AR-15 let me down!!

Yesterday I went into the woods to set up my motion camera. Typically when I'm in the woods, but not hunting, I carry my AR15 rifle (5.56/.223) because its easy to carry and holds 30 rounds. So as I'm kneeling down configuring my camera, in relatively open area next to a swampy creek bed, I hear movement in the woods and look up to see a large herd of wild hogs making their way towards me! I quietly switched off the safety on my rifle and took position behind the tree. Looking back I should have waited for more of the herd to come into the open but I was afraid that at any moment they would realize that I was there and run; so when the first of the bigger ones presented itself for a nice shot I took it.

The hog I shot was only 40-50 FEET away and I saw it drop; so I took aim off of him and looked for a secondary target. As I moved my attention away from the hog I shot it got up and made a mad dash for cover along with the rest of the herd. To my dismay I could not find any blood trail to follow. So thinking that I had managed to miss my mark I got in my truck and left very disappointed. From there I went to my dads house and set up a target to see if my rifle is shooting true. Sure enough my rifle is shooting right on (iron sights). Not trying to brag but I do shoot a lot and am quite proficient will all of my weapons.

So that bring me to the conclusion that it is very unlikely that I missed, so the .223 must not have done its job. My gun is loaded with Hornady 55grain V-Max...so at only 40 or 50 feet away it must have zipped right through without expanding (why no blood?) or it penetrated but did not exit. I've killed one hog before with the AR-15 but it took three shots with FMJ ammo. Recently I use the VMax stuff because I never know what I'll encounter and I want to inflict as much damage as possible. Yesterday I ALMOST took out the Mosin Nagant instead...if only.

So what yall say. Did my bullet: Miss? Clean pass? Fail to exit?

If he was running at you and the bullet hit his skull I could see the vmax fragmenting and not reallly do damage

Vmax is a varmint bullet made to expand rapidly in a small thin skinned animal not a hog. 223 will work if you are shooting behind the ear to sever the spinal cord, even then you should look at using a heavier bullet made for hunting larger animals than varmints. There are several 62 grains offerings and heavier that are not varmint or FMJ rounds.

Sounds like bullet failure if it knocked him down and not a miss. Personally I'd be hunting with at least a quality cup and core like a Fusion or Corelokt if hogs were on the menu. Lack of blood trail is surprising as I would have expected a failure from a Vmax to be a surface detonation not a pass thru

Your Ar did NOT let you down. Your choice of bullet did.

The AR did it's job just fine....you were in the right place with the wrong ammo.
VMax will take down pigs with a well placed head or neck shot but anywhere else and they usually walk.
You simply did not have the luxury of time to set up your shot but hell, they are pigs, I woulda been right in there with you!

Use .223 55gr fmj down at WMA that hog hunt... Since open ta public, & usualy in thick terrian... Keep my shots ta short distance, even in open terrian... .223 is small calabor, & entry wound will be very small, leaving very little blood trail, blood fills inside body cavity.. My shots are 98% moving targets so aim for heat & lung, bigger target, room for errer... Very little blood... Am sure You took time ta look area over, & at 40-50ft tid sure ya hit your mark... Wasnt their.. Dropped hog the other day with .55gr hp at 25yrds off hand, my shoulders are kaput, lucky if could draw 30# bow, usedta draw 70# so was suprised whin hog went down, it was eating with head down so took nevk spin shot... Sounds like one of them zombi hogs ... Did same with 410 smooth bore, hog spun around & bee-lline straight at my feet, orange was covered by fallen tree.. Had to side step... Looked for blood, nothing, surched for 45-to hour... Got ta house, took old milk jug, hit it.. Was using slug, with smooth barrell.. Slug is size of me .45 round ball.. So thar should have been blood... i blame me... Bad shot... Think thats reason they started coming out with zombi rounds ...

I don't normally "hunt" with the AR...but I do have some Fusion 62gr ammo in the box that I should have used. Is it possible that the vmax bullet hit a bone and failed to exit? At such a short range I would expect it to be devastating. Next time I'll just take the 12 gauge; but that was probably a once in a lifetime encounter. Those woods are so thick its hard to move around without making noise.

It was a perfect broadside shot by the way. I should have just went for a head shot.

It might have killed it they don't always bleed. I shot one with a tikka .308 behind the shoulder and it ran 20 yards and dropped and not one drop of blood. Another I shot one about 100 pounds with my AR 10 and it ran 30 yards and dropped again no blood.

One thing is though a bolt action is more accurate than a semi auto

55 V-max is a varmint bullet and not meant for a big, tough hog. 223 is not the ideal hog gun anyway, and couple that with a varmint bullet meant to fragment and limit penetration, and you have a very ineffective hog rifle. Take something bigger next time. 7 days a week and twice on Sunday, I'd rather have a rifle with 4 or 5 rounds that's powerful enough to take a hog than the 30 rounds of 223 you are carrying. How many rounds did you shoot anyway? All 30 rounds?

That's not as true as it once was.

hmm, diamitur of .223 vs 12gauge... wich will give better blood trail? Think what hog might have done, is what is called deathrun experts correct me if wrong...

It might not be as true but part is also the shooter. With a semi auto they know they could get a follow up shot so the first shot might not be completely ethical, but with a bolt action you most likely will get one shot so you know it has to be a good one.

All 30 rounds? LOL...no I'm not one of those types. I fired the first shot...when that hog fell I moved on to a secondary target and fired one more shot that missed for sure...as I was making that second shot I had noticed in the corner of my eye that the first hog was getting up and I tried to get on him again.

That's not true at all. My AR-15's and LR-260 are just as accurate as the bolt action rifles I shoot. You just have to find what each rifle likes to shoot.

The V-Max bullet is a really poor choice for hunting hogs. Try the Sierra 65 grain Gameking or the Speer 70 grain soft point bullets,they are pretty good hunting bullets for a 223 caliber AR/bolt action.

You guys are right that I chose the wrong bullet to carry in a caliber that's less than ideal for stopping power. My other choices are a scoped 308 set up for long range, a break-open shotgun, or a Mosin Nagant...the AR is just easier to carry in the thick woods. From now on when I go out there I'll just take the Mosin Nagant loaded with 5 rounds of Hornady 150gr SST, or I'll take the shotgun.

At this point my AR is just going to be a trendy paper puncher unless I invest in a different upper for it.

I'd recommend Sierra 65 grain Gameking, or 70 grain Barnes TSX.

As noted, Nivlac, the AR15 did not fail you, but the ammo did where you placed the shot. You also failed in that you did not make sure that the target you hit was actually down. Yeah, it fell over, but hogs get up sometimes. I have had to shoot hogs on a couple of occasions that go up and ran after that I managed to shoot again. I have also been burned a couple of times by hogs that got up and ran when I got greedy and went after other targets. My worst experience was a hog I shot at about 50 yards. It stilled, and after about 5 minutes, I decided to go claim my trophy. I was half way down the ladder when I heard rustling. I got my thermal spotter up in time to see the hog going through the fence and onto my neighbor's property. The curly shuffle/dirty dance/dance of death is not diagnostic of a dying hog, FYI.

No blood? The first mulefooted hog I shot was with a .45-70. The hog ran about 100 yards. There was no blood. There was no blood on the hog. In fact, we could not find the hole. It was not until after taking the hog back up to the house on the cart that it started to leak a little.

There are a variety of reasons you might not find blood. Aside from search skills, not finding blood may be due to a lock of a well opened exit wound. Entry wounds, especially through the shield area, can self seal. High entry wounds (such as downward angle shots) also tend to produce little blood as the blood just drains inside the body.

So take this as a learning experience and stop blaming your gear for your choices of bullet type and shot placement. The AR15 worked as designed and the VMAX undoubtedly did as well.



That is just one of those bolt action fanboy sorts of myths. There are all sorts of videos on youtube of people taking crappy shots with bolt guns as well. I know people want to believe this, but the gun type does not dictate how well the shooter will choose his shot. Everybody gets equally excited for their first shot, regardless of the gun they carry.

This is just a bolt-action classic...

Pretty much sums me up.

If the AR goes out again I'll make sure it has different ammo.

A mag full of 60gr partitions will make that AR sing. Pigs hate it when your AR is singing.

We have all been there.

Amen Brother. Yes, we're not all one shot wonders. Just very few of us are willing to admit our mistakes. Learn from your mistakes, when possible let others learn from your mistakes (like in this thread), and hopefully we're all better for it. (I try to post success's, but sometimes we learn more from our failures.)

I have taken several guys hog hunting that had ARs. And your explanation is right on with what I have seen with some hunters. I had a guy recently that knew what he was doing with an AR, that guy could kill pigs.

I swear... There is more misinformation in the firearms community then just about anywhere. A CCI standard velocity 22LR will go through the head of a pig. I've done it! It cracks me up that people think that a 223 bullet could bounce off of the head of a pig. Some of y'all need to get out and hunt more.

The 223 is plenty adequate for hogs. Shot placement means a heck of a lot more than the caliber. I've shot a hog in the shoulder with a 270 and it ran without a blood trail. I've also shot a pig with a 22LR in the head and had it drop where it stood. Yes a vmax will violently expand leaving no blood trail. BUT that is what it is designed for! If you hit that pig broadside with a vmax in the chest cavity then it died. Most likely you won't have a blood trail but it died somewhere. You can shoot a hog or a deer straight through the heart and they may run up to 150 yards.

If you want to get a blood trail, use a different bullet. If you want a pig to drop, shoot it in the ear/head. It's that simple.

A 22lr in the ear will kill. Not so much in the skull bone.

How do you know that? Because someone told you so? I've shot a hog straight in between the eyes with it facing straight towards me. 22LR CCI Standard Velocity.

Oh I believe you. It's just totally about placement with a 22lr. I have noticed that hogs don't like to pose for me, so I prefer my AR10/338 Fed. Miss a little on placement, no problem. I have a stable full of great 10/22's that stay at home when I'm after hogs.

I do agree. My 10/22 will not be with me when I purposefully going after pigs. I've got a 300 blackout with a can that is my hog gun. I was just making a point as to the fact that hogs are not some animal that can't be killed without a 50 BMG as some make them out to be. They are a very tough animal but with proper shot placement a 223 is perfectly fine for pig hunting.

That is true I have killed 5 hogs with a .22 mag.

Well I can tell you that over 20 years ago I shot a hog with 22LR's at less than 50yds. Head on, approximately 1 inch above and between the eyes. He raised up on his hind legs and fell over backwards, onto his back, then got up and ran off. No, I didn't read it on the internet. I did it personally, and I believe the bullet contacted the skull at less than a 90* angle and ricocheted off the skull. Yes, I've seen it happen with animals we used to butcher on the farm when I was a kid also. If you're at 90*, yes a 22 will penetrate the skull, much less than that and maybe not.

Pigs are tough and sometimes just don't want to die.

If you hunt long enough and shoot enough pigs, there are gonna be some that run off.

There are quite a few ARs that shoot pie plate groups at 100 yards but I don't use those.

You have got to show me the literature on the VMAX being designed to not leave a blood trail. I have even spoken with the folks at Hornady about VMAX and that is a bit of information they never seemed to have disclosed to me about its design features. That wouldn't be "misinformation" would it?

Show me where I said they are designed to leave no blood trail? I said they are designed to expand violently within the body cavity. And when there is no exit wound there typically is no blood trail.

My statement about there being no blood trail is really just a byproduct of the design of that particular bullet when coupled with a hog and a shot broadside to the chest.

Seems to be a few guys opinion here.

Not quit sure how it's the AR fault, but its human natural to blame it on something else.

Its the AR fault because I should be able to hold it up with one hand and spray "high powered" bullets into ALL the hogs while I'm leaping through the air in slow motion with a pistol in the other hand. Then there will be two hogs left...one that I empty my "Glock/1911" into and the last hog that I hit with the wiffle bat...uh...I mean rifle butt, causing it to fall over dead too. Oh and I'll have to reload once or twice using the PMags tucked into my tacticool vest.

At least that's what the movies and range ninjas led me to believe. Now I gotta go order more tacticool accessories to mount on my weapon so it can be as maneuverable as a c-band satellite and weigh as much as an M2 Browning

Ryan, you are a funny man. I quoted you once, but let me quote you again.



You stated it was designed to expand violently, leaving no blood trail.

I will say it once again since your thick skull can't seem to comprehend this.

Yes the vmax is designed to expand violently. That is the statement I made. If you had any sense of the English language then you would realize the phrase, but that is what it is designed for, refers back to the verb of (will violently expand) in the first part of the sentence.

The fact that there is not a blood trail with vmax bullets is a byproduct of the design of the bullet to expand violently. I never said it was designed to leave no blood trail. I said it was designed to expand violently.

Also, the vmax bullets typically don't leave a blood trail because they enter and leave all of their energy inside the body cavity. (At least they usually do when you shoot a pig broadside) Hence, no exit wound which equals no blood trail.


Have I explained myself better for you this time?

tis wiz eyes gots Dminus inns anglush tryens tas cep up width dem dar vurbs, adda-vurbs & subvurbs drived me's yagh, me eyes twas likes a wooken glas on warshen mechin on spin cycle...

Here is your original quote. Maybe you can re-read the part where it says. "Yes a vmax will violently expand leaving no blood trail. BUT that is what it is designed for!"

You accuse people of spreading mis-information, and then do so yourself. You said the bullet was designed to do something and then said you never claimed to make a statement about it's design. It's been shown to you 3 times now. I hope you can finally see it. You are indeed a funny man.

Hehe!! ...and this sums up far too many folks. They take their deer rifle out of the closet from last year, having never touched it since last season. Off Bubba goes for his trophy. Cracks me up...

Exactly!! My point is, 30 rounds does you no good in the field when you may only get 1 or 2 shots anyway. Make those 1 or 2 shots count with the right caliber, bullet and rifle choice.

Yes this is quote. Let's just break it down since y'all can't seem to understand it.

The first part of the sentence says,"yes a vmax will violently expand." This is where the verb of the sentence is. The prepositional phrase, but that is what it is designed for reflects back to the object of the sentence. The object of the sentence is that the vmax bullet will violently expand. The part of the sentence that says leaving no blood trail is a byproduct of the verb of the sentence. (If you need to know what a prepositional phrase is then Google it.)


Now since you probably won't get that since you didn't the first time I said it...

What it means is the bullet is designed to expand violently. That is THE DESIGN I WAS REFERRING TOO. Does the all caps help?

mmmkay.

Mine works ok.

Excellent sentence structure sir!

My 2 cents. I've had 3 missed opportunities while on my place over the last few months. Last missed opportunity I shot at a lone boar hog with my 30.06 at around a 100 yards. Heard the thud,thump or whatever you want to call it. Hog rolled got up and high tailed it. Tried a follow up shot but didn't connect. Almost 99% sure I hit that guy and I couldn't find a drop of blood. I was shooting 165gr Core-lokts which are marketed as a controlled expansion bullet.

Just thank your lucky stars you had a bolt action or you might have missed.

Why thank you!!!

It really has nothing to with sentence structure honestly. I understand that often people misinterpret meanings behind what is said on online forums. I really was just trying to clarify what I meant to say.

I apologize for being rude. It can be frustrating when people take something I say and twist it around to mean something other than what I meant.

Have a good day sir.

can learn so much on THF... As pappy once said: person with open mind ha a wider point of view ... So your saying if person killed deer year before... Takes rifle cleans & puts up in gun case for a year, some how fifle or scope gonna warp & wont be accurate because it sat up a year Have taken my deer rifle oit after sittin Year or two some even longer, have more than one. It still zeroed in on paper... When archery hunting, always carried arrow with field point that hits same as broad head... It get slow lok around, pic out a leaf & make sure bow & pins didnt get bumped moving ta stand.. one time after doing it heard doe on trail set up on blow after doing that... i blew it that day arrow hit leaf..

And the OP was only 40-50 feet away open sights... & qustion was did he hit, miss & why no blood ... Not an expert, would guess bullet choise, & design... ,, .223 is very small dianitor. Type from what read, is designed not to pass threw, expand... Broad side shot taken, good chance moat blood drained in cavity, & cause of type bullet, fast expanding causes, clotting of bullet enty wound, as some one has suggested... i got cheap posts... Edit: still working on me grammer, hit few wrong keys while typing... My bad...

Hehe! Well, colt...the rifle and ammo may be fine after a year or more sitting. However, the hunter may not be worth squat because he never practices.

I'm not a a big fan of using a .223 on hogs, although plenty of shooters use it and like it. OTOH, as a lightweight rifle to carry when I'm doing something else, I can see that. And naturally, when you see hogs, you shoot what you have.

Well, there was one time when I was out scouting around and had nothing with me but a 9mm pistol. I saw some hogs wandering through the brush and got to within 40 yards of one, but I didn't bother to try taking it with my pistol. Heck, I'm a bad enough shot with a rifle . . .

I've shot at hogs that I was pretty darn sure I'd hit, and had them run to where I couldn't find them. That includes some that I saw go down just like the OP. It happens, even with a .30 cal rifle. I hate it, and it happens less (in my opinion) than with a .223, but it happens.

I kill hogs year round trapping and night hunting in cooler weather. I prefer 75 gr. Swift Soracco 2, but end up shooting more hogs with the 55 gr. Vmax because I use that bullet for everything else. I know it's suppose to be a destructive varmint bullet but that hasn't been my experience on hogs. It has been devastating and usually I get full penetration on hogs under 200#. I do not take shots over 200 yards but have taken dozens with this bullet, this year. I think maybe you just had poor bullet placement. Go for the neck shot.

ta THF Caliche Kid been using 55gr fmj not very good blood trail so close shots taken, usualy moving target, mojority hunting on WMA ... Tried the 55gr hp, got several hundred rounds before prices sky rocketed... Finaly got shot hog didn't know what hit it, still not that big of entry wound... How well do the 55gr Vmax do on blood trail ? OP stated no blood trail, i was thinking since small cal. weather the cheap fmj, hp, witch i've been using. Small entry wound, most blood drains in cavity & clogging... Havent tried the Vmax, some one posted pics of few with head shots... Yet OP was refuring to body shots, the hog went down so thinking he hit it... Heart lung shots i've taken hog ran alittle ways then down... Hogs have thick hair & small entry wound, so very little blood hits ground.. Head shots hog goes down & pools... Running shots even with larger cals, trail can be tough ta follow... Just curious f your experiences with the Vmax...

I see plenty of blood and wound is huge but haven't had to track any yet with the 55 gr. Vmax. I have tracked some with .308 using FMJ rounds. I did lose one hog last year with the 75 grain Swift sorricco2 , but I think I completely missed as he didn't show any signs of a hit and I couldn't find any blood. My only excuse is that it was very windy and I rushed my shot. I found him in broad daylight in the open pasture. That'll never happen again, I was surprised, to say the least. I'll need more time to really evaluate these 55 grain V max bullets. Maybe after a hundred hogs I can have some confidence that I gave them a fair shake, but so far they are unexpectedly great. The 75 grain Swifts are GTG. I use the Swifts in a carbine(16") barrel. The 55 grain Vmax are used in a 20" barrelled AR that is my varmint rig so the velocity is a bit higher than I'd expect from the carbine length barrel. I think the .308 is a real hog round compared to the 5.56 and I'll take shots and do ranges I'd not try with the 5.56. I am very careful and selective when hog hunting with a 5.56.

Think maybe 35 yards been farthest i'vr taken with thr .223 55gr fmj & hp... Only once had ta sjoot twice... Hog got up from bed, it was fast shot slowed down hog, second shot put it down... Snow on ground back tracked no blood trail,... Might have ta trade some rounds for the Vmax ssince bigger intry wound... Good info...

OP needs to ask the Buzzards, the next day, if the AR and VMax failed him?

60gr nosler partition for the win outta the ar. I callem texas hog hammers. Sounds like vmax did damage just not enough.

Sell that pea shooter get you an AR10 and be done with it!

I like your idea.

Or as the experts say practice... As several have mentioned on here... The Vmax .223, .556 55gr will do the job... At 30-40ft & as you said hog did go down, just no sign of hit, could be size of entry wound & clogging of blood ... Any one that has hunted doesnt have ta be an English Major ta realize, just cause no blood, & hog got up & may have done a death run doesn't meen the AR & Vmax didnt do its job... Will agree .223 is small cal. for a wild lf free ranging hog.... As old saying goes, every one has an opinion.. Mine stinks.... You check for buzzards next day? Some good onfo in thread, have only used the .55gr fmj & hp no complaints yet... Then i'm not an Expert... Edit: trided ta fix few errors, hit wrong keys...

The pigs in the pics that I posted were shot with 64 gr. Winchester Razorback ammo but I have also shot them with 55 gr. FMJ, 55 H.P., and 62 gr. Fiocchi S.P. They all worked great but I take head/neck shots only when using the AR. I have shot a 250-300 lb. boar right behind the shoulder with a 110 gr. H.P. handload in a Mosin Nagant and had him get up and run. Chased him through heavy shinnery for three hours and looked for three more hours the next day with no sign of blood anywhere- that was the end of me shooting them anywhere but the head or neck unless I'm using a heavy (150+) bullet meant for large game.

I got a buddy that shot one with a 30-06 180 grain behind the shoulder and it fell. Got up and ran off. few drops of blood never did find it. Hogs are tough. Head or neck shots for me as well.

from what read in your post: shot was body shot, 40-50ft away.. Hog went down using 55gr Vmax... i'd have ta go with the experts, get a bigger gun... been lucky with my .223.. Have had lot of practice with the .556 203 & M-60...

Barnes tsx in 223 leave a bigger hole then FMJ. When I want to get meat I use the 62gr tsx, for eradicating I use FM or soft points.
The fat layer on the hog will stop small holes from bleeding externally.

for awhile wasn't sure if i knew what i was talking about... Had bought the .223 cheep 55gr fmj for plinking & ta see how they would do at WMA.. Kept shots close for that reason... Heart & lung is bigger target when hog is moving... Only once have i had ta do follow up shot... Found some cheap 55 gr hp, before the big scare & people went crazy buying every thing off shelves, causing supply & demand ta go up... Last hog took was using 55gr hp... It went down, twitched few times... Never used the Vmax, way it sounded in op he hit hog, just no blood trail, hog got up, might have done death run, it happens with deer.... Been lucky with the 55 gr fmj & hp ... Just got done en some backstaps & now i'm chillen...

I am heading out tomorrow to ranger creek ranch for some night hog hunting.
Will be using some soft points, 62 gr, didn't have any Barnes loaded. Will try for neck or head shots with the PSP 62gr.

Well I've been thinking about it. YES, there are better ammo choices in .223 than what I used. AGAIN...I do not "hunt" with my AR; its just what I would sling over my shoulder for a walk in the woods. But...I do own a bigger/harder hitting rifle that has open iron sights and would perform better than .223/5.56; so why not use that instead. I'm talking about my Mosin Nagant...it was made for killin so I might as well put it to good use LOL. Also, for very little investment, I could also get a lever gun such as a 45-70 that would be a LOT more effective for those thick woods encounters. From this point onward my AR-15 is just going to be a fun paper puncher.

I use my ar15 for hogs, just have to have head or neck shots for DRT. Just wacked 2 Saturday night, 180lb'r and a 100lb'r. Got them in an ice chest with ice draining the blood out of the meat. Head shots waste no meat

I just about always us my AR when hunting hogs and have shot 200+ with it in the past 10 years. I always use fmj when hunting as well. They will sometimes take more than one round to put them down permanently, but other than perhaps an AR-10 .308 platform I could not think of a better weapon to use. The ability to quickly and accurately engage multiple targets in quick succession simply has shown it to be my weapon of choice. I use an EOTech 557 sight with no magnification and it works out great, probably 90% of my kills have been taken at night. It has allowed me to tag 9 hogs within 20-25 seconds due to the low recoil which leads to very fast follow on shots, for my purposes it would be hard to beat.

Is that a Surefire M4 mounted on your rifle?

Yes, it is a M4 with a Lumens Factory bulb. It has since been replaced with a Fenix TK30 LED light. The TK30 has a bit more throw and substantially more spill. I have a new Olight M3X Javelot that throws like a spot light and I have thought about using it, but the beam is very, very focused hence the stupid far throw. It will light up objects 400+ yards out so that they are very well defined and recognizable. Several lights will claim to have x amount of throw, but if the amount of light is not usable at that distance then what difference does it make? I used that M4 for 9 years though and it still works the same as the day I bought it if a bit more beat up...

Contrary to a lots of persons belief the .223 is not the Holy Grail of hunting rifles.
But with the proper bullet and shot placement it will definitely despatch a hog at a reasonable range.

Speer Gold Dot Duty ammo, if you can get your hands on some.

See my new thread:

http://texashuntingforum.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/5916467/Mosin_Nagant_didn't_let_me_dow#Post5916467

So far using the cheap .55 gr fmj & hp have had great success... All Shots close range... Farthest shot was when hog jumped up in fairly open terrian, at about 40 yrds give or take, free handed.. Took heart lung shot, point was same as a deer, down from shoulder, by joint.. Hog took off running inta thick area... Watched travel, then eased twards were hog stood... Nothing, placed orange hat, & slowly walked twards area hog ran... Found couple drops of blood, marked with TP eased forward found one ladt drop.. Kept in line with hat & TP & were hog went in... Nothing, was using the 55gr fmj so am sure took out both lungs.. Rest of hogs have recovered... If didnt feel comfurtable with shot, didt take it... Think most Ecperts will agree, .223 is light cal for hogs & while not used the Vmax, at close range as in OP the hog ran of & died just like the in insident just discribbed... Then i'm not an expert...

I kill hogs in traps with a 22mag. Shot placement is critical. If they present a broadside, I always shoot right behind the ear and about a 1/3 of the way down the neck. It severs the spinal cord. Head on presentation gets a shot between the eyes. They don't move from where they are shot except for the death flops.

I also have 40S&W for backup if needed.