The yard feeder ran out of corn right after Christmas. The wife said I needed to get some corn and fill it, but I didn’t. At 7:44 tonight, the feeder was crowded with eating sized pigs looking for corn. I saw the alert at 7:44, jumped up, grabbed the AR and stepped outside. If I had filled the feeder, they’d have still been eating. Laziness cost me. And the wife had a few things to say…

I hate missing a chance at hogs.

And later that night, at 2:30 am, I grabbed the 223 and popped a hog that was in a bunch under the oaks. And one more time, the shot hog ran off. That is it for the 223, which will be replaced by a 6.5 Grendel this week. I bought one for the grandson, but he wants to take it to his place. So…I need one.

Also, I baited the trap this afternoon and the game camera shows it presently surrounded by hogs. My knives are sharp.

Yeah, I hate it when the wife earns an "I told you so…", but sometimes the spousal unit is right.

Not to start another caliber war, but my experience with a .223 was similar to yours. Maybe I'm just not a good enough shot to use the smaller caliber, but I tried it and it didn't work out for me. I migrated through an AR-10 (very effective but somewhat heavy) to a 300 Blackout. For me the 300BLK is a "good enough" compromise. The 6.5 Grendel should work well for you. Go get 'em!

If it’s not a 30 caliber…….

I have hit pigs in the vitals with a 257 Roberts and a 270 with a Hornady ELDX and if you hit them there, they are not going down. They will run 50-500 yds regardless of caliber. You hit them in the ear hole or neck with that .223 and they are laying down right there period regardless of caliber. I take head or neck shots period or I wait for that shot.

Neck shots are your friend no matter what caliber you are shooting them with. Have you considered the 6.8 SPC? It's a dandy.

I did consider the 6.8 SPC, but the ballistics are about the same as the Grendel and I already had most of the bits and pieces to load for the Grendel. So far, every pig shot with the Grendel was collected. Not so with the 223, and I’ve shot more than a few with the 223. It’s just marginal. No offense intended to you 223 lovers, but the Grendel is better.

If you can get it.... these are you money shots (to drop a hog) and leaves the greatest room for error.



Otherwise....just shoot them somewhere, don't let hogs walk away.