Best Pig Rifles and Ammunition

[mdwest]

I’d be curious how the 70’s and 75s work for you. Shooting gold dot service ammo (63 I think) I had a lot of runners. The Grendel puts them right down (other than the one I shot the nuts off running away, he made it about thirty yards squealing like a banshee!).

Never had a runner... but with the 556 I only take head shots.. if that shot doesnt present itself, then I dont squeeze the trigger..

At this point my 556 AR has probably taken a couple of dozen hogs.. I help arrange a veterans hog hunt every winter/spring after deer season closes.. I inevitably end up loaning the 556 AR out to someone that doesnt have a gun set up for night hunting (no NV, thermal, or green light).. and my deer lease is covered up with hogs (I have different singles and sounders coming in literally every single night, without fail right now...).. So I have the opportunity/ability to take lots and lots of pigs every year with the AR....

So far, no failures with 75gr Hornady "Black" interbond...

All of that said.. I recent set up an AR in 350 Legend and another one in 458 SOCOM that I plan on making my primary hog hammers this year....

The pigs have just gotten out of control on the deer lease at this point.. several of the guys are trapping them... My plan is once deer season is over, to sit in one of my stands every weekend for 4-5 weekends straight (or however long it takes) and blow through entire sounders if Im able...

I figure slinging 10x rounds of 300gr 458 bullets down range in rapid succession will kill more pigs and do a better job of running off the survivors than 10x rounds of 556...

 

[The Engineer]

For fun I like to stalk them with my 450NE Heym Double.

However, here in Texas we have such a feral pig problem that needs to be dealt with to preserve deer, turkey, etc that I usually hunt them at night with an AR equipped with a thermal sight. The night hunting is much more productive and with heavy TSX bullets the 223 is more than adequate but you must have a fast (1 in 7) rifling to get good accuracy.

 

[Dwight Beagle]

However , if I had to name the greatest wild boar rifle of all time ( in my opinion ) , then it would have to be the .30-30 Winchester ( in a Winchester Model 1894 ) and the 170 grain Winchester Super X soft nosed factory load .

My favorite hog rifle is a Marlin 336 30-30. It showed a distinct preference for 150 grain bullets over 170 grains so 150 grain Corelokts are what I use.

 

[Professor Mawla]

My favorite hog rifle is a Marlin 336 30-30. It showed a distinct preference for 150 grain bullets over 170 grains so 150 grain Corelokts are what I use.
View attachment 371816

@Dwight Beagle
That is a beautiful .30-30 Winchester . Was yours manufactured by Remington ?

 

[Dwight Beagle]

Yes and it was made when the worst ones were being manufactured. The base screw holes were tapped off center so any scope shoots too far to the left and there isn’t enough windage adjustment to zero the scope. That’s the bad part. The good part is it’s the most accurate Marlin or Winchester 30-30 I’ve ever shot. I didn’t want to send it back because I was afraid whatever Remington did would degrade accuracy.

So I used a Leupold STD. base and used the adjustment on the rear ring to get the additional windage adjustment I needed.

 

[Dwight Beagle]

Yes and it was made when the worst ones were being manufactured. The base screw holes were tapped off center so any scope shoots too far to the left and there isn’t enough windage adjustment to zero the scope. That’s the bad part. The good part is it’s the most accurate Marlin or Winchester 30-30 I’ve ever shot. I didn’t want to send it back because I was afraid whatever Remington did would degrade accuracy.

So I used a Leupold STD. base and used the adjustment on the rear ring to get the additional windage adjustment I needed.

I normally use Warne rings and Warne or EGW bases. I’ve heard a lot of people diss the Leupold STD. system but in a situation like I had they work great. I could have gone Burris with the inserts but I’m so familiar with the Leupold system I stayed with what I was comfortable with.

 

[Aussie_Hunter]

Hello all! I am relatively new to AH as a member but have been scouring the site for information for a long time. I live in California and do a lot of pig hunting. I am curious to know what people think are the best pig rifles and ammunition. My favorite gun to use on pigs is my pre-64 winchester model 70 in 30-06 with 180 grain barnes TSX bullets, but i use my Ruger No.1 in .270 win. just as much. I certainly think the .30-06 bullets are better suited for pigs as far as penetration but that little Ruger is so handy. What is your experience, what might be the most versatile ammo/rifle combo for a pig hunter?

30-06 with any good quality bonded soft point projectiles. A few of my favourites - Woodleigh PP Weldcores, Federal Fusions & Federal Trophy Bonded Tips.

 

[bruce moulds]

or even non bonded like sierra, speer, and hornady.
bruce.

 

[autofire]

Savage .308 hog hunter works great. 150 gr tsx great load.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

or even non bonded like sierra, speer, and hornady.
bruce.

@bruce moulds
Whatever I have loaded at the time even the shotty with slugs or 000 buckshot.
Bob

 

[Dwight Beagle]

Hello all! I am relatively new to AH as a member but have been scouring the site for information for a long time. I live in California and do a lot of pig hunting. I am curious to know what people think are the best pig rifles and ammunition. My favorite gun to use on pigs is my pre-64 winchester model 70 in 30-06 with 180 grain barnes TSX bullets, but i use my Ruger No.1 in .270 win. just as much. I certainly think the .30-06 bullets are better suited for pigs as far as penetration but that little Ruger is so handy. What is your experience, what might be the most versatile ammo/rifle combo for a pig hunter?

Anything from .223(with the right bullets) to 30-06 works great on feral hogs IMO. I’ve shot hogs with a .223/5.56, .243, 6.5x55, .270, 30-30 and 30-06. All of my hogs were killed with cup and core bullets with the exception being 130 grain Berger Hunting VLD’s in the 6.5x55, but I’ve also shot a few with PPU 139 grain SP’s and they worked great.

My understanding is the average California hog is bigger and meaner than the average size Texas hog. Something to do with California hogs having a higher percentage of Russian Boar genetics than Texas hogs. At least that’s what the Internet says.

My favorite hog hunting rifle is my Marlin 30-30 with 150 Grain Corelokts. I feel it’s more than enough.

 

[PaulT]

On the flood-plains of Northern Australia the hogs can get big.
Generally, when hunting hogs myself, i don't bother with immature or females.

Boars, if they can survive the constant harassment, and predation of dingoes, will tip the scales at 80 - 100kgs and even bigger.
A mud encrusted fighting shield is very taxing on any projectile.
Below is an average flood-plain boar, with one of his buddies laying in the mud in the backround.
Rifle is an FN in 7x64 loaded with 140gn TSX's.
Rifle is 44" long.

 

[PaulT]