.22 For Hog Hunting
 

Hey guys, Is it possible to kill a hog with a .22 about under 15 yards. I want to go on a hog hunt and use my .22 mostly because I am an excellent shot and the ammo prices now. The outfitter said it can be done I will be only hunting 60-100 pound hogs.

RE: .22 For Hog Hunting
 

I saw a video of hog killed w/ a pellet gun. Im sure if you can put a hole in any critters brain, it will drop, but why go undergunned if you dont have to? A 243 is not expensive to shoot, and will be much more appropriate for hogs, which on average, are over 100lbs. The handful of hogs Ive killed, were over 160lbs and one almost 300.

RE: .22 For Hog Hunting
 

I already have a .243 I will bring it I just want to try one with a .22, I want to see how effective it is.

RE: .22 For Hog Hunting
 

I use a 22 mag to whack hogs all the time. Right between the eye and ear they drop like a rock. If he is facing you put the pill between his eyes and 3 inches high. The 22lr is just as effective.

RE: .22 For Hog Hunting
 

Will it kill it instantly? I don't want to be chased by some angry hog, if so I would think 40 grain solids, wouldn't hollow points be bad.

RE: .22 For Hog Hunting
 

My dad swears it can be done, but I would be more comfy using my 30-30... I'll try it though, after researching hog anatomy. I would guess in the neck, especially if you have a semi auto. As my dad says... "Empty the magazine into his neck!"

RE: .22 For Hog Hunting
 

not only can it be done, it does get done. My last hog was about 250lbs, and a 22lr hollow between the ear and eye dropped him in his tracks instantly. there was an entry hole and an exit hole so it was more than sufficient ballistically for the shot taken. keep the shot under 50 yards and you will be fine. It might can be done past 50 yards, but i have never tried it on a hog past 50 yards so I can't say one way or the other with regards to distances over 50 yards. As far as opinion goes, I wouldnt try it too far past 50 yards.

RE: .22 For Hog Hunting
 

Definately wouldnt tryto double lung a good size hog with a22lr though :)

RE: .22 For Hog Hunting
 

Thanks That's all I needed.

RE: .22 For Hog Hunting
 

Ear shots with .17HMR will also kill hogs!

RE: .22 For Hog Hunting
 

Would you be getting these hogs over bait?

RE: .22 For Hog Hunting
 

Can you kill a hog with a .22lr? Yes, under ideal conditions.

Would I hunt hogs with one? Not a chance. If you are very close and get a very good shot at the side of the head, it will get the job done. If a large hog is facing you, a .22lr will not reliably penetrate the front of the skull, even at close range. I've run onto unhappy hogs twice checking traps, where all I had was the .22lr I was dispatching the coons with. The .22lr shots did not penetrate the skull, even at less than 15 yards. These were sows, but not large. The bullets hit the skull and deflected harmlessly upward along the skull. One I climbed a tree and killed shooting down behind the skull into the neck, the other turned and ran before she got to me. Otherwise, I would have been in a mess.

RE: .22 For Hog Hunting
 

I use the 40 grain hollow point. I have never not had a hog just drop when you hit them in the head. I have also never had the round deflect. Maybe I have been lucky but my go to hog gun in the summer is a 22 mag. I have shot a few that twitched on the ground for a second or two.

RE: .22 For Hog Hunting
 

Good post.

Shot a big sowin the head with a .22 LR solid point at about 10 yards.She was bleeding badly and went over one-half mile before she died. Will never take a head on shot at a hog with anykind or rimfire again.

i often hog hunt on a huge place where we are restricted to the use of rimfires during small game season. A .22 is nota proper hog gun.It canwork in a pinch, at very short ranges only. Use only 40 grain or heavier solid point ammo. A .22 magnum works much better.

Do not shoot hogs with rimfires atranges over about 40 yards,much closer for the .22 LR.Shoot the hog in the ear, just behind the earor on a line betweenthe ear and eye. Continue to shoot until the wiggling stops. Bought a.22 magnum last year and won't look back, it does a much better jobthan the .22 LR.I use the CCI .22 magnum full metal jacket ammo.

I would not shoot a big hogfrom the ground with any kind of rimfire. Well, maybe a .41 Swiss.

Given my druthers my rimfires wouldstay at home all the time while hog hunting.Do nothunt hogs with arimfire unless that is the only rifle that you own.

RE: .22 For Hog Hunting
 

There's a lot of difference even between a .22lr and a .22 WMR. But neither would be my go-to gun given a choice. Just moving up in caliber to a small .22 centerfire with the right bullet can make a huge, huge difference.

There are two times that I do use a .22lr on hogs. If I see sows with piglets, I try to kill all the sows as quickly as possible, trying to keep their corpses in one general area. My dog I've got now makes it a little easier, because he'll grab and hold a piglet for me. The other sows hear it squealing and will often come running to its aid, making themselves easy targets. I'll leave and come back to the area later with my .22lr and clean up any of the piglets that remain or returned. Some of them aren't bad eating, and I don't ruin as much meat that way. And I can stay far enough away the noise doesn't spook them and make them run. The other is when I've got small ones in traps that are too small to sell.

RE: .22 For Hog Hunting
 

When I was a little guy they would shoot the hogs in the eye or ear with a 22 to butcher them. We always used a small sledge hammer with a spike welded on the face. I remeber going to other farms to help butcher hogs where they used the 22. Sometimes they would go right down, sometimes they had to shoot them many times in the head to put them down. I wouldn't do it just because the animal could suffer a good deal of pain if it didn't put him down.
One thing you may want to considder is the little guys can still rip your calf muscle to the bone. I would personally be kind of soar with a fellar that knocked a plug out of my head. Bear in mind a wild animal has a flight or fight instinct. I would much rather face a very tough man than a little pig with 2" teeth that are designed to rip flesh. Just a thought.
Blessings

when i was a kid my father had a deerlease in south texas with several hog traps set up & everytime we caught some my father would use a .22lr to kill them, he would shoot them behind the ear or inbetween the eyes fom about 5 to 10 yards,they would drop like a sack of tatters

I agree!

It may seem 'sporting' to hunt hogs with a .22 rimfire, but the odds of merely wounding an animal seem too great. It's possible to kill deer with a rimfire, but most states outlaw that practice for good reason.

Maybe it's somewhat like fishing with ultra light tackle. When you land one you really feel like you've accomplished something. On the other hand, when you shoot a hog with a .22 and it gets away, you may have killed a hog, but it wasn't a quick, effective kill and you don't have any meat to show for your efforts.

Me, I carry a .308 'cuz I don't like to go to the effort and expense of making a hunting trip, finding and stalking a hog, and taking a shot only to see it run off and not be found. But then, maybe that's just me.

:sign0018:Perhaps just a little off-topic -- when I was in the Army a sergeant gave me some advice. He said "If you see a fight shaping up, whether it's on a combat patrol or in a bar, evaluate the situation and see if it's going to be a fair fight. If it looks like a fair fight, get the (heck) outta there! You have no business getting into a fight unless you have an overwhelming superiority!"

I look at hog hunting the same way. I try to keep all the advantages to myself, and not give the hog a fair chance.

I've seen video of this "professional hunter" on versus kill them with a pellet rifle. That was with in ten yards and he had hounds and a back up guy with a 30-30.

Would I personally hunt them with a 22lr. NOPE. It can be done. Personally I would not try it because I have other options and have no experience yet in hunting hogs. I'm hoping my first trip to be in the next three to five years and to do it with my bow or my 44mag rifle. If you have previous experience with them, and I assume you do. Then you very well may have the experience needed. I wish ya the best of luck either way.

I was a butcher for sometime right after high school, the .22 lr is capable of killing hogs cleanly with a solid point but the .22 mag is much better suited for them. If all you have is .22 lr wait for a broadside presentation and shoot them right at the base of the ear and you should be fine. Solid points are the way to go definitely no hp's. Good Luck

wow.getting a hog with a .22/
i shot one in the neck with a .270 and it didnt fall.had to to place another in its lungs before it fell.
tough bastards.
.22 would work if your shooting a hog from less than 20 yards but then thats not hunting-its target practice.

I have my crossman pellet gun all dialed in. I'm pretty sure I can take an elk with it at 10 yards or less. All I have to do is wait until it is facing me with its head down feeding. Then BLAM, right in the eye!!! It's all about shot placement!!:confused2:

I have shot many Hogs with .22 LR but it must be hollow Point and temple shot.

I personally prefer the expensive solid copper 22 rounds for hog. But as Kosherboy stated it has to be a temple shot. There is also a softspot on the front of the skull between the eyes but the temple is a better choice.

I saw such an episode on Hunting University.They killed two hogs with single shots between the eyes.One porker was over 200 lbs.Both dropped in their tracks.

I have kill many hogs with a 22 . Hit them right behind the ear and its lights out.

i wouldnt try it.

Ive seen it done.I wouldnt go huntin them with a 22 but when I am out squirrel huntin and see one I want pass up the chance.

.22lr with FMJ right around the ear(depends on broad quarter etc) will drop them on the spot, although they sometimes kick and squeal when you do it. Hollowpoints are not recommended, they tend to shatter on the skull and the brainscrambler of a nicely penetrated, intact FMJ is the best chance you have of taking one with a .22LR. I wouldn't feel good about anything over 50yd with .22 balistics. could be done, not particularly responsible. I have seen 4 piglets and a sow taken in under a minute with this method with a 10/22. Be careful of between the eyes, there is a real chance of deflection, even with higher calibers. Tree dwellers will not have this problem. I have taken 250+ lb hog this way. It is particularly nice for meat hunters. hope that helps.

No offense but I don't get it. Can it be done, sure. You're talking about going with an outfitter and you're worried about the price of one or two bullets?

I think this statement pretty well summarizes my feelings on caliber selection. If I'm going to the trouble of driving out to my hunting spot (it costs me ~$15 in gas round trip at today's prices), buying or bringing along a meal for the evening, plus the time and effort involved, I want to be pretty certain that any hog I shoot at is going down. Sure, .22 ammo is cheap and the rifle is lightweight and easy to carry, but if I spot a hog 125 yards away in a pasture, I want to be able to shoot at it with some confidence.

Likewise, if I wound one and have to trail it into the brush, I want more than just a .22 in my hand when I find it. :fighting0007:
. . . Of course, that's why I usually bring along my .45ACP :biggrin:

I agree why try to save a couple of dollars and end up going home empty handed and having to pay the outfitter. Also I have chased too many hogs that were wounded through thick brush to not use a gun that I know will knock them down. The biggest hog we shot was shot with a .223 in the neck, but we have also had several bullets from the same gun bounce off their skulls. We now usually use a .243 minimum and usually some type of .30 or larger. It lets us shoot them from long range if we have to or make a lung shot on a large boar through the shield.

guys
modern day hunting is all about killing the animal as swiftly as possible.
even if a .22 does the job it wont be efficient.
boars are super tough and a .22 is a lousy caliber for that animal.

A 22 lr will do the job as long as you are close and the shot is perfect, otherwise you should pass. As a finishing shot from very close range i have shot a hog right behind the ear with a 22 short and killed it instantly, its all about shot placement. i am NOT saying a 22 short is a good hunting rd, just that as a finisher it can do the job. however if you are going on a guided hunt do yourself a favor and take a centerfire, or at least a muzzleloader, its lots of fun smokepoling them

I wanna take my .22 hornet hog hunting.

bn there and done that. Shot hog at 65 yards with 22 long rifle, aimed right into the ear. He dropped right where I shot him. The hog weighed in at 192lbs.