You’re a hog hunter and a predator caller. You have a thermal and want a new rifle to put it on. What are you going with?

375 H&H SxS


Dude just got killed by a hog some where in Europe. You are calling in dangerous game!!

.224 Valkyrie.

What thermal are you wanting to mount?

Otherwise, you are just sort of asking what rifle/caliber for hogs and coyotes.

Suppressed 6.8 or Grendel. Everything else is under powered or too heavy.

I put it on a 5.56 and a 7.62

It all depends on what you are comfortable with. I've also put it on a 6.5 CM bolt gun.

I got a very good QD mount that is dead on every time i take it off an remount it and the scope can keep up to 3 different caliber/rife settings

AR10/308

I was a doubter initially myself

I am really liking Winchester 556, 62 grain green tips fmj's for thermal hog hunting

I think they must roll in a shoulder shot because its devastating

Anyway, if you have a 556 AR I wouldn't rule it out...

Ammo is plentiful too

Almost all of my thermal shots are 150 yards or less, so I use a 300 BO SBR with a 8.5" barrel and a suppressor.

Mine has been on:
.308
6.8
6.5 G
.357 Bulldog (current home)

This has been my very favorite caliber for the last 4/5 years, its effective on everything you want to shoot. It is my go to round taking new hunters to shoot pigs.

300 Ham’r

My thermal has 3 profiles with a quick detach mount. Move to 3 differant rifles quickly as long as you go back in slot it was sighted in with. I like 300 BO and 22-250.

Suppressed SBR 300 BO.

Obviously it will be an AR15 patterned rifle. Next is caliber. Thats tricky nowadays. Length of shot you can and will be willing to take is important. Longer range coyote hunting at 400 to 500 hundreds is a possibility in western texas and for that I would want a Valkyrie or grendel . Both are perfect calibers for hogs also. If that type of distance is not your game then I would consider a 7.62X39 or 6.8 spc. The trigger of course is incredibly important for accuracy so a very nice crisp trigger is a must. Make sure you have a decent barrel. Medium heavy for a suppressor and adjustable gas block. NI-B Bolt carrier group and you are set.

That is the rifle I would build for a thermal.

You’re not shooting 400-500 yards with a thermal. So to keep it realistic, let’s say 200 yard max. That being said, I’ve gone away from the 308 simply due to weight and size. There’s times being in calf deep mud and carrying an AR10 just sucks. I’m currently between 6.5 Grendel and 5.56 for thermal use. If we are strictly going for pigs then I’m using the 6.5, strictly coyotes I’m using the 5.56. Both work great on each animal. I’m not concerned with recovery of most of the pigs.

Good point. I wasnt thinking about that.

Talk about how far your shots will be, because if its at the same place I've been to most will be sub 150 yards correct?

300 Ham’r
6.8 SPC
6.5 Grendel

Pick whichever you like best because they’re all close as to performance, I like a big hole…so I drive a Ham’r

I am surprised Judd is the first to suggest the Ham'r. 6.8spc I have killed pigs with too but I do not own one. 6.5g is cool but Wilson developed this specifically for the task at hand that you are asking it to do.