Im going hog hunting the end of January, and had a question about my rifle and bullet combo.
I want to use my deer hunting set-up for taking hogs, and need to know if a 150 grain Nosler B-Tip out of my 30-06 is sufficiant enough for hogs.I know hogs shoulder areas are pretty tough to penetrate, will this bullet fragment to much at the entry point if hit in the hogs shoulder blade?
This bullet combo did an excellent job on a big whitetail doe this year, I got complete penetration and broke the exiting shoulder on the deer at 35 yards. Does anyone have any experience with Nosler B-Tips and feral hogs? Any comments will be appreciated.
Fordfreak.

I don't have any direct experience with BTs on hogs, but I've shot a few hogs with other bullets and seen the type of punishment they can take, especially if not hit well. I like a bullet that expands good and exits every time. Hogs generally have more fat than other species, which has the tendency to seal up bullet holes and minimize bleeding. A large exit wound will facilitate external bleeding and ease the tracking job. If you must use BTs, I would recommend neck shots only, except on smaller hogs (<100 lbs.), where the typical shot behind the shoulder should work. On larger hogs, particularly boars, the shield (a large, heavy layer of cartlidge) can negatively impact penetration on shoulder and rib shots.

In short, if you're after eating-sized pigs, your current set up is probably sufficient. But, if your after big 'uns, I'd opt for another bullet. I've had excellent luck with Barnes XLCs in my 6.5X55. I have yet to recover a bullet, and get nice ~1" or larger exit wounds on every shot, ensuring a rapid kill and good blood trail.

I've killed lots of feral hogs from 75 pounders for the barbeque to 250 pound "sausage" boars, around 100 animals in total over the last few years.

A few were shot with a .44 Mag, a .45/70, a 6mm Rem. or a .30/06; but the great majority were shot with my .300 Jarrett using 165 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips @ 3400 fps.

The secret to killing wild hogs in their tracks and avoiding lost or wounded animals is to shoot them in the head. Not only will this shot drop them in their tracks, but you don't mess up the shoulders or the ribs; both of which are great eating.

Aim just below the ear hole on a broadside shot or right between the eyes on a frontal shot and it really doesn't matter what bullet you are shooting, he's going to be dead in his tracks.

Well let me start off by saying that for hog hunting I guess I would prefer a Nosler Partition or at least a heavier version of the Ballistic Tip.

Having said that, I have tried Ballistic Tips on a number of hogs with good success. I have shot several with both, the 115 BT in my 25-06 and the 200 grain BT in my .338 Win Mag. I have never recovered a BT from a hog, always had complete pass throughs. I have shot everything from 100 pound sows to boars of around 300 pounds.

While I would much prefer the 180 grain Ballistic Tip in the 30-06, the 150 version will do ok. Just avoid the shoulder area on any big old boars. The gristle they have over the shoulders is amazing. Shots any place else work just like they do on any other game.


Good luck on your hunt, R F

Hit them in the boiler room and you will have a dead hog.
I've seen MANY wild boars taken with BT (most of them running shots) and thay are very good, as with any other good bullet, you must do your part.
Good hunting
LG

IMNSHO

the proper way to pronouce the word is NO SIR for hogs.

Then again, I have a different definition of bullet failure that most, as I demand exit or at least 70% weight retention.

BT (blow up and TORN jackets) are great for deer and varmits, I just don't like them for anything bigger.

just use sierra gamekings or even a good ole corelock, and your hog is dead

jeffe

I have been using the 150gr. Nosler BT out of my .308 this season. To date a doe shot broadside @100yds at the very upper part of the neck-dropped in her tracks dead, large exit wound., (2) hogs, one 65lb, another 150lb both an 1" behind the eye broadside @ 100yds, stone dead, exit wounds and a buck broadside in the eye @ 100yds. I have been incredibly impressed with the bullets consistent performance on each occasion. I was told by Nosler on the pig question (same as yours) that the partition would be overkill and i now believe it. The only thing I have not liked so far is accuracy at 200yds and beyond at the range. The rifle is always sub MOA but not with the Noslers. It looks great at 100 but then opens up badly beyond. I am trying other loads now trying to cure. I am waiting for better weather to try some other powders but for killing hogs at 100 its been great. I agree wholeheartedly with a previous poster about hitting them in the head. No wasted meat and they drop like rocks. Once I lost a pig that I hit with a 220gr MK (not Nosler) bullet with a 3250fps muzzle vel that was hit broadside above the shoulder....I could not believe it. Now I pull head or very upper neck shots.

I think I would use a Partition or A-frame. Why take a chance with an iffy bullet?

Your 30-06 with the 150 grn BT Nosler will do fine. I know a guide that uses the same rig. Hit the hog low in the lungs and the bullet should pass right through. The hog will not go far and should bleed out very quickly.

Where are you planning to hunt?

Pete

Thanks to every one who has replied to this post so far. From the responses ive read it seems there have been alot of hogs killed with the Nosler BT'S. I will probably go ahead and shoot them out of my 06, but limit my body shots to smaller hogs. Anything bigger will have to be anchored with head shots only.

Quail wing.
Me, a fellow AR member, and a few other friends are going to Texas to hunt a ranch near Stonewall. Its only gonna be a two day hunt, but should manage to see and hopefully take a butt load of hogs. My only problem is deciding what weapon I really want to take them with!!! So many weapons and so little time! I think I would really like to try my Super Red Hawk 44 mag,or my Knight muzzle loader,if we get a chance to do any feeder hunting.
Ill post our results from the hunt and hopefully some pics.
Fordfreak

My son uses 150 Ballistic Tips in his .30-06 that I load to about 3000 fps. He typically kills a hog or two every year when deer hunting, and I can't recall one that took more than one shot. All have been through the thorax.

I have found that the Ballistic Tip usually gives about as much, or a little more, total penetration as most conventional bullets, despite its rapid upset and quick expansion. This is no doubt due to the solid base design. In my informal comparisons using paper test media, I have always found the last remants of a Ballistic Tip to penetrate a little deeper than a Speer or Sierra of similar caliber and weight.

By the way, DesertRam, where the hell do you find a hog's neck? I've heard a feral boar described as "one half head and the other half genetalia, with just a little bit of hog in between".

Stonecreek, that's not a half bad description! What I call the neck is probably what most folks just call the head - behind and below the ear. They have such a long head that I refer to this as the neck since it's not really in the skull. A shot to this area results in a shattered spine and a bang-flop dead pig. My kinda shot in the thick cedars that I usually hunt in. On longer shots though I still take the ribs for the larger target of the lungs and just hope the dogs are around if extra tracking work is required.

Stonecreek,
We'll jsut agree to disagreee... you get good results with BTs, and I don't think that they should be used on game.... a tad far apart... but, opinions are what make horseraces

jeffe

DesertRam, I'll have to agree with you on a hog's neck -- he's got one alright, it's just hard to describe. And the place you describe placing your bullet is extremely effective.

Jeff: I'll happily agree to disagree. The difference in effectiveness in most centerfire calibers and bullets is mostly in the shooter's head, anyway. My psyche is happier with quick expanders and your's seems happier with deep pentration. If our preferences as humans didn't vary somewhat, we'd all wind up married to the same woman (or try to)!

Will a Nosler Ballistic Tip kill a pig? Of course! Is it the best choice of the myriad of wonderful hunting bullets we have at our disposal these days? Absolutely not! Is it in the top 10? Probably not.

I�ve run a guided wild boar hunting service for the last 16 years. We�ve taken around 1300 pigs in that amount of time. I�ve skinned most of them myself. Before I started guiding I killed about 100 and during that period of time had a brief love affair with the Ballistic Tip. I carried everything from varmint rifles to antique pistols to archery equipment to elephant rifles.

While skinning pigs that had been BT�ed, several times I have found the plastic tip at the entry wound. Meaning that if the bullet tip broke off the bullet functioned as a huge hollow point.

Putting aside the issue of unnecessary meat wastage, they typically won�t penetrate as deep as other bullets and I feel that is a handicap if shooting at odd angles or large pigs.

I see many clients use them on pigs because they shoot the most accurately in their rifle. That�s great� save them for varmints, small deer, antelope, etc. But for their weight pigs have rather thick hides, tough bones and in the case of larger boars a serious attitude and tremendous will to live. It seems ridiculous to me to use a bullet that will make those brag�n sized �� groups that may not kill cleanly when so many other more heavily constructed bullets would probably group a perfectly acceptable 1.5� or under.

Typically on pigs I recommend clients avoid: Ballistic Tips, Sierras, and other highly frangible bullets. I�ve seen great results on pigs using from clients using: Partitions, X bullets, Swifts, Trophy Bonded, Woodleighs, Failsafes, Grand Slams, etc., etc. There a ton of what I would call �intermediate quality� game bullets (Interlocks, Core-Lokts, Power Points, etc.) that work pretty well for the money.

As to headshots: A bullet constructed of frozen cheddar cheese at 3000fps will kill with a headshot. I can�t tell you how many headshots I�ve seen messed up though. Nothing can run faster than an animal with its jaw shot off or a chunk of meat blown out of its neck.
There are only two predictable things about an animal shot incorrectly in the head:
1. They�ll probably die next week.
2. They�ll probably die in the next county.

Sure some people are capable of clean headshots. I�ve even seen people consistently do it on moving animals out to 200 yards, but I sure wouldn�t recommend it to most people. Especially a pig because they don�t hold still as well as other animals and can be so cantankerous to find when wounded.

I understand that many people have had awesome results on pigs with Ballistic Tips, you may never have a problem depending on how much you hunt. I think it�s a question of sample size. I�ve only killed two Cape buffalo so I�m usually pretty quiet when I see the posts about dangerous game bullets, but this one I couldn�t help but comment on.

To reiterate: Will a Ballistic Tip kill a pig? Yes. Is it the best choice? No.

Great hunting with Great hunters,
Kyler

What Kyler says is good advice on hogs. My hog guide told us to show up with our rifles sited in to shoot the X bullet, partition, failsafe, grand slam, A-Frame, and yep, if you pleaded, the Corelok. Dont show up with a ballistic tip, et al. Pay attention to what these guides are telling you, and you will get a good kill, and have a great hunt. Kyler, I've hunted near you, north of Paso Robles.

Well that explains it, you didnt say you were going to be hunting on some open country farm in Texas..........LOL

Make sure you only use about 10 ft of wire on that claymore, you'll get a much better jolt out of it.