I'm a hunter from Germany and we are facing a lot of issues with wild boar - especially as we have African swine fever within them that threatens the farms so we are always on the hunt for them. Something like helicopter hunt is not possible here so we try to get them at night with (suppressed) rifles and night vison/thermal optics or (especially in autumn) on driven hunts. Legally we are recommended to have a Bullet with at least 6,5mm diameter and 1475 foot-pounds of energy at 100m. Common calibers here are .308, 30-06, .300WinMag but also , 8x57IS, 7x64, 7x57, .... Some use even stuff like 9.3x64 or .338WinMag - "Waidmannsheil!" to all pig hunters out there (traditional german greeting for hunters)
American hunter here. I'll load up some 300gr "light" load for my 416 rigby for hogs every now and then. If it's worth doing it's worth over doing as they say lmao
@@JoeZelensky Germany has several very good boar cartridges and bullets for wild boar. 9.3x62 is one wild boar are different then our feral hogs here in the states.
The last hog I killed in Texas, I used a Toyota Camry. It was subsonic, had a suppressor, just put it on at the muffler shop. Terminal Ballistics were very good as the Hog got under the projectile, and it reduced him to Grease and busted bones. However the Camry became difficult to get a follow up shot with as with the Grease and the fact that the wheels were off the ground for a few seconds, the projectile ALMOST started tumbling like the 5.56 NATO, I was GLAD it did not do THAT.!!! Great Video!!! I made that story up, BUT, I have ALMOST had that happen, I mean with only an inch to spare. At night, or even in the day they can APPEAR from the weeds on the side of the road right in front of you, I have had a number of near misses. *I imagine I have a good chance of the story coming true* we have so many of them. Let me tell you, those bastards CAN turn over or cause an 18 wheel Truck to lose control, I know of at least ONE Truck driver being killed by some hogs running out in front of him. On eating GAME, I don't eat game, I didn't grow up eating it, but if I was GOING to eat the Wild Pork, I would only eat a Sow or gilt aka FEMALE running on grain. Any MALE MAMMAL after puberty has testosterone all through his system. That is the reason we make STEERS from Bull Calves. You try to cook BULL MEAT, and it will stink up your HOUSE, you will have to paint the INTERIOR and throw the Frying Pan in the Scrap Iron Barrel. Any large Adult animal that is sexually intact, will be nasty. At least to me anyway. They castrate Male hogs when they are YOUNG, they are FINE TO EAT, they are just like a female then. A castrated male hog is a Barrow. I am talking agriculture here. Not really relevant to hunting. These WILD hogs are so destructive, just like everyone says, the only good one is a DEAD ONE. Thanks for the video, it is very good, BB
Yep, I have never eaten game really, just a bite or two here and there, I don't know how it is really supposed to taste, but I do know, Whore Moans and what they eat and drink affect the meat. It does on Domestic beef, pork, and chicken. @@PureCountryof91
MY favorite pig cartridge is my .30-06. No pig hide is tough enough to withstand that cartridge. Plus, most any sporting goods store has them in stock. A time tested put-down pig round. I have other calibers, that I shoot pigs with, but this is MY favorite.
Here in Alabama wild hogs are often hunted with .22 magnums aiming for the head. We do this, not only because the ammunition is cheaper, but also because it is a lot quieter and the rifles are much lighter and easier to carry around.
People pay it... if nobody paid, they wouldn't charge for it. That's capitalism. Not justifying, just saying don't expect it to change as long as people are still paying for it.
You took the words out of my mouth. Here in south Texas the snobby ranchers don’t want the problem to go away. It’s now a hunting business for them. I would have to set up an appointment and pay up $200.00 then the ranch hand will call me when my hunting day is ready for me to go hunting the pig. I don’t get to choose. Heck they can keep their damn pigs .
The problem is, they need to have insurance to protect them if you get hurt. Too many people have sued when they hurt themselves, so they have to pay for additional insurance, or their current insurance will drop them. It’s not their fault, it’s the corrupt people who will sue over anything. Lawyers have ruined everything. My family used to let people hunt predators on our property, but then a guy shot himself in the leg and bled out. His family sued us because he didn’t know how to handle a firearm safely. It turned into a 15 year nightmare that cost my family millions before anything was paid out to his family. You want to be able to hunt on private property for free? Gotta get rid of a lot of lawyers first.
@@bertkilborne6464 I learned to shoot with an M14. Have a M1 now and I've put down a lot of hogs with 160gr SP! 7.62 is one of the GOAT rounds. Just about perfect!
As someone from TX who is forced to regularly stack them like cordwood off of our ranch. The county pays per tail. Ran 30/30 or 45/70 for years. Lots of fun, but expensive to burn through 45/70, started seeing bigger and bigger groups, needed something with more volume and faster follow ups. Ran an AR platform .223, ran 62 grain soft points, did fine, but also wanted something I was confident in squeezing off on a big axis when I’m in the blind. So I build a suppressed 16” AR-10 in .308. Works great. Fairly cumbersome when walking around, snap shooting, etc. Then I built a .300 BO shorty with a red dot and swing away 3x for riding with in the side by side. Quickly found that the subs, even all the expanding stuff, doesn’t really do the trick quickly on the big boys and girls even with fairly well placed shots, remember, I want the tails, and I don’t want to be tracking them down 50-100 yards every time. Barnes 110 grain supers absolutely do the job. A couple other family members were building stuff, mostly .300 BO AR’s, 6.5 creedmoor AR-10’s, 7.62x39 AR’s, etc. Then my uncle showed up with a pinned 14.5” 6.8 SPC. After running that on a weekend after a flood, which makes things particularly target rich, I started my build. Now I have the AR-10 dedicated to the pulsar for night work, but the 6.8 with a little Leupold 3x9 with a fire dot reticle is what every dude on our ranch now runs with absolute confidence. You get away from bulkier AR-10 platform, can still snap shoot easily from side by side if needed, have a magnified optic for sitting in stands, all the .30 cal cans we have keep them hearing friendly, but it still flattens anything (including big axis) within 250 yards (which we are usually nowhere near that far) with Hornady 120’s or some lighter Wilson combat all coppers. 6.5 Grendel would probably give the same results but need around an 18” barrel to get same performance.
When I moved to Texas I thought it was going to be easy to find a place to go wild pig hunting. I lived in Dallas and Plano. All I could ever find is ranches that wanted to charge $600 by the time you were done to come and hunt for 1 day and likely shoot a pig, since they feed them and they are abundant on those ranches. I paid less to gain access to hunt solo on big farms twice and never saw a pig. I guess you get what you pay for, but all I heard before I moved there is that Texas is overrun with hogs so I thought it would be possible to find someone to let me get rid of some pigs on their ranch for them and if so I'd compensate them anyway. But I couldn't find that situation. I did meet a Agriculture Depredation agent at big C in Allen and advised him that a 6.8 SPC would be better than the 5.56 he had been using. As with deer hunting, I came to the conclusion that I'd have to spend a lot of money for a lease, pay a lot for a day hunt, or else by a big plot of land.
I like the 7.62×39mm for swine control. Powerful enough and cheap enough. I don't think there's a bad choice for pigs within reason. As long as you thin them out. Great topic and entertaining and informative as well.
@@reillyberg7761 Any soft point I can find. The Herter's 123gr work pretty good and are not too expensive. Pretty sure it is Winchester loaded. Some of the Russian hollow points will get the job done with good shot placement. Most fragment and or tumble. I would like to find some Russian soft point and give it a try to see if the mild steel jacket will expand and get good penetration. Ruger American Ranch bolt action with a Nikon tactical 300 BLK BDC scope 3-7 power. The BDC reticle is dead on with most 120-125 gr bullets. It is no problem to offhand out to 200 yards on an 8 inch steel target. 300 with a rest or bipod. (I'm not comfortable shooting anything bigger than a groundhog past 250ish with any 7.62×39) Perfect setup for targets of opportunity. That little Ruger is crazy accurate with just about anything! Short lightweight and fast handling.
@@Cr0wmagnum damn man, it does sound like a nice setup. Those ruger ranches really surprise me how accurate they are. And good to know those herter's are decent bullets. If they'll kill a pig they'll kill a deer
@gregg7371 Probably can't get it anymore, but Tul-Ammo makes a 154gr soft point in 7.62x39. Last time I bought some it was $0.26/round. I also shoot a Ruger American Ranch with a Vortex 1-4 LPVO.
Here in Italy the most popular calibers for wild boar hunting are by far 30-06 and 308, almost always used in semiautomatic rifles like the browning BAR (hunting rifle), the benelli argo and others. The most popular and traditional hunting technique is the drive and so usually the shots are on moving targets at close and medium ranges on animals on adrenaline. For that reason a high powered cartridge combined with the possibility of fast follow up shots is probably the best choice, although I think less powerful cartridges like 6.8 spc o 7.62 x39 would work just fine but with limited recoil. Best regards, Andrea
Feral pig and wild boars are a little different most pigs here are 75-160 pounds or like 60 kgs or something like that. Those wild boars are bigger, badder,and tougher. So those stronger ones are good insurance for you. Especially with those high quality rifles you Europeans make.
My friends and I only hunt with a suppressors and thermals with both supers and subsonic here in central Texas. We have moved away from Subsonic rounds because we have noticed that the hogs (around here anyway) run as soon as they hear a shot from either super or subsonic rounds. We mostly shoot AR’s chambered in 7.62x39 shooting supersonic hollow points. Someone will switch it up with 5.56 or 308 at times, but of the hundreds of hogs we have killed most were dispatched with the 7.62x39. Cheap and effective enough.
@@peterbright8125 What range? I assume you had the .223 version not the 7.62x39? I have a 5.56 AR but it was more for the range and home defense. I’m planning to get a Bergara b-14 ridge for elk in Utah. I can’t decide between the 270 win, 30-06 or a 308. The 308 advantage is that I also want an M1A. Always good to have multiple guns in the same cartridge. Even though I know the 270 and 30-06 are superior.
Mr Spomer, I am a big fan and a total non expert. I have also been hunting pigs for about forty five years and after 7mm and 8mm Mauser, 30-06, 308, 6.5 Mannlicher and 45-70, I have recently settled on the 350 Legend. I have a plain Ruger American with a Crimson Trace red dot on it and the combination is light, rugged and superbly reliable and accurate. There is virtually no recoil (important at my age) and the round is still superb in bowling even large pigs over inside 100 yards if I shoot them properly. It is great to hear that you have heard of a lot of your experienced colleagues warming to the 350 Legend. Old men sometimes get things right. Happy hunting, sir! Stay blessed always!
There was a story I believe a year or two ago out of Texas. An elderly woman going to her car at dawn when a small sounder (herd) of wild pigs attacked her. They killed her and ended up feeding on her until they were chased off. Hogs are not only destructive but dangerous for people in some cases such as this. There needs to be a national 'kill wild boars' week and mke it a community thing where people come out to barbecue, and pack up the extra meat for local families of the community in need.
This is an extreme story indeed. I cant find one confirmed story of any person in Sweden ever being killed by a boar. Almost no stories of even getting injured, except hunters in driven hunts etc. And they are in every forest area in the southern half of the country. Everywhere heh. Most people never even get to see one, they are that good at hiding during the day.
@@MonscentThe feral pigs in America are very hostile because hey have no natural predators they do what they want cause they know they can mostly get away with it
I lived in Tucson AZ. For 6 years, and you had to be wary when driving in early summer as the hogs would cross the roads and get hit. Usually destroying the car! And they traveled in packs, so if you hit one you had better stay in your car, until emergency services could get to you!!!
@@Monscent you might call it 'extreme' but it already happened here and I believe there are more than a few cases of wild hogs attacking people (not hunters) unprovoked. Just because 'you' dont see or hear about it doesnt mean it doesnt exist. Mountain lions in Montana are commonly in the 200lb range. People dont see them often - so is it 'extreme' example of size? Wild boars commonly feed on fawns or injured deer - it proves they are omnivores by nature. Also consider the number of wild hogs in US compared to Sweden. There is a problem here and their numbers are out of control....of course they will be looking for any food available
First thing you do if you take deer feeder and pull it down. You get hold of everyone Jaguar, you can get your hands on live in captivity of the states and with correct protocols you’ve given the liberty in the Lone Star State. Either grab some those Mexican wolf from the next door, or you borrow some of those Yellowstone Wolves and a few other grizzly bears. Basically ban hunting of predators. Try and get a grip on the situation you’ve got, I’ve got rabies that means literally getting hold of every canine in the states and vaccinating them on the state dime do it. Because I’ve seen footage of a child with the mad form of rabies and it’s not nice. Let’s have a drive to get as many livestock guardian, dogs, guarding both cattle, herds and sheep flocks out there on the ranges of Texas. To reduce conflict. Also they are going to chase of feral pigs. You’ve got millions of people with guns in that state you’ve got the National Guard, which is your well-regulated militia, why not use them on the regular army to go on one nasty arse, killing spree of feral pigs. Especially snipers and other special forces having to hunt down an invasive species would be good training it’s a case of looking at the large picture and going, how do we solve the immediate problem which can be resolved with guns and the long-term problem, which is going to need to resolve with the return of predators cutting down food availability to feral, pigs et cetera protection of livestock guardian dog, so you can have a reasonable suite of predators running around the bush to deal with both them and the other invasives.
Interchanged with farmers with a huge pig problem. Their fav. 7.62x39. Cheap before the Ukranian war and restrictions on Russian ammo inports. They were talking about 100 pigs a week. Ammo $ was a concern.I suggested the 223 and the answer was the 7.62 was cheaper. Personaly would use a 30-30 or a 308 because it's what I have, or whatever gun you got. It will do the job even with a 223
Gun Blue 490 is the final word as far as I’m concerned.He knows more than anyone out there and I would love to see a program with Ron who also has a wealth of knowledge second to none. Bring it on please!!!
Best boar cartridge. Based on personal experience, I go with the .303 British in a lightweight Lee stalking rifle. 180 grain Remington Cor-Lokt over Accurate 2520 or IMR 4064. Very effective, with a ton of history thrown in.
Hi I like Ron , his approach to his videos are full of wisdom and no Bs . I have hunted feral pigs for 30 years in Australia and have seen the Numbers rising in the United States where the pigs are become a huge problem as they have become here . I have to say both Ron and especially the bloke in the brown vest nailed it with cartridge selection. For me during the day hunting on motorbikes I like to use a 300 blackout( we don’t use semi autos here ) but a good bolt gun is fine with me 10 shot mag is handy as you tend to be running into more than 1 pig. I think the most important aspect is to have a gun that points well and is quick to come to the shoulder as 80% of shots will be at moving targets . Projectiles producing hydro shock at around the 2100 fps important . The heart on a feral pig is quite low in the chest cavity and if you can slip one of these projectiles under there armpit you have a dead pig . If you can control the blast and recoil of a .308 great but these days ammo, powder etc is rising and you are just killing the dirt behind your exit hole . In the 308 I ran 130 gr Speer hollow points and these where deadly. Running 110 gr in the blackout at the moment works for me . Listen to the video as the conversation was spot on . As they said if it’s a one off hunt , use the big boomers but with well placed shots a bullet that has some hydrostatic shock value with some weight behind it will do the job . At night we’re pigs aren’t running as much a 223 with 62 or 65 gr soft points would be a good starting point . Thanks for the informative video from our American friends😊
Pigs are a big problem here in northern Australia too. I use a Remington 7600 Police in .308 with 150g rnds to good effect out to 3-400 yds, also used a Winchester 94 AE in .45 LC in close bush for good results. Both good guns and as good as it gets here for most shooters as we can't have semi autos.
I like 55grn .223 out of my 20" 1in12. Got so many 200+ pigs hanging out during deer season that I did move to heavier grain bullets in my whitetail rifles.
people dont give the 55gr enough credit. the show, Yukon men, the son killed a bear with his AR15; I presume he put a couple into the head. either way, "itll Keel".
My 30-06 with 180 grain in the shoulder drops them in their tracks. Hear in Texas you don’t even need a hunting license as long as you’re hunting pigs only.
Have used a .270 to take quite a few hogs. My favorite is the .300 weatherby mag. Drops them in their tracks every time. .308 works well also, cheap to shoot and takes them out.
I learned a lesson about 15 years ago on my first Feral Fig hunt in Texas. I live in the west and shoot longer ranges then I was use to in the thicker Texas area. But I had just purchased a 270 WSM and took it on my hunt. We were allowed 2 hogs each on the hunt. The first evening I had a group come into a feeder and the feeder was 75 yards away from the stand I was in. I did a little research and found they were built about like a bear. Vitals are low in the chest and little forward when compared to a deer or elk. The also have the grissle plate. I picked the biggest pig in the bunch and it was white with black spots. I waited for it to turn broadside. When he did I i lined the crosshair where I felt the top of the heart was and in line with his front leg, instead of just behind. I had sieghted it in the day before at the ranch to be on a 100 yards. I let it fly the pig hit the ground snout first and didn't move, kind of like a brain shot. A second later, he rolled on his back and started shaking all over. I knew I had made a great shot. I did not even think about reloading, why it was down and pig one was in the bag. Well probably 10 seconds after the shot the pig stood up and then ran off into some very thick mesquites. I sat there with my jaw open in amazement. I had never had that happen with an animal that I drilled in the front shoulder. The rancher had heard me shoot and pulled up about 15 minutes later. I was still in shock and told him the story. We looked a little but it was getting dark and we did not want to stumble upon a wounded animal in the dark in the think brush so we waiting til morning. I thought about it all night and just knew I had made a perfect location shot. The next day the rancher and I went back out and found the pig still alive and it was so thick I was unable to get another shot at it. It obviously was not a mortal wound. There were other hunters on the property and on our last day one of the guys had shot the same pig I did a few days before. We were able to examine my shot. It was perfectly inline with the front leg, and if it would have penetrated would have tekn the top the heart, bottom of the lung, instead it had just broken his leg. I shot it with a 270 WSM 140 grain Swift A-Frame 63 grains of R19 at about 3140 fps. The bullet was recovered and broke the frint leg and penetrated only about an inch into the 3 inch grissle plate. I was in absolute amazement it did not penetrate more. Every Pig since then has been a head or neck shot. No more shoulders.
My go-to cartridge for hog hunting in the THICK south Alabama woods and swamps is .223, firing Winchester or Federal 64 grain soft points. Of the trainload or so that I have shot with this cartridge from my Ruger Mini-14, none have gone more than 10 feet from point of bullet impact. The vast majority were under 50 yard shots, through the neck or shoulder. Like I said, the woods down here are THICK!
When they're at spittin' distance in the briar patch, the heaviest bullet you can load is the best insurance. There's a gent from Texas with several videos around here that also uses a Mini-14, loaded with heavy Barnes copper slugs, & his porkers all go down quick & hard. Puting the shot exactly on the spot is critical for the hunting you do, because you gotta shut 'em off quick when they're that close & it's too thick to run, or else be able to climb a tree like a squirrel.😉
I love my 30 carbine. For things on 2 legs or 4. But it can be underpowered for body shots on large (120 pounds plus) pigs. But I actually use the bayonet when blood trailing them. I usually start shooting the piglets. They taste better and are easier to clean. Don’t stink and don’t dull your cleaning blade and still decreases the population.
6.8 SPC fired out of an accurized Mini-14 has been a great platform for 90% of our hogs. I keep a 45-70 handloaded with 425g hardcast bullets at 2000 fps for the giants. The shield on a really large boar is amazing.
I love 6.8 spc for thermal hunting. For the day time I use 5.56 since my stand is only about 20 yards away from the corn feeder. I got a diamondback and a lwrc 6.8
The guys using thermals shoot so much that they usually go for cheaper ammo. YT channel called Ultimate Night vision has some great videos on hog hunting in texas.
Those guys with night vision on a truck.bed with a .50cal,mini guns,Thompson 45 autos and suppressors. These guys are nuts and want to find.out if they take people. Would be awesome.
I used to shoot ex military 7.62×51 ammo in my bolt action Remington 308. I'd file off the tip, and they worked fine. Bullet diameter and expansion are good on chest shots. The 308 has room for less than precise shot placement if you're shooting several animals quickly.
I use the following for Hog hunting. First, I will only go out with semi-auto. I use a PTR-32 (7.62x39), a Ruger SR762 (7.62x51) or a Ruger AR-15 Thumper (.450 Bushmaster). I also carry a 10mm Glock 40 as well. All three platforms work wonders. I had a buddy charged once by one that was using a bolt gun, hence my choices.
Agreed. There’s no way I’m going pig hunting without my 357 mag on my belt as well as my old sks. Those 7.62x39 put a whacking on them in Missouri. Deer as well seldom see them go far if at all so long as I’ve done my part well.
As always great stuff Ron! Joseph you are a great addition to the show! For hogs I like the 308 but i have used 223 with 55gr barnes and it works well. Ive seen them taken with a 30 cal air gun right behind the ear it was so quite the other hogs just looked over and kept on like nothing happened.
As they spoke about shooting a group of pigs from back to front of the line, I was reminded of the Alvin York movie where York was explaining why he shot from the rear to the front. Good ideas work!
That 8.6 is a beast kevin B, the guy that came up with it, talked about experimenting with 1:1 twist but ending up on a 1:3 and it's like 400000 rpm don't quote me on the rpm, I think that's what it was I know it's imparting 308 energy in a subsonic round and it actually helps it shoot flatter because it's a gyro concept freaking genius.
The one I shot in Florida (just North of Lake Okeechobee), was using a scoped all-weather Ruger 77-44 bolt action rifle in .44 magnum, shooting Hornady FTX 225 grains LEVEREVOLUTION cartridges. It did an awesome job on that hog. It was a lightweight easy to handle rifle, impervious to the weather and the palmettos.
Use a '06 ! ! Nothing will hit harder (does it really need to for pigs?) for the money and you can find the ammo ANYWHERE. Off the shelf Remington or Winchester or whatever is cheapest. If you want it quiet, OK get the barrel threaded and get a suppressor ! ! DUDE, WHY COMPLICATE THINGS ? ? ? ? DAANG
Talking about the “shield” being a problem. I worked on a company ranch and the Lodge guns were .30-06 and we bought some cases of Winchester ballistic tip hunting rounds. They worked okay on whitetail (maybe a little too much damage, a few lost an entire shoulder) but on the hogs, the bullet would hit the shield and come apart before doing much damage to the shoulder which resulted in some wounded pigs. Changed to Barnes X and there was less damage to the meet and more consistent performance, no more pigs running off.
Where I live (Florida) a lot of guys just use 5.56 or 300 blackout. In an AR platform. And a lot of agriculture employees use NVGs or night scopes. Most of our shots aren't that far. Because of how populated we are .308 might over penetrate.
Yup. I like 7.62x39. now that I have some .223/5.56, I would definitely use that. We just don't have hogs where I live now. We used to shoot them by the dozens on the river, outside of Jackson MS.
I load the .308 with Hornady's Sub-x 175gr. bullets and Bullseye powder and it is running about 1050 fps. Very accurate and with my Hybrid 46 by SilencerCo, it sounds about like a pellet rifle.
Something ive found that works well for the 30-40ish yard shots I'm able to take in GA, is 12 gauge. Works well for Sounders. They scatter quickly so first shot is 1oz slug and 00 buck after.
I've used anything from a 22lr to 45-70 they all work in taking hogs just depends on how far away they are. Also, have used pistol cartridge 9mm, 40, 10mm, 357, 44 and 45. My go to cartridge is the 300 BLKout with night vision. I'm in Texas and hunt pigs all year.
Im a Texas land owner and I've started using a suppressed 8.6blk in an AR10 platform, with and without night vision and I have had good luck. I used to use suppressed 6.5cm AR10 a lot and still do depending on circumstance. My brother uses a 458 socom subs suppressed and has really good luck inside 100 yards, the hogs definitely hate it.. I've used 5.56 quite a bit as well but on the ground I just prefer something with more umph.
This is what I like about your channel. Real world experience and application not speculation and hype. Hogs are not that tough to kill. I guess some folks think if an animal doesn't drop immediately and die as it hits the ground then it's tough or they didn't have enough gun. Even some experienced hunters seem to think this way. I guess I started shooting hogs before all the hype about them being so tough to kill started so I never worried about what gun I had when I encountered one or hunted them. Shot my first with a .30-.30 more then 35 years ago while I was bored waiting on a deer that never showed up. That one ran ten feet or so and never moved again. Shot them or seen them shot with .270 and 7mm-08, .45-70 and .44 mag from a Henry lever, .243 Win, 5.56/.223, .35 Whelen and more. All hogs dead with no real difficulty. I live in South Carolina where hogs are considered invasive and a nuisance species and can be hunted on private land year round with no limit.The bigger rounds were not needed just what guys had with them for other game or just because they wanted to get some real world practice with their deer or elk rifle.
I really enjoy the "testing" and "training" ideas. I use hog hunting to test weapon/optic/ammo combos and train my kids on the fundamentals. We do way more "sport" hunting than anything else, but we also eat all that we kill. 5-7 per year. nothing below 100lb. Just a great hunting resource! :)
I use 300BLK and 6.5 Grendel, primarily because they suppress well, with the cans I have, and they run out of a platform that is readily adaptable for night shooting. But part of that calculation is that I limit the size and range I will put a chest shot on. Once they get big, head/neck shots are called for. 308 was my go-to for the bigger ones. If I was building a dedicated a hog rifle today, it be around 458 Socom and a Silencerco Hybrid 46
My pig hunting partner used 7.62 x 39 to great effect. About as cheap as 5.56 and more effective. I used .308 and it is visibly more effective but 7.62 x 39 definitely works.
Here in Germany 8x57is or 30-06 are quite popular for hogs. And 9,3x62 had a renaissance when boar population increased. I took some with .308 (Hornady ECX 125 grain). Worked perfectly good but both weren't heavy. Usually ours have 35-60kg.
In Germany do the do the same caliber of damage?Are they considered pests ? Excellent selection with your.308 . Your configuration is also mine for whitetail deer except all I seen locally is 165 gr.
@@papimiami1938 yes, they are absolutely considered a pest. they ruin meadows, corn fields and they are spreadig desease (african swine feaver) which is dangerous for domestic pigs. The ECX are available in 125 and 165 grain. I had to pick the lighter bullet as my Bergara BA13 didn't swallow the heavier ones. Whitetail, wow! We only habe fallow deer, red deer and row deer. And sika deer, here and there.
@@tomeinicke6429 yes ... we have too many whitetail here . We need to extend hunting licenses to Europeans here on vacation . My .308 is a little overkill for where I hunt. In the upland hardwoods of Northern michigan 80 yards would be considered a " Long shot " . Lots of people I know use lever action 30-30 with iron sights because it really all you need around here .
@@papimiami1938 we don't go any further either. Average is 60yd up to 125yd maximum. Perfect distances for 8x57is. They don't damage too much meet as they are rather slow flying bullets. 30-30 is not very common here. From time to time you meet people with lever action 45-70 on driven hunts. But mainly they hunt with overpriced Blaser or Sauer rifles with 3000$Zeiss or Swarovski observatories on them. And then it's .308, 30-06 or 8x57is mainly.
I used a CZ 550 American in 9.3 X 62 when I was a licensed and bonded guide and guiding pig hunters in the Central Coast region of California. Prior to that, I used a Ruger No.1 Tropical in .375 Holland and Holland. As a licensed guide, if I had to shoot, it would be because my client really screwed up behind the trigger and my shot would be some kind of stern to stem sort of thing where I needed to STOP the pig on the spot in order to keep it from crossing over wounded on to property I had no leased hunting rights to access. Before using my No.1 Tropical, I used my c. 1937 Griffin and Howe Springfield in .30-'06 with 180 grain Barnes bullets and found it lacking a few times when I had to use it while out with a client. Back then, when hunting pigs for my own enjoyment, I'd use my .30-30 lever-action or my Ruger M-77 Ultralight in .250 Savage, but I took the 9.3 x 62 out many times and thought it was fantastic for killing pigs dead in their tracks every single time. When I needed to just shoot a pile of the things to make a landowner happy, I'd use my Elwood Epps Lee-Enfield in .303 British or borrow my dad's Remington 724 Woodmaster semi-auto in .30-'06. I could get multiple hogs from a sounder with them. My brother in laws in Italy use similar Remington semi-autos or the Browning BAR Safari in .30-'06.
As a German hunter I can assure you that there is nothing better than the 9,3x62 for big hogs. For common size also 8x57, .30-06, (.308), .300 win Mag, 7 RemMag on larger distances
I hunt in Georgia where any bow, or rifle deer hunt can suddenly become a pig hunt, 110 grain Barnes 300blackout has worked fantastic for me, and 125grain montoc fixed broadheads in bow season have all been very effective for pigs
Hunted mostly in Missouri and Florida. Typically don’t have long shots in open areas. I personally like my deerstalker (ruger semi auto .44 mag 3rd tubular mag). It’s more than enough for hogs and deer, and if I’m unlucky enough to startle a bear (black bear) it should be sufficient. Also It’s a great round for heavy brush. Imo.
Hog hunting is a mix of precision and speed. You don't need a large caliber, just precision. For multiple engagements, a semi is useful because your eye stays on target. We run everything from .300 blk to .308 with great success.
I live in northeast Wisconsin and in April I saw what looked like 3 hogs about 1000 yards from our house. After I brought my heart rate and B/P under control I grabbed the 20-60 spotting scope and they definitely looked like hogs. We however haven't seen them since. I talked to the neighbor and got his permission to shoot any I see in his back yard as well as permission to shoot across his back yard and shoot them in his father in laws back yard.
Keep an eye on water sources. They gravitate toward them and will sour them. They bathe and defecate in every water source they find....can poison game and livestock.
I thoroughly enjoy cartridge discussions like this, especially with seriously knowledgeable folks like these guys. Learned a great deal and did a lot of laughing at the pun-fest!
I frequently use a 5.56, 6.5 Grendel, 300 Black Out and .308 Winchester. I take about 8-15 of them every year for the Freezer/Table Fare. All 4 cartridges will get the job done with proper bullets for the caliber. I usually use a suppressed AR-15 in 300 Black Out for the task at hand.
When shooting suppressed, the hogs hear the impact of the bullet on their buddy. Their buddy usually squeals, and this is enough to make them scatter. The one hog, two hog, three hog scenario rarely works.
Excellent video and I agree with just about everything you said. I kill a lot of pigs here in SSW Texas and have done so with everything from a 40 cal Sig to a 300 Short mag. My night gun is a Grendel and my normal day gun is a Creedmoor. I've shot some big ones with my 6.5 PRC. I got one over the July 4th Holliday with my Creedmoor that turned out to be my personal best. Sitting here at my desk looking at the 7 inch tusks I took as trophies from that one. Your advice about cutting in to learn just what your bullet did is spot on. Too many fail to take advantage of the opportunity. I learned to do it watching 'Carpe Sus' videos here on you tube. I have become a much better gunner now in my retirement shooting pigs.
My best caliber is the 308. taken lots of hogs with it! 243 is my favorite but I'm using the 6arc a lot to anymore! 7.62x39 my go to for suppressor host!
Every hog I've shot has been between 80 yards and 110 yards. All I use is a 300 Blackout with Hornady Black ammo, with a 110 grain bullet at 2375 fps. I've never had a passthrough and every one has dropped right where they were standing! The smallest so far is 80 pounds and the largest we estimated at 350+ pounds. I'm sold on the Blackout cartridge!
What barrel length are you using for your 300 BLK? I was thinking about building a 10.5” Blackout for pig hunting, but I’m worried I’ll lose too much velocity for good, clean kills. I already have the registered lower, and was mainly going short barrel to offset the weight/length of my suppressor.
All those exotic cartridges, here in europe we use .308, 8x57 Is or 30,06 each of them is inside 250m perfect, if farther and you are able tu shoot that good -300 win mag. 30.30 is to weak in most chamberings at least in Germany.
I’ve killed more hogs than small pox at multiple different ranges from 5 yards to 300 yards. 6.8SPC is the absolute BEST pig control rifle. 6.5 Grendel is a nasty nasty round for pigs! 556 and 223 is also a very effective round on the hogs. I i have probably killed close to a thousand hogs in my lifetime in day time and night time with thermals from sizes to under 100 pounds up to my largest at 400 pound. The 400 pounder dropped with a 22-250 behind the shoulder. But the 6.8 spc rolled the majority of the hogs after one shot. If you’re looking for a specific hog gun, 6.8 spc or 6.5 Grendel is your best choice! Trust me
I haven't hunted any pigs in over 35 yrs. But only in California up around Monterey. They were the best tasting pigs I've ever had fattenup on acorns fruit trees acorns and the wild berries. I've been tempted to head over to Texas to hunt with a friend of mine, and help him with his problem, the feral pigs. Enjoyed the show, but damned now I'm hungry for some bbq
Wild pigs are considered big game in California, but they only charge $28.08 per tag for residents, unlimited qty and/or sex. Licensed hunters are required to report their harvest, but need a tag for each pig they harvest. Next year, a pig tag will be a flat $25, unlimited qty and/or sex, no extra tags needed. Most pigs need to be taken within 100-200 yards due to the areas they bed, but there are some fairly open rolling hills where some live...
Good to know. I thought they had gone up to almost the cost of s deer tag. Glad they nade it a once per year fee. That only seems fair, since they want us to do population control.
best caliber is the one you are comfortable with. I have shot many wild boars in Sweden, the biggest one (125kg) I shot with 9.3x74 merkel ds, ran about 80m right in the engine room with RWS TUG. have tested several calibers on game , 300RUM , 9.3x62 , 9.3x74 , 300wsm , 270win ,6.5x55 , 300win mag, 308w , 30-06 , 260rem , 444marlin, 7mm rem , with slightly different types of bullets also on different types of game, e.g. wild boar, moose, red deer, seals, etc. the only difference I've noticed over the years in regardless animal, big or small, is shot placement. for me it works best with 223, 6.5x55, 270win , 7mm rem to be able to repeat the same small hit surface time and time again. shoot what you are comfortable with don't stare blindly at caliber. as long as it's reasonably easy to get hold of.
I kill a few in Georgia every year. I have got 76 since 1-1-2019. I have a thermal and have used 5.56, 7.62x39, 308, and 350 Legend. I prefer the bigger calibers, bang flop is the preferred method.
Discussion very interesting. I've used 8x57 196 norma for years. I remember one 225 yd shot where flattened slug stopped under skin on opposite side after going through heart. It was a large boar 225 plus, but stopped after 1 step. After shooting so many, I have confidence in mauser 8x57.
Absolutely right guys!! Anything that's center fire will get the job done. However, 30+ years ago I saw (first hand, in the flesh) a large hog (200+lbs) shot and killed with a 22lr out of a dan Wesson 9 shot revolver. One shot to the head at 10 yards and it folded under! I wouldn't believe it unless I had saw it with my own eyes. Soooo, have fun, but be ethical people. Shot placement makes the difference.
They really undersold the Hog problem in Texas. I. SE Texas schools pretty regularly hire trappers for months long contracts to exterminate them from the property and surrounding area. I have seen them at Bush Intercontinental Airport. They would pretty commonly show up behind my house back in my hometown. I have my LTC not really for "2 legged critters" but to be able to have my gun on for pigs even in an urban environment. The last one I encountered was outside of an arcade bar rooting around the hedges. I spooked it and it charged. They're everywhere.
My Wife told me to go out one morning and get some pork. Spotted one and finally got to about 220 yds by rangefinder, slightly downhill, 220 ft is about how far he ran before expiring, I thought I'd made a bad shot. Left lung was destroyed and the heart was in 3 pcs! Pigs are tough! He was big, 175 lbs of meat in the freezer, some I'm guessing 350-400 lbs? Best I could do to move him, my Wife helped. I think I have the tusks somewhere. Bullet did the job, .308 Win, 165grn Speer Grand Slam factory. Nosler partition also works well.
You mentioned on your podcast someone corrected you on using “hog”. Here is what nomenclatures I use. GLOSSARY OF TERMS FOR HOGS Finally, here is a glossary of hunters' and farmers' terms for hogs. The term hog covers any age, status or gender of animal. A boar is a mature male hog. A barrow (shortened to bar) is a castrated boar A sow is a female that has reproduced. A gilt is a female that has not reproduced. A shoat (shote) is any young hog that has been weaned. A pig is any unweaned baby hog. And a piglet is only the very youngest baby hog.
I love the discussion. Also, love the options. Like most old guys, the best caliber is the one you are good with. My daughter as a youngster shot a hog dead (medium sized only) with 556. I prefer to use 300 BLK vmax bullet (unsupressed), but I've also used 458 SOCOM too but that gets expensive. LOL.
I've killed quite a few hogs here in Florida with a few different cartridges (e.g. 300 Blackout, 6.8 SPC, .44 magnum, etc.), but my favorite is 12 gauge. Heavy buckshot or a good slug puts it on them. Especially in the thick stuff, which is pretty much all Florida hunting.
A quick scan down the replies, I didn't see 358 Winchester mentioned. That cartridge is awesome on feral pigs. Hornady 200 gr FTX running 2500 fps out of an AR10 is just devastatingly effective. And I also agree with 450 Bushmaster in a MSR as a secondary. Great discussion!
its only because nobody has figured out if you get a 358 barrel for your AR / LR308 platform you got a 358 Winchester. Awesome round, I dont have one but shoot a 35 Remington and 35 Whelen. Looking to add a 358 Winchester to the collection. Looking for an old Remington 760 in 308 with a blown out bore to use as a donor
@@leveractiongypsy1848 Iowa changed their deer hunting laws a couple years ago to include 358 Winchester and 35 Whelen, among others. Since then, I ditched my 450 Bushmaster for a 358 Winchester AR10 that I built and I'll never rethink that decision. What an awesome round that is. I have a 35 Whelen too, not in an AR, and it's pretty sweet as well. BUT, the advantage of a semi auto with 358 Win has yet to be realized, they have all been 1 and done.
@@tonytice6207 I'm currently building an LR308 on a Noreen lower.I have the lower completed and havent bought an upper, barrel or anything else. What barrel did you end up going with?
@@leveractiongypsy1848 Can you get a Noreen upper? AR10's are typically not a mil spec type of deal, where any upper and any lower will fit together. As far as a barrel goes, McGowen has made all 5 of my 358 Win AR10 barrels in 416 stainless steel on request. Two 16", two 18", and for this year's AR10, I'm trying 14.5" with a pinned and welded QD suppressor mount and a 46M suppressor.
@@tonytice6207 I was looking at BCA uppers as I brought one into a shop in Montana that had them and it fit the Noreen lower without issue. I just havent bought an upper yet which I will get in 308 since a complete BCA upper is fairly cheap. I did see the McGowan barrels and was hoping to get at least a 22 inch barrel to take advantage of the extra velocity. My When has a 22 inch and I have a 1949 Remington 141 in 35 Rem with a 24 inch barrel. It seems the extra length makes a difference at least with the 35 Remington
35 Remington is a good one too. An interesting fact is 35 Remington was the first semi auto rifle cartridge in the Model 8 - a John Browning creation. John Browning didnt make many mistakes that are still around today. I wish some maker would come out with a 35 Remington semi auto carbine maybe something Thompson styled. Develop a 165-180gr standard semi auto round for easier control compared to the factory 200gr for the lever actions. That said, 35 Remington handloaded puts it easily closer to 358 Winchester as does the Buffalo Bore factory ammo available
The neat thing about .35 caliber rifle cartridges is, if you reload, you have a whole host of .357 handgun bullet designs to play around with. Crank up a JHP pistol bullet to 2,000+ FPS, & things you hit often have a tendency to just plain come apart. Sounds like just the ticket to stop those big porkers in their tracks in the thicket, when running isn't an option.
@@grantgarrod2232 a 125gr jacketed is way to light for hunting but Speer #10 has load data for Reloder 7 with a max of 2734fps. I didnt chrono it but I did get a serious tack driver with it. I also had great results with Hornady FTX 140gr 357 mag bullets. If you cast and PC, get some cheap used 9mm,357,38special or other old design '38' molds and with PC you can get the right diameter. I didnt have as good luck with any bullets less than 140gr cast, but I do have pretty good results with a 140-145gr and up. Saeco #383 was pretty good and #930 (150gr SWC) was really good too.What light bullets worked the best for you?
@@leveractiongypsy1848, I personally haven't played around with such, but my uncle's best friend & hunting buddy was a gunsmith who did custom reloading for a couple decades. He specialized in making up home defense loads for lever or pump deer guns, for people in areas where handguns & their ammo was a no-no. The best combos were in .35 Remington, .356 Win., & the occasional .358. His pet load was a 180 gr. HP, cast in dead-soft lead, & loaded to about 950 FPS, which he said was a bona-fide man-stopper. But he cooked up some full power loads for folks as well, & I recall him saying his best results were with bullets 150 grn. & up. There was one with a 158 grn. SJHP, but I don't recall the other details.
@@grantgarrod2232 Good info there and I agree with that the best cast are 150gr and up. Ironically I found an old Lyman 358430 mold in 150gr (normally 200gr) and it has proven to be one of the most accurate 150gr cast designs Ive tried. If I had to pick one factory bullet for 35 Rem it would be the Speer HotCor180gr FP. Amazing performance for that caliber. The Speer 220gr is good too but at 35 Rem velocities the Speer 180gr is hard to beat if it can be when it comes to jacketed factory bullets
I really appreciate you taking the time to do these videos. They are very informative and it's just a real good feeling to sit and watch and enter into listening to the information that you provide! Thank you!
Never had an issue with 150gr Norma softpoint 308’s on 10+ Feral Hogs in Texas. More than half of them were over 150lbs and one just over 200lbs. Vast majority were headshots from 15-100yds. Of course I botched a couple of shots hitting them in the shoulder or the rear, but even still they couldn’t get far before I made a correction. I think I could probably go a bit smaller to maybe a 7.62x39. So far the .308 in an AR10 platform has worked very well.
Here in Texas I've shot several with 6mm ARC (ELDX bullets) during deer season from an MSR platform. I've also been successful with 300 blackout, 308 and 450 Bushmaster. If we know there is an infestation of younger ones, I'll opt for 12 ga 00 buckshot, from a semi-auto shotgun, which is great at getting them on the run. Year round on the ranch, I have a 357 lever action I always carry in the truck just for pigs.
Ive shot lots if California hogs wit a .250 Savage using Winchester Silver Tips. Never had any problem with the 'new wave' concerns of bullet performance. Proper shot placement is encouraged!
I shot scores of pigs with my M-77 Ultralight in .250 Savage when I lived in California, but with the ban on lead ammo for hunting out there, the thing would be about useless to me there, as it didn't shoot monolithic copper bullets all that well. But with the 120 grain Sierra bullets I used, back in the days when lead core bullets were legal to hunt with there, it pole-axed 'em.
I also have a Rossi 454, keep it as a truck gun. Was visiting a friend on his farm and we saw a couple hogs rooting in his corn, the Rossi was handy. Caught the first one broadside in the shoulder, knee's just buckled and he went down. The other went running for the corn field and I caught him right up the back to the base of the neck/skull, he face planted and rolled, just layed there and shook. That 454 really did the job, they both tasted great.
@ice-xv1hi I'm a highly experienced shooter. When you are shooting at night through narrow visioned thermals there is a difference. The 308 is not as smooth or fast for follow on shots or to switch targets in a large sounder.
My last pig was a 200-lb sow, the matriarch of her sounder. She was looking at me at 35 yards. I had a TC Encore in 500S&W, handloaded mild with Hornady XTPs. I hit her just below the right eye, her front hooves lifted 2" off the dirt and she crumbled, DRT. At the processing shed, the bullet was shown to work perfectly - liquifying the brain, passing all the way through the neck, ending up just under the hide of the right shoulder - perfectly mushroomed. I made a keychain out of it!
I killed a 500lbs Russian Red Bore. Charging me with a 44-40 out of a revolver. And dropped him in one shot. In the same hunt a 650lbs hog attached the dogs he was shot multiple times before I got there and I shot him from behind and broke this back with the same 44-40. Great hunt...
Honestly I wanted a 338 federal kimber Montana years ago. But was worried about future ammo as I’m not a reloaded. Glad I went 308. Plus 180g .308 is pretty damn awesome and so close to the 338
I agree. Seems like a great cartridge that needs more use. I don't think anyone is chambering it now. Savage was making the Hog Hunter in it, but it seems to have been discontinued in that chambering. Thankfully, it is no great feat to find a semi beater rifle in the 308 family (who needs a 260 anyway, lol) and have ER Shaw or somebody rebarrel it. Then you can put on a nice trigger, and do a mild bedding job or pillar bed it, maybe in a nice laminated stock from Boyd's...... 😁
Hey Ron there are people here in Texas that shoot them with 17 HMR. Behind the ear at up 100 yards or more. I don’t do it myself I’m not that confident.
When i was younger and poor, I would hunt pigs in texas for food and all i had was a 22 mag bolt action. My frind had a 12ga single shot. We would sneak up on them and get close, maby 20 30 yards. If you put it in there head drops em every time 1 shot with the 22mag. Point is anything will work with good placement.
I'm a hunter from Germany and we are facing a lot of issues with wild boar - especially as we have African swine fever within them that threatens the farms so we are always on the hunt for them. Something like helicopter hunt is not possible here so we try to get them at night with (suppressed) rifles and night vison/thermal optics or (especially in autumn) on driven hunts. Legally we are recommended to have a Bullet with at least 6,5mm diameter and 1475 foot-pounds of energy at 100m. Common calibers here are .308, 30-06, .300WinMag but also , 8x57IS, 7x64, 7x57, .... Some use even stuff like 9.3x64 or .338WinMag - "Waidmannsheil!" to all pig hunters out there (traditional german greeting for hunters)
So, is 9.3x74 not legal anymore? Also, do you prefer a TIG or TUG bullet?
American hunter here.
I'll load up some 300gr "light" load for my 416 rigby for hogs every now and then.
If it's worth doing it's worth over doing as they say lmao
270 Win or 6mm ARC drop hogs
45-70 or 450 Bushmaster if you need energy and impact at 100 yards.
@@JoeZelensky Germany has several very good boar cartridges and bullets for wild boar. 9.3x62 is one wild boar are different then our feral hogs here in the states.
The last hog I killed in Texas, I used a Toyota Camry. It was subsonic, had a suppressor, just put it on at the muffler shop. Terminal Ballistics were very good as the Hog got under the projectile, and it reduced him to Grease and busted bones. However the Camry became difficult to get a follow up shot with as with the Grease and the fact that the wheels were off the ground for a few seconds, the projectile ALMOST started tumbling like the 5.56 NATO, I was GLAD it did not do THAT.!!! Great Video!!! I made that story up, BUT, I have ALMOST had that happen, I mean with only an inch to spare. At night, or even in the day they can APPEAR from the weeds on the side of the road right in front of you, I have had a number of near misses. *I imagine I have a good chance of the story coming true* we have so many of them. Let me tell you, those bastards CAN turn over or cause an 18 wheel Truck to lose control, I know of at least ONE Truck driver being killed by some hogs running out in front of him.
On eating GAME, I don't eat game, I didn't grow up eating it, but if I was GOING to eat the Wild Pork, I would only eat a Sow or gilt aka FEMALE running on grain. Any MALE MAMMAL after puberty has testosterone all through his system. That is the reason we make STEERS from Bull Calves. You try to cook BULL MEAT, and it will stink up your HOUSE, you will have to paint the INTERIOR and throw the Frying Pan in the Scrap Iron Barrel. Any large Adult animal that is sexually intact, will be nasty. At least to me anyway. They castrate Male hogs when they are YOUNG, they are FINE TO EAT, they are just like a female then. A castrated male hog is a Barrow. I am talking agriculture here. Not really relevant to hunting. These WILD hogs are so destructive, just like everyone says, the only good one is a DEAD ONE. Thanks for the video, it is very good, BB
How was the expansion on the Camry? Did it have any separation?
Good One!! Yeah, they will cause some "separation" sure enough!! Those animals are awful, BB @@mistermurtad2831
Good info. I have had a Doe during estrous and another one before that. The non-estrous doe tasted better.
Yep, I have never eaten game really, just a bite or two here and there, I don't know how it is really supposed to taste, but I do know, Whore Moans and what they eat and drink affect the meat. It does on Domestic beef, pork, and chicken. @@PureCountryof91
I'll remember this comment the next time somebody asks why we don't treat guns like cars.
MY favorite pig cartridge is my .30-06. No pig hide is tough enough to withstand that cartridge. Plus, most any sporting goods store has them in stock. A time tested put-down pig round. I have other calibers, that I shoot pigs with, but this is MY favorite.
Here in Alabama wild hogs are often hunted with .22 magnums aiming for the head. We do this, not only because the ammunition is cheaper, but also because it is a lot quieter and the rifles are much lighter and easier to carry around.
You all using standard .22 mag ammo or the light weight faster ammunition?
@@shawncampbell3191 Use the solid rounds, not hollow point.
Totally gnarly
Works good also killed a lot of varmints
But you are up in a tree or off the ground at a safe distance for a wounded pig or other pigs can't attack you, I hope.
When they'll pay me or let me shoot for free, instead of charging me to hunt "their problem", I'll be more than happy to oblige them. Not until then.
Absolutely! They make big $ off of a "problem"!
Same here in NC.
People pay it... if nobody paid, they wouldn't charge for it. That's capitalism. Not justifying, just saying don't expect it to change as long as people are still paying for it.
You took the words out of my mouth. Here in south Texas the snobby ranchers don’t want the problem to go away. It’s now a hunting business for them. I would have to set up an appointment and pay up $200.00 then the ranch hand will call me when my hunting day is ready for me to go hunting the pig. I don’t get to choose. Heck they can keep their damn pigs .
The problem is, they need to have insurance to protect them if you get hurt. Too many people have sued when they hurt themselves, so they have to pay for additional insurance, or their current insurance will drop them. It’s not their fault, it’s the corrupt people who will sue over anything. Lawyers have ruined everything. My family used to let people hunt predators on our property, but then a guy shot himself in the leg and bled out. His family sued us because he didn’t know how to handle a firearm safely. It turned into a 15 year nightmare that cost my family millions before anything was paid out to his family. You want to be able to hunt on private property for free? Gotta get rid of a lot of lawyers first.
I do love a cartridge discussion and / or debate . Can’t go wrong with a .308 Ron’s favourite 30 caliber 😊
7mm-08 is probably Ron's preference vs .308.
@@exothermal.sprocket I was only teasing , because I he has mentioned it a few times
I hear 308 or 7 x 39 with price and slam power.
The US Military nailed it when the 7.62x51mm was created
@@bertkilborne6464 I learned to shoot with an M14. Have a M1 now and I've put down a lot of hogs with 160gr SP! 7.62 is one of the GOAT rounds. Just about perfect!
As someone from TX who is forced to regularly stack them like cordwood off of our ranch. The county pays per tail. Ran 30/30 or 45/70 for years. Lots of fun, but expensive to burn through 45/70, started seeing bigger and bigger groups, needed something with more volume and faster follow ups. Ran an AR platform .223, ran 62 grain soft points, did fine, but also wanted something I was confident in squeezing off on a big axis when I’m in the blind. So I build a suppressed 16” AR-10 in .308. Works great. Fairly cumbersome when walking around, snap shooting, etc. Then I built a .300 BO shorty with a red dot and swing away 3x for riding with in the side by side. Quickly found that the subs, even all the expanding stuff, doesn’t really do the trick quickly on the big boys and girls even with fairly well placed shots, remember, I want the tails, and I don’t want to be tracking them down 50-100 yards every time. Barnes 110 grain supers absolutely do the job. A couple other family members were building stuff, mostly .300 BO AR’s, 6.5 creedmoor AR-10’s, 7.62x39 AR’s, etc. Then my uncle showed up with a pinned 14.5” 6.8 SPC. After running that on a weekend after a flood, which makes things particularly target rich, I started my build. Now I have the AR-10 dedicated to the pulsar for night work, but the 6.8 with a little Leupold 3x9 with a fire dot reticle is what every dude on our ranch now runs with absolute confidence. You get away from bulkier AR-10 platform, can still snap shoot easily from side by side if needed, have a magnified optic for sitting in stands, all the .30 cal cans we have keep them hearing friendly, but it still flattens anything (including big axis) within 250 yards (which we are usually nowhere near that far) with Hornady 120’s or some lighter Wilson combat all coppers. 6.5 Grendel would probably give the same results but need around an 18” barrel to get same performance.
When I moved to Texas I thought it was going to be easy to find a place to go wild pig hunting. I lived in Dallas and Plano. All I could ever find is ranches that wanted to charge $600 by the time you were done to come and hunt for 1 day and likely shoot a pig, since they feed them and they are abundant on those ranches. I paid less to gain access to hunt solo on big farms twice and never saw a pig. I guess you get what you pay for, but all I heard before I moved there is that Texas is overrun with hogs so I thought it would be possible to find someone to let me get rid of some pigs on their ranch for them and if so I'd compensate them anyway. But I couldn't find that situation. I did meet a Agriculture Depredation agent at big C in Allen and advised him that a 6.8 SPC would be better than the 5.56 he had been using. As with deer hunting, I came to the conclusion that I'd have to spend a lot of money for a lease, pay a lot for a day hunt, or else by a big plot of land.
@@timx1733 what area of the state are you in?
I like the 7.62×39mm for swine control. Powerful enough and cheap enough. I don't think there's a bad choice for pigs within reason. As long as you thin them out. Great topic and entertaining and informative as well.
Very popular in TX, only limiting if you want to shoot farther in daylight hunts.
Are you just running fmj or some kind of expanding? What kind of results are you getting on them?
@@reillyberg7761
Any soft point I can find. The Herter's 123gr work pretty good and are not too expensive. Pretty sure it is Winchester loaded. Some of the Russian hollow points will get the job done with good shot placement. Most fragment and or tumble. I would like to find some Russian soft point and give it a try to see if the mild steel jacket will expand and get good penetration. Ruger American Ranch bolt action with a Nikon tactical 300 BLK BDC scope 3-7 power. The BDC reticle is dead on with most 120-125 gr bullets. It is no problem to offhand out to 200 yards on an 8 inch steel target. 300 with a rest or bipod. (I'm not comfortable shooting anything bigger than a groundhog past 250ish with any 7.62×39) Perfect setup for targets of opportunity. That little Ruger is crazy accurate with just about anything! Short lightweight and fast handling.
@@Cr0wmagnum damn man, it does sound like a nice setup. Those ruger ranches really surprise me how accurate they are. And good to know those herter's are decent bullets. If they'll kill a pig they'll kill a deer
@gregg7371 Probably can't get it anymore, but Tul-Ammo makes a 154gr soft point in 7.62x39. Last time I bought some it was $0.26/round. I also shoot a Ruger American Ranch with a Vortex 1-4 LPVO.
Here in Italy the most popular calibers for wild boar hunting are by far 30-06 and 308, almost always used in semiautomatic rifles like the browning BAR (hunting rifle), the benelli argo and others. The most popular and traditional hunting technique is the drive and so usually the shots are on moving targets at close and medium ranges on animals on adrenaline. For that reason a high powered cartridge combined with the possibility of fast follow up shots is probably the best choice, although I think less powerful cartridges like 6.8 spc o 7.62 x39 would work just fine but with limited recoil.
Best regards,
Andrea
Feral pig and wild boars are a little different most pigs here are 75-160 pounds or like 60 kgs or something like that. Those wild boars are bigger, badder,and tougher. So those stronger ones are good insurance for you. Especially with those high quality rifles you Europeans make.
And they make for a wonderful ragu !
@@Really10801 you're right!
@@suemeade2471 There are several states where the hogs are at least partially descended from 'Russian' boars imported to stock hunting estates.
@@jic1 yes but the feral ones are smaller.
My friends and I only hunt with a suppressors and thermals with both supers and subsonic here in central Texas. We have moved away from Subsonic rounds because we have noticed that the hogs (around here anyway) run as soon as they hear a shot from either super or subsonic rounds. We mostly shoot AR’s chambered in 7.62x39 shooting supersonic hollow points. Someone will switch it up with 5.56 or 308 at times, but of the hundreds of hogs we have killed most were dispatched with the 7.62x39. Cheap and effective enough.
I used a Ruger Mini 14 taking out feral hogs on a ranch (from the back of a pickup). Worked great!
Where did you aim? Head or heart?
@@robpolaris7272 To be truthful, you don't get much time to aim. I always tried to hit the widest part.
@@peterbright8125 What range? I assume you had the .223 version not the 7.62x39?
I have a 5.56 AR but it was more for the range and home defense. I’m planning to get a Bergara b-14 ridge for elk in Utah. I can’t decide between the 270 win, 30-06 or a 308. The 308 advantage is that I also want an M1A. Always good to have multiple guns in the same cartridge. Even though I know the 270 and 30-06 are superior.
@@robpolaris7272 .223 50 to 100 yards for most shots
Mr Spomer, I am a big fan and a total non expert. I have also been hunting pigs for about forty five years and after 7mm and 8mm Mauser, 30-06, 308, 6.5 Mannlicher and 45-70, I have recently settled on the 350 Legend. I have a plain Ruger American with a Crimson Trace red dot on it and the combination is light, rugged and superbly reliable and accurate. There is virtually no recoil (important at my age) and the round is still superb in bowling even large pigs over inside 100 yards if I shoot them properly. It is great to hear that you have heard of a lot of your experienced colleagues warming to the 350 Legend. Old men sometimes get things right. Happy hunting, sir! Stay blessed always!
There was a story I believe a year or two ago out of Texas. An elderly woman going to her car at dawn when a small sounder (herd) of wild pigs attacked her. They killed her and ended up feeding on her until they were chased off. Hogs are not only destructive but dangerous for people in some cases such as this. There needs to be a national 'kill wild boars' week and mke it a community thing where people come out to barbecue, and pack up the extra meat for local families of the community in need.
This is an extreme story indeed. I cant find one confirmed story of any person in Sweden ever being killed by a boar. Almost no stories of even getting injured, except hunters in driven hunts etc. And they are in every forest area in the southern half of the country. Everywhere heh. Most people never even get to see one, they are that good at hiding during the day.
@@MonscentThe feral pigs in America are very hostile because hey have no natural predators they do what they want cause they know they can mostly get away with it
I lived in Tucson AZ. For 6 years, and you had to be wary when driving in early summer as the hogs would cross the roads and get hit. Usually destroying the car!
And they traveled in packs, so if you hit one you had better stay in your car, until emergency services could get to you!!!
@@Monscent you might call it 'extreme' but it already happened here and I believe there are more than a few cases of wild hogs attacking people (not hunters) unprovoked. Just because 'you' dont see or hear about it doesnt mean it doesnt exist. Mountain lions in Montana are commonly in the 200lb range. People dont see them often - so is it 'extreme' example of size? Wild boars commonly feed on fawns or injured deer - it proves they are omnivores by nature. Also consider the number of wild hogs in US compared to Sweden. There is a problem here and their numbers are out of control....of course they will be looking for any food available
First thing you do if you take deer feeder and pull it down. You get hold of everyone Jaguar, you can get your hands on live in captivity of the states and with correct protocols you’ve given the liberty in the Lone Star State. Either grab some those Mexican wolf from the next door, or you borrow some of those Yellowstone Wolves and a few other grizzly bears. Basically ban hunting of predators. Try and get a grip on the situation you’ve got, I’ve got rabies that means literally getting hold of every canine in the states and vaccinating them on the state dime do it. Because I’ve seen footage of a child with the mad form of rabies and it’s not nice.
Let’s have a drive to get as many livestock guardian, dogs, guarding both cattle, herds and sheep flocks out there on the ranges of Texas. To reduce conflict. Also they are going to chase of feral pigs. You’ve got millions of people with guns in that state you’ve got the National Guard, which is your well-regulated militia, why not use them on the regular army to go on one nasty arse, killing spree of feral pigs. Especially snipers and other special forces having to hunt down an invasive species would be good training it’s a case of looking at the large picture and going, how do we solve the immediate problem which can be resolved with guns and the long-term problem, which is going to need to resolve with the return of predators cutting down food availability to feral, pigs et cetera protection of livestock guardian dog, so you can have a reasonable suite of predators running around the bush to deal with both them and the other invasives.
Interchanged with farmers with a huge pig problem. Their fav. 7.62x39. Cheap before the Ukranian war and restrictions on Russian ammo inports. They were talking about 100 pigs a week. Ammo $ was a concern.I suggested the 223 and the answer was the 7.62 was cheaper. Personaly would use a 30-30 or a 308 because it's what I have, or whatever gun you got. It will do the job even with a 223
Gun blue 490 said he liked the idea of doing a interview with you .
That guy is awesome
@DL-ij7tf Agreed Bro. He's one of the first guys I started learning from. I bought my first reloading manual on his suggestion 👍
Would be a great interview. Both of these channels have their wealth of knowledge.
Gun Blue 490 is the final word as far as I’m concerned.He knows more than anyone out there and I would love to see a program with Ron who also has a wealth of knowledge second to none. Bring it on please!!!
Ron, kickok45, amd gunblue are, without question, the best gun You Tube'ers out there! So much knowledge!!!
Best boar cartridge. Based on personal experience, I go with the .303 British in a lightweight Lee stalking rifle. 180 grain Remington Cor-Lokt over Accurate 2520 or IMR 4064. Very effective, with a ton of history thrown in.
I've wanted to hunt big hogs with a Lee-Enfield since I saw Razorback in 1986!
303 British yes!
@@Craigx71 my first deer was taken with my mk 3 British Enfield in texas.....303 Hornady light magnum rounds
I like 303 British
Hello everybody
In France for drive hunts ,deer , wild board, it is the 9,3x62 and the 9,3x74r the indisputable King's.
Have a good day
Hi
I like Ron , his approach to his videos are full of wisdom and no Bs . I have hunted feral pigs for 30 years in Australia and have seen the Numbers rising in the United States where the pigs are become a huge problem as they have become here .
I have to say both Ron and especially the bloke in the brown vest nailed it with cartridge selection.
For me during the day hunting on motorbikes I like to use a 300 blackout( we don’t use semi autos here ) but a good bolt gun is fine with me 10 shot mag is handy as you tend to be running into more than 1 pig.
I think the most important aspect is to have a gun that points well and is quick to come to the shoulder as 80% of shots will be at moving targets . Projectiles producing hydro shock at around the 2100 fps important . The heart on a feral pig is quite low in the chest cavity and if you can slip one of these projectiles under there armpit you have a dead pig . If you can control the blast and recoil of a .308 great but these days ammo, powder etc is rising and you are just killing the dirt behind your exit hole .
In the 308 I ran 130 gr Speer hollow points and these where deadly. Running 110 gr in the blackout at the moment works for me .
Listen to the video as the conversation was spot on . As they said if it’s a one off hunt , use the big boomers but with well placed shots a bullet that has some hydrostatic shock value with some weight behind it will do the job . At night we’re pigs aren’t running as much a 223 with 62 or 65 gr soft points would be a good starting point .
Thanks for the informative video from our American friends😊
Pigs are a big problem here in northern Australia too. I use a Remington 7600 Police in .308 with 150g rnds to good effect out to 3-400 yds, also used a Winchester 94 AE in .45 LC in close bush for good results. Both good guns and as good as it gets here for most shooters as we can't have semi autos.
Can't have...
I hate those words
@@one-of-us9939 Not true...primary producer can have so can licensed hunters.
Not true! Not everyone can but you still could if you got licensed.
Can't go wrong with the pump, quick follow up shot.
@@mikemcshea5919 lever action is pretty intuitive too
I like 55grn .223 out of my 20" 1in12.
Got so many 200+ pigs hanging out during deer season that I did move to heavier grain bullets in my whitetail rifles.
people dont give the 55gr enough credit. the show, Yukon men, the son killed a bear with his AR15; I presume he put a couple into the head. either way, "itll Keel".
My 30-06 with 180 grain in the shoulder drops them in their tracks. Hear in Texas you don’t even need a hunting license as long as you’re hunting pigs only.
Have used a .270 to take quite a few hogs. My favorite is the .300 weatherby mag. Drops them in their tracks every time. .308 works well also, cheap to shoot and takes them out.
25-06 is all you need,not necessarily a 270 mate. ??
I learned a lesson about 15 years ago on my first Feral Fig hunt in Texas. I live in the west and shoot longer ranges then I was use to in the thicker Texas area. But I had just purchased a 270 WSM and took it on my hunt. We were allowed 2 hogs each on the hunt. The first evening I had a group come into a feeder and the feeder was 75 yards away from the stand I was in. I did a little research and found they were built about like a bear. Vitals are low in the chest and little forward when compared to a deer or elk. The also have the grissle plate. I picked the biggest pig in the bunch and it was white with black spots. I waited for it to turn broadside. When he did I i lined the crosshair where I felt the top of the heart was and in line with his front leg, instead of just behind. I had sieghted it in the day before at the ranch to be on a 100 yards. I let it fly the pig hit the ground snout first and didn't move, kind of like a brain shot. A second later, he rolled on his back and started shaking all over. I knew I had made a great shot. I did not even think about reloading, why it was down and pig one was in the bag. Well probably 10 seconds after the shot the pig stood up and then ran off into some very thick mesquites. I sat there with my jaw open in amazement. I had never had that happen with an animal that I drilled in the front shoulder. The rancher had heard me shoot and pulled up about 15 minutes later. I was still in shock and told him the story. We looked a little but it was getting dark and we did not want to stumble upon a wounded animal in the dark in the think brush so we waiting til morning. I thought about it all night and just knew I had made a perfect location shot. The next day the rancher and I went back out and found the pig still alive and it was so thick I was unable to get another shot at it. It obviously was not a mortal wound. There were other hunters on the property and on our last day one of the guys had shot the same pig I did a few days before. We were able to examine my shot. It was perfectly inline with the front leg, and if it would have penetrated would have tekn the top the heart, bottom of the lung, instead it had just broken his leg. I shot it with a 270 WSM 140 grain Swift A-Frame 63 grains of R19 at about 3140 fps. The bullet was recovered and broke the frint leg and penetrated only about an inch into the 3 inch grissle plate. I was in absolute amazement it did not penetrate more. Every Pig since then has been a head or neck shot. No more shoulders.
Try the Barnes LRX or TTSX all copper bullets they penetrate like crazy and expand reliably, and retain 100% of their weight
My go-to cartridge for hog hunting in the THICK south Alabama woods and swamps is .223, firing Winchester or Federal 64 grain soft points. Of the trainload or so that I have shot with this cartridge from my Ruger Mini-14, none have gone more than 10 feet from point of bullet impact. The vast majority were under 50 yard shots, through the neck or shoulder. Like I said, the woods down here are THICK!
When they're at spittin' distance in the briar patch, the heaviest bullet you can load is the best insurance. There's a gent from Texas with several videos around here that also uses a Mini-14, loaded with heavy Barnes copper slugs, & his porkers all go down quick & hard. Puting the shot exactly on the spot is critical for the hunting you do, because you gotta shut 'em off quick when they're that close & it's too thick to run, or else be able to climb a tree like a squirrel.😉
For small to medium pigs I've been happy with the 64gr Winchester or handloads with the Sierra 65gr gameking.
@@grantgarrod2232or have a 12 ga Mossberg Shockwave loaded with slugs as a backup.
I love my 30 carbine. For things on 2 legs or 4. But it can be underpowered for body shots on large (120 pounds plus) pigs. But I actually use the bayonet when blood trailing them. I usually start shooting the piglets. They taste better and are easier to clean. Don’t stink and don’t dull your cleaning blade and still decreases the population.
Are you using FMJ or soft points. Soft points work great in 30 carbine. They are like a 357 mag on steroids.
6.8 SPC fired out of an accurized Mini-14 has been a great platform for 90% of our hogs.
I keep a 45-70 handloaded with 425g hardcast bullets at 2000 fps for the giants. The shield on a really large boar is amazing.
I love 6.8 spc for thermal hunting. For the day time I use 5.56 since my stand is only about 20 yards away from the corn feeder. I got a diamondback and a lwrc 6.8
Image the cracklings made from a pig like that!
I don't see a lot of people mention 6.8 SPC. I love mine.
300 Ham’r works for me. Cheap to load and very effective for me in southern Oklahoma.
The 458 SOCOM does a nice job on the hogs with Barnes 300-grain TTSX bullets. The 45-70 with powder-coated cast bullets because it's just plain fun!
That's the Governor:)
I've never got to shoot one of those. 45-70. I'd sure like to someday
The guys using thermals shoot so much that they usually go for cheaper ammo. YT channel called Ultimate Night vision has some great videos on hog hunting in texas.
Those guys with night vision on a truck.bed with a .50cal,mini guns,Thompson 45 autos and suppressors. These guys are nuts and want to find.out if they take people. Would be awesome.
That's my favorite.
I used to shoot ex military 7.62×51 ammo in my bolt action Remington 308. I'd file off the tip, and they worked fine. Bullet diameter and expansion are good on chest shots. The 308 has room for less than precise shot placement if you're shooting several animals quickly.
I use the following for Hog hunting. First, I will only go out with semi-auto. I use a PTR-32 (7.62x39), a Ruger SR762 (7.62x51) or a Ruger AR-15 Thumper (.450 Bushmaster). I also carry a 10mm Glock 40 as well. All three platforms work wonders. I had a buddy charged once by one that was using a bolt gun, hence my choices.
Excellent choices, including having a side arm and its calibre.
Great choices… add night vision and would be perfect. Definitely no wrong in caliber choices.
Well, if the hogs are using bolt guns, then you definitely want to be well armed.
@@jic1 All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.
Agreed. There’s no way I’m going pig hunting without my 357 mag on my belt as well as my old sks. Those 7.62x39 put a whacking on them in Missouri. Deer as well seldom see them go far if at all so long as I’ve done my part well.
As always great stuff Ron! Joseph you are a great addition to the show! For hogs I like the 308 but i have used 223 with 55gr barnes and it works well. Ive seen them taken with a 30 cal air gun right behind the ear it was so quite the other hogs just looked over and kept on like nothing happened.
No kidding!! An air rifle!
As they spoke about shooting a group of pigs from back to front of the line, I was reminded of the Alvin York movie where York was explaining why he shot from the rear to the front. Good ideas work!
Ha ha ha, regarding the .45-70; “Old timers said you can eat right up to the hole”. THAT’S great!
That 8.6 is a beast kevin B, the guy that came up with it, talked about experimenting with 1:1 twist but ending up on a 1:3 and it's like 400000 rpm don't quote me on the rpm, I think that's what it was I know it's imparting 308 energy in a subsonic round and it actually helps it shoot flatter because it's a gyro concept freaking genius.
The one I shot in Florida (just North of Lake Okeechobee), was using a scoped all-weather Ruger 77-44 bolt action rifle in .44 magnum, shooting Hornady FTX 225 grains LEVEREVOLUTION cartridges. It did an awesome job on that hog. It was a lightweight easy to handle rifle, impervious to the weather and the palmettos.
One of the slickest pig guns I have seen was an integrally suppressed 77/44.
Quiet and hard hitting.
Use a '06 ! ! Nothing will hit harder (does it really need to for pigs?) for the money and you can find the ammo ANYWHERE. Off the shelf Remington or Winchester or whatever is cheapest. If you want it quiet, OK get the barrel threaded and get a suppressor ! ! DUDE, WHY COMPLICATE THINGS ? ? ? ? DAANG
Talking about the “shield” being a problem. I worked on a company ranch and the Lodge guns were .30-06 and we bought some cases of Winchester ballistic tip hunting rounds. They worked okay on whitetail (maybe a little too much damage, a few lost an entire shoulder) but on the hogs, the bullet would hit the shield and come apart before doing much damage to the shoulder which resulted in some wounded pigs. Changed to Barnes X and there was less damage to the meet and more consistent performance, no more pigs running off.
Where I live (Florida) a lot of guys just use 5.56 or 300 blackout. In an AR platform. And a lot of agriculture employees use NVGs or night scopes. Most of our shots aren't that far. Because of how populated we are .308 might over penetrate.
Yup. I like 7.62x39. now that I have some .223/5.56, I would definitely use that. We just don't have hogs where I live now. We used to shoot them by the dozens on the river, outside of Jackson MS.
I load the .308 with Hornady's Sub-x 175gr. bullets and Bullseye powder and it is running about 1050 fps. Very accurate and with my Hybrid 46 by SilencerCo, it sounds about like a pellet rifle.
Something ive found that works well for the 30-40ish yard shots I'm able to take in GA, is 12 gauge. Works well for Sounders. They scatter quickly so first shot is 1oz slug and 00 buck after.
I've used anything from a 22lr to 45-70 they all work in taking hogs just depends on how far away they are. Also, have used pistol cartridge 9mm, 40, 10mm, 357, 44 and 45. My go to cartridge is the 300 BLKout with night vision. I'm in Texas and hunt pigs all year.
Im a Texas land owner and I've started using a suppressed 8.6blk in an AR10 platform, with and without night vision and I have had good luck. I used to use suppressed 6.5cm AR10 a lot and still do depending on circumstance. My brother uses a 458 socom subs suppressed and has really good luck inside 100 yards, the hogs definitely hate it.. I've used 5.56 quite a bit as well but on the ground I just prefer something with more umph.
This is what I like about your channel. Real world experience and application not speculation and hype. Hogs are not that tough to kill. I guess some folks think if an animal doesn't drop immediately and die as it hits the ground then it's tough or they didn't have enough gun. Even some experienced hunters seem to think this way. I guess I started shooting hogs before all the hype about them being so tough to kill started so I never worried about what gun I had when I encountered one or hunted them. Shot my first with a .30-.30 more then 35 years ago while I was bored waiting on a deer that never showed up. That one ran ten feet or so and never moved again. Shot them or seen them shot with .270 and 7mm-08, .45-70 and .44 mag from a Henry lever, .243 Win, 5.56/.223, .35 Whelen and more. All hogs dead with no real difficulty. I live in South Carolina where hogs are considered invasive and a nuisance species and can be hunted on private land year round with no limit.The bigger rounds were not needed just what guys had with them for other game or just because they wanted to get some real world practice with their deer or elk rifle.
I really enjoy the "testing" and "training" ideas. I use hog hunting to test weapon/optic/ammo combos and train my kids on the fundamentals. We do way more "sport" hunting than anything else, but we also eat all that we kill. 5-7 per year. nothing below 100lb. Just a great hunting resource! :)
Yep, hogs have enough meat that a big one can show if a bullet or cartridge works. Pcp airguns is where that testing is the most interesting to me.
I use 300BLK and 6.5 Grendel, primarily because they suppress well, with the cans I have, and they run out of a platform that is readily adaptable for night shooting.
But part of that calculation is that I limit the size and range I will put a chest shot on. Once they get big, head/neck shots are called for.
308 was my go-to for the bigger ones.
If I was building a dedicated a hog rifle today, it be around 458 Socom and a Silencerco Hybrid 46
My pig hunting partner used 7.62 x 39 to great effect. About as cheap as 5.56 and more effective. I used .308 and it is visibly more effective but 7.62 x 39 definitely works.
Here in Germany 8x57is or 30-06 are quite popular for hogs. And 9,3x62 had a renaissance when boar population increased. I took some with .308 (Hornady ECX 125 grain). Worked perfectly good but both weren't heavy. Usually ours have 35-60kg.
In Germany do the do the same caliber of damage?Are they considered pests ? Excellent selection with your.308 . Your configuration is also mine for whitetail deer except all I seen locally is 165 gr.
@@papimiami1938 yes, they are absolutely considered a pest. they ruin meadows, corn fields and they are spreadig desease (african swine feaver) which is dangerous for domestic pigs. The ECX are available in 125 and 165 grain. I had to pick the lighter bullet as my Bergara BA13 didn't swallow the heavier ones. Whitetail, wow! We only habe fallow deer, red deer and row deer. And sika deer, here and there.
@@tomeinicke6429 yes ... we have too many whitetail here . We need to extend hunting licenses to Europeans here on vacation . My .308 is a little overkill for where I hunt. In the upland hardwoods of Northern michigan 80 yards would be considered a " Long shot " . Lots of people I know use lever action 30-30 with iron sights because it really all you need around here .
@@papimiami1938 we don't go any further either. Average is 60yd up to 125yd maximum. Perfect distances for 8x57is. They don't damage too much meet as they are rather slow flying bullets. 30-30 is not very common here. From time to time you meet people with lever action 45-70 on driven hunts. But mainly they hunt with overpriced Blaser or Sauer rifles with 3000$Zeiss or Swarovski observatories on them. And then it's .308, 30-06 or 8x57is mainly.
I used a CZ 550 American in 9.3 X 62 when I was a licensed and bonded guide and guiding pig hunters in the Central Coast region of California. Prior to that, I used a Ruger No.1 Tropical in .375 Holland and Holland. As a licensed guide, if I had to shoot, it would be because my client really screwed up behind the trigger and my shot would be some kind of stern to stem sort of thing where I needed to STOP the pig on the spot in order to keep it from crossing over wounded on to property I had no leased hunting rights to access. Before using my No.1 Tropical, I used my c. 1937 Griffin and Howe Springfield in .30-'06 with 180 grain Barnes bullets and found it lacking a few times when I had to use it while out with a client.
Back then, when hunting pigs for my own enjoyment, I'd use my .30-30 lever-action or my Ruger M-77 Ultralight in .250 Savage, but I took the 9.3 x 62 out many times and thought it was fantastic for killing pigs dead in their tracks every single time. When I needed to just shoot a pile of the things to make a landowner happy, I'd use my Elwood Epps Lee-Enfield in .303 British or borrow my dad's Remington 724 Woodmaster semi-auto in .30-'06. I could get multiple hogs from a sounder with them.
My brother in laws in Italy use similar Remington semi-autos or the Browning BAR Safari in .30-'06.
As a German hunter I can assure you that there is nothing better than the 9,3x62 for big hogs. For common size also 8x57, .30-06, (.308), .300 win Mag, 7 RemMag on larger distances
Gruess Got Kollege
I'm a Texan that grew up in Heidelberg. Never got to hunt Germany, Too much Kwatsch to deal with so I moved back home to Texas.
I hunt in Georgia where any bow, or rifle deer hunt can suddenly become a pig hunt, 110 grain Barnes 300blackout has worked fantastic for me, and 125grain montoc fixed broadheads in bow season have all been very effective for pigs
Hunted mostly in Missouri and Florida. Typically don’t have long shots in open areas. I personally like my deerstalker (ruger semi auto .44 mag 3rd tubular mag). It’s more than enough for hogs and deer, and if I’m unlucky enough to startle a bear (black bear) it should be sufficient. Also It’s a great round for heavy brush. Imo.
Great video guys , I'd choose the .45-70 every day of the week and twice on Sundays .
Hog hunting is a mix of precision and speed. You don't need a large caliber, just precision. For multiple engagements, a semi is useful because your eye stays on target. We run everything from .300 blk to .308 with great success.
Love my 6.8spc . Works great on hogs
I live in northeast Wisconsin and in April I saw what looked like 3 hogs about 1000 yards from our house. After I brought my heart rate and B/P under control I grabbed the 20-60 spotting scope and they definitely looked like hogs. We however haven't seen them since. I talked to the neighbor and got his permission to shoot any I see in his back yard as well as permission to shoot across his back yard and shoot them in his father in laws back yard.
Keep an eye on water sources. They gravitate toward them and will sour them. They bathe and defecate in every water source they find....can poison game and livestock.
I thoroughly enjoy cartridge discussions like this, especially with seriously knowledgeable folks like these guys. Learned a great deal and did a lot of laughing at the pun-fest!
I frequently use a 5.56, 6.5 Grendel, 300 Black Out and .308 Winchester. I take about 8-15 of them every year for the Freezer/Table Fare. All 4 cartridges will get the job done with proper bullets for the caliber. I usually use a suppressed AR-15 in 300 Black Out for the task at hand.
When shooting suppressed, the hogs hear the impact of the bullet on their buddy. Their buddy usually squeals, and this is enough to make them scatter. The one hog, two hog, three hog scenario rarely works.
As a newbie to the Ron Spomer channel, I am very impressed by Ron's firearm knowledge and hunting expertise. Well Done Mr. Spomer!
Excellent video and I agree with just about everything you said. I kill a lot of pigs here in SSW Texas and have done so with everything from a 40 cal Sig to a 300 Short mag. My night gun is a Grendel and my normal day gun is a Creedmoor. I've shot some big ones with my 6.5 PRC. I got one over the July 4th Holliday with my Creedmoor that turned out to be my personal best. Sitting here at my desk looking at the 7 inch tusks I took as trophies from that one. Your advice about cutting in to learn just what your bullet did is spot on. Too many fail to take advantage of the opportunity. I learned to do it watching 'Carpe Sus' videos here on you tube. I have become a much better gunner now in my retirement shooting pigs.
Have seen many hogs fall to the Creed.
My best caliber is the 308. taken lots of hogs with it! 243 is my favorite but I'm using the 6arc a lot to anymore! 7.62x39 my go to for suppressor host!
I know alot of people here in texas that really like the 6.8 spc suppressed 16" barrel and thermal scope , with 120 grain , and to good effects!
Every hog I've shot has been between 80 yards and 110 yards. All I use is a 300 Blackout with Hornady Black ammo, with a 110 grain bullet at 2375 fps. I've never had a passthrough and every one has dropped right where they were standing! The smallest so far is 80 pounds and the largest we estimated at 350+ pounds. I'm sold on the Blackout cartridge!
What barrel length are you using for your 300 BLK? I was thinking about building a 10.5” Blackout for pig hunting, but I’m worried I’ll lose too much velocity for good, clean kills. I already have the registered lower, and was mainly going short barrel to offset the weight/length of my suppressor.
All those exotic cartridges, here in europe we use .308, 8x57 Is or 30,06 each of them is inside 250m perfect, if farther and you are able tu shoot that good -300 win mag. 30.30 is to weak in most chamberings at least in Germany.
270 works pretty good
270 always works 👍
I’ve killed more hogs than small pox at multiple different ranges from 5 yards to 300 yards. 6.8SPC is the absolute BEST pig control rifle. 6.5 Grendel is a nasty nasty round for pigs! 556 and 223 is also a very effective round on the hogs. I i have probably killed close to a thousand hogs in my lifetime in day time and night time with thermals from sizes to under 100 pounds up to my largest at 400 pound. The 400 pounder dropped with a 22-250 behind the shoulder. But the 6.8 spc rolled the majority of the hogs after one shot. If you’re looking for a specific hog gun, 6.8 spc or 6.5 Grendel is your best choice! Trust me
I haven't hunted any pigs in over 35 yrs. But only in California up around Monterey. They were the best tasting pigs I've ever had fattenup on acorns fruit trees acorns and the wild berries.
I've been tempted to head over to Texas to hunt with a friend of mine, and help him with his problem, the feral pigs. Enjoyed the show, but damned now I'm hungry for some bbq
Wild pigs are considered big game in California, but they only charge $28.08 per tag for residents, unlimited qty and/or sex. Licensed hunters are required to report their harvest, but need a tag for each pig they harvest. Next year, a pig tag will be a flat $25, unlimited qty and/or sex, no extra tags needed. Most pigs need to be taken within 100-200 yards due to the areas they bed, but there are some fairly open rolling hills where some live...
Good to know. I thought they had gone up to almost the cost of s deer tag. Glad they nade it a once per year fee. That only seems fair, since they want us to do population control.
best caliber is the one you are comfortable with. I have shot many wild boars in Sweden, the biggest one (125kg) I shot with 9.3x74 merkel ds, ran about 80m right in the engine room with RWS TUG. have tested several calibers on game , 300RUM , 9.3x62 , 9.3x74 , 300wsm , 270win ,6.5x55 , 300win mag, 308w , 30-06 , 260rem , 444marlin, 7mm rem , with slightly different types of bullets also on different types of game, e.g. wild boar, moose, red deer, seals, etc.
the only difference I've noticed over the years in regardless animal, big or small, is shot placement. for me it works best with 223, 6.5x55, 270win , 7mm rem to be able to repeat the same small hit surface time and time again. shoot what you are comfortable with don't stare blindly at caliber. as long as it's reasonably easy to get hold of.
i like the Ron and Jo duo.
I am a lover of puns, but you guys were just hamming it up on this episode!
I kill a few in Georgia every year. I have got 76 since 1-1-2019. I have a thermal and have used 5.56, 7.62x39, 308, and 350 Legend. I prefer the bigger calibers, bang flop is the preferred method.
Speaking of .223 I used to hunt a lot of White--tails w/ my AK .Brought home evry one I shot at !!!
Having surprisingly good results here locally with 12GA buckshot.
Discussion very interesting. I've used 8x57 196 norma for years. I remember one 225 yd shot where flattened slug stopped under skin on opposite side after going through heart. It was a large boar 225 plus, but stopped after 1 step. After shooting so many, I have confidence in mauser 8x57.
Absolutely right guys!! Anything that's center fire will get the job done. However, 30+ years ago I saw (first hand, in the flesh) a large hog (200+lbs) shot and killed with a 22lr out of a dan Wesson 9 shot revolver. One shot to the head at 10 yards and it folded under! I wouldn't believe it unless I had saw it with my own eyes. Soooo, have fun, but be ethical people. Shot placement makes the difference.
They really undersold the Hog problem in Texas. I. SE Texas schools pretty regularly hire trappers for months long contracts to exterminate them from the property and surrounding area. I have seen them at Bush Intercontinental Airport. They would pretty commonly show up behind my house back in my hometown. I have my LTC not really for "2 legged critters" but to be able to have my gun on for pigs even in an urban environment. The last one I encountered was outside of an arcade bar rooting around the hedges. I spooked it and it charged. They're everywhere.
I have used .22 LR for close head shots up to my .375 Ruger and .50 caliber flintlock. I really like using the .25-06.
My Wife told me to go out one morning and get some pork. Spotted one and finally got to about 220 yds by rangefinder, slightly downhill, 220 ft is about how far he ran before expiring, I thought I'd made a bad shot. Left lung was destroyed and the heart was in 3 pcs! Pigs are tough! He was big, 175 lbs of meat in the freezer, some I'm guessing 350-400 lbs? Best I could do to move him, my Wife helped. I think I have the tusks somewhere. Bullet did the job, .308 Win, 165grn Speer Grand Slam factory. Nosler partition also works well.
You mentioned on your podcast someone corrected you on using “hog”. Here is what nomenclatures I use.
GLOSSARY OF TERMS FOR HOGS
Finally, here is a glossary of hunters' and farmers' terms for hogs.
The term hog covers any age, status or gender of animal.
A boar is a mature male hog.
A barrow (shortened to bar) is a castrated boar
A sow is a female that has reproduced.
A gilt is a female that has not reproduced.
A shoat (shote) is any young hog that has been weaned.
A pig is any unweaned baby hog.
And a piglet is only the very youngest baby hog.
So much to learn from these gentlemen and the comments.
I love the discussion. Also, love the options. Like most old guys, the best caliber is the one you are good with. My daughter as a youngster shot a hog dead (medium sized only) with 556. I prefer to use 300 BLK vmax bullet (unsupressed), but I've also used 458 SOCOM too but that gets expensive. LOL.
Ron is the biggest fan, that I know of, of the .308 winchester. Glad to hear you mention that.
I've killed quite a few hogs here in Florida with a few different cartridges (e.g. 300 Blackout, 6.8 SPC, .44 magnum, etc.), but my favorite is 12 gauge. Heavy buckshot or a good slug puts it on them. Especially in the thick stuff, which is pretty much all Florida hunting.
Aussie pig shooters often use shotguns and quadbikes.
I was wondering if a shotgun would be useful with something like 000 or slug.
A quick scan down the replies, I didn't see 358 Winchester mentioned. That cartridge is awesome on feral pigs. Hornady 200 gr FTX running 2500 fps out of an AR10 is just devastatingly effective. And I also agree with 450 Bushmaster in a MSR as a secondary. Great discussion!
its only because nobody has figured out if you get a 358 barrel for your AR / LR308 platform you got a 358 Winchester. Awesome round, I dont have one but shoot a 35 Remington and 35 Whelen. Looking to add a 358 Winchester to the collection. Looking for an old Remington 760 in 308 with a blown out bore to use as a donor
@@leveractiongypsy1848 Iowa changed their deer hunting laws a couple years ago to include 358 Winchester and 35 Whelen, among others. Since then, I ditched my 450 Bushmaster for a 358 Winchester AR10 that I built and I'll never rethink that decision. What an awesome round that is. I have a 35 Whelen too, not in an AR, and it's pretty sweet as well. BUT, the advantage of a semi auto with 358 Win has yet to be realized, they have all been 1 and done.
@@tonytice6207 I'm currently building an LR308 on a Noreen lower.I have the lower completed and havent bought an upper, barrel or anything else. What barrel did you end up going with?
@@leveractiongypsy1848 Can you get a Noreen upper? AR10's are typically not a mil spec type of deal, where any upper and any lower will fit together. As far as a barrel goes, McGowen has made all 5 of my 358 Win AR10 barrels in 416 stainless steel on request. Two 16", two 18", and for this year's AR10, I'm trying 14.5" with a pinned and welded QD suppressor mount and a 46M suppressor.
@@tonytice6207 I was looking at BCA uppers as I brought one into a shop in Montana that had them and it fit the Noreen lower without issue. I just havent bought an upper yet which I will get in 308 since a complete BCA upper is fairly cheap. I did see the McGowan barrels and was hoping to get at least a 22 inch barrel to take advantage of the extra velocity. My When has a 22 inch and I have a 1949 Remington 141 in 35 Rem with a 24 inch barrel. It seems the extra length makes a difference at least with the 35 Remington
35 Remington is a good one too. An interesting fact is 35 Remington was the first semi auto rifle cartridge in the Model 8 - a John Browning creation. John Browning didnt make many mistakes that are still around today. I wish some maker would come out with a 35 Remington semi auto carbine maybe something Thompson styled. Develop a 165-180gr standard semi auto round for easier control compared to the factory 200gr for the lever actions. That said, 35 Remington handloaded puts it easily closer to 358 Winchester as does the Buffalo Bore factory ammo available
The neat thing about .35 caliber rifle cartridges is, if you reload, you have a whole host of .357 handgun bullet designs to play around with. Crank up a JHP pistol bullet to 2,000+ FPS, & things you hit often have a tendency to just plain come apart. Sounds like just the ticket to stop those big porkers in their tracks in the thicket, when running isn't an option.
@@grantgarrod2232 a 125gr jacketed is way to light for hunting but Speer #10 has load data for Reloder 7 with a max of 2734fps. I didnt chrono it but I did get a serious tack driver with it. I also had great results with Hornady FTX 140gr 357 mag bullets. If you cast and PC, get some cheap used 9mm,357,38special or other old design '38' molds and with PC you can get the right diameter. I didnt have as good luck with any bullets less than 140gr cast, but I do have pretty good results with a 140-145gr and up. Saeco #383 was pretty good and #930 (150gr SWC) was really good too.What light bullets worked the best for you?
@@leveractiongypsy1848, I personally haven't played around with such, but my uncle's best friend & hunting buddy was a gunsmith who did custom reloading for a couple decades. He specialized in making up home defense loads for lever or pump deer guns, for people in areas where handguns & their ammo was a no-no. The best combos were in .35 Remington, .356 Win., & the occasional .358. His pet load was a 180 gr. HP, cast in dead-soft lead, & loaded to about 950 FPS, which he said was a bona-fide man-stopper. But he cooked up some full power loads for folks as well, & I recall him saying his best results were with bullets 150 grn. & up. There was one with a 158 grn. SJHP, but I don't recall the other details.
@@grantgarrod2232 Good info there and I agree with that the best cast are 150gr and up. Ironically I found an old Lyman 358430 mold in 150gr (normally 200gr) and it has proven to be one of the most accurate 150gr cast designs Ive tried. If I had to pick one factory bullet for 35 Rem it would be the Speer HotCor180gr FP. Amazing performance for that caliber. The Speer 220gr is good too but at 35 Rem velocities the Speer 180gr is hard to beat if it can be when it comes to jacketed factory bullets
I really appreciate you taking the time to do these videos. They are very informative and it's just a real good feeling to sit and watch and enter into listening to the information that you provide! Thank you!
One of the problems with pigs here in California is they will go into vegetable fields from a cattle pasture and you can get an E. Coli problem.
Only if you're daft and don't wash your vegetables. Hogs ain't good but that would be your fault.
Never had an issue with 150gr Norma softpoint 308’s on 10+ Feral Hogs in Texas. More than half of them were over 150lbs and one just over 200lbs. Vast majority were headshots from 15-100yds. Of course I botched a couple of shots hitting them in the shoulder or the rear, but even still they couldn’t get far before I made a correction. I think I could probably go a bit smaller to maybe a 7.62x39. So far the .308 in an AR10 platform has worked very well.
Here in Texas I've shot several with 6mm ARC (ELDX bullets) during deer season from an MSR platform. I've also been successful with 300 blackout, 308 and 450 Bushmaster. If we know there is an infestation of younger ones, I'll opt for 12 ga 00 buckshot, from a semi-auto shotgun, which is great at getting them on the run. Year round on the ranch, I have a 357 lever action I always carry in the truck just for pigs.
Ive shot lots if California hogs wit a .250 Savage using Winchester Silver Tips.
Never had any problem with the 'new wave' concerns of bullet performance.
Proper shot placement is encouraged!
I shot scores of pigs with my M-77 Ultralight in .250 Savage when I lived in California, but with the ban on lead ammo for hunting out there, the thing would be about useless to me there, as it didn't shoot monolithic copper bullets all that well. But with the 120 grain Sierra bullets I used, back in the days when lead core bullets were legal to hunt with there, it pole-axed 'em.
I have hunted hogs in Eastern Texas in the thick woods with a Rossi 92 in 454 casull. Some nice heavy 325 grain bullets does a nice job.
I also have a Rossi 454, keep it as a truck gun. Was visiting a friend on his farm and we saw a couple hogs rooting in his corn, the Rossi was handy. Caught the first one broadside in the shoulder, knee's just buckled and he went down. The other went running for the corn field and I caught him right up the back to the base of the neck/skull, he face planted and rolled, just layed there and shook. That 454 really did the job, they both tasted great.
.308 and .30-06 have never disappointed.
Agreed! An AR10 in .308 is the optimal choice for hogs on the ground or in a heli. A 12ga sa with 00 buck works well at close range from a heli, too.
Recoil slows follow on shots for large groups of hogs. The best I've used is the 6.8 SPC
@@PFM0809 you don't notice the recoil if you're a very experienced shooter.
@@PFM0809 AR-10 .308 recoil is not that bad thanks to that buffer tube design ...... A lot less than say a bolt action .308 or .30-06
@ice-xv1hi I'm a highly experienced shooter. When you are shooting at night through narrow visioned thermals there is a difference. The 308 is not as smooth or fast for follow on shots or to switch targets in a large sounder.
@@PFM0809 have you fired over a million rounds?
My last pig was a 200-lb sow, the matriarch of her sounder. She was looking at me at 35 yards. I had a TC Encore in 500S&W, handloaded mild with Hornady XTPs. I hit her just below the right eye, her front hooves lifted 2" off the dirt and she crumbled, DRT. At the processing shed, the bullet was shown to work perfectly - liquifying the brain, passing all the way through the neck, ending up just under the hide of the right shoulder - perfectly mushroomed. I made a keychain out of it!
I was hoping the 30-06 would had been mentioned, just because that's my favorite 30 caliber round....
Need an semi then use a Garand. Great sport!
I'm really loving the addition of a second voice and the conversation. Great episode.
I killed a 500lbs Russian Red Bore. Charging me with a 44-40 out of a revolver. And dropped him in one shot. In the same hunt a 650lbs hog attached the dogs he was shot multiple times before I got there and I shot him from behind and broke this back with the same 44-40. Great hunt...
The last pork chop that I harvested was with my New Marlin Guide Gun 45-70. Dropped in its tracks.
My favorite is 338 federal for pigs. I wish it would make a comeback.
Call it the 338 creedmoor and it will sell like hotcakes
😂😂 right!
Honestly I wanted a 338 federal kimber Montana years ago. But was worried about future ammo as I’m not a reloaded. Glad I went 308. Plus 180g .308 is pretty damn awesome and so close to the 338
I agree. Seems like a great cartridge that needs more use. I don't think anyone is chambering it now. Savage was making the Hog Hunter in it, but it seems to have been discontinued in that chambering. Thankfully, it is no great feat to find a semi beater rifle in the 308 family (who needs a 260 anyway, lol) and have ER Shaw or somebody rebarrel it. Then you can put on a nice trigger, and do a mild bedding job or pillar bed it, maybe in a nice laminated stock from Boyd's...... 😁
a 5.56 with heavier 75 to 77 grain bullets would be a great choice! as would the .300 blackout!
Hey Ron there are people here in Texas that shoot them with 17 HMR. Behind the ear at up 100 yards or more. I don’t do it myself I’m not that confident.
When i was younger and poor, I would hunt pigs in texas for food and all i had was a 22 mag bolt action. My frind had a 12ga single shot. We would sneak up on them and get close, maby 20 30 yards. If you put it in there head drops em every time 1 shot with the 22mag. Point is anything will work with good placement.