1st Hog Gun ?'s
 

Hello all,

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!

RE: 1st Hog Gun ?'s
 

That will do, I use a bow only. There's nothing wrong with 30-06 for hogs.

RE: 1st Hog Gun ?'s
 

I use a 30-06, a .243, or my bow. All of them do the trick.

RE: 1st Hog Gun ?'s
 

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 charm;)Browning bar is a pretty neat rifle, go for for it!

RE: 1st Hog Gun ?'s
 

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.

RE: 1st Hog Gun ?'s
 

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!:)

RE: 1st Hog Gun ?'s
 

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

RE: 1st Hog Gun ?'s
 

You got that right!:)

RE: 1st Hog Gun ?'s
 

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.

RE: 1st Hog Gun ?'s
 

I was thinking about a .308, but now am leaning more towards .30-06

RE: 1st Hog Gun ?'s
 

winchester model 94 30-30. open sighted.

RE: 1st Hog Gun ?'s
 

Are you going hog hunting or hog shooting?

RE: 1st Hog Gun ?'s
 

Hunting- I'd eat what I shot

RE: 1st Hog Gun ?'s
 

Are you considering buying a new rifle? 1st rifle/1st hog rifle?

let us know what you're looking to do.....and what you have already, if you had a .30-06, great gun/round there to use, but if you're looking to buy a rifle, and if its your 1st rifle or not, that may make a difference.

Also even if you have no plans to hunt out west, if buying a rifle to hunt hogs, I'd probably opt for a rifle I could use out west if I ever had to.

It's pretty universally accepted that the .30-06 is the best single rifle all around for NA, but if you already have a rifle or two then maybe the suggestion would change....

RE: 1st Hog Gun ?'s
 

I don't currently have a centerfire rifle, and have never hunted exclusively for hogs. I do like the .30-06, but I've done some research on the Marlin 308MX, which is a lever action that shoots the new .308 Marlin Express cartridge. This new cartridge has nearly identical ballistics as the regular .308 Winchester, but you can load it in a tubular magazine. The appeal to me for this gun & cartridge would be follow up shots on hogs. I could certainly use the gun for deer as well. This gun would be good for hogs, especially with see through scope rings for any close shots in the woods etc. Comments?

RE: 1st Hog Gun ?'s
 

I'm not familiar with the marlin 308MX, but marlin makes a great lever action. I would give a word of caution if you are planning on using hornady leverevolution ammo. On at least some marlins, the leverevolution ammo can jam in the magazine tube, leaving you standing there holding an expensive club. That is decidedly not fun when you have a 280 lb boar coming after you. Been there, done that, not fun.

About any centerfire rifle of .243 caliber or above will do the job on hogs if you do your part. But I would suggest that you never use a varmit bullet in any caliber on hogs. That, in my opinion, is a recipe for disaster.

As regard the see thru scope mounts, in my opinion they are not the best of both worlds, they are the worst of both worlds. I would suggest either a good peep, or a low power scope, I have a couple of the nikon 2X8's that work very well. Whichever you get, practice with it untill you are good with it.

Bill

RE: 1st Hog Gun ?'s
 

Hunting is when you can get within 30 to 40 yards and kill it....Then you have hunted the hog!:)

RE: 1st Hog Gun ?'s
 

Never needed anything more than a 223 right below the ear-kills em all no matter the size.

RE: 1st Hog Gun ?'s
 

Personally I like this scope: http://www.millettsights.com/controller.php/catalog/tactical_dms

RE: 1st Hog Gun ?'s
 

I'm weary of new cartridges, the .308 is hugely popular as is the .30-06, so a new .308 express etc....I'm not sure how successful/much of an impact it can make.

If fast follow up shots is what you want, consider a semi auto,otherwise I'd go for a bolt. Personally a bolt vs a lever IMO is splitting hairs as far as action speed. Most guys I ever see throw their bolt well after that 1st shot anyway, by the time most do, could have reloaded a single shot. So action speed wouldn't really affect my decision, but if either were, I'd go for a semi auto probably or bolt.

RE: 1st Hog Gun ?'s
 

you might be right about follow up shot speed for guys that are used to throwing their bolt quickly... I probably wouldn't be one of those guys though! I'm in no rush, so I'm still shopping around for the right gun.

RE: 1st Hog Gun ?'s
 

Don't have a .22 Mag myself. But got one one order. I've killed several lately with the .22LR. Just put the bullet in their ear.

RE: 1st Hog Gun ?'s
 

if you got the kala(money) try the bushmaster in 6.8 its my new hog gun its awsome, but for years i used a 30 carbine small,lite,fast,semi auto,its a great hog gun,but a little underrated

RE: 1st Hog Gun ?'s
 

I have a Remington .243 and would like to use it to hunt California hogs. You made reference to "varmit" rounds. What would be the best round? Bear in mind that California now requires "Lead-Free" bullets. So far all I can find is the Barnes Triple Shock. Any ideas?

RE: 1st Hog Gun ?'s
 

From what I've seen, you can't go wrong with the triple shocks. Great terminal ballistics. The bullet will not come apart like the varmint rounds and should almost always give a pass through even on some pretty good size hogs. I've tried them in my Tikka T-3 in 338 federal and have been absolutely impressed with accuracy. Haven't tried them in anything else, but plan to soon. As long as they group tight they will probably be my go-to tound in just about everything. Now they have the tipped TSX and the MRX which are all variations of the x-bullet. I think the MRX has a tungsten alloy core so it should be kookyfornia legal.

In Texas we don't care what you shoot'em with or how many at anytime day or night. Jim

Any 30 caliber should work fine. A .270 is also quite good enough. Unless you have a specific need for a certain rifle think about ammo costs. If you're only going to have one rifle (for now) get one that has good ammo availability. 30-06, .308, .270, or even a .243 probably fit the bill. I got a .308 because my buddy had one and now we can share ammo. Not to mention that I can buy it everywhere.

As for shot placement, head shots are great if you can get close enough to be absolutely certain of a kill. As for me, when in doubt I always go for the shoulder. My theory is that it's better to waste some meat than to miss or wound the hog and have it run off. Something is better than nothing!

But back on topic, any 30 cal will work on hogs. As salukipv1 said, it might be nice to have a rifle that's good anywhere in the country. For that purpose, drop off the .243 and the 30-30. A .270 is adequate for anything in the lower 48 states, and a 30-06 or .308 is more than adequate.

If i didnt know better i would think you guys were shooting elephant...ive shot a few hogs before ,,,one at 300#s and all i used was my 50cal. muzzleloader...DEAD no problem

There is a group that hunts them with nothing but air rifles.

Gamo Air Rifle


View My Video

WOW!!!That was impressive.

You mention you shoot shotguns as well... Every think about buying a rifled slug barrel and shooting slugs at them? I don't know of many critters that can handle a slug through the boiler room! I don't know what your state laws are about what you can shoot them with, but there are many slugs out there that will match centerfire performance out past 100 yards out of a rifled barrel. Plus, if you shoot a pump or semi it would give you that quick follow-up you're looking for. That would be cheaper than buying a rifle.

But, you have a very good excuse to buy a rifle. So my advice is... NEW GUN! NEW GUN!

rw

^^^^^this^^^^^

I started hunting hogs this year with a bow, I went with some friends after bow season was up and. They had 22 mags, so I bought me one put it between there eye and there ear and they will drop like a rocks, we went Friday and my buddy shot his right behind the shoulder in the good stuff on a 225pound boar and it didn't make it 50 yards, another guy shot a smaller one (150pds or so) in the same spot and it didn't make it 20 yards, I shot one that same day in-between the eye and the ear and dropped it at about 60yards, also went this morning, same scenario but at about 25 yards and stoned her lights out,

We all have marlin 22. Mags, I have a Simmons 3x9 on mine , black strap 2 mags and 200 bullets cost me 300$- can't beat that at all if you ask me!

So, so far, hogs up to 225 pounds is no match for this 22mag. I'll have videos up of them soon, right now I just have the bow hunts up, but lots of 22mag hog action to come!

Still waiting on a bigger hog 300# plus to see how the ole 22 mag fairs against it, but i think as long as you hit em in the "thinker" it won't matter how big they are

Yeah there was another guy that went with the group I usually go with when I couldn go and he was using a 17 too, said it did fine

His user name is venado

http://residents.bowhunting.net/awesomehunting

That video is nuts!!! I would much rather have my 30-30 in that situation. If nothing else a good drink after :guiness: