Is a 22lr. Good for hogs?

I've just been thinking about getting a small caliber for them instead of using a big 270. Just want to know what ammo and gun type.

Ethical ? No ! But I have killed hogs with a 22 mag, 22 long, 17 ! I built my son an AR 15 that drives tacks at 100 yards! We have never tracked a hog yet from a neck shot from this rifle!!!! And a well placed smaller caliber below/behind the ear has done the others in!!!

You can kill a hog with an ice pick, but that doesn't make it good for killing hogs. No, .22 lr is not good for killing hogs. You can kill hogs with .22 lr, but you can readily screw up and just end up wounding them quite easily.

As caliber and energy decrease, so does the overall area of your kill zone and your need for precision increases.

Smaller calibers and less energy also mean less opportunities for shooting.

A small caliber shot BEHIND the ear may just end up in soft tissue and mostly just meat at that, just something to keep in mind as that is what is located behind the ear. If the hog is quartered away, a behind the ear shot will ideally have a trajectory into the skull. The problem there is that on a hog, it thickest bone is at the high side back of the skull.

This question will get you 100 different answers that may be wrong. If you are shooting hogs in a trap, get the cheapest single shot 22LR you can find. Then buy ammo. If you are shooting them anywhere else, find a bigger caliber. A rifle is like a tool, and every situation could call for a different tool. Time of day, location, terrain type, shooting style, hog population, hog size, and other variables will all make a difference on what you would want to use for a rifle.

I have shot lots of semi-autos and bolt actions in multiple calibers, but lately have taken a liking to lever guns. If you are a man of few guns, I would think a 357 lever gun would cover a whole bunch of variables due to its multiple ammo options. Every one has their own liking on rifles, but this is just my two cent input.

Use the 270, you won't kill a large caliber boar with a small caliber bullet. If you have ever seen a trophy hog with huge cutters, or a big boar you will be glad to have the 270

22LR in a trap, is the weapon of choice.
223 minimum from a blind
I carried my 22 into a bow blind once (20 yard shot) and popped some little 15 pound piglets for dinner. That is as far as I would stretch a .22

As far as my answer I have been hunting for 30 yrs! I'm confident with every every piece of Equipt I shoot and what it's capabilities are! I also teach my wife and sons to neck shot does ! It's done precisely and correct! So if your not comfy with small caliber don't shoot it

Of course, using a rimfire to take deer is currently illegal in Texas.
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/hun..._prohibited.pdf

If he's in a trap.

It can most definitely be done, especially if you're inside 50 yds. If its just noise and recoil you're worried about, .223 is a great round that is legal for deer. Fairly quiet and the recoil is hardly noticeable.

I have all three and the .223 is probably my favorite. People love to talk about how it won't kill big deer or hogs, but I can personally vouch for its lethality. Shot placement and ethical shots are the key.

AMEN!!!

.223 quite ? Lol, not ours.

a .22lr is not a good round for hogs!!! unless they are in a trap! I would hate to be charged by a hog with a .22 in hand. If that happens drop the gun and climb a tree!!! but definitely dont sit there and try to keep firing until it goes down because you will be going down instead and it will hurt!!! LOL

I really like this answer, as the man really understands hogs/hunting. Personally, I have shot hogs with most every caliber out there successfully, each in different situations. In a trap, a 22 pistol is my weapon of choice. Other wise, something more substantial is your best bet. I prefer a short barreled semi auto 30 cal. because I usually walk them up and have to deal with multiple hogs in high adrenaline situations (close quarters, high grass, thick brush, etc.,) When you have multiple hogs in close quarters and you make a marginal hit on one coming your direction, the larger calibers will usually turn a hog off you long enough for a fatal shot. Levers are good options for hogs, usually because they are fast to point and the actions are reliable. I don't much care for the AR10 platforms (have used them) because they are heavy and awkward in fast action situations. One of the old semi auto 44 cal guns are almost ideal for close quarters hog combat, as well. You might invest in a good 45 auto for back-up (if you have ever been run up a tree, you fully understand the need for backup weapons) Hope this information helps.

I've shot one with rimfire and all the others with a center fire rifles. 50 yards is about max distance for a rimfire in my opinion.

The only reason I shot the one with a 22 was because my 22 was all I had with me at the time. That particular hog was not as smart as his friends and didn't run away.

I would suggest 223 and up. There are some very affordable single shot rifles on the market if you're trying to save money.

Neighbors pig got into your turnip patch again, huh?

.223 might be loud to whoever is near the shot but it doesn't travel like a bigger caliber.

Understandable. Look into some of the .25 and .26 calibers, .257 Roberts, .25-06, 6.5x55mm, and 6.5-08 (.260 Remington), as examples. These are mediums, not smalls, but you may these calibers more pleasant to shoot as well as very effective on game.

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x3 on the .357 lever. Besides being a good tool for dispatching hogs, they are just really fun guns!

These guys that butcher hogs, they stick the muzzle of a 22 right on the hog's head and pull the trigger. Other than that I wouldn't think of trying to kill a hog with a 22LR. You need more in nearly all situations.

Nah, I was coon hunting and happened upon them. If I found them in the turnip patch I'd wage war with my AR.

We've always used .22's for dispatching hogs in our traps. But even at the close of range, there have been times when they didn't go down on the first shot. It's very rare, but it does happen. Since I personally like the animals I shoot to go down with one shot, especially when they aren't in a trap, I would go with something larger. All the other hogs I've killed I've shot with either a .223 or .243 (mostly out of a blind). Those were all head shots and they all dropped. That being said, I've witnessed firsthand a hog shot with a .270 and another with a .25-06, both in the head (right below ear), and both dropped. However, after about 30 seconds they quickly stumbled to their feet and took off into the brush. My point is that no reasonable caliber will give you 100% success rate if you are at it long enough and shoot enough hogs. Stuff is going to happen.

AMEN...

Ive killed three in the last three konths with this suppressed ruger 10/22 using wolf match ammo. This one was hair over fifty yards. One was 27 and the other was 38. Shot placement is crirical of course. Ear hole or in the forehead.

Good shooting. I didn't think a 22 at 50 yards would do the job. The shot looks like a little in front of the ear.