I've been wanting to go hog hunting for several years, just moved to TN last fall, and they do have some good hunting here and in Georgia below. Having grown up shooting mainly shotguns for waterfowl, and .22s for whatever else, I wanted to ask some questions before I went out and picked a gun for hogs. I've read that .30-06 can be overkill, that varmit rounds are good enough if shot placement is good- so I was wondering what everyone uses and/or would tell a friend to use. I like the Browning BARs for the fact that follow up shots are possible. I also wondered is anyone using lever action rifles? Thanks for the advice in advance!
I would recommend 308, 30-06, 300wm, 338, 9,3x62 the bigger hog the bigger caliber. As for bullets go for a better harder bullet, nosler accubond, Hornady interbond. I would not recommend varmint rounds for hogs, for headshots maybe but not in general use, those varmints are way to soft for a 200 lbs boar, trust me. I often use 30-06 and hornady Interbond 150 grain. They work like a charmBrowning bar is a pretty neat rifle, go for for it!
The main point of hog hunting is realizing that they are gigantic vicious animals capable of killing and eating grizzley bears. I have personaly watched a 35 pound shoat uproot a giant oak just to get at a single grub. there was this one time when my buddy drove his John Deer combine inbetween a momma hog and her babies. He bareley got out alive and the insurance adjuster totalled out the combine because it was damaged so much. I do not think I would try to hun them with anything less than maybe a 416 Rigby and I would use that for head shots on small hogs only. I remember when I had a friend down and he was using his 600 Nitro Express. He had the gall to try to take one over a hundred pounds and he had to put 7 rounds into it before it fell over.
Seriously a 30-06 is a great hog caliber and is very flexible. I have also been using my 22 mag quite a bit and it kills them just as dead.
BTW a 200 pound hog is for pictures, a 80 pound hog is for eating.
I've been wanting to go hog hunting for several years, just moved to TN last fall, and they do have some good hunting here and in Georgia below. Having grown up shooting mainly shotguns for waterfowl, and .22s for whatever else, I wanted to ask some questions before I went out and picked a gun for hogs. I've read that .30-06 can be overkill, that varmit rounds are good enough if shot placement is good- so I was wondering what everyone uses and/or would tell a friend to use. I like the Browning BARs for the fact that follow up shots are possible. I also wondered is anyone using lever action rifles? Thanks for the advice in advance!
If it is inNE TN, no need for .30-06, .30-30 will do. A word of advice, for NE TN & NW NC, you better be inshape!
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A 30:06 will do, so would a .243, but I personally like the .270 have used it on elk deer boar and bear with good shot placement and the right bullet it will do fine, with out good shot placement or with the wrong bullet they don't make them big enough. Lee
I've been wanting to go hog hunting for several years, just moved to TN last fall, and they do have some good hunting here and in Georgia below. Having grown up shooting mainly shotguns for waterfowl, and .22s for whatever else, I wanted to ask some questions before I went out and picked a gun for hogs. I've read that .30-06 can be overkill, that varmit rounds are good enough if shot placement is good- so I was wondering what everyone uses and/or would tell a friend to use. I like the Browning BARs for the fact that follow up shots are possible. I also wondered is anyone using lever action rifles? Thanks for the advice in advance!
Hello fellow Tennesseeian. No need for a cannon for TN hogs. They're not that big. A 30-06, 270, 280 or 30-30 is fine.The ammo isreadily available and doesn't cost an arm and a leg.Plus all of those make excellent deer guns as well.
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1st Hog Gun ?'s
Browning bar is a pretty neat rifle, go for for it!
