Hog hunting TONIGHT! NEED HELP! 556vs308

[madppcs]

Ok, so Im going hoghunting TONIGHT. Im not familiar with the property. But my father in law says that shots will be approx 60yds. My 308s have scopes not real suited for close range at night. They both wear a Nightforce 3.5x15 and Leup Mk4 4.5x14, and both are illuminated.

I know very well the capability of the 308. And that there will be NO doubt the hogs will be dead. But follow up shots inside 60yds at night will prove extremely difficult.

I swapped my Eotech on my 16" AR to a US Optics 1.8x10 with illuminated reticle. I shoot 2 types of 62grain. The 556 penetrator, and wolf 62grn hollow point (223).

My objective is to have easy follow-up shots on multiple hogs. If I were only looking for a 1 shot, single hog night, then of course my M21 will be the choice. We will have 2 shooters and 1 spotlighter. We will not be walking any distance. We will have 2 ATVs and a truck with a 30" LED light bar along with Q-beams. I think we are in for a H3LL of a night!

Im pretty much sold on my AR, but should I use the green-tip penetrator? Or 223 Hollow Point?

Or would you guys risk poor visibility through a magnified scope and pack the M21?

 

[/dev/mosin]

With all the light you and your buds are packing, I'd be more comfortable with the .308. Hate it when a pissed off hog turns and gives me the stink eye and then comes at me...

 

[Raptorx]

Go with the hollow points. You should have no problems with the hogs.

 

[Tackleberry]

If the .308's are bolt guns I would carry the ar15. I have killed a lot of pigs with 55fmj rounds. I am not real sure on the hollow point on larger pigs. They can be pretty tuff if really large. I really like the ar15 and ar10's since you don't have to bolt, just keep pulling the trigger

 

[madppcs]

the 308 in mind is an M21. (basically accurized M1a) that has a NF scope

 

[madppcs]

Lol, I asked my 5yr old which rifle HE would use on it. I said 1 fires a small bullet, one fires a bigger bullet. He asked me (Which one fires a bigger bullet?) I pointed to the M21, and he goes and picked it up saying, (You need this one daddy)..

How can you argue with that?

 

[Brasscow]

They are tough fuckers. I'd choose the 308 or the 62 penetrators. Definitely not the hollow points. I've done the 77gr hollow point thing before, wont be doing that again...

If you get them behind the ear it won't matter what you use, but if you're body shooting them on the move I'd go for something that's going to go in one side and out the other.

 

[SUIScide]

If I had the choice I'd go with the 223. Follow up shots will come much faster (you do want to kill em all don't you!) and that can be important at inside 100 yards. I've killed several 150-250 pounders with 50 grain vmaxes, not the ideal bullet but it will work. I think the 308 just has too much more recoil

 

[SUIScide]

The pig in the avatar was stopped with a 40 grain vmax, course he did try to slash my dads tires when we drove up to him!

 

[Raider Power]

I've shot a bunch of hogs in Texas with a number of different rounds, both pistol and rifle. Using expanding bullets, I've found shot placement is far more important than caliber. I seen several hogs shot with poorly placed .308 hunting bullets keep running. I've also seen a buch of hogs killed in their tracks with .22 caliber varmint bullets. If you're using full metal jacket, the bigger hole theory would be my choice. As long as you're not trying to break both front shoulders, .223 with varmint bullets is fine in my experience.

 

[madppcs]

Well, unfortunately we didn't see a single hog. There were millions of tracks, but not the real deal. The 308 would have been great even though it wears a 3.5x15. But honestly, the 1.8x10USOptics would have absolutely perfect in that scenario. I don't wanna mess with my scopes, so Ill wait until the scare settles, and Il buy a 7.62x39 upper and that should be perfect for hogs out to 200yds. Not quite as good as 308, but better than 223. And ammo is cheap, optics wont be a problem either.

 

[Danco411]

If you get to go again get yourself a box of Barnes Vortex bullets for your AR15 with EOTECH. The AR15 is lighter, faster handling and the semi auto is needed for multiple follow up shots. The Barnes TTSX bullet comes in 62 and 70 grains and will drop a hog better than a FMJ .308. Right behind the ear and bang flop!

I load my own TTSX rounds and they are amazing penetrators with good expansion and extremely accurate. I like the 70's out of my 1:8 twist 20" barrel.

 

[JoshcBoucher]

Just a thought. If you're on a 4X4, why not take both guns?

 

[madppcs]

If you get to go again get yourself a box of Barnes Vortex bullets for your AR15 with EOTECH. The AR15 is lighter, faster handling and the semi auto is needed for multiple follow up shots. The Barnes TTSX bullet comes in 62 and 70 grains and will drop a hog better than a FMJ .308. Right behind the ear and bang flop!

I load my own TTSX rounds and they are amazing penetrators with good expansion and extremely accurate. I like the 70's out of my 1:8 twist 20" barrel.

I LOVE the Barnes bullets. I shoot the 168s out of my 308s and they perform great. Ill look into the Barnes in 223

 

[madppcs]

Just a thought. If you're on a 4X4, why not take both guns?

We had 3 other shooters. The truck was pretty packed with food,water,guns, and people. I decided to leave the AR at the house.

 

[SUIScide]

We had 3 other shooters. The truck was pretty packed with food,water,guns, and people. I decided to leave the AR at the house.

No beer! Isn't that against the rules in Louisiana?

 

[madppcs]

Well, we did have 3 ice chests loaded with various (Drinks). And we didn't get back home with much left in there,lol. But the funs not over yet! We are going back tomorrow! Theres tons of tracks there. And their all fresh.

 

[JoshcBoucher]

I was just down there. I thought it was in the "Fish and Game" book, that "any sportsman" ,found without beer, would be CHARGED, for an offense.? Which one, was unclear. Or maybe the "other way around" I can't remember, cause I "had beer", and was fishing, not shooting.

No beer! Isn't that against the rules in Louisiana?

 

[Conrad101st]

5.56 is not too good on hogs if you are trying to bust a herd up. After the first shot, all the others will be hauling arse, so most of the follow-on targets are just shot center mass. 308 or 7.62x39 is the ticket there.

5.56 is great on an ear shot, but that's not very easy at 100 - 200 yards on a herd being engaged on your hay field when they are running full out.

 

[bluto77]

I've shot numerous hogs in south texas with both .223 and .308. Both will get the job done. However, I prefer watching them fall in their tracks, and the .308 does that more often than the .223. Don't get me wrong, we always find the ones that were shot with the .223 10, 20, 30 yards away, but the .308 has a tendency to drop 'em a little harder. Obviously, if you're getting head shot hits with the .223 they'll drop, but past the 1st hog that's not all that likely. The recoil on follow up shots is an issue with the .308 though. So what I've done is switched to the AAC 300 Blackout, SBR, Suppressed. It'll shoot as fast as I can pull the Geissele trigger! Still waiting on my tax stamp, and looking forward to getting more dead hogs per bunch than before.

 

[mavrick10_2000]

If I had the choice I'd go with the 223. Follow up shots will come much faster (you do want to kill em all don't you!) and that can be important at inside 100 yards. I've killed several 150-250 pounders with 50 grain vmaxes, not the ideal bullet but it will work. I think the 308 just has too much more recoil

Agreed. Killed plenty with 60 gr vmaxes. My vote is for AR15 because after the first bang or bullet crack (if shooting suppressed) you will need fast follow ups on the other hogs.

62gr M855 is fine for headshots, once the first shot is fired it's unlikely there will be anymore hit in the head except for luck as the rest of the group will scatter post haste. Dump all of the energy into the animal no full penetration where the energy goes through the other side and into the ground.

 

[GrantA]

This thread is making my itch for an AR10/LR-308 worse.....

 

[ArmaHeavy]

5.56 with green tip, and don't look back.

Aim for the base of the ears, or eyes, first(the brain is through them), and if you can't get a good shot, then the elbows of the front leg(the heart is behind them when standing still)