243 & hogs
 

Would any of you guys use a a 243 ? What bullet would you use on them?

I have/do with no problems...just aim for their head. I use 95 gr Hornady SST's.

isnt 95 gr a bit too less?
yeh anything bigger than a .22 will kill the hog with a head shot.
one thing.these animals are tough.don't underestimate them.
either the lung or the head shot.

The SST's hit pretty hard. It's the only thing I've ever used with my 243, so I can't compare it too anything else, but like I said, I haven't had any problems yet. Where we go, the guides give us northerners crap because of the "cannons" we bring down. They all say they use 220 swifts or 223's.

we use a 223 with the 55g...knocks em down where they stood!!

243 aint much bigger

Considering the difference in the weight of the bullet, isn't that a little like saying that a 380 lb defensive lineman ain't much bigger than a 210 lb quarterback?

I use the 100 gr. Rem. Core Lokt's and have taken hogs up to about 200 lbs with it, though I prefer the taste of smaller pigs, and generally try to knock down the 30-40 pounders.

Thanks guys. The reason I'm asking is because I'm planning on a boar hunt @ a place called Wildhill preserve. On their web site they suggest .30cal. rifles. I know ballistically the 243 is better than the 30.30.
I was thinking of trying the Federal premium loaded with Barnes TSX 85g bullet......What do you guys know about this load?

They say 30 calibers because generally speaking it carries more energy and enertia. Those outfitters don't know you from Tim, Dick or even Harry or your shooting skills and chances are a marginally hit hog with a 30caliber slug in him is going down way quicker than a marginally hit hog with a 243 in him. Just a little assurance on their side. I was told the same thing by an outfitter I know personally, just passing it on.

Like said above 100 gr. 243 core loks. Here is one that fell to the H&R 243 (the bigger one)

aint sure what your saying here, but yes the 243 is bigger, i was saying if a 223 can do it, you should have a good chance with the 243.

When using the.243, I use 100gr Sierra Game Kings!

I know alot of guys like the 85g gamekings

100 grain Hornady .243 to the earhole

Nice hog Jim.

ANYThing in the earhole should do the trick. The problem with a .243 and larger hogs is the small diameter hole pinches off and you typically don't get a blood trail. It will kill them, you just can't FIND them. Scramble his brain or break his neck.

I like the 243 for hogs, whatevers most accurate is best so you can split their melon or shoot em behind the ear. Ive killed many with a 22 hornet with 40 gr v-maxs. dont body shoot one with the 243, the shield on a boar or the shoulder fat on a sow will clog the holes up and there wont be a bloodtrail.

Please delete.

For whatever it's worth, I have hunted Wild Hill a number of times in the past. I have seen just about every caliber used at one time or another. From .45ACP up to .338 Win Mag. It's not the gun, it's the shooter. Don't shoot through the shoulder, and you will be fine. Nothing, I repeat, Nothing survives a bullet through both lungs. Pick your shot, and have a ball.
When are you going?
Tell Bill Richter that J. Feller sends his regards.

I havent had a problem body, shoulder or leg shooting hogs with a .243, if I aint going for the head, I make sure to take that shoulder or leg out with a body shot.
.243 blows right through.

Another 243 hog shot by my buddy Rowel (Rloving)

I'll tell him you said hello.How do you like wildhill? I've read some positive things about it on this site.

With all the acreage he has, it is the closest I have seen to a truly free range hunt. Ask in advance to sleep in the main house, not the bunk house. Much better sleeping conditions. Semi private rooms.
I always ask that I be posted at an area where there are no fences visable. He is always willing to accomodate your wishes, unless it is a safety issue.
For your own safety, listen to what Bill tells you. Those piggies can hurt you if you give them the opportunity. The last time I was there, my buddy and I spent a hair-raising 5 minutes after we got ourselves in the middle of a group of about 10 that came to find out what the loud bang was all about. Like Bill said, re-load and freeze. We did, they left.
Like I said, when are you going? If you want some extra company, I will make the time to join you. I love that place.
e-mail [email protected] if you want more info.
Good luck

I'm planning on going in the late fall or early winter. When I get a definate date I'll shoot you a PM. I would enjoy the company!

Please let me know. I really do enjoy Wild Hill, and look forward to meeting you.
If you want to meet sooner, I am in Dutchess County, and my club has a number of rifle, pistol. archery, and trap ranges I can take you to.
Let me know, you have my e-mail.

I've seen hogs go down and get back up and run away never to be found when shot with a 25-06, 270, and 7mm-.08. Some of these pigs were hit multiple times. I have never seen one get away from either a .308 or .30-06- although I have seen some need follow up shots. I know it's done successfully by lots of hunters but I feel like a .243 is too light for pigs. As for doing it with the .223, I've seen the videos on you tube and they are incredibly cruel and unusual. You might as well tie those pigs up and start cutting off their body parts while they're still alive- then the animal rights activists would really have something to complain about! If you want to use a .223 please make sure you also have a thirty round mag because your going to need it! I know head shots are different, but i personally would not want to limit my opportunity to harvest an animal to strictly taking head shots.

The .270 win has been a swine death ray in my experience. Any centerfire in the hands of a capable shooter who knows where to put the bullet hes shooting will kill hogs. I personally dont believe in body shooting hogs under 200 yards, after 200 i try to hit em where i can.

agreed,
if you have to shoot a pig twice with a .270 .25 or 7-08
you lack the basic skills of hunting, and shooting.

Even a behind the shoulder shot with 130 gr .27 caliber bullets usually rolls em up in their tracks for me, before i started handloading the 140 gr hornady sp in light mag ammo really put an azzwhoopin on em.

Thanks for the vote of confidence, its nice to be supported for agreeing with the professional recommendation and sharing my own personal experience watching others shoot hogs. We can't all be Ivory Towers I guess.
Any cartridge will work if its a perfect shot-- that's not even worth saying. Hunting is seldom perfect. I have seldom seen a good first shot fail with any cartridge. It is the second, third, and fourth hog that is running that gives you trouble or the one that is already on the move and quartering. Many of the hogs that I've shot were on the move and required me to move with them to get into position. There is nothing basic about that type of hunting or shooting. It can be very difficult and challenging shooting-- that's why there is an Olympic sport based on it called the biathlon. At other times you can walk right up and just pop em. I think that is why I enjoy hunting them because every time I go I get a good variety of opportunities and it builds on my hunting and shooting experience. Hunting hogs I've had the opportunity to take every imaginable kind of shot from 5 feet to 300 plus yards, running, standing, feeding, etc. some very difficult and some very easy. Because of this I carry a rifle that will do anything I may choose to ask of it.
My point is that anything from .22 up through 7mm has been proven to kill when things are right but that a .30 will work better when things aren't. And things often aren't perfect.
The guide recommended a .30 because he knows from experience that it is the best killer under all possible conditions and angles and the surest bet to cover all bases without knowing the hunter's ability and experience. I agree with that recommendation because experience in the field has proven it true for me as well.

If your shooting at running hogs dont blame the caliber thats just assanine.
Pulling the trigger on animal should be perfect ,if your spraying lead dont blame the caliber, thats not hunting thats shooting, or spray and pray.

I saw a less then pefect shot with my 7-08 loaned to a friend, he shot a hog in da face. knocked him down and out for good.
Ive put the same gun(caliber) through both shoulders plus 2 ribs in 2 ribs out on a big sow. Done that at least 25 times with a .243 as well. This 7-08 is my new caliber after 25 years with a .243
But I guess if spraying lead on hogs a .50 cal would be the way to go.
To me even a nasty ol hog deserves a quick clean death, no spray and pray or me, I pick my shots, if none available, Ill get him next time.

Ive killed 1, 2, 3, 4, and even 5 out of the same bunch starting with a 80 yard standing still shot and mopping the rest up on the run out to 400 or til i cant see em, with a .270 win and plowed em all. Bullet size is no replacement for proper shot placement. A .270 or 7 mm in capable hands is more than enough gun for anything out to 400 or 500 yards. Everyone is hung on the .30 caliber lately and frankly .30 cals are overrated. I can get the same job done with less recoil. Any outfitter that tells you you need a .30 cal to kill pigs is sadly mistaken.

zrexpilot - Maybe in another 25 years you'll be using a .308? Experience learns you. I'm glad you put down the .243 it was the right choice in my opinion and you obviously felt a need for something bigger for some reason?

There is nothing unethical about shooting running animals if you have the skills to make the shot and I cannot think of a better animal to learn shooting skills on than a feral hog. I don't spray and pray, I hone my skills and abilities. As a result I hang hogs and eat them when I want and not just when they let me- that is what hunting is about. It is not target practice out there and no one should expect an animal to give them the perfect shot from a bench every time.

I thought this thread was about whether or not to use a .243 or a 30 cal. ? Which is the better choice? I say the .30 although I know there are at least 12 other cartridges between here and there that will work. So what?- that's not the question. I've done over 15 years of hunting with a .270 and it is an impressive caliber, I like it very much and I too have been very successful with it. But as I get older and more experienced I find that the .30 caliber bullet simply has done a better job for me and I have more confidence in its ability.

actually my go to gun is my .22 hornet then my bow and when I am lazy or want to reach out and touch them its the 7-08.
The only reason I went to a 7-08 was I wanted a different flavor, nothing wrong with the .243 just wanted change, not the obama type.
Plus I had started handloading and the 120gr loads for the 7mm -08 sold me. A short action thats flatter than a 25-06. Pretty cool.

This argument or ones like it will rage on for as long as we have guns. If it makes you happy to kill pigs then kill pigs be it with a .17 hmr or a 458 lott i reckon it dont matter that much. Just dont spread the hype that you need a monster bullet to kill em because its just not rue.

Agreed...
But it pisses me off when someone says that I lack basic hunting skills because I don't sit in a blind over a feeder shooting hogs in the head with a .22 hornet. That's not hunting, it's harvesting. The two shouldn't be confused. And there is nothing monster about a .30 cal bullet in a reasonable cartridge like the .30-.30, .308, .30-.06, .300 savage etc. among others. They all work extremely well and are IMHO the best choice under all conceivable conditions. In many cases with the proper bullet selection they will actually cause less damage to meat than 7mm and .277 bullets even when they hit bone. I'm not sure why because I'm not a physicist, but I think that it has to do with sectional density? Anyway in my experience they deflect less, punch straight through and if keep under 2900 fps or so do minimal damage especially at short ranges or where bone is incountered-- provided your using a bullet designed for cxp3 game. The real farce on this thread is that you have to have a bullet going over 3000 fps to have a real hunting gun and that is BS. What else do you suckers want to buy? You've been been had by them! Where is your check?

A 100 gr. .243 has greater sectional density than a 150 gr. .308.

well it pisses me off when someone says a .243 is to small much less a.270 for hunting hogs and that it requires multiple shots to bring one down.

and another thing you make no sense at at all. first you say a 7mm or .270 arent adequate to bring down hogs and then go on to say a .30 causes less damage. WTF ?
So a .30 causes less damage than a .270 but some how magically brings them down quicker. Pfffffft!!!!! ya ok
On that theory you should use a .22LR it causes less damage then a .30, so it will bring them down even quicker

sectional density

100 gr .243-------.242
130gr .277--------.242
139gr 7mm-------.246
150gr 30-30------.226
165gr .308--------.248
150gr .277---------.279
162gr 7mm-------.287

Take a 7-08 load it with a 162 gr at 2700 fps and will punch through a hog from end to end

The Bullet Wars Continue . . .
 

Ah, what's better? A small fast bullet, a large heavy bullet? Is shot placement king? What about long shots or shots at a moving target? I used to race sports cars, and winter was called "silly season" because the racing was over, and everyone just expressed opinions on everything past, present, and future. I love it !!

Me, I carry a .30 caliber rifle because:

My buddy has one, and we can share reloading efforts and expenses
It's a nice, all-around rifle that's good for any game in the lower 48.
I'm not a very good shot, so I need all the killing power I can carry.
Lots of bullet choices.
I can buy ammo anywhere. Well, usually. The past year or so has been weird, but I'm reloading anyway.

I have buddies with other calibers though, and we're still friends.

Gimme a break
 

I have seen just about every caliber used at one time or another. From .45ACP up to .338 Win Mag. It's not the gun, it's the shooter.

Above is from my previous post. I still think that my post is correct. These are not armor plated super beasts.
Use whatever you can shoot well, and enjoy the eating that will follow. I have seen caribou taken with a .243 at over 200 yards, and they are certainly larger than 90% of any boar that you are likely to see.
I just rembered that 3 years ago my son took a boar with a .44 Spl. at about 65 yards.
1 shot, DRT.
Nuff said

I agree you can kill a hog with virtually anything. No body has called hogs armor plated super beasts. Nobody has said you need a monster caliber. Yes, any caliber bullet will kill a hog or any other living thing when it hits it in right spot. Those are just of the laws of basic biology. This pic came off another forum. Check it it out and make your own decision what you want to use. It's a good picture of a shield from a hog in Northern California. There is nothing like this on a caribou or even an elk and it shows how thick and tough a boar can be. A .243 will work on hogs. But is it the best choice for a first hunt on a paid trip? Is it the best all around caliber? Would it be a responsible recommendation? I think not. Will it work? Yes, when placed in the right spot anything will work.