17HMR

Just curious as to whether or not anyone has used this caliber on hogs. I've taken a few with a 22.250 and 556 but never the dart sized 17HMR.

I imagine someone has but few people would admit it. While it certainly is possible it is simply a very bad way to try to take hogs. Nothing good will come of it.

Not in the body. In the brain pan works fine though, if you’re confident in your abilities.

I've killed pigs at 100 yards with head shots.

I've killed a lot of trapped hogs with a Beeman .22 pellet gun to the head. Accuracy and distance are your keys to pulling it off for sure.

I’ve killed a few pigs with 17, head, neck and even a shoulder shot on a 60 pound hog. Shots were 20 yards out to 100 yards.

I have a scoped Ruger canoe paddle .17 that would have been perfect last week for the lone straggler piglet that didn't make it in the rooter trap with his momma and siblings, but you can't haul around an arsenal. Well, you can, but the loading up and unloading becomes cumbersome. Throwing open-sight .22 rounds it's way did not work.

I guess the question would be why? It doesn’t sound like it is your only option. Could it work? Sure with the right shot placement.

You could eat your dinner with a toothpick if you wanted but a fork works much better. Use the right tool for the job.

I could see using one opportunistically on a hog, which is why I keep mine loaded with the 20 grain XTPs. Haven't used it yet on a hog, but it did drop a coyote pretty good at 70 yards. Most of the time I've hunted with my 17 HMR though it's been stand hunting where I also have a large centerfire and the 17 is just for armadillos/squirrels etc. Those of you that have shot hogs with a 17 HMR, which load were you using?

In Texas I don't think it matters, but some states, like Florida, on public land you can only carry a caliber that is legal for what is in season. So most of the year you are stuck with a rimfire of some sort because only small game is in season. Lots of folks choose a .22 magnum and go for head shots on feral hogs.

I've shot numerous pigs with a suppressed .22 out of a bow stand, so I would guess it'd work. I just don't see a reason to do it other than you want blood on that gun. The only reason why I have the .22 is for killing pigs quietly while I am deer hunting. You're not going to get quiet with a .17.