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The better hog round - 7.62x39 or .243 WIN? #7294908 09/23/18 03:44 PM
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tacotime Offline OP
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Just wondering your experience and opinions on the better hog round choice (among these two, and I'm talking the average hog here, not hogzilla).

Last edited by tacotime; 09/23/18 03:45 PM.

When in doubt, take the .45-70
Re: The better hog round - 7.62x39 or .243 WIN? [Re: tacotime] #7295082 09/23/18 07:19 PM
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boonee Offline
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I like my AR in 7.62x39, but ALOT of animals have been harvested over the years with a .243!
I'm hunting river bottoms so a average shot is 50-75 yards.


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Re: The better hog round - 7.62x39 or .243 WIN? [Re: tacotime] #7295118 09/23/18 08:08 PM
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If planning on shooting multiple (many) rounds at a SOUNDER of pigs semi-auto. Cheap ammo 7.62x39 has good reach for distance (100 - 175 yds.) 243 better. Six of one half of another. 2cents

Re: The better hog round - 7.62x39 or .243 WIN? [Re: tacotime] #7295473 09/24/18 02:48 AM
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7.62x39 is much better in dicey hit, multiple hog, and charging hog situations, due to larger caliber holes and better penetration from heavier bullets...not to mention faster and more follow up shots from the semi rifle options.

I prefer lightweight, short barreled 30-06 and 270 semi autos with extra capacity mags, and 2x7 scopes for hogs, as I like to stalk them in their beds. And these setups offer good firepower in a fast quick handling rifle...I will not hesitate to take my open sight 7.62x39 when walking them off their beds, either. I will use a 243 when I am just sitting and have time to make a good clean ear shot, but with a 243,your shot placement is critical...similar to using a 22mag or other light weight caliber.

Hope this information helps...good luck on your decision making.

Re: The better hog round - 7.62x39 or .243 WIN? [Re: tacotime] #7295501 09/24/18 03:29 AM
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Had a guy at the lease this weekend drop a 150-175 boar with a 243 last night. Plus two more that ran off and died. It works.


"I was called by the Yorkers a outlaw, and later by the english a rebel" Ethan Allen
Re: The better hog round - 7.62x39 or .243 WIN? [Re: tacotime] #7295768 09/24/18 02:17 PM
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tacotime Offline OP
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I see the 7.62 has about a 28% larger diameter and typically 23% more weight but the .243 has about 29% more energy and 25% more velocity... on paper this is about a close to a toss-up as it could be.


When in doubt, take the .45-70
Re: The better hog round - 7.62x39 or .243 WIN? [Re: tacotime] #7295920 09/24/18 04:17 PM
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ear hole em and it don't matter, Ive killed many with my .243

Re: The better hog round - 7.62x39 or .243 WIN? [Re: tacotime] #7296010 09/24/18 05:46 PM
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as an observer of newbies and experienced hunters on my place

.223 is a horrible choice - shot but never recovered; combination of bad shot placement and / or hog ran off to die somewhere else (place is thick, canyon , hilly )

.243 is a good choice - a few ran off , majority will drop even with bad placement due to enough shock generated

.30 is an excellent choice (.308 win) - very few ran off, most dropped on the spot ,,,, lots of shock damage

---Nosler Partition bullets has 100% drop on the spot
---Nosler Ballistic Tips has 80-90% harvest rate - a few big ones will run off ; some BT bullet never mushroomed (small hole in, small hole out )

Re: The better hog round - 7.62x39 or .243 WIN? [Re: tacotime] #7296702 09/25/18 06:00 AM
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popcorn

Re: The better hog round - 7.62x39 or .243 WIN? [Re: tacotime] #7296733 09/25/18 10:39 AM
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Originally Posted By: tacotime
I see the 7.62 has about a 28% larger diameter and typically 23% more weight but the .243 has about 29% more energy and 25% more velocity... on paper this is about a close to a toss-up as it could be.


That sounds about right. Ever seen a .243 smashed up against a boars armor plate, without penetration? I have, in fact my bullet placement on that hog was exactly where I shot, at maybe 50 yards. I killed him a couple weeks later, saw the skin hole, and cut it open to inspect it...after that, I just kind of put away my .243 when I went hog hunting.

Personally, I have taken much game with a .243 caliber, and it is one of my favorite calibers, bar none. Shot placement is critical for most larger species (I prefer head/neck shots on basically all game). In fact, when I got serious about hog hunting, I went and bought a semi auto browning BAR, in .243. After that incident, I just put it away for hog purposes. Those -06’s I shoot are plenty of firepower and enough gun, when the situation get dicey, up close and personal...so is that 7.62 x 39...Now if you want to start talking about longer range shots (past 125 yards), I wouldn’t use either caliber. You can get a clean kill past that point, but not reliably. Step up to a .308 or similar caliber. Hope this information helps.

Re: The better hog round - 7.62x39 or .243 WIN? [Re: crapicat] #7297078 09/25/18 04:14 PM
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Originally Posted By: crapicat
.243 smashed up against a boars armor plate, without penetration

What bullet was this?

Re: The better hog round - 7.62x39 or .243 WIN? [Re: tacotime] #7297261 09/25/18 06:30 PM
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I could see that with an 80gr HP.

But just for fun let me say I could not see that with a 405gr out of the .45-70.

Just gotta love the .45-70.


Last edited by tacotime; 09/25/18 06:31 PM.

When in doubt, take the .45-70
Re: The better hog round - 7.62x39 or .243 WIN? [Re: tacotime] #7297265 09/25/18 06:33 PM
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Never seen a full power rifle round, even .243 fail to penetrate a hog on the entry side inside of 200 yards. Never seen it documented either.


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Re: The better hog round - 7.62x39 or .243 WIN? [Re: tacotime] #7297392 09/25/18 08:44 PM
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ive shot quite a few hogs with the .243 and with very good results (100gr power points), mostly because that is my coyote gun and I have it on hand more than the .270 is...

Re: The better hog round - 7.62x39 or .243 WIN? [Re: tacotime] #7297417 09/25/18 09:08 PM
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Personally, I am not a fan of the .243. I know a lot of people have them, love them and use them. Heck the one that I owned for years never failed to drop a single deer or pig that I shot at. Here's my rub...Never got a good blood trail, and never dropped one DRT. I would go with the 7.62 if it were me. Bigger hole, heavier bullet. The 7.62 will be more forgiving on shots on running pigs or if one gets your heart rate up and you have to take a snap shot at one.

Re: The better hog round - 7.62x39 or .243 WIN? [Re: tacotime] #7297884 09/26/18 12:46 PM
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My wife uses a .243 with 100gr Sierra Gamekings. Every hog is DRT. She does not make head shots. Every hog I've shot with .223 has dropped instantly. Placement is critical. If you gut shoot them they will run off no matter what you shoot them with. Head, lung, and heart shots put them on the ground. Of course with a lung shot it may take a minute for them to expire but they have never run off in mine or my wife's personal experience. With 7.62x39 I would use US mfg commercial soft point ammo. The foreign soft point does not expand well if that is your concern.

Re: The better hog round - 7.62x39 or .243 WIN? [Re: tacotime] #7297954 09/26/18 01:32 PM
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I've shot hogs with everything from 22 Mag to 30/06, but my favorite is the 7.62X39 that I built on an AR platform. It is very accurate and an absolute "hog hammer" at my usual range of less than 150 yards. It works quite well on our little CenTex white tails as well. I would strongly recommend it.

Re: The better hog round - 7.62x39 or .243 WIN? [Re: tacotime] #7297986 09/26/18 01:56 PM
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With both those calibers its all gonna be about shot placement and distance.
7.62x39 I'd keep it under 75 yards.
.243. I'd keep it under 100 yards.

Re: The better hog round - 7.62x39 or .243 WIN? [Re: tacotime] #7298395 09/26/18 07:46 PM
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I will agree on the blood trail being minimal with the .243 as I experienced it with a couple pigs and a deer last year.

Re: The better hog round - 7.62x39 or .243 WIN? [Re: tacotime] #7298708 09/27/18 01:49 AM
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I would choose the one that gives me the better chance of a 300 yard open field shot or further if I had to.

243

Re: The better hog round - 7.62x39 or .243 WIN? [Re: ZenArchery] #7298918 09/27/18 12:47 PM
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Originally Posted By: ZenArchery
With both those calibers its all gonna be about shot placement and distance.
7.62x39 I'd keep it under 75 yards.
.243. I'd keep it under 100 yards.

I think you'd be safe to double these distances.

Re: The better hog round - 7.62x39 or .243 WIN? [Re: tacotime] #7299031 09/27/18 02:46 PM
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The hand loads I use in my 7.62X39 give me consistent 3/4 inch groups at 100 yards:

Hornady 123 g. SST, Cat.# 3142 (G1 B.C. is .295) seated to 2.190 COL
26.5 g. RL 7 (close to max load according to Hornady, so approach this load carefully if you care to try it.)
CCI #34 LR Primer
Chronographs at 2310fps
I've tried H4198 and Accurate 2015 to pick up a bit of MV, and I did gain about 100fps, but the accuracy degraded. I'd much rather have the accuracy than the speed!

Last edited by mikei; 09/27/18 02:47 PM.
Re: The better hog round - 7.62x39 or .243 WIN? [Re: tacotime] #7301734 09/30/18 10:27 PM
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Thinking about getting a 7.62x39

Re: The better hog round - 7.62x39 or .243 WIN? [Re: garyrapp55] #7302097 10/01/18 11:46 AM
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Originally Posted By: garyrapp55
Originally Posted By: crapicat
.243 smashed up against a boars armor plate, without penetration

What bullet was this?


Gary it was a 100 grain Nosler partition. That is basically the only grain weight I shoot out of the 243. And that is why I put it away on hogs...yea, it could be a one in a million shot deal, but in my mind, with the way I hog hunt, that is enough.

Now, if I was just checking cows and saw a hog, and I had my 243 in the truck, of course I am gonna take a shot, (or coyote hunting for that matter) and could most likey bring it down...but, I am gonna ear shoot only.

Basically, when I go hog hunting, it will be a 30-06, loaded with 150 grain partitions. That will bring down the biggest, and meanest hog in the worst predicament possible (I have a bad habit of putting myself in these situations) and still come out with a fighting chance.

Re: The better hog round - 7.62x39 or .243 WIN? [Re: garyrapp55] #7302283 10/01/18 03:44 PM
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Originally Posted By: garyrapp55
Originally Posted By: ZenArchery
With both those calibers its all gonna be about shot placement and distance.
7.62x39 I'd keep it under 75 yards.
.243. I'd keep it under 100 yards.

I think you'd be safe to double these distances.


Think all you want. I'm not gonna question my experience in the field with both calibers and seeing hogs run away.
Shot placement is essential with any caliber. But when I am using these calibers I keep it close.

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