Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 308 Deep Woods Hunting Load

I need some advice. I’m trying to decide which of my worked up handloads is best for a deep woods hog hunt. Range will not exceed 100 yards, and I typically aim for a 500 pound pig.

First 308 load to consider uses a 180 grain Round Nose soft point conventional bullet with muzzle velocity of 2530fps using 42.5 grains SW Precision powder. My other 308 load is a 124 grain copper Hammer Hunter with a screaming muzzle velocity of 3200fps using 49.8 grains Ramshot TAC powder. I use Lapua brass and CCI-200 primers

Which is more likely to put a big hog down DRT? Should I use a large projectile at typical 308 speed, or is it better to rely on small projectile at insanely fast speed?

Thanks!

I have a similar debate with my 300 Win Mag in same situation. I’m working up that same Hornady 180 Round Nose for my 300 Win Mag - I expect to get about 2900fps with IMR4350 powder.
I’m comparing that with my 150 copper Power Hammer load using VV N165 powder at 3230fps.

A 180 RN at that speed and range is a superb killer of game. I’ve never shot the 124hammer but I’ve shot some 130ttsx out of my 308 at about the same speeds and it kills the hell out of stuff too. I don’t think either will disappoint. Flip a coin!

I shoot a lot of wild pigs in South Texas thornbrush country, mostly with .308 Win. The Barnes TTSX 130 at 3100 consistently produces DRT and has become the choice that goes with me most often. If you really have 500# on the scales pigs, move up to the 150 TTSX. The TTSX penetrates better than any round nose ever has, not even close. Varget is my usual powder.

The 165 TTSX over IMR 4831 is my go to bullet for .300 Win Mag. It runs 3100 easily from a 24” barrel. I used it recently on an oryx that was a bit over 450#. The bullet exited and knocked the oryx sideways, pretty impressive to see actually.

Placement.


Okie John

250# is a big pig, very few will go #500 on the scale, I kill more than a few every year with a .223, or a 6MM, put he bullet in the right place and pigs are not hard to kill. Rio7

When you say deep woods there are 2 types here in South Louisiana. My deep hardwoods are lots of oak trees but very little undergrowth. Meaning i could line him up between the trees and yes shoot 100 yards. Then there are thick hardwoods, where you have lots of trees as well as thickets, undergrowth, palmettos, etc. Not you could shoot 100 yards but you may shoot through some palmettos of thickets.

As others have stated, I use 130 ttsx for my hardwoods. I load them and 155 scenars for my other property for longer shots and better BC. I haven't had anything take more than 2 steps with the 130's, they hit like a lightning strike.

Bingo. When I want them to go down, I simply aim for the center of the neck with whatever load is in whatever rifle I happen to be toting. They nearly always dump right there. If the pigs are moving too much, a center shoulder shot with anything .308win should be fine. The biggest pig I ever killed didn't even wiggle, but I put a 100gr 6mm Interlock in her ear hole.

Typically shoot 500lb pigs?

I concur, the 180gr 308 load at 2500 to 2600 would be a hammer in the thick woods. At those speeds the cup and core 180 would expand and penetrate very well. Problem solved in my opinion.

I mean no malintent but always wonder during these conversations why the distinction between deep woods or 'medium' woods, or fields for that matter. The primary variable is bullet integrity, followed by flight characteristics. If shots will be "close", bullet integrity is key. If shots are "far" bullet expansion and trajectory are key variables.

Which leads me to: the same bullet that works at 50 feet can be the same bullet that works at 200 yards. I'd not default to a RN bullet unless my rifle shot them the "best". A 1.5 inch group spire point is just as good as a 1" RN at the ranges I mentioned above - if bullet integrity is similar.

To me, I consider the ranges I expect to shoot game. If they are "close" I default to bullet integrity. If there exists a wide range of distances, I still default to bullet integrity but pick a bullet with 'adequate' integrity and highest BC - even though these bullets likely won't have the highest BC available. Day in, day out, I choose bullet integrity as my primary variable, followed by BC. I tend to pick the highest BC with a bullet that holds together at close range and gives me adequate expansion at my max expected range - which is 400 yards for me.

Some stew way too much on BC and forget about bullet integrity at the distances involved. There ain't no 'perfect' bullet that stays together at all ranges and expands perfectly down to 29 ft/sec. In my mind, BC only becomes significant beyond ~ 375 yards. Bullet integrity and expansion are the keys to most hunting situations in my opinion.

Thank you for all the great replies.

I mentioned a “500 pound” pig because that’s what I shot in eastern Tennessee a couple months ago, and that’s probably the biggest hog I’d ever take a shot at.

The deep woods there are very rough terrain with a lot of dense thickets - so it’s definitely short range hunting.

Definitely agree that placement is most important, and both loads would be great with good placement. I really hated chasing a wounded pig thru the thickets a few years ago when I didn’t do that perfect placement. I don’t ever want to do that again so I always try to wait for the good shot with best handloads I can make.

And that’s a good point about bullet integrity. I know the Hammer bullets do great for that but not sure about the big Hornady Round Nose. I’ll probably use both loads.

Have a good one!

They make those in a factory load.

They're labeled 30-06 Springfield.

If you want swine to drop in place.
shoot it in the ear or the eye
They're not hard to kill, they just
don't die easy

Did you actually weigh this 500 lb pig?

It’s where you hit them that’s important. I’ve killed hundreds with 223’s. They don’t go far if hit in heart-lungs. I load 150 grain GameKings for my 308’s With 44 grains of H-4895. I load 130 Barnes for 300 Savages. I feel bullets are all made well. They have had years to perfect them. Again, it’s about bullet placement. Good luck on your hunt.

Never hunted them, but I suspect a Partition of 180 or 200gr would be the easy button. There are so many mono-metal bullets now with widely varying expansion qualities, I just think the Partitions would make thinks simple since they are reliably un-fussy about impact speed.

It's root-hog or die in the Texas hill country due to the lack of groceries. A pig over 300 lbs is a rarity. In 60 years of killing pigs I've never encountered a pig that weighed 500 lbs on the hoof.

However, of the last 30 or so I've killed, I've used my Sig Cross, 308 Win., loaded with 150 gr. Norma factory soft points.



Place a shot 2" below the ear on a line between the ear and shoulder. It seves the spine and they will drop and paddle. If they paddle 180 degrees, I place another round in the underside of their neck.






from last Friday!



a couple weeks ago






anywho.......

GWB

Never once had an issue with 150 grain bullets out of a 308 or 30-06.

This pig was killed in Weirgate Texas. I wish they had been able to weigh him. The man is 6’2”, weighs 300 lbs.

In the deep woods there is always a chance you could run into sasquatch! For this reason I would go with the 180