Hog hunting rifle choice

[TurdFerguson]

I may have posted in the wrong forum the first time…

Looking to do some hog hunting in for a day May/June at the Clinton House Plantation in SC. I am trying to decide which rifle to take or should I take both. I am planning to take an AR (mk12 clone 1:8 twist) to hunt with. Property allows 223/556. I'm reading hit or miss on the 556. Should I leave the AR and take a 3006, take both ect? I am assuming shots would be within 300 yards but need to call the outfitters to confirm.

If I go 556:
65 grain Sierra Game Kings
or
70 grain Hornady CX
or
Barnes TSX triple Shock 70 grains

Take the 3006
150 grain Hornady SST
or
165 Grain SBT Game Kings
or
180 grain Sierra Game King Game Changers

 

[Romeo458]

Of your choices I'd say 30-06 sst. When we went my friends 7mm Mauser with SSTs dropped them pretty fast. Not as fast as my 458 Win mag, but I like big guns and I can not lie

 

[Milspec Longhorn]

.556-77 gr OTM- MK 262

 

[KYAggie]

My first question is, do you want to shoot AND eat them? Or just eradicate them? If you want to retrieve them, take the 30-06. I’ve shot them in Texas, they are tough animals. I used a 6.5 CM with Barnes 127LRX. It worked great. I was able to shoot all but one in the spine 2” behind and 2” below the ear, they dropped right there. One was running toward me and I was on the ground. When it got 30’ away I shot him in the center of his chest and he turned and ran 10’ to my left, I shot him again as he passed and he dropped. If you want to find them 100% of the time, I would not use a 5.56. The area I was hunting was thick woods, if they ran very far with no blood trail, you would never find them. I know plenty have been shot with a 5.56 and retrieved, but I would only use one if I could get a head shot or in open fields.

 

[isofahunter]

3006 is the easy button. 556 will kill them but of you want to drop them you are limited to the eye to ear area. Biggest hog I have ever shot was with a 223 but I had to wait for the ear to appear and send it down the ear hole.

 

[diggler1833]

If you're hunting from a SAFE position and don't mind losing a lot of ones that you hit (poorly) on the run...then the 5.56 will suffice.

Most of those places don't want hunters sticking 20 animals with bullets...kind of reduces the chances of charging more hunters down the road.

I've killed pigs that were as tall and long as bucks with a 5.56, it all depends on where you hit them. And when you can't guarantee exactly where that next shot is going it has fallen way behind other cartridges. My safety also depends on killing them and not having a wounded and pissed off pig turning on me in the dark. Therefore I never recommend the 5.56 for solo hunters at night.

 

[Milspec Longhorn]

If you're hunting from a SAFE position and don't mind losing a lot of ones that you hit (poorly) on the run...then the 5.56 will suffice.

Most of those places don't want hunters sticking 20 animals with bullets...kind of reduces the chances of charging more hunters down the road.

I've killed pigs that were as tall and long as bucks with a 5.56, it all depends on where you hit them. And when you can't guarantee exactly where that next shot is going it has fallen way behind other cartridges. My safety also depends on killing them and not having a wounded and pissed off pig turning on me in the dark. Therefore I never recommend the 5.56 for solo hunters at night.

Take that to the bank-coming from someone who knows what he is talking about

 

[Darryle]

If you're hunting from a SAFE position and don't mind losing a lot of ones that you hit (poorly) on the run...then the 5.56 will suffice.

Most of those places don't want hunters sticking 20 animals with bullets...kind of reduces the chances of charging more hunters down the road.

I've killed pigs that were as tall and long as bucks with a 5.56, it all depends on where you hit them. And when you can't guarantee exactly where that next shot is going it has fallen way behind other cartridges. My safety also depends on killing them and not having a wounded and pissed off pig turning on me in the dark. Therefore I never recommend the 5.56 for solo hunters at night.

Even at point blank range with a solid 5.56 bullet, it isn't a cake walk, go with the '06. I cannot remember which bullet I was using.

Shot these 5 in a hastily built trap, they broke out and all but one died in the yard or trap, other made it to the woods and expired. It was a whole lot of western for the 10rds fired. I was lucky, they broke the trap directly in front of me. Used 17g galvanized electric fence wire for the ties, 4 at each post.

 

[Milspec Longhorn]

A testament as to how tough they are

 

[zeroz]

Good advice above.

My .02 Id want something in between if you have it or can borrow it. My preferred is a Grendel AR. The 06 is going to kill them great but follow up shots will be slow and meat preservation will suffer. 556 is great for follow up shots but recovery will be lower after the first head/neck shot, and it better be perfect or they're running off. If you're going with the 556 id go with a copper solid as you're more likely to get an exit wound you can track. Pigs love to plug holes in themselves and not bleed so 2 is better than 1. Assuming you want to eat them, Id do the same with the 06 since I dont like lead spatter in my meat, which the SST is known (personally) to do.

Id take both but I always take a back up rifle. If I had to choose from those, Id go 06 since I want to eat them and Id plan on just getting the first one DRT and maybe be able catch a second. If I was just trying to put holes in piggies, Id take the AR.

 

[TurdFerguson]

Thank you guys for the responses. I am still waiting to hear about actual shot ranges they are running into. I am struggling to find practice targets. Anyone have any suggestions? I plan to harvest 1 if I get the chance, I'll be at the in-laws so this is a sneak out of the house opportunity lol

 

[diggler1833]

Thank you guys for the responses. I am still waiting to hear about actual shot ranges they are running into. I am struggling to find practice targets. Anyone have any suggestions? I plan to harvest 1 if I get the chance, I'll be at the in-laws so this is a sneak out of the house opportunity lol

Really if you're after meat, I'd just practice at small targets and try to hit as dead-center neck as possible from a broadside. It is a complete CNS knockout. If you're a bit left/right for some reason...you're still breaking the spine and get an instant drop. You hit a tad low and you're wiping out the circulatory system. You hit a tad high and you still break the spine.

Hog hearts are just a bit lower than deer hearts and the lungs are a bit smaller, so the "traditional" shot on a whitetail is going to put you in the back half of the lungs = better chance they run a bit into thick cover.

Here is a photo I used to use when I showed impact placement on one that I had shot:

They aren't immortal or made out of Kevlar, but if you screw up that initial shot they can get fairly tough in a hurry. You don't have to overthink your setup though. Anything that you'd take deer hunting works for pigs too. Shot placement, shot placement, and shot placement.

One critical piece of advice to a new hunter though: If a hit hog is laying upright (on its chest)...shoot it again as there is about a 95% chance it is still alive. And never miss a chance to be cautious.

Here's a dog my wife and I sewed up last Friday evening for some Texas boys: