Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game 223 performance on hogs?

I know there are quite a few posters on the board with experience in hog hunting, I've got none other than popping a couple fat hogs with a 22 to butcher. Got a hog hunt coming up in march, been told it will be mostly sitting in a blind over feeders. I've got several larger deer/elk rifles I can take, but was thinking about taking the AR for a change of pace. Using heavier "hunting" bullets, I figure head/neck shots would work fine, but wondering about heart/lung shots. 20" 1-9 twist barrel, shoots under an inch with the 63 gr Sierra SMP, better with the 55 Hornady sp, and I'm getting ready to try a few of the 64 gr. Nosler Bonded Base when the fog lifts in a bit. How much tougher is the 65 gr Gameking than the 63 SMP?

64g Winchester is a good bullet also! Shoot which ever is the most accurate in your rifle, they will all work.

I have killed several train cars full of hogs with most common calibers. Most with the .223. If you make a good shot they are DRT. Ear hole or shoulder break down are the best. Head shots are iffy because of deflection and behind shoulder is not advised because of the tiny hole and small blood trail.

Limit your shots for 200 yards and you will be fine. It will kill much further but ballistics may not be in your favor for recovery.

Shoot them just about anywhere from the armpit to the eyeball and it’s game over. I kill at least %90 of my pigs with a 223 and rarely even get a runner let alone one getting away. I have used bullets from 40 to 77 grains on them and noticed no huge difference in effectiveness among them. In fact 40gr Varmeggeddons kill like lightening bolts with chest shots of normal sized pigs.

Thanks guys, you see so much written about the shield on the shoulders it had me wondering about the penetrating ability of the 60+ bullets in the 223. I'd guess it will be doubtful we'll get the chance at many larger hogs so it sounds like about anything will work.
Just tried the 64 gr Bonded Base, runs right around 1" at 100 with Varget in this barrel. Not quite as good as the 63 SMP or 55 Hornady sp, but probably a tougher bullet.

That bonded bullet is tough and destructive. 1" groups are more than adequate for any hog hunting ranges with the 223. I load it for my grandson's 22-250 and it scrambles heart and lungs while passing all the way through.

We kill hogs here in SW GA by the bazillions. There are several “outfitters” here that take folks on nightly excursions using the latest the latest thermal equipment. Their choice of 223 bullets is overwhelmingly the Hornady 75 grain BTHP match bullet. It puts em down very convincingly.

1-9 twist enough for that one?

Yep. Easy.

My son used the 64 Winchester bullet in a hand load out of a mini 14. It made a mess of the lungs with a pass through shot. The range was 50-60 yards.

Just ordered some Hornady 75 bthp and Sierra 65 Gameking to try. We'll see how the rifle likes them. I can always use them for deer here, I haven't tried the 22s on deer yet even though it's been legal for a couple years.

I use the 62 Barnes. I don’t know if a 1in9 will work.

Dont need bullets that heavy for hogs. Like other posters Ive shot 90% of my hogs with a .223...55 to 63 grain bullets...and I prefer the brain shot over all others...hence it doesn't much matter which bullet I choose...

The TSX version shoots great from my M77 Compact with a 1-9. Not sure how the TTSX would do.

I killed these five with Barnes 55 grn TTSX

I have shot a bunch with the .223. With the smaller hogs, I didn’t see a big difference with ammo. With the big ones, I have noticed that the bonded and solid copper bullets seem to work a little better.

Shooting over feeders all it takes is a shot between the eye and ear hole and they are down.

Any 55 grain bullet will do it.

But if shots are taken in less than perfect conditions the heaviest and toughest bullet that your rifle shoots the best is what you want.

Have fun and prepare for fast shots on their buddies after the first one is down.

I'd guess they will work on hogs. Haven't shot any of those fancy long bullets in one. Back in the day they were good enough for pot bellied pigs, water buff, ape like creatures and an ele.

Only boars have the really thick shield. Ear hole em with a 55 grainer and you are golden..................Killed many many with a 223. It's all you'll need.

Have fun!!!! Kill a bunch. They eat good too!!!

So, I gots to wonder why anyone would ask the question in the first place. Really..........



If one is still undecided I suggest they ask themselves just one question.

Do you feel lucky?

I've killed only two hogs. Both with a mini-14. They are still dead.

KC

Thanks for all the info guys. I knew the head/neck shots were good to go, just wondering more about suitability of the shoulder shots. Sounds like with proper bullets shoulder shots are ok

Any kind of TSX/TTSX should work fine if you don't have the luxury of picking the best angles or head/neck shots. I had good luck with the 62TSX years ago.

The 62 is a great bullet, rips piggies end to end!

The head shots work, but the target is Small in my opinion. An inch can make a lot of difference. I remember trying to drop one in his tracks with a head shot and hit him right in the jaw hinge pin. Only missed a super shot by an inch. I have went back to the lungs if I can.

I like the Barnes TTSX in 62 gr, Nosler 64 gr Solid Base and Sierra 65 gr. They all shoot well out of the AR and reasonable accuracy for hunting.

Hogs are not hard to kill. Any of the bullets you have mentioned will work fine. I normally run the 64 grain PP or 55 grain Hornady spire point in my AR. I normally shoot them in the neck area and rarely have one take a step. Any of the bullets you have mentioned will penetrate the thickest shield on a boar.

Try the 62 Barnes, hit a 200 lb’er at 200 yds in the shoulders. It punched right through.

I've killed a bunch at ranges from 60-80 yards with a 17 HMR and various 17grain varmint bullets. Neck shots, all dropped instantly. I know tons of dudes who do the same--the 17 HMR has become the common truck gun for tons of folks on ranches in TX.

Any expanding bullet will work from your 223. Something bonded might be nicer. Aim at the bottom of the ear or the middle of the neck. You cannot aim behind the shoulder bc the lungs basically end at the back end of the shoulder. But unless it's a monster any bonded 223 will likely give through and through both shoulders, at least at close ranges. I use 62 grain fusions in my 223 and they zip right through most pigs.

55 gr. S.P. will work. Rio7

Rio,

What brand 55 gr. soft point are you using? Also, where do you shoot them with that bullet?

JayJuneM, 55 gr. Hornady S.P. Were do I shoot them ? Answer were ever I can, I try to kill them with the first shot, but if I don't have a good shot I try to cripple them then walk up and kill them, it's rare for me to loose one because my dog will find one if it runs off. Rio7

Thanks for the info, Rio.

I have zero experience hunting/shooting hogs so I am always curious what guys are using and where they shoot them. Some interesting opinions out there.

Yes, good stuff here. Are you all talking 16 inch barrels or the full 20?

I used a 16” for a couple years and shoot an 18” now. No idea the velocity I’m getting out of either one.

Base of the ear, front 1/3 with anything 223 kills easily.....

I’ve seen/killed 10s of thousands of them with bulk PMC 55gr FMJs WAY before it was Gucci.

I actually find 55gr ball to do a pretty good job, especially if you shoot them in the shoulder. I don’t know if it’s bone fragments or the bullet upsets and tumbles, but it will set them down pronto.

These were one round each of 55gr IMI ball, 2 more of their family were further away than I wanted to drag for the photo op but they’d caught one each as well.

Fmjs can be nasty .

Federal Fusion 62 grain.

A trifecta on nice sized hogs courtesy of 60 Gr NBTs...

62 gr Barnes 3100fps

Just about anything works and everything has worked, for someone.
Smallest cartridge I have used is the .223 handloaded with a 55gn Sierra with the largest being a .460 Weatherby handloaded with 500gn Hornady's. Everything in between worked, with the 7x57 being as emphatic as any.

This one and one of her pals caught a couple 77TMKs yesterday morning. 18” 7TW PSA, range pickup brass fueled with Leverlution and CCI 41s.

+1

I bought a thousand surplus 62 gr. Fusion bullets from Rocky Mtn. Reloading for a good price. They're more accurate than the 64 gr BSB, terminal performance similar.

We've killed our share of piggies with FMJ 17 HMR ammo. They work better than one would think.

Last one I killed was with a 75 gr SSII out of my fast twist .22-204. DRT.

Hit'em right, they die.

DF

I use the Sierra 65 gr GK these days. I’ve been really impressed with that bullet on hogs, and it isn’t just the CNS shots that work. I shot two big hogs last week, one at 190 pounds and one at 200 pounds. I didn’t have a good angle on the bigger one, so I went for an angled shot, low, hoping to get the heart. I even got an exit with that one. The little bullet goes deep.

For years I argued against using a 223 on deer, but that bullet has changed my mind.

This Mini 14 likes them.

I know, three shot group...

DF

Anyone know how the 63 SMP compares to the 65 GK in terms of terminal performance?

Funny you should ask. For a time I loaded the 63 gr Sierra SMP, but just punched paper with it. But one day a buddy and I got invited on a pig hunt down near Victoria, Texas. The buddy didn’t have a rifle, so I loaned him my 220 Swift tang safety rifle and some 63 gr ammo. It was the only extra rifle I had back then. He and I were in high seats in the back of a Jeep when a bunch of hogs came running by. The buddy shot the big one, and that hog dug a trench with his chin. He shot a few more when we were there and didn’t lose a one. Just for info, I had the bullet moving at about 3300 FPS.

When the 65 gr GK came available, I called Sierra to get some load data. I was told to use the loading data for the 63 gr bullet, due to the bullets having the same bearing surface. But, it wouldn’t stabilize in the 220, so I parked the bullets in the workshop. Later, when I got a 223, I used the Nosler Partition bullet, but accuracy was only Ok. So I dragged out the 65 gr GKs and found great accuracy with A2230 and H335. And, since every time I went coyote hunting, pigs would show up, I thought I’d try it on the pigs. And it worked great. FYI, I load it to about 3000 FPS, over H335.

Probably more info than needed, but there it is anyway.

No help there, cause Ive never used the 65 SGK...been so satisfied with the 63SMP felt no need to change. Killed my biggest hog with the 63SMP out of a .223..

Thanks for the intel, gents. The 63s shoot lights out in my 225Win, but I've never been brave enough to try them on deer, due to the fact that Sierra labels them as a varmint bullet. But I keep reading here on the 'fire how well they work. Guess I'll screw up some courage and give 'em a shot.

Recently acquired an AR for hog eradication work. It does real well with both the 63s and the 65s. Sounds like I can use them interchangeably.

Didn't see anyone recommend the 55 Hornaday. It has been good out of a 223 for deer and hogs, on deer I usually get pass through s hogs it just depends on the shot. I like a CNS shot if possible but the Hornadays are fine for lung shots. For shoulder shots I would pick something tougher but the Hornaday worked for this too. All the bullets mentioned are good of the ones I have tried. The Nosler bonded performance solid base is a good choice for come as they may follow up shots as it will work from most angles. If you see these on sale at the Shooters Pro Shop well worth a try.

Yep...the basic 55 gr. Hornady works....at least out of a .222!

The 223 is perfect for pigs.

Do you have any problems with powder fouling in the AR using Leverevolution?

I don’t notice any more or less fouling than with CFE or TAC which are my two other 223 powders. Of course I usually get my AR out from behind the seat for a cleaning about once a year so I’m not really paying too close attention to fouling.

I used it some in my 6.5 Grendel and it was pretty dirty but that cartridge works at a lower pressure than the 223/5.56. I may try it as 26.0 grains under a 75 gr. HPBT shoots nicely in my bolt guns.