I'm sure this has been beaten to death, and perhaps someone wants to sticky this, but I was wondering what kind of caliber selection would be appropriate.
I've done a lot of reading on this for hog hunting, and my reading suggests that most folks go big, .35 remington and higher. But there does seem to be a some who use 30/30, 6.5x55 and the like and rely on better placement. Is this practical? Would using pistol calibers from cowboy shoots work?
Should I understand caliber as being loosely based on the size of the hog, or can a well placed 30/30 defeat even a 800 beast?
It seems foolish to play to their strengths by trying to blast through the shoulder plate, meaning we must shoot around it. But if the issue then comes down to penetration and placement, then a smaller faster more accurate round seems to be the place to go instead of leveling up to a .444 and the such.
As part of this, what kind of range do you all find that you most typically engage hogs? If people are engaging at primarily 50-100 yards, it seems that certain calibers would be more appropriate than if it's primarily 75-125 (although I'm guessing that most taking happens in about 10-50 yards from my reading).
Hello neoinarien, You're right on target with your thinking. Most hogs are engaged between 25 and 100 yds. Precise bullet placement is critical and if you are capable, the 6.5 and 30/30 are grocery getters as they have the correct velocity and density for sufficient penetration to take out the plumbing without blowing apart. In the case of heavy cover, low light, unfamiliarity with the gun, or shakey hands,the large heavy calibers can be of benefit in case the shot encounters the plate. As for the cowboy stuff, loaded up .45 colts work well for us as well as standard 45/70s. Bullets designed for dangerous game are consistently the best performers. Ballistic tips and hollow points are responsible for many hogs not being recovered. Yet for culling purposes we use .22 mags or .223s placed appropriately in the ear hole. Even the largest hogzilla can't walk away from that!
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Im thinking a deer riflew may be a little over kill on a hog. Im in the process of planning a weekend hunt in the Gays Mills, Wi area in two weeks from today. My buddy will be carrying his bow, I will be carrying my Taurus .44 Mag revolver. Being from a farm half my life, I know this...pigs are soft. A .44 would be just right without the over kill of a rifle like a .35 which is an excellent rifle. I have a Remington Model760 .35.
I shoot most of my hogs with a .223 using game bullets (not varmint). I have had no problems downing hogs with it, either shooting them in the ear or slightly behind, or sometimes in the heart or lungs. I prefer the ear shot if possible because there is no tracking involved. I have taken several hogs with it this year, and I took over 75 with it last year. Most of my shots are very close, probably half are 10 yards or closer, but I have also taken some nice hogs at ranges out to 200 yards with it.
If a person can't kill a hog witha 6.5 or 30/30, they need to put in some more time at the range practicing.
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Most of all my hog hunting has been with dogs and carried side arm only, but for 75 & 100yd shots, a .243 w/100gr Sierra in a hogs ear will drop him where he stands.
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The ear shot is the fastest by far! Funny thing...size of critter don't matter when brain is disconnected from rest of body,and projectile size doesn't matter doing it!
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Caliber selection
