds quick if i have them in my trigger hand. I learned that when dove hunting with a single shot 20 gauge growing up! As far as pigs, anyone that fits in a 5 gallon bucket is eating size. Bigger than that, I would need to be pretty hungry!

[HWooldridge]

The carcasses don’t last long here - the buzzards and caracara eagles are large, and the coyotes are numerous. I have seen large hogs disappear within a week or two, depending on the weather.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

That makes sense if you have the space. Got no issues with killing them and feeding the vultures. Be a good way to see if your ready to go handgun hunting.

[Smoke4320]

dead hogs make great coyote bait :)

[missionary5155]

And dead yotes are good crow bait.

[Smoke4320]

and crows make good lead traps..

[Murphy]

Murph, lets say you kill a half dozen or so. if you do not want the meat, how do you deal with them?

Leave em' right where they die if the land owner has no objection to it. Buzzards gotta eat to.

Murphy

[lar45]

The hogs I hunt in Southern Arkansas must have a different diet than the Texas hogs.
The ones here are very tasty.
One of the guys in camp knifed a 300+ boar and had the whole thing ground into breakfast sausage. We had some at camp, it was pretty good.

[KMac]

My nephew has killed quite a few hogs with his AR in 5.56. The last week of deer season him and his buddy were driving down to the stand and came upon a sounder of pigs.They jumped out of the truck and my nephew took a shot at a running pig with his AR and missed. They had a huge boar turn and run at them. His buddy has an AR10 in 308. Running right at him it took 3 shots with the AR10 to put it down. Dropped 10 feet away from them. .223 5.56 is enough until it isn’t.


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[HWooldridge]

The hogs I hunt in Southern Arkansas must have a different diet than the Texas hogs.
The ones here are very tasty.
One of the guys in camp knifed a 300+ boar and had the whole thing ground into breakfast sausage. We had some at camp, it was pretty good.

I believe it depends on their diet. I've killed some here in Texas that are good eating but others were nasty. If you are around San Antonio or points south and east in the farmland areas, there is a good chance they will be fine. Go out west and the story may be different.

[Texas by God]

The red ones taste better.

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[versa-06]

Many years ago when I lived in central Fl. We killed several pigs that would come out of the swamps right before sunset & work the pastures. I'm quite sure they had a mixed diet too but don't recall a single one that was bad except an old boar a fellow shot, & it had been fighting & he was full of infection. I always went for the 100-150 Lb pigs. Never got a bad one.

[popper]

3 shots with the AR10 to put it down Uh, learn to shoot? Even in an emergency.

[6thtexas]

The little ones here aren't bad to eat. Most of the big ones you can smell 30 yds before you get to the carcass

[versa-06]

I know wild pigs or hogs are & can be destructive, But I would like some in my neck of the woods so the neighbors would need me to remove a few!!

[Milsurp Junkie]

you really dont.

[versa-06]

We had a very few around here, & the hillbilly nature of man here depleted them quickly. Some people complained but wouldn't let anyone on their land but relatives. Never have seen any on my farm or the neighbors farms that I hunt. Most were spotted down by the Powell River & I live on the mountain.

[yeahbub]

I prefer the US Rifle Cal. 30 M1. If it was good for killing fascists and communist it is good for killing hogs.

Sure is. No offense intended to the hogs.

[wmitty]

I live in a neighborhood on the edge of town; last week the hogs wandered into a neighbor’s yard around the corner and tore the yard up quite handily. The elderly couple really didn’t need the damage, for sure. I was puzzled that the local dog’s didn’t have a barking fit but their contract may state that they are off duty after 2:00 am.

[Beaverhunter2]

I like the idea of using a pig on a pig. You can mow the grass with a 60.
Steve

+1!

[Wolfdog91]

Hogs seriously arnt that hard to kill,don't need a cannon just get something that put the bullet where you want it every time and go for CNS shots. Shooting them like deer is asking for problems IMO

[Wolfdog91]

Hogs seriously arnt that hard to kill,don't need a cannon just get something that put the bullet where you want it every time and go for CNS shots. Shooting them like deer is asking for problems IMO

[HiVelocity]

(In 223/5.56) Try the 62gr full metal jacket; ear shot, or even near the ear will drop em' DRT.

HV