Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Favorite pig cartridge, bullet, shot placement

Yup, a 12 gauge loaded with 00 Buck works!

That looks like a Remington 11-87. Special Purpose Mag????

My bud and I were bored one night at camp and decided to go check the pens and traps. We rode up on this pen and there were 15 or so pigs in the pen that were going berserk when we came up on our 4-wheelers.

I was sporting a Winchester 1300 Defender with a light. Just as I got close to the pen I saw this guy come flying over the 34" high hog panel. I nailed him at about 3 or 4 yds in mid air.

Decent pattern IMHO.




ya,

GWB

Man, that was a lot of work dragging all of them into a line if you were alone.

Yeah Shotguns are my preferred weapon on hogs when “covey shooting”

Ring “O” death right there.

A dozen .33”s at spitting distance ain’t no joke!!

First "pig" rifle was .30-30 Win w/150 gr Core-Lokt.
From there, went to a Parker-Hale in. 270 Win w/130 gr Sierra BTSP handloads.
Killed a butt load with both .22LR or a .22 Hornet.

About 2007, we hunted ferals in OK by walking downwind of thickets until the sweet smell of "pig" assaulted our nostrils.
Then we'd line up and march into the thicket, like shooting 100 pound quail! LOL!
I usually drug my grampa's beautiful old Marlin M336 RC in .30-30 Win.
It was beginning to show wear and tear from that activity, so I went "pig gun" shopping!
I wasn't an AR fan, so I shopped for a Ruger "Mini 14".
During that search, I stumbled into the Ruger Ranch in 6.8mm Rem SPC!
I FELL IN LOVE!
My biggest complaint was Ruger's refusal to offer a mag that held more than 5. 😡
By then, I was building (assembling?) AR's!
I have a 6.8mm Rem SPC II AR with 5, 10 and 20 round mags.
Usually shoot Federal with 100 gr Gold Dots.

Aug 2019, shoulder replacement surgery meant shooting the 6.8mm AR for all my "big game" needs.
Low recoil and, so far, (knock on wood!) one shot kills on deer and pigs plus coyotes!

Lately the thermal has been on a 6.5 Grendel as a buddy can't hit em right in the head with 223 and 40 Amax it seemed. Before that it was 223 and 40 vmax. Up to 200 ish pounders and never shot one in the head at night so far. Always take the big target and keep shooting at the runners until they are gone.

That said it simply doesn't matter. 22 to 50 bmg. They are far from hard to kill. Pick anything you are comfortable with for deer and shoot em just like a deer and life will be fine.

I need to put a rail on my 22 so I can put the thermal on there too. I would probably use it rather than the Grendel or 223 as its even quieter.

Im old, but I aint dead yet. I love pig lineups, they were small piggies

















Most fun day I ever had, didnt trap these. They kept coming back to eat corn and sweet feed I had scattered out. Stand is in the background. I ran out of 358 shells or I could have gotten more. Sweet feed really works to attract deer and dumass pigs

.22 mag. 40gr super-x hp. Sideways shot, right behind the shoulder. Straight on, between the eyes. Usually on my property, if you shoot a big rifle, you won't find another hog that day. With the .22 mag, it is not uncommon to shoot and find more hogs on the next ridge over.

.308 is my go to for hogs and deer here in California. Needing to use lead free I have had great luck with the 125-130 gr cutting edge bullets. Get great velocity out of my 20” barrel and they are murder on hogs.

Like others here have said "whatever is handy". I've killed them with a very wide range of rounds and weapons. I kill allot with the .223 because that is usually what is with me outside of the regular deer season. My favorite shot placement is the "Neck area". If I had to pick a favorite rifle and round it is my 99 in .300 Savage with any 150 grain bullet.

The rounds the OP mentions will work perfectly and take down any Feral Hog that has ever lived.

I like that rifle setup, looks good. What are the specs to your complete build?

If I'm heading out to specifically drop pigs, it would have to be my CDZ 600 LUX in .223 with 40Nbts or 50 Vmax...

All the pig hunting stories on the 24 Hour CF prompted me to give it a try. Just returned a few days ago from west Texas. I used my 6.5 Manbun with 129 gr Interlocks over a mild load of Hunter. Shots just behind the ear worked well. It was a good time and I'm planning to go back next year. The Campfire always seems to find ways to cost me money.....

A medium-weight Interlock in .264,.284,.308 at moderate speed is pretty much always an excellent hog load and that ear/spine location just works. Sounds like a good time.......

Favorite? Shot the most with either a 7x57 or a 308. Currently my favorite is a 7-08 Model Seven running 150 gr. Ballistic Tips. Light, accurate and short enough to be a good truck gun. But the truth is pretty sure I have shot pigs with something of every bore diameter up to 50 caliber with the exception of .323 and 338. I really liked the way my 35 Whelen laid em out but that thing could sure sling a scope mounted light.

Myself and all the farmers I know just use their “deer” rifles. 270win, 308win, and the good old 30-06 shooting 150gr corelokts will kill any hog around.

All y'all know what I like.



That said, I've whacked them with .410, 20 and 12 ga., the .30-30, .22 LR, .257, 7x57 and maybe some I've forgotten. Only good hogs are dead ones, use what you got!

Ya think a .416 would over penetrate?

I’ve killed most of mine with a .223 and 55’s or a 6.5 Grendel and 123’s. I killed a two for with the Grendel once. Through the ear holes of one and through the shoulder of the one behind it. Ear/neck shot is a favorite but I’ll center up on the impenetrable shield of doom as well.


I’ve used or been on a hunt where someone used

.223
.243
708
6.5 Grendel
6cm
6.5cm
350 legend
3030

Probably a few more

My 338 RPM with 175 grain Hammer bullets at 3250 does a hell of a lot of damage. I shot three last year while in Texas. Dead right there

I have used many to kill hogs but my favorite is my MRC X2 in 7mm08 nosler BTs I shoot them just behind the shoulder on a quartering away if possible. Haven't had any live thru that.

That said I probably have killed 80% of them with a bone stock ruger tanger in 30-06 using Green box Remington 165 Coreloks. None of them walked off either. Thats what I had so thats what I used.