Hog/boar/pig gun

[BeeMaa]

12ga/12ga SxS, 24 " barrels,ghost ring sight fitted

This is where I was going...12 gauge shotgun.
Semi-Auto, Pump, O/U or SxS will all work well with the correct barrel and ammo.

I saw you picked up a 30-30.
Be nice to see a few pictures...

 

[JPbowhunter]

This is where I was going...12 gauge shotgun.
Semi-Auto, Pump, O/U or SxS will all work well with the correct barrel and ammo.

I saw you picked up a 30-30.
Be nice to see a few pictures...

Both mates had 12 gauge lever shotguns, they just didn't seem to be enough on the big boars. Don't get me wrong, they slowed them up after 5 or 6 shots but not ideal in my books. Worked well on the smaller pigs though.

Aus doesn't work quite like that, need to get the permit to acquire and transferred into my name before I get my hands on it. It's a pre '82 non angle eject model, not sure of the year yet but can check when I get it via serial number. Will put a reciever mounted peep on I think. Good for 5 - 100 m

 

[CoElkHunter]

G'day all,

Just got back from an outback pig hunt. One thing I learned is that the country and hunting is tough on your rifles so I've decided for our next hunt (Jan 2020) i want to have a dedicated pig rifle that I don't mind getting banged and

Our main styles of hunting are stalking bedding/wallow areas and spotlighting/driving around and chasing in a buggy.

I've narrowed it down to the venerable 30-30 or a ruger scout 308 or similar. Don't want a scope and don't love red dots so wither open sights or a ghost ring is preferable.

I do like bolts but the ruger, savage and howa scout and ghost ring style rifles all have a muzzle break. Given that I hunt with other guys a booming rifle isn't ideal but given they all have it I wonder if they're kicking little buggers without it?

Any suggestions or considerations from guys that have chased them a lot more than I?

I don’t think you can go wrong with either the .308 or .30-30. I shot a pig years ago with my .270 Win. But as far as sights go, if you want to use open sights at dusk, dark or dim light, I found a neat trick years ago. Bend a common, green fluorescent light stick so it starts glowing. Cut into the light stick and using a Q Tip or something similar, take the liquid and put it on both your front sight and rear V or Buckhorn style sight. Wala! Instant night sights that will glow quite a while. Put the cut light stick in a zip lock baggy so air can’t get to it, and you can reuse the liquid for your sights at least all night and probably longer. It works really well!

 

[bruce moulds]

Both mates had 12 gauge lever shotguns, they just didn't seem to be enough on the big boars. Don't get me wrong, they slowed them up after 5 or 6 shots but not ideal in my books. Worked well on the smaller pigs though.

Aus doesn't work quite like that, need to get the permit to acquire and transferred into my name before I get my hands on it. It's a pre '82 non angle eject model, not sure of the year yet but can check when I get it via serial number. Will put a reciever mounted peep on I think. Good for 5 - 100 m

jp,
those rear sights are still ok at 200 yds.
shotguns just lack versatility.
bruce.

 

[Alchemist]

I hunt warthog and bush pig in the maize fields and bush. I used to use a shot gun with slugs and a 357 Mag revolver as back up. The problem is the the shotgun has 2 slugs only. When the bush pig comes for you , 2 is not a lot. Second is that the shotgun is too long to swing in the maize fields.
I now use a Marlin 336 Y in 30-30 Win with an Aimpoint red dot sight. Short and compact and 5+1 bullets.

 

[crs]

Alchemist,
A compact Marlin can be a handy tool in the right hands.

One of my friends used a Marlin .45-70 as his close in gun for leopard and it never failed him.

 

[Fastrig]

Alchemist,
A compact Marlin can be a handy tool in the right hands.

One of my friends used a Marlin .45-70 as his close in gun for leopard and it never failed him.

Great choice in the 45-70...fast and delivers a heavy punch...45 long colt lever action works great in close as well

 

[Oldschool280]

M1a scout squad?

 

[CBH Australia]

G'day all,

Just got back from an outback pig hunt. One thing I learned is that the country and hunting is tough on your rifles so I've decided for our next hunt (Jan 2020) i want to have a dedicated pig rifle that I don't mind getting banged and

Our main styles of hunting are stalking bedding/wallow areas and spotlighting/driving around and chasing in a buggy.

I've narrowed it down to the venerable 30-30 or a ruger scout 308 or similar. Don't want a scope and don't love red dots so wither open sights or a ghost ring is preferable.

I do like bolts but the ruger, savage and howa scout and ghost ring style rifles all have a muzzle break. Given that I hunt with other guys a booming rifle isn't ideal but given they all have it I wonder if they're kicking little buggers without it?

Any suggestions or considerations from guys that have chased them a lot more than I?

So I read you got a .30-30, have fun with it. Other options maybe out there.
Maybe I would suggest a Rem 7600 in .308, my mate would say the Ruger Scout in .308,
have you seen the Tikka CTR? They do a .308 with 10 shot mag, medium weight and a Pic rail suitable for the red dot. I’ve done some good fast shooting with my Tikka CTR with scopes, waiting for a PTA to collect another CTR.
The .30-30 is well regarded in Australia and capable but with Several factory loads available at good prices the .308 would be a good option for high volume shooting, I don’t care if I lose cheap .308 cases in the bush. I get twitchy about dropping my 7mm-08 brass as they can be pricey to source.
Keep an eye out for good deals on Usedguns .308 with average weight is not harsh, worst case $100 for a Limbsaver recoil pad is worth it.
A new CTR may retail for $1800+ there are some secondhand for under $1200, Tikka just work I think people change stuff and sometimes we get deals, presumably most are honest.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Jpg bowhunter.
My go to pig gun was "thumper " ,not the cute little bunny but a 444 Marlin built on a No4 SMLE action. Fast operating hard hitting. I never bought factory ammo always reloaded. 265 hornaday flat nose worked well.
If you go the 44 or 45 cal route hawksberry river cast projectiles are a great option.
Pick what suits you and have fun

444 No4 SMLE Thumper

 

[ILCAPO]

My Winchester .30-30 is like the hammer of Thor on them.

My wild boar/hog/black bear gun is a customized Remington 760 Gamemaster pump in 35 Remington. While the typical factory load is a bit anemic, you can hand load it and get far more out of it without pushing to unsafe pressures.

I bought a used Remington pump which was solid but scratched up. Just like with my 760 GM in .30-06, I stripped off the beat up BDL stock, had the barrel cut down to 18 1/4 inches (making it a carbine), reblued it in a satin finish, had Boyd's make a black and grey thumbhole laminate stock made for it, and topped it off with a 1 x 4 power lit reticle scope. Very handy gun, and with hotter loads, more than adequate for the job. When facing off with what could be a hostile swine in close quarters, I like a fast reacting action. Wouldn't want a bolt action in the hunting trips I've been on in the Shenandoah Valley for black bear.

 

[Dr Ray]

I haven’t hunted our feral hogs but 4x. Twice with a 308 and it was excellent. Once with a shotgun from a helicopter (saw 25 took 23). Once as a side hunt with a 300 WM, worked fine.
No reason either of your choices shouldn’t do fine. My Kimber 308 Classic had no brake and it wasn’t an issue. My 300 WM I used suppressed and it was fine (except it shoots 7” different at 100 yds than unsuppressed!)
Take the muzzle brakes off befor you start your accuracy testing and sighting in. It will work fine.
That’s my experience and opinion. What ever you decide to do, just make certain any handloads are worked up the same way you will be hunting.

Hog busting is great!

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

G'day all,

Just got back from an outback pig hunt. One thing I learned is that the country and hunting is tough on your rifles so I've decided for our next hunt (Jan 2020) i want to have a dedicated pig rifle that I don't mind getting banged and

Our main styles of hunting are stalking bedding/wallow areas and spotlighting/driving around and chasing in a buggy.

I've narrowed it down to the venerable 30-30 or a ruger scout 308 or similar. Don't want a scope and don't love red dots so wither open sights or a ghost ring is preferable.

I do like bolts but the ruger, savage and howa scout and ghost ring style rifles all have a muzzle break. Given that I hunt with other guys a booming rifle isn't ideal but given they all have it I wonder if they're kicking little buggers without it?

Any suggestions or considerations from guys that have chased them a lot more than I?

JPbowhunter
My favorite pig rifle of days gone by was a sporterised SMLE 303 with a 20 inch barrel . I had a chain welded onto the magazine and attached to the king screw. When I ran out of ammo I could just drop the mag with out losing it and slap a full 10 round mag in and keep shooting. Ah they were the good ol days out at Hells Gate. The rifle always went bang no matter how dirty and this old 150 grain Tipans worked well.
Cheers mate Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

If/when you get a 45-70, my magic load is 41.0 gr of Alliant RL-7. Produces 1600-1625 in all 3 bullets, with the same degree of accuracy in all 3 bullets.

I have a marlin 1895 GBL (short barrel, 18.5" I believe).

I'm on another BBS with lots of lever gun addicts. Every guy seems to have his own pet load with his own powder. This is a forgiving round, and excellent accuracy can be had with probably a couple dozen different powders. ADI AR-BMk1 is comparable to RL-7.

I'd recommend the two shops here where I buy my bullets, but ITAR prohibits the export of them, I believe (restricting the export of lead or lead alloy bullets is idiotic, but that's a topic for another day). You'd have to source local to Oz, unfortunately.

This was about a 65 yard running shot. I missed. I was leading for the ear hole.

View attachment 310560

Sgt Zim
I used to load a mates 45/70 with 52grains of AR2207/Hogdon 4198 behind a 350 grain HP for over 2,000 fps, pigs never got back up.
Cheers mate Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

FWIW my Interarms Mark X (Zastava) rifle in .25-06 Remington with 24" barrel provided admirable service for me on a hog hunt back in Spring 2019. However I'm a meat hunter and use a scope to take skull and neck CNS shots. No tracking, maximum meat yield, and maximum quality meat with no extreme exertion after I take the shot.

For your objectives, I would select a blunt tip bonded bullet design such as Norma Oryx. No need for a sleek polymer tipped projectile.

For my thoughts regarding the rifle, I have a Remington 7600 pump with polymer furniture that I thought about making a dedicated brush gun with a 18.5" .308 barrel I picked up for $50 on eBay. Replacement polymer furniture, if ever needed / desired, is widely and inexpensively available, same for aftermarket 10 round magazines. Faster multiple shots than a bolt action (for me anyway) with no issues of "stuff" interfering with a semi-auto action.

It's currently sporting a 22" .243 barrel as my initial thought was to use it as a first rifle for a nephew who was asking to get into such things before his mother (my sister) dissuaded him from it last autumn. I think there's an Aussie firm that sells a part that makes barrel changes a breeze for these rifles. Same magazine for .308 as .243.

https://www.lumleyarms.com/7600--7615

Mr Zorg
I would have disregarded what his mother said and given him a chance to make up his own mind.
I went out with a lady years ago that wanted me to give up shooting. Got a new girlfriend and married her, she encourages my son and my shooting.
Cheers mate Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Are you more comfortable with a bolt operation rifle or an under lever operation rifle ?
I have had clients use both the .308 bore by Winchester ( which was called 7.62 millimeter in India in our time ) and .3030 bore by Winchester , with great effect on boars . I made one personal observation : Some people find it faster to operate an under lever a little quicker than cycling a rifle bolt ( of course this varies from person to person ). In terms of accuracy and power , neither are lacking for pigs. If l were shooting them from a distance , l would opt for the .308 bore. If l were close to them and there was a possibility that one of they might charge at me , then l would opt for a .3030 under lever rifle .

Friend Kawshick Rahman
Just go for the 303 SMLE my friend. Good range and lightening fast operation.
Keep safe and well and enjoy your hunting with friend Ponton.
Please write more of your adventures my friend we ALL miss them.
Your friend
Bob Nelson

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

jp,
at those prices you would have to try the ppu stuff.
2nd try would be power point.
there is a fair bit of it sold in oz.
in my 308s I used riverbrand reloads which were quite fast opening and very effective.
I believe pigs succumb to shock more than some animals.
bruce.

bruce moulds
Using Riverbrand is giving our age away mate. I used to use them in my old 303/25 until I started reloading and then used 87 grain Tipans or the 150s in my three O.
Cheers mate Bob

 

[bruce moulds]

bob,
you are only as old as you feel.
bruce.

 

[Tracey Colson]

I know you have stated that it is tough to find ammo for 45-70 at a reasonable price, but it you reload it does not take a premium bullet to do in a pig. Here is what happens to a pig head when you hit it with a 350gr round nose bullet out of a 45-70.

 

[ILCAPO]

I know you have stated that it is tough to find ammo for 45-70 at a reasonable price, but it you reload it does not take a premium bullet to do in a pig. Here is what happens to a pig head when you hit it with a 350gr round nose bullet out of a 45-70.

View attachment 344279

Ah, but how can you make Jack Aubrey's favorite dish, Soused Pig's face, then?