Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Best pig rifle

What do you think is the best pig rifle? I’ve shot them with most common deer caliber rifles as well as 223’s, 45’s, 40’s, 9mm. I’m thinking about getting a Ruger American rifle 22-250 with the 1in8 twist barrel to use when it’s not deer season. The 62 Barnes rips them a new ass shot out of an AR. They would be even better at 22-250 speeds. I have Creedmoor rifles too, but want a 22-250. I’ve had Swift’s and other slow twist 22-250’s but I like heavier bullets than they would shoot. Thank you for your support!!!

The best pig rifle is whatever is handy at the time you see a pig.

I've killed them with everything from a .22 long rifle up through a 12 gauge shotgun. Outside of normal deer hunting season my most used pig rifle is an AR15 in .223 normally loaded with the 64 grain win. PP. I know that the 22-250 is a favorite truck/atv rifle for a lot of ranchers that I know and it kills a ton of feral hogs. With the 62 grain TTSX in the rig you are wanting I think you would have an awesome pig rifle that I would not hesitate to shoot anything else with as well. Another bonus in that rifle to me would be that it would be one that could see really hard use without me worrying about trying to not get it dinged up. Would make a good loaner rifle as well for that brother-in-law who can break an anvil and will if you loan him one.

My vote is to get you one!

I thought about this a lot and if I had to start from scratch my first choice for a dedicated hog gun would be a Ruger mini-30. I heard the complaints of accuracy but newer ones are better- and frankly the issue in older one always seemed exaggerated to me. I killed my first deer well over 100yds with one balance on my knee. Would prefer the Ruger to semi auto Remington or even Browning for this application. The 7.62x39 round has proven perfect on hogs in my sks -and so cheap to shoot.

Like you I have shot them with everything I own. I like carrying my B92 44mag but results have been mixed at best. My go to is the SKS. Larger mag and rapid multiple shot capabilities is the key in preferring them to my bolt actions. Semi auto slug gun wouldn't suck. Mini-30, handy toting, fun, fast followups, easy on your shoulder but packing a punch. I might be lone wolf on this, and perhaps an AR is say, 6.8 or 6.5 might be the cats meow but I have never warmed to that platform. Blasphemy perhaps but...oh well.

I prefer a 223 AR. Fast follow ups for more kills in big sounders. Never had any trouble killing them even with 55gr ball.

I shoot them mostly with these two Rock River Varmint models. I just want a fast twist 22-250 that will shoot the 22-250. The wifey and grandkids can shoot it too. I have dies, bullets, and brass already. I also have a couple thousand 62 grain bear Claw bullets to try also.

For a bonafide shoot em up quick pig rifle I'd have to go with my 16" LWRC REPR in 7.62, it wears a 2.5-10x24 NF with lit NP-1 reticle and will hold 21 rounds of 130gr TTSX's, if I could keep it on em it'd be hell on a herd of scattering sausage.

I would go with a Tikka T3 in 308 with a Nikon Buckmaster's. That's what I use, and rarely do follow up shots happen. They disappear fast into the mesquite brush. Its light and handy, easy for long walks in the brush. Now this for day and night with a red light. If I was shooting during the day and checking on animals, etc, a lever action 30-30 with a 16 inch barrel would be the ticket.

.444

.308 Win 125gr Accubonds out of a AR-10 carbine is my favorite.

I kinda like the .223AI

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Stunter^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I would like to try my 450 bushmaster on a pig.

ya' beat me to it.

I've had the occasion to employ quite a few chamberings from:


22 WMR

to



45-70

I do tend to prefer chamberings from 6.5mm up.

If a critter is not DRT, it's nice to have two leaky holes, should one have to track. The larger the leakier IMHO.

ya!

GWB

I poked a couple this evening with my 222mag. One with a factory 55gr Powerlokt and another with a 53TSX. Got one standing and one on the run but couldn’t get on the other two.

I've never hunted nor even seen a feral pig, but the domestic ones are always impressed by my big bore.

No even close to being fair chase.

I've probably shot more with my Marlin 1894 lever in .44mag by just jumping them up while out walking. For shooting them at a feeder, I've used everything from a AR-15 in .223, AR-10 .308 to many other chamberings in bolt guns.

If I was to build a gun for shooting them at feeders, it would probably be a AR-10 platform chambered for .243 You'd have a heavy enough bullet (I only shoot mono-metal bullets) for the really large hogs and as light recoil as possible to allow you to get multiple shots at running pigs.

Fair for me,

for the pig, not so much!


ya!


GWB

6.8 spc II has worked well for me.

I set my pig gate yesterday, going back Monday. I hope I catch some. It’s fun to shoot them with a 45 in a big pen. It not real spirting trapping them, but it’s the only way to eliminate more than one or two here and there.

Something between 17 and 50 caliber. The only thing I have seen not work are the 22 short and 25 ACP both could be deflected by a big boars skull. If I am loading specifically for hogs I will usually use a bonded or mono bullet especially for the smaller calibers. Calibers 25 and above any deer bullet in the medium to heavy for caliber range will work.

I'm going to try my 9X56 M/S and take the Steyr scout.308 with 150 gr barnes TSX. The 9mm has Hawk 245 gr RN Softs. Rusty

When out and about in the truck or on foot it is a .45 Long Colt revolver or 92 Lever gun. Load is 10 grains of Unique with the Hornady 225 FTX. Always dead right there, never a runner. Typical distance is 25 yards to 50 yards max in the heavy brush here.

Hunting from a stand for deer and when the occasional piggy pops up it is usually a .308 Winchester or .300 Savage with 150 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips. Once again, always dead right there, never a runner.

This season I got angrier at the wild hogs and bought a dedicated rifle for stand hunting in low light for distances out to 100-150 yards. Ruger Scout in 450 Bushmaster, 8x56 S&B scope, and so far factory Hornady loads with 250 grain FTX's are about as good as it gets:

Any rifle is fine for pigs.
I have shot more than I could ever count with a range of cartridges I could never recall between the .223 Remington and the .460 Weatherby. Nothing, did not work well.

Although they are a stocky animal with an overly promoted claim of a bullet proof gristle plate shielding, (Not so much in the US but many Aussies were full of it) I have always found the flesh to be relatively soft which is why even a 55gn Sierra works on them.

Marlin 336 in 30-30

Can't fault in any of that idea.

I use my lever 44mag similarly. What bullets are you shooting? I was using store bought ammo- the Hornady 225 grain Lever Revolution stuff. It shot great but I didn't care for its performance. I switched to 240 hollow points but haven't shot anything with them. What amazed me when trying different ammo in that B92 was how wildly it flung lighter weights.

I shot the Lever Revolution a few times, but I've had two instances where it jammed feeding. I think their length might be a problem. I typically just shoot Winchester white box 240 grain soft points. When I get my reloading equipment set back up, I'll probably load the Hornady XTP bullets.

First thing I thought of was an ar15 in 6.8spc

Based on the cages you build to trap hogs. I’d go with a 9mm or a 45ACP and get some pistol work in. 😎

I've killed pigs with 7x57, 338 Win Mag, 260 rem, 25-06 and 300 Black Out.

If you hit 'em where you should, it is not much of a problem to kill them.

donsm70

I have friends who own land in Oklahoma and are always trying to shoot off the pigs to keep them from tearing everything up.

They have used many different guns, but they tell me the one that is their "standard" is now the AK47.

No maintenance or near none, always loaded, always works and is always with them in the trucks and 4 wheeler.
Some have low power scopes and others use iron sights, but the AK is the "pig-tool" and they have all gone to keeping them near by in the vehicles at all times.
Jordan said he's killed more pigs with his AK in the last 5 years then with every other gun combined.

Dunno the best for everyone, but for me, I killed 3 dozen or so in the last few months with a 6 Grendel AR...plus a truckload of whitetails...

My daughters little Henry mini-bolt in .22LR works perfect for that. You stick the barrel in and they get curious and come to smell it, raise it a few inches and pop them right between the eyes. Quick and humane with no mess.

CZ 527 carbine in 7.62x39 has worked well for me. Iron sights mean I can get in the thick stuff easily.

AR chambered in 6.5 grendel with a lightweight 16" barrel is quick handling. About to mount a leupold VXR 2-7 which should work out just fine.

It is fun to shoot them with a 45 or a 40 in the round pen traps. Takes me a few rounds to kill them. I need cataract surgery, I suck with open sights.

Love my Tikka 695 in 270. Might be a gay caliber but it puts them down fast.

I got a couple of friends that have those and really like them.

That's some good looking lumber on that lever gun.

Stretching back to my teenage years, I've probably killed more hogs with a .22 LR with solid bullets than anything else. In recent years I've killed them with .30-06, .270, .300 Savage, .300 Win Mag, .22 Hornet, 12 gauge, 20 gauge (buckshot in both smoothbores), and .44 magnum. My favorite hog gun is a Thompson Contender with 14" barrel in .44 mag, with a 16" suppressor on the end of the barrel ("permanently" attached). This rig is in a carbine stock. My favorite loads are hard cast bullets of 300+ gr loaded to just under 1000 fps. Not a long range gun, most of my shots are under 50 yards. Pretty much always one shot kills - twice I have shot into a group and had two hogs drop dead at the shot. Single shot firearm works fine for me, not planning to shoot more than I want to butcher at one time. I've used night vision scopes on this "gun", mostly shot it with a 3x9 Bushnell, but just replaced that with a 512 EOTech. I use red-dots on several semi-auto handguns and a few revolvers, expect to really like the EOTech on my hog gun. Speaking of handguns, usually have one when hog hunting, as a backup if nothing else. I'm partial to .44 mag. but also use .45 LC and .45 ACP. Lately my favorite handgun round is 10mm. In a 1911, it is handy hog firepower.

I hunt my own small property, and don't raise crops or livestock on it. Hog hunting is GOOD, can do it year round, any time of day or night, hardly any restrictions, and the meat is good.

Mike Holmes

After carefully considering your post, I'd suggest a .22-250, maybe with a faster twist than traditional. The Ruger American is a lot of rifle for the money.

Seriously,
- How far is long shot for where you are likely to find pigs?
- Do you care about damaging a lot of meat?
- Do you plan to take only "sure shots" or plan to keep shooting as long as a shot is available regardless of the shot angle or how fast the pig is moving?
- Do you consider pigs to be a "game animal" deserving of humane hunting ethics or vermin not deserving of the same consideration you would have for a game animal? (No judgement here. I can see good arguments for either side.)
- Do you want a "nice" rifle or a "truck gun"?
- Do you shoot iron sights well enough, or do you need a scope even for relatively close shots?
- Is weight a consideration?
- Is ammo cost a consideration?
- Do you plan to hunt them at night, need to mount a light?
- And on, and on, and on.

There are a lot of "best" pig rifles.

Logic over. Back to our rifle looneyism.

It’s really amazing how easy they are to kill. I had really good luck with a Brno 611. If you got into a covey, follow up shots are really quick. Hasbeen

10 feet to 300 yds
No
When I shoot once they are gone, to much cover to spray and pray.
I consider them pests, but don’t gut shoot them to run off and suffer
I gotta have a scope or I would be spraying and praying
No
No
No
Yes I do like trapping them, shooting cshit out of them. That’s why I’m thinking 22-250 for off season when I go to fill feeders-fool around. It may give a bit more reach than my 223 AR’s. I have one stand I can see out to 300 yds.

Let the air out of one this evening with my 7TCU M700 and a 120 Sierra ProHunter. It died.

Pretty much satisfied that most of it boils down to the setting one hunts in, and how good the shooter is. Most any gun will kill a pig if judiciously employed. Figure your collective limitations and choose the gun/load and hunting style.

That would be my last my version of "It's not the tool that matters."

Feeling you there Dan. Hence my love for the 22cal Stoner in my relatively open setting. When you’ve got 30 pigs squealing and running in all directions in grass pasture and mixed low brush, light recoil and self loading makes it easier to run up the tally. One can always wander the battlefield polishing off wounded after the dust settles.

I could have probably killed all 5 we saw tonight with an AR or even my 336 when we hemmed them up in the switchgrass were it not for having my favorite 3 year old protege in tow. He got a kick out of the dozen or so babies about the size of rabbits that we caught after the big ones bailed.

Full auto would be nice!

BTW, Hanco, I wasn't messing with you or trying to offend. I just don't think there is a "best" anything until you consider a lot more things about the use. It is true for rifles, carry guns, lawnmowers, trucks, boats (especially boats!), you name it.
I think the better question is "Hey guys, I've got the itch for a Ruger American, .22-250 with a 1/8 twist. With the right bullet, do you think it would be an adequate pig rifle?"

Sounds like it would, so if I were you I'd go forth and buy one, then go shoot up a bunch of pigs. I'd also be thankful every day that I had a piece of land to hunt and trap pigs, not to mention all the other things you can do on that land.

If I ever get a chance to do a lot of longer range shooting, I'm thinking of a Ruger American Predator in 6.5 Creedmoor. The main reason would be to save wear and tear on my more expensive rifles.

With all of the pigs that you kill, you should be telling us what to use.

I don’t mean to kill so many! I enjoy other pig hunters opinions.

I slapped a 458 SOCOM upper on my AR and went hunting. As expected, the 300gr TTSX proved very effective at dispatching hogs.

We shoot them with .22s in the trap, and in the field I've killed them with everything form a .223 AR-15 up to my .325 WSM. My favorite for walking around is my 6.8SPC. It is just a good balance between being light, easy to hand;e and killing power.

It make you feel good to kill one of the bastards, no matter what you use.

not hanco,

but my take.

My original response was "the one I have in my hand at the time."

Chances are the one I will have in my hand at the time will depend on the circumstances of what are my methods.

If I am snaring or trapping,

then



a shotgun with buckshot



an AR in 223/5.56



a pistola






ya!


GWB

If I am stand hunting,

then is it a cartridge that is capable of firing a projectile of suffiient diameter and weight to result in two leaky holes in case the critter is not DRT and I have to track. In that case I want a blood trail that a blind man can wade in!






even if it is in the mud!

Also, as I eat most of what I shoot, with big heavy slow bullets, one can eat right up to the bullet hole!




unlike this one that was shot with a 6.5 Leopard (6.5 x 300 WSM), at 120 yds with 140 gr Sierra Spitzers at a MV of 3,200 fps plus!






ya!

GWB

I’ve never tried to snare pigs, afraid deer will get caught.

I understand, and that is a possibility.

what I typically do is to place my snares at holes in the game wire mesh/barbed wire fence where the hogs and coyotes cross under. I do not put corn out as bait, as I want them to be at full speed when they cross under. If there is not corn, deer are not attracted as they will either jump over the fencing or go under if it is solely barbed wire. At places where the brush is so thick and there is a 18" to 2' tunnel, that hogs use as a transit area. I will place a snare there. Deer do not use those "tunnels". Its much easier to walk the road or unobstructed trails.

ya!

GWB

I see does going under fences where the pigs go. They go under in places that look impossible to me. Looks like a cool idea, 1/8 cable???

all things are possible.


http://boarmasters.com/shop/hogs/boarmasters-hog-neck-snare/


https://www.minntrapprod.com/MBS-17-Cam-Lock-Wolf-Hog-Per-Dozen/productinfo/MBS17/


For me, it adds another avenue of enjoyment. I can do a set for hogs in the AM, come in around 10 to 10: 30, grab a snack, take one or more of my buds



and a ditty bag with a couple brewskis,( its always beer-thirty at my "beer lease") then run the snares.

Perforate what ever is at the end of the cable,



load em' up,



go to where I get signal, see if I have any emergencies. Make a couple calls, check out what's happening on the "innanet", then head back to camp. Skin if I got hoglets, take a nap if I don't and get up and head out for the evening hunt!


ya!

GWB

Great photos and a great life!!! Enjoy!!

I’m gonna try a couple in the small holes under the fence. Ever catch a coyote??

If you want to bait soak the corn in diesel fuel. Deer won't touch it but hogs love it for some reason. Maybe it helps get rid of parasites. I have seen coyotes snared but they can get out about half the time. Have also seen a foot left behind which turned me against snaring. I leave that to the government trapper guys.

Guy down here bought a fancy hog trapping apparatus as his retirement job. He rents it out to farmers, not sure what he charges or if he’s making money but he seems to enjoy it.

It’s a big suspended cage with a camera close by. Put a bunch of corn under the cage and the camera streams video to his phone. When a bunch of them get bunched up under it he just hits to go button and it drops on them. Then they go down and mow them down and haul them off. Dad’s buddy has been using it for a while and he’s killed scores of them with it. He’s a short guy so when he gets a bunch trapped he drives his loader tractor down to the trap. He gets in the bucket and has his son lift him up so he can shoot over the top of the fence. After they stop wiggling he loads them up in the bucket and hauled them to the dead pile.

Most likely Jaeger Pro system!

ya!


GWB

Quality AR15 (colt, bcm, larue, kac, centurion) with your flavor of optics ( I'd go aimpoint).

Awesome.

It’s fun to have a pen full, hammer time!!!

Laid low a couple more this morning with the 222 and 55gr BTips.

What ever is close when you see a pig. Just shoot it. One thing about a pig, they have a large neck and head. Shoot for that with about anything and you will have pork.

My preference if I've got time to choose is my ratty old .270 that some people wantx57red. My closest shot was about 15 yards with my 8x57. Neck shot that severed the spine making it a bang flop DRT.

I don't have no where near the experience of some of the guys here, where they have pig problems. But I built an AR in 762x39 that i think is or would be a perfect hog gun.[img]https://i.imgur.com/FXSTcQk.jpg?1[/img]

You damn right it would be. That cartridge is capable of .30-30 performance. There's a lot of great pig cartridges and the .30-30 is probably near or at the top of the heap. The 7.62x39 is right there beside it. Great choice for pigs. And with an AR platform you've got a second and third shot right there. I'm fairly experienced with pigs and I would say you won't do any better than with that rig.

Thanks filaman! The same thought of 30-30 and quick follow up shots is why I did it.

I've been doing some pretty good work with a re-barreled Ruger Mini 30 in 6.8 SPC. The last 5 or 6 pigs I've killed were with 120 Pro Hunter bullets.

The 6.8 is sweet !
But I like cheap ammo

AK-47 is good and cheap ammo.

Exactly.


I also love my Rolling Block 45-70.

I have shot them with most anything but will drop 3 anecdotes here , one night two pards put 5 rounds of 00 buck into a boar at a changing distance of 5-10 yards , majority shoulder shots , pig kept running and I finished him with a 257 Weatherby . Upon skinning we found his “armor” to average 2 inches thick and contain the vast majority of that buckshot , he had gnarly bruises all over where hit but nothing fatal .

Another afternoon I was checking feeder and had a k frame 38 special with 158 gr hardcast moving 1100 FPS , feeder went off and I stood still in a thick thick patch of brush to see what happened . Aboutbthe time I gave up two medium boars burst through the brush on s sprint to the food , damn near right over me . I drew and stuck a bullet into one on the point of his shoulder . Crap was happening fast but I swear I could see the base of the bullet as he hauled on past . (Ok maybe it was the white blue hole in his black skin )

3rd , I shot one in a trap I’d set with the only thing in my hand . A 12 gauge with 2 ounce Turkey load. Down through the top of the skull . Surprisingly found the entire shot charge and wad bulging in his throat skin .


All oddities for sure , considering how many I’ve seen bowled over with 22 long rifles and magnums .

I shot a middling sized boar this past weekend. Just for kicks I cut a 2”x3” block out of the “shield” on his shoulder. It was well over an inch thick and hard like a piece of saddle leather. I think that is the reason they get a reputation for being tough, that shield can be rough on bullets.

For a "best" hog gun, I would think an AR in 224 Valkyrie is there when loaded with decent heavy bullets. Otherwise the same in 300 Ham'r.

The best pig rifle, hmmmmm depends on the circumstances. For a do it all gun I could get by with a light 308 or 7x57/7-08 using 150 or 140 grain Nosler Partions and topped with a 2x7 variable sporting a thick set of crosshairs. That said just thinking about the different cartridges I have used on feral hogs man I have killed a bunch of them. Before I had three discs replaced in my neck I was real fond of my 35 Whelen. Shot quit a few with various AR's in 5.56 and some were not recovered but by far the majority ended up findable even when using the 55 gr. FMJ from the Federal XM193 round. Before I started trying out every bore diameter under the sun my 30-06 worked perfectly!

I use whatever I have handy at the time. I've been killing them mostly during deer season, but did kill a couple off season last year. Remington 700 CDL 7mm/08 and 140 gr. Accubond does the trick. I've used my 6.5X55 and 130 gr. Swift Scirocco's, but I'm about to get serious with them and start carrying my AR all the time. Bushmaster .223 with 75 gr Speer Gold Dot and a full 30 round mag. They're starting to get out of hand.

A 30-06 with 180 grain Hornady SP will work.

Just about any good deer load, I think.

Pigs have a reputation for being tough, but it doesn’t take much to kill them!

A 308 with a 175 SMK or 130 or 150 Barnes TTSX is my favorite, mostly from my MRC with a NF NXS Compact 2.5-10x42.

My preferred shot placement is to the base of the ear.

I made this video years ago, when people kept saying a 308 with 175 SMK's will not kill animals.

I shot more than 100 with that combo before I quit counting years ago, but I use 130 or 150 TTSX's most of the time now, except for one rifle.

Shot placement is the key to success, as always.

I killed a WHOLE BUNCH of them with a .22 LR as a kid in East Texas. Preferred solid lead bullets over HP's. though, for penetration.

Mike Holmes

like most others ive used lots of different calibers, killed quite a few with a 223 using the winchester 45 gr varmint packs wally world used to sell, would shoot them in the center of the neck and they dropped DRT every time with that load. Currently using a 300 blk with Makers 200 gr expanders only shot a couple with it so far but works as expected, M4 carbine w/aimpoint PRO and a suppressor has killed many too and my favorite for shooting sounders and for trap work. Killed a truck load with a Glock 22 as well. 40 cal works great

Strictly a dog hunter for pigs. My pard uses a SKS and I use a Glock 20 ( 10 mm ). We don't use catch dogs. Just strictly bay. The SKS is a hog lazor!!! The 10 has never failed. Behind the burr of the ear is lethal with even a 22.

Regards

Something like that would be my choice too. 6.5, 6.8, one of the .30s, and of course the 7.62x39. All about perfect for lots of critters. And you can stuff a magazine full.

I wouldn't limit myself to one rifle if I had the opportunity to shoot lots of pigs. They are perfect test subjects.

Mostly the same here, if shooting head, I want solids. Suppressed subs in HP have worked in the ear socket over the last few years though. But I've shot who knows how many with a Ruger MK2 after someone else takes the first shot when sneaking up on em, and for that, I run HPs and take the first one that stops, in the lungs... never fails.

If they are big and tough, you simply have to be close enough and hit the right spot. I"ve taken em over 300 pounds with the 22lr, though obviously I'd want a bit more like 300/221 or such if I had it with me.

They will fall to anything though. Killed over 100 with arrows. Never got a chance with a spear. Never dog hunted so no knives. Have shot them with anything I've had on hand too, including a few last year with a 458 win mag. Never had the 50 bmg around when I had pigs though.

For a sounder, my pick of what I own, would be 6.8/6mm in the AR, with a big mag. Bit heavier than 223, fast, very little recoil. I"ve killed up to 3-4 at a time with it, but I've never had it the few times when we found sounders in the open...

Now I’ve only seen hogs once while hunting and never shot one, so take what I say with a grain of salt. But I’d think a medium bore based on a standard cartridge would be hard to beat for hogs, something like the 358 win or 338 federal.

I've killed em with a .270 Win. a .280 Rem., a .250 Savage, and 8x57, and a .30-06. They were all pretty well bang flops. My wife killed a few with her .243 that were DRT Dead on the spot.. My most impressive kill on a hog was right around 300 yards with a .270 and a 130 Grain Sierra Game King. I shot through the front shoulder and he ran about 25 yards across a senderro and died about 5 yards inside the brush line. The next most impressive kill was about 120 yards with my lowly .250 Savage and a 115 Grain Combined Technologies Ballistic Tip that put a nice sow down immediately if not sooner. That was another bang flop kill. Gee I love it when a plan comes together!!!

Just bought a 358 Savage 99. I’m gonna see what it will do to pigs when I go fill feeders in late March.

I cut down a kimber montana in .338 Federal to about 17"... it's hell on them offhand

It would be fun to have a 99 bored to 338 Federal.

I rebarreled a couple of 308 99s to 338fed when I worked at the gunshop. Pretty straightforward deal that never involved much feeding work.