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

Take your pick. Either will do the job if you do yours.

180 round nose Remington core lockts

^^^This^^^

If you shoot them here they will drop. It doesn't really matter what bullet you use. They may spin around in place, but they are not going anywhere.

That's defiantly a nice pig. But notice the stiff arm shoving the pig into a close camera lens. The man is standing well behind the pig. Fisherman often pose that way with their catch to make them look bigger than they really are.
Still a good pic and a big pig. My guess would be 250-300lbs. Jmo. I'm sure others will disagree.

Agree 100%. It's easy to bullszchit the fans but not the players.



hanco, look at the size of this antelope!!

I think Greg is holding it to keep side view to camera

He ain’t smart enough to try to pose pig and himself to make it look bigger. Son in law took pic, he ain’t that smart either.

That’s funny right there. Hope the son in law has a sense of humor.

My favorite deep woods rifle is also my favorite .308 Win. so I'd go with it except for one problem. The rifle is a one trick pony. It took two years to find an at least usable hunting load I got the rifle on the cheap as its previous owner could find a decent hunting load. Finally I got the 165 gr. Speer hot Core to do 1.5" on a consistent basis from the bench. Velocity a rip roaring speed of 2550 FPS from the 18.5" barrel using a stiff load of W760. Nothing else came close. Some minor tinkering brought groups to be in the 1.25 to 1.50" range. The only thing that came close was the 180 gr. Sierra round nose and the best that one does is 2.5". I suppose if all shots were 100 yards or less it'd work but I'd not be happy.

I have used that 180 gr. load in a Remington M660 with 20" barrel but never chronographed the load. I hunted Mule Deer in an area in Nevada that had a sagebrush forest that was over head high with that M660 in a custom stock and took several bid deer out of the place. Shots there were more 35 to 50 yards That 180 gr. load worked just fine but never recovered a single bullet that I can recall.

I think either bullet the OP mentioned would work OK but, my preference would be leaning more toward the Hornady 180 gr. round nose. My experience with monometal bullets is rather thin. The only TSX bullet that has worked for me has been the 225 gr. .358" in my .35 Whelen. I've tried some with the 100 gr. TSX in a .257 Robt. and 25-06 with poor accuracy. The 120 gr. and 140 gr. 7MM bullets have failed dismally in three rifles chambered to the 7x57 and one in .280 Rem. Just the luck of the draw I guess.
Hell! I'll probably never see a 500 pound pig in my lifetime. Pigs are far and few where I live unless you habitually hit the local Walmarts.
PJ

They both have a great sense of humor and would expect no less BS from me. If I’m not fuuuking with you it means I don’t like you or I have problems I’m dealing with.


I would really like killing a pig that big, got back on mostly for the chance to get one that big. They hardly get 200 lbs in central Texas, that pig killed very close to Texas Louisiana border

Heh heh easy there on the inlaws.

hanco, look at the size of this antelope!!

[/quote]

Noice! Look at the bull my son is holding onto


On serious note.
I don’t trust 180 corelokts.
180 game kings yes.
150-168 ttsx yes

It's interesting how the notion of a RN being superior at "brush bucking" still clings on, years after it has been debunked.

Me, any 150, 165, or 180 will do. Pass the Varget or TAC...

Yep.MR-2000 for me