Gun for hogs?

[Minihuntur]

I am going hunting for hogs (hopefully) soon and would like to know if a 243 80gn hollow point, 243 100gn power point, 303 180gn power point, or 303 180gn core lokt would be best.

Minihuntur

[jmarriott]

I would take the 303 with core loc's. Then again who am I.

[Dom]

I also would take the 303 180gr Core Loks, Waidmannsheil, Dom.

[GoodOlBoy]

I third that opinion. Corelokts may not have been designed as a hog killer, but if not then it was a danged happy accident.

GoodOlBoy

[Classicvette63]

Core-Lokts all the way.

[Rapier]

Might I add a 180CL to the CL pile... Here bouts we grow some big hogs so I do like my 45-70 Mauser w 300s or the 444 Marlin w 300s. With a wild hog, bang / flop is the most desired sequence of events.
Ed

[gumpokc]

I agree. I have used the 303 180gr corelocts and they worked fine on hogs.

.243 with a heavy partition will also work, but I personally feel better with a little more lead in there.

12 guage with slugs works well too if your in heavy brush.

[swampdogg]

i've dropped a hog or two or ten but i'm no expert i was using my dad's old 300 savage until it took a nose dive and won't hold a pattern . for some reason the neck shot was working that day depending on hunting style spot and stalk go big 45-70,444 something with some stopping power,for spot and stalk good shot placement a .243 would probaly work but i like 30-06,270 or bigger these critters aren't know as the poor mans grizzly for nothing they're tough and can soak up the lead in some cases just my two cents

[Mil Dot]

Hogs have a "shield" over their front shoulder to protection them in fights amongst themselves. If your shot on a bigger animal with a 243 hits that it usually won't even slow 'em down and you don't want to chase them into the brush.

Go heavy and have a great time.

Mil

[Rapier]

I just relized something, most new hog hunters wonder about, where to shoot. Best places, center between the eye and ear hole, center neck on a line just below the bottom of ear hole, or center shoulder, to break the shoulder or leg bones. The heavy bullet is intended to get both shoulders with a shoulder shot. Do not worry about meat, shoot the porker to put it down. Hunting a wounded hog in thick brush, that is where they run to, is at best, not a fun and games event. An old boar has a very slow nervous system but that is all that is slow about him. He can turn 180 in a blink of the eye and be at full speed in three steps. They are the only critters that will aid a buddy in trouble and if POed, they will not run, they start killing stuff. They are very sneaky and can slip right by you in the woods then come out of the brush from behind, so watch yourself at all times. Best description, bad to the bone. they fight, reproduce and feed, the three Fs.
Best,
Ed

[Brother Rockeye]

rapier-you just described an ex-girlfriend of mine...:p

[Rapier]

Jezzz, I am sorry..... "by the roadside in the ditch" as the little band from Texas would say.:D
Ed

[Rocky Raab]

Amen. The only way I'd hunt hogs with a 243 would be if a cool shot with that 303 and 180CLs was standing next to me - with his safety off!

I broke both shoulders of one with a 308 once, and the mean SOB managed to "sled" himself into a massive brush tangle using his rear legs. I took one look at the foot-tall game tunnel leading back into that thorn hell and - despite my conscience- abandoned that one. Too dangerous.

[Rapier]

Descretion is the better part of Valor, indeed. A hog in a thicket is bad, going after a wounded tusker in a thorn thicket is just like setting yourself on fire.

I have seen them do some pretty amazing things, like run 35 yards with 4 inches of femur and the joint disentegrated, both lungs destroyed, plus the heart shot in half. That was a 358 with a 200 gr bullet. I know they can take 7 rounds from a 357 Mag, Cause I was reloading my Blackhawk when the dead hog stood up, next to me. That was, ah, rather exciting. So I now carry a whomping stick.
Ed

[Dom]

Ahhh, you guys ought to go after 'em thru the brambles on a dark night, that is, after you ticked him off and didn't hit him right ;)

They can take a hit and keep on trucking, but if you hit em good and shut their four wheel drive down they will go down. I've seen well hit boar with shots thru the liver or neck go miles, and like Ed said, they aren't scared of you either. Last year on a drive hunt thru a thicket one went out from under the brush at my feet, I had stepped up on a stump, took a breather, and off it went. See em run back thru between the drivers too.

I use 30-06 180gr A-Frames, a bullet I trust, Waidmannsheil, Dom.

[8X56MS]

One of the most prolific hog killers I have ever met, is a 12 year old boy that kills them with a Savage 110 in .223 Remington.

Personally, I use a .44 Mag lever gun with heavy for caliber handloads. :)

[Minihuntur]

Between the ear and eye, like an elephant? well, I also have a 12 gauge with.... I think it's 1 1/4 oz. hp. but i'm not sure.

Minihunter

[skeeter@ccia.com]

we don't have hogs running in the wilds like maybe Florida or the Carolinas..but I do hear Pa. has some places other than in a fenced yard to hunt them and find them in numbers...anyone know of or hear of such an area we can enjoy a hog hunt here in Pa?.....I also wonder why I hear lots from not only HC members but elsewhere as to the smallest cal to hunt anything...why do we insist on hunting everything with a slingshot?....why not just use what will put them down?...just something I noticed..

[Dom]

Ya Skeeter, gotta agree with you on that "let's see how small a caliber we can use on this or that" mentality, BUT you will never see me advocate that stance. Use a caliber to do the job ethically. Now who is gonna write anywhere that they shot this or that and never found it? No, they musta just plain ol' missed it. Now for boar, minimum should be 6.5, end of story. But I gotta admit, boars come in all sizes and on top of that, we're probably talking ferals here, of which I don't have any experience hunting.

I even saw a video somewhere on the net where a 'guy', won't use the term hunter, shot about a 70lb boar with a pellet gun. He was close though, I don't remember if it was a fence op or not. Heck now you gave 'em another idea to try it with a slingshot!

Skeeter, give Adam Helmer, an HC member here, a PM, he might just be able to shed some light on boar in Pennsylvania he'd be willing to share with you, Waidmannsheil, Dom.

[wrenchman]

dom i think i seen the same vid and thought it was sad it shouldnt have been shown.
I am in agreement go with the largest you have i shot a hog couple years back with 06 150 grain it went down no problim i found the bullet did not pass threw it was found just under the skin on the oppisite shoulder.
I seen a russian cross that was shot with a 44mag about 8 years ago he was with out a dought one of the largest russian cross hogs i have seen he ran he my brother n law up a small tree he was filming it.