My uncle is taking my on a hog hunt in California this coming Feburary after the shot show. What guns should I use? My choices are a 375 improved with either barnes or game kings or maybe the new accubonds. Or I have a 6.5-284 in a feather weight with Barnes, or a 338 win mag, or just about whatever else you could think of. I wanted to take my Beowulf but the People's Republic won't allow the Evil rifle there. My uncle tells me that it''s mostly spot/stalk mornigs and evenings, with crawling through the brush in midday. So I would need a handgun also. 10 mm with 220 hard castor 200 FMJ's pr would Hollow Points be better or a 44 mag with 310 hard cast. I read alot about Hogs being tough but I guess I need to know how tough. Alaska Grizzly bear tough or like moose tough or what?

I would take the .338 win mag loaded with a Hornady 225 gr spire point or a woodleigh 225 gr Protected point.

Your .375 improved would be my second choice.

All the calibers/bullets you listed are fine. Hogs are no harder to kill than a whitetail. Just got to "shoot 'em where they live" and they fall over dead. Last one I shot was a 145 lb boar with a .22 LR at about 40 yds. Bang, plop, flop!! Get to guttin!!

I'd probably opt for the one I shoot best. Me thinks the 6.5x284 would be a good choice.

My pig loads, in no paticular order, are 7x57 150 part@2700, 308 170CL @ 2500 and 30-06 165 part @2750. The 308 is for 150yd or less, the 7x57 and '06 are for 300yds or so. Remember most of a pigs 'vitals' are right around the shoulder forward, not much behind the shoulder as with a deer. capt david

Bullet construction is more important than caliber selection. However, I recommend at least a .270 if you are shooting boars over 250lbs. Stay away from the balistic tip type bullets and use a good bonded bullet when possible. You will need a well constructed bullet because all the vitals are protected by the shield/shoulder area.

go with the 375 - they'll never know what hit em.

Take the Beowulf. I went hog hunting with mine a few weeks ago. Way too much fun.

Any of those you mentioned will do just fine with the bullets you mentioned. Don't load them too hot, as it looks like your shooting will be relatively close-in: even premium bullets don't perform well if pushed too-fast at too close a range.

On the handguns I would go with hardcast with either choice.

Have fun and let us know how it went!

Ca;ifornia law prohibits "assault weapons" so the Beowulf is out. That's the one I was really looking forward to using but Oh Well.

Yes we have regulations for assault weapons but there are many exceptions. I will research the law for bringing the weapon in for hunting if you like.

Regards, PG

Rimfires are illegal for hogs in California. (And rightly so. A .22 LR in the ear may work fine at close range, but one through the guts just means a lost pig.)

They are not tough to kill if you hit them right the first time. My experience has been that if you botch the shot, and their adrenaline gets pumping, they can be hard to put down.

Use a decent bullet, preferably not a ballistic tip/SST type, as they may not penetrate the gristle plate on a really big pig - and you have to anticipate the worst shot possible. Hit them in the shoulder or right behind it, in the head between the eye and the ear and you will have pork with any of the guns you mentioned. I would use the 6.5-284 myself.

quote:

Originally posted by Calif. Hunter:
They are not tough to kill if you hit them right the first time. My experience has been that if you botch the shot, and their adrenaline gets pumping, they can be hard to put down.

I absolutely agree. The first hog I ever shot was with a 458 win mag. I was aiming for the upper front shoulder, and dammit, it backed up about 3 inches just as I pulled the trigger. I ended up hitting it in the cheek, and after it got back up and shook off the shot, headed for the deep woods. It took two more shots to put it down, the last one right in the side of the ribs.

Running and shooting is most exciting, but very inaccurate. I can tell you the blood trail was impressive, though.

PG
I called the California Ministry of Justice, and after about 45 minutes and 3 different numbers I finally got to talk to a lady at the firearms desk and she said no. But if you know of an exception I would really like to take the Woulff. It did a jub on a bear this spring and would work awsome on hogs out to 200 yards.

Sun,
Are you a competition shooter, specifically a three gun shooter. Lots of out of state shooters come in and compete and use there competition guns for a little hog hunt.
Calif penal code 12280m.

I might invite yur attention to the above code. Also review USPSA's web site for locations for three gun shoots. With the above info you can connect the dots.

In the same accord, if you are not secure in the above, I may be able to meet up with you and you can sure use my pop gun. It is topped with an Aimpoint. I generally hunt south of King City.

Regards, PG

Thanks but if I can't bring my 50 Beowulf then the 6.5x284 with barnes xlc's will probably get the job.

My pig gun is a Ruger M77 in 7x57 shooting a 160 grain Speer Hotcore.

I shot my boar with my 7MM Mag shooting a 160gr nosler partition. He was running when I shot him. Weight was 200 LBS.

I have to say, the 375 would for sure do the trick, I have taken pigs with a 300 WBY MAG, 375 and 458 SOCOM (like the beowulf) and even when the shot placement was less the desirable, a la, in the rib cage, or from behind (we just want them dead on the ranch I hunt on) we take the shot, anyways, every shot no matter where, has laid them on the ground, once you get to that level of energy being dumped into an animal, there is not alot of movement going on if you connect with the hog.

I picked up a used M77 in .338 win mag last year and have yet to blood the rifle. It has proven to be a tack driver at the range and I just know it's going to make one hell-of-a hog rifle. I really like the round, so if I were you and had access to the .338, that's the route I would go....... But, the .375 wouldn't be a bad choice either.

Check this link.

http://www.dfg.ca.gov

Hey Sprotyg, what exactly am I looking for on that link?

WOW! A lot of talk about pigs, but remember, our pigs in California are not the huge boars of Europe. Yes the decended from them, but they are a different beast now with all the feral introduction into the bloodlines.

Every years for many years my father and his brothers would slay pigs with 30-30s. Since then we have used everything under the sun. I can say that I have seen some serious problems arise from the 6mm (.243) calss of rounds. That is not to say that they won't be perfect under good conditions, but it did get a little hairy one morning in Booneville! I have watch a friend us an old Mannlicher 6.5 mm that was the hammer on these pigs. What did he do? He shot them in the vitals everytime. Seriously the guys at this web page did a good job of explaining the difference in pig anatomy (http://www.texasboars.com/anatomy.html). First timers please read it. My favorite boar gun was a 38-55 Winchester Model 94. Just shoot them in the right spot. The 6.5mm will kill them dead, use a good 140-155 grain bullet and your in the bacon.

Hogs aren't as tough to kill as some folks think. A 243 with Nosler Partitions will do the job. I prefer lever guns for hogs because I just love lever guns . I just bagged a nice 100 lb sow with my old '51 Marlin 336A in 35REM. I load 180gr Speer flat points and it did an awesome job.

Suntiet,
You said it in your opening post. That 6.5/284 Featherweight with a good 140sp.

Don't overlook Hornady's 129 grain SP in 6.5 cal. Pretty proven hog bullet.

Have taken 34 hogs this year. Either 223 55 gr V-Max to the head or 300 gr 45/70 in the shoulder.

I would say to take the gun you shoot the best. Shot placement is what you are looking for, for if you make a bad shot, no matter the gun, it aint gonna be pretty....

They'll all work. How dead do you want the hog?

Ok I'm shooting a 270 WSM with Nosler 160gr Partions Loading them to 3,000 FPS is that too fast for a close end shot?

IronWorker378
Obiviously you do not need that speed for a close up shot, however with a 160 gr Nosler Partition you should not have a problem.
That is the great thing about a Nosler Partition, they work close up, or far away, especially one that is heavy for caliber.
Be sure and save the pig meat if you can, it is very good to eat.

I kill hogs with a 240 wby mag, 100 gr partition, hogs arent any big deal, hit them where you are supposed to.

At 5 PM today, the 100 Sierra in my 243 did the job. Neck shot 100 yards. Pop---flop!!!

Guys....Seriously, these animals are about proper shot placement. I have seen so many taken with 30-30 and 25-35 winchesters that it isnt funny. These were not stunts, they were just proper shots. Not amazing shots, just proper.

Slow the guns down, don't freak out and take your shot. Ihave had black-tail deer that were harder to down than my worse pig. California hogs are not your Euro beasts, but they can be if you dont do your job. Even with a magnum, if you screw the shot up, your going to have problems. I watch a gut shot boar tear up a pack of dogs..the gun was a 338 Win Mag with 250s.

On the other had I know an old guy that shots them with a Savage 99 in 22 Hi-Power[Savage]. He is the hammer on pigs.

make sure you understand the pig anatomy since it is different, and then make the right shot. If your are worried when shooting, break a shoulder. That works great. Before you take a nuck shot, understand where the bones in the neck are so you can break them.

If you have a 150 grain bullet at 2250-2500 fps, your so in the money on hogs.

I have no experience with US/Euro pigs, just warthog and bushpig in South Africa and have shot some big guys!

In my opinion, the best pig gun for me would be a 7x57 loaded with 175gr bullets. Almost all my pigs have been shot within 100yrds (in fact most probably withing 75) so a super fast bullet is unecessary. I also haven't found them that tough. I did have one warthog run a hell of a long way after taking a 165 gr Hornady from my .30-06, raking from behind , thought eh aorta and stopping on the shoulder.

All my pigs have been taken with a .30-06 or .308, except one bushpig with a 7mm RM.
I don't think you need a canon at all. I reckon any thing froma .257 to a .338 cal with a heavy, slower bullet is just the ticket to minimise meat loss. Just because they often run after a good shot with a .375 doesn't mean they are super tough!!!!

There are a few rules that may help

1. The pig could care less about what you shot it with.

2. A 6mm bullet is more than enough for a hog until it isn't.

3. Even a .50 BMG shot poorly means you will spend an inordinate amount of time crawling through areas you didn't know existed looking for a very angry injured hog.

4. Rarely will a hog remain motionless at exactly 100 yards on level terain, free of obstacles, in broad daylight, with a bullseye on its side. It may be necessary to practice.

5. No two pigs are alike.

6. If you are scared to shoot your rifle, the pig will likely be scared away as you miss (very similar to rule #3).

7. A professional guide will always know more about killing your quarry than you will; however, his knowledge is based on the laws of averages, not absolutes. Also remember, hogs don't like rules.

8.Boar are to deer as an Abrams tank is to a Yugo.

9. There are two basic types of hogs, those that have a thick layer of gristle designed to munch the best of bullets, and those that don't.

Most people you have shot a hog well, with ill efect, will reccomend the largest rifle caliber one can shoot comfortably (Please rule #6).

As we speak of odds, I have known one person culling hogs with a 22-250. His secret to success is to wait for the perfect shot. He states (and I do believe him on this) that even fog will make for a less than effective shot. And to further his success, almost all of the hogs are of the 100-150 lb variety.

Of the hog hunters I know, rifle calibers chosen are as follows: 30-06 (2), 7mm Mag (1), 338 mag (3), 375 mag (3), 45-70 (or 450 marlin) (2). Again, your mileage may vary. Pistol caliber is almost unanimous, 44 mag.

John

A 25-06 w/100grn TSX pills has taken 8 Texas hogs on the two trips I've made to down there. My experience is the TSX will shoot thru both shoulders of any hog alive. On the last trip down to TX I doubled on a pair of 150lb hogs at 140yrds. As stated above, vitals are further forward than a deer. If you take the shoulders you'll get the heart/lung vitals. Plus I didn't have to follow them up in all those stickers and thorns.
Your 6.5 will give you all you need with the barnes.

Have fun
Steve

FWIW........ 7-08 with Factory Federal 150Gn Power-shok ( Sierra Hot Cor) thru a Sako Finnlite. Groups 1/2" at 100, Takes no prisoners. Seems a good load for close range pigs when stalking in brush, but havent used the load out further than 100 yds.

Good luck with whatever you choose, the pigs won't know much difference if you put the round in the right spot.
Rgds

I would say to take the rifle that you shoot best and your guide will likely agree.

Having said that, I use a 270 which works great, and have seen 30-06, 300 Win Mag and 7 Rem Mag used. All worked just fine when the shooter did his part (which is most important). I’ll admit that on my next hunt I’m planning to take my 375H&H just for kicks though.

I WOULD choose a decent bullet though, like a Nosler Part, Trophy Bonded (etc) just incase you wound one and have to take an angle shot.

Just shoot them through the shoulder and you'll be fine

quote:

7x57 loaded with 175gr bullets

This would be most effective on feral hogs! You might even have a penetration problem on the smaller ones.