Texas Hunting Forum
hog calibers?
Posted By: eddie4529
hog calibers? - 12/01/14 07:38 PM
Does a .223 have the stopping power for hogs? Heard of people using it for hogs but I just wanted to see how it well it can get the job done?
Posted By: Bigfoot
Re: hog calibers? - 12/01/14 07:54 PM
Head shots!!!!
Posted By: redchevy
Re: hog calibers? - 12/01/14 08:30 PM
Yes. The cleanliness and speed of your kill depends largely on shot placement. Some bullets are much better for body shots than others. Make good shots and you will kill hogs.
I like my .270 for hogs and deer, but everyone has their own preference
.22LR in the trap
.223 under the feeder
Posted By: cyberpyrot
Re: hog calibers? - 12/02/14 01:41 AM
Anything less then 50 caliber will not do.
Posted By: Gravytrain
Re: hog calibers? - 12/02/14 02:29 AM
You bet it does, no FMJ though and only 69gr+ hollow points.
Soft points 55gr+ will work. I would only use .223 on slow
movers that are not spooked.
6.8 SPCII is a much better starting point.
Posted By: Gwood88
Re: hog calibers? - 12/02/14 03:38 AM
The one you happen to be carrying.
.223 to the neck, ear hole, or head will take them down no problem.
Posted By: Cobbler
Re: hog calibers? - 12/02/14 05:42 PM
Whatever I've got on me at the time, but 22-250 has killed a bunch for me.
Posted By: Pointer
Re: hog calibers? - 12/02/14 06:39 PM
Everyone has an opinion, and are entitled to them. I've seen them killed with .223, but I haven't had a great deal of luck with the caliber killing them dead right there. I am talking at 100 to 120 yds. Now, with my .308...there is a world of difference! I am deadly, and they fall and don't get up.
I don't carry a .223 primarily for deer, and feral hogs are bigger than deer.
Posted By: DFWPI
Re: hog calibers? - 12/02/14 11:07 PM
All day long, kill them it will!
A little Jedi wisdeom!
Posted By: BunnyBlaster
Re: hog calibers? - 12/03/14 01:00 AM
Pretty much every hog ive taken or seen taken at the ranch I hunt at is with 223. Head or neck shots and even 250lb boars drop on the spot.
Majority of my hog hunting is done at/under 100 yards (NV or creeping up to feeders). 223 will kill anything at that range provide you can shoot...
Posted By: tx hunter
Re: hog calibers? - 12/03/14 01:10 AM
Shot and killed several with a 17hmr. Anywhere from 80-120 yards. Just put it in the ear and down they go.
Posted By: Texaslawman
Re: hog calibers? - 12/03/14 04:27 AM
I think this is the most asked question about hog hunting. Simple answer yes a .223 will kill a hog even a monster boar! The downside is a .223 is way more shot placement critical, like the comments above the 22lr will kill the biggest baddest pig if you hit the ear hole. I prefer the 6.8 or .308 myself its just added insurance with the extra knockdown power you can usually hit a running hog in the rear with one of those and anchor him. I say usually because hogs are tough and I have witnessed hog's take multiple rounds with good shot placement from some large calibers and still manage to run off.
I killed my first hog with a .22mag. I was actually hunting squirrels. I wouldn't really recommend that for hogs though. Personally my favorite is a GoldTip 7595 form a Hoyt! Here's a pic of the first one I got!
Posted By: tx_biologist
Re: hog calibers? - 12/05/14 08:10 PM
Marlin 1894 44Mag for the close up stuff
Posted By: kpg4923
Re: hog calibers? - 12/06/14 03:38 AM
I use a Ruger Deerfield 44 mag, But we shoot them with 22 mag in the traps. In the ear the 22 mag drops them dead. Im sure a 223 would do the same
Posted By: der Teufel
Re: hog calibers? - 12/07/14 03:49 AM
Will a .223 work? Sure. But, the folks who advocate using a .223 typically add a few important caveats, like:
Shoot 'em in the ear.
Head Shots!!
Shot Placement is key.
And they're telling the truth. A .223 will work on hogs if you can make a good shot.
HOWEVER, for those times when the hogs won't stand perfectly still, or they're posing at an inopportune angle, or your shot just isn't perfect (hey, it happens to me!) — a larger caliber is nice.
I bought a .223 and hunted hogs with it for a while. I spotted a small group of five hogs in a pasture each weighing about 80-90 pounds. One sow was obviously in estrus because she was running around in a random manner while another hog kept trying to jump on her. Their antics kept the other hogs shuffling around so that at no time was there a good shot opportunity. Finally, the sow paused for a couple of seconds and I got a shot off. Because I didn't have a lot of time to make a perfect shot, I just aimed for the center of mass. I hit center of mass. The hogs took off across the pasture, with the sow trailing behind. I managed to shoot her again and she went down. When I got to her, she was still alive. I had to shoot her a third time to kill her. I recovered the first bullet. It was a 60 grain Nosler Partition which had expanded perfectly! It just didn't have the oomph! to do the job, even though I wasn't shooting a very large hog.
I sold the AR-15 to my brother and bought an AR-10. I now shoot 180 grain soft points out of the AR-10 and it's pretty rare that I have to shoot a hog a second time.
Posted By: ItusTactical
Re: hog calibers? - 12/07/14 02:09 PM
We kill a lot of them with a .243. But my go to for hogs is an AR-10 loaded up with 180 SP just like the last gentleman. Knocks them down every time.
Posted By: Txkiller
Re: hog calibers? - 12/07/14 02:17 PM
We kill a lot of them with a .243. But my go to for hogs is an AR-10 loaded up with 180 SP just like the last gentleman. Knocks them down every time.
That's what I use and it's devastating
Posted By: huntandfish
Re: hog calibers? - 12/07/14 07:52 PM
I believe in my ar-15 using the hornady 75 bthp, its devestating on hogs! I believe morgan with DSS turn me on to using them. Fragments good, but has enough mass to penetrate deeply still. You need a pretty quick twist though for the 75 grainers.
Posted By: dfwroadkill
Re: hog calibers? - 12/07/14 08:56 PM
We kill a lot of them with a .243. But my go to for hogs is an AR-10 loaded up with 180 SP just like the last gentleman. Knocks them down every time.
That's what I use and it's devastating
Add me to this pile (.308)....less the .243...
Posted By: Hogz
Re: hog calibers? - 12/18/14 01:57 AM
243 with 95 grain Hornady SST