I know it's been done before, but who doesn't lke talking about guns, pigs, and killing pigs.

What would be your top 3 ideal hog rigs?

1) 450/400 3" in some ridiculous english double rifle

2) 450/400 3 1/4" in some ridiculous English double rifle

3) Marlin 336 in a 35 Remy converted to a 358 win mag, or my BLR 358 win mag.

This is really simple.

ANY RIFLE AT IS IN YOUR HANDS AT THE TIME!!

Keith

As long as we're dreaming an M-16.

Anything available is my "favorite" of the moment. But overall, I'd have to say a 20" 7mm Bullberry Contender carbine, a 26" MGM Contender barrel in 6.5 Bullberry IMP and a Savage 10 FP LE-2 in .308 WCF would rate as my top three. Those 3 alone have probably accounted for 75+ hogs.

I've probably killed more with a couple 6.5x55 Encore barrels than any other of my guns, but I have since sold them. And 26" and 28" Encore barrels in .308 WCF have popped a bit of pork as well. (Can you tell I have a hard time picking favorites? )

In the 7mm BB, my primary hog killers have been a 130 grain Sierra SSP at 2505 fps, a 140 grain Nosler spitzer (lead-tipped/old-style) at 2480 fps, the 120 grain Ballistic Tip and a few with the 120 grain TSX and TTSX at around 2650 fps.

In the 6.5 BB IMP (aka 6.5x30-30 AI), the 140 grain GameKing at 2500 fps is an awesome performer, but I have also had great results with the 129 grain Hornady SP, 125 grain Partition, 130 grain Accubond and 120 grain Ballistic Tip...among others.

In the .308 WCF and its 20" barrel, a 150 grain BT at 2780 fps and a Sierra 150 grain Pro Hunter at 2770 fps did the lion's share of the damage. I've used those 2 bullets in 26" and 28" Encore barrels (with attendant higher velocities, of course) with similar -- make that excellent -- results.

In the 6.5x55s, a 140 grain Sierra GK at 2700-2750 fps was just the ticket, but the Speer 140 HC, Hornady 140 SP and the 120 grain BT fared quite well also.

And then there are the handguns, but that's another topic altogether...

I have shot pigs with a lot of different rifles and bullets.

However with my 450/400 3 1/4" British double, and 300gr .025jkted bullets from Hawk I have never had a pig take a step after being hit.

Second best results have been with my 9,3x74R double shooting 285gr .035jkt Hawk bullets.

I had one pig run about 20 feet or so.

I have shot several pigs with the above 2 combinations.

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
I have shot pigs with a lot of different rifles and bullets.

However with my 450/400 3 1/4" British double, and 300gr .025jkted bullets from Hawk I have never had a pig take a step after being hit.

Second best results have been with my 9,3x74R double shooting 285gr .035jkt Hawk bullets.

I had one pig run about 20 feet or so.

I have shot several pigs with the above 2 combinations.

Alright, this post just makes me cry for the things I don't have bur really want.

I had a chapuis 9.3, but sold it, and I had a Heym 450/400 on the way but had to cancel it.

I don't know if you've written your will yet...?

In any case, I guess I should have confined the question to rifle rounds, or rounds shot out of a rifle. I think my 9.3x62 is actually my favorite now, but the 404 Jeffery on the way will probably take it's place.

maddenwh

I really like the 286 Woodleigh Softs, and the 286 Nosler Partitions, for all sized game in the 9,3.

However for deer and wild pigs you might want to try the 285gr Hawk round tips with the .035jkts.

I shot several, around a dozen, or so Impala in Zim with my 9,3 double.

I was using them for leopard bait, I had one hanging in every tree within 20 miles.

Every Impala, hit with the Woodleigh or the Nosler ran after the shot, but one.

ALL of the ones hit with the Hawk, went straight down.

I shot 4 pigs before I left California 25 years ago. They were all taken with either 22 Magnum or .410 slug (or both) from my Savage Model 24J. I'm not sure that would be my dream rig for pigs, but it's what I had and it worked.

There aren't any pigs around here and I'm not likely to travel far just to hunt them, but if I were to select a 3 gun battery to take on a 'world class' pig hunt it might include: 1) my 18.5" barrel Marlin 336 35LTD in 35 Rem. w/ a Rem. 200 RNSPCL over H4895, 2) my 18.5" barrel Rem. 600 in 308 Win. w/ a Rem. 180 RNSPCL over IMR 4350, and 3) my S&W M629-2 44 Mag. w/ my deer load of a Hornady 240 XTP over H110.

LOL - I know someone will make a point that its much more than I need to kill hogs. But.....

I really like shooting'em with my 9,3x62 Mauser:



I reload a 286 NPT at 2,400 fps - So far, its knocked everything down and they don't get up! I've yet to find a bullet to recover - They go straight thru from any angle taking out any bone along the way. Holes are bullet size in and about 1 1/2" out.

"Rat and Ray"

I have shot a LOT of pigs.
The choices y'all have listed would work great.

quote:

Originally posted by RaySendero:
LOL - I know someone will make a point that its much more than I need to kill hogs. But.....

I really like shooting'em with my 9,3x62 Mauser:



I reload a 286 NPT at 2,400 fps - So far, its knocked everything down and they don't get up! I've yet to find a bullet to recover - They go straight thru from any angle taking out any bone along the way. Holes are bullet size in and about 1 1/2" out.

I'm with you. I love the 9.3x62 for pigs, and honestly, I've really only had a couple of pigs bitch that I used too much gun.

For close scrub and over dogs,a Ruger semi auto carbine in 44mag.
For everything else, the rifle i have now, a Brno ZKK 600 in 280 AI
and if I'm dreaming, a Holland and Holland in .470 NE.

I've shot hogs with everything from a shotgun to a 45-70 with just about every caliber in between. As to ideal I don't know but here are three that work pretty good.
GWB


35 whelen, 225 gr accubond


7 mag, 140 gr accubond


338 ultramag, 225 gr partition

Wales, I'll take a "ridiculous English double" in any caliber and make it work!

Here in SC these are putting pigs on the dirt!

My boys used a Win M70 in 6.5 WSM and a 120 Barnes at 3300 fps and it hammered warthogs last year!

Ray, i LOVE it..


As for me, ANY Rifle, pistol, shotgun, or crossbow and a decent chance of getting into range..

I've used 22LR to 550 express ... i love the mediums and big bores on them.. with a 416 or 458, there's few times that the angle isn't great, though i had that happen the other day!

I fully understand the larger caliber and bolt gun crowd (I tend to kill most of my pigs with my carry gun a M70 in .300 WM) but, in fact, if you REALLY want to whack and stack 'em, then a bolt gun is OUT.....PERIOD. I consider any episode, even with a bolt, where I have multiple pigs in front of me and don't kill AT LEAST 2 to be a major FU on my part (obviously there are exceptions if you're in very heavy cover), but I'm used to my gun and can work the bolt pretty fast. Best I've ever done with the above .300 is 5 pigs with 4 shots, 3 bigger ones and 2 40-50 pound shoaty types (they bunched up running at about 150 yards and I flock shot them, got 2). OTOH, one time using a Browning FN action in .30-06 I shot or shot at a big boar 6 times running across my pasture at 175 to about 300 before I finally weighted him down. That was earlier on before I learned the lead on running pigs a bit better. Still miss them regularly tho.

Bottom line: If you REALLY want to kill piggies, you need at a minimum a relatively low recoiling lever action, a semi-auto in something like .308 or 7-08, or an AR15 basis in 6.8 SPC, 6.5 Grendel, .260 Remmy or even .308. Not my favorite gun but the old Rem 742 in .308 will drop them like rocks and assures you of multiple kills if you can shoot. The gun needs to be relatively light for fast handling, with a low power scope, or a low powered capable variable scope, or red dot type scope on it. If it is a dedicated pig gun, a thicker lined reticle or a 4A type is a good choice.

Another GREAT PIG gun is a Marlin in .35 Rem or .38-55 with medium powered loads (less recoil, faster recovery). Not as common but equally as good is a Savage 99 in .300 Savage or .308. I killed 3 pigs one time with a 99 in .308 stalking them in a thicket, furtherest died at about 10-12 yards, shot them like quail on a covey rise but they were all in the 75 pound size area, scope was 1.5 to 5x Leupie on 1.5.

PS: I don't like the above Leupie for pigs, but that's what I had on there, that particular episode was mid-morning after deer hunting. The 20mm objective has very poor low light performance, a critical ingedient for a pig gun IMO. Finally, it is common knowledge but if you're pig hunting, ALWAYS keep your scope on lowest or nearly the lowest available power until conditions demand a change. If a snap situation comes up, you won't have time to fiddle while changing your scope power DOWN but you usually have time to change it up if need be.

PPS: Many pig shooters are too locked into the "one shot, one kill" idea and want a perfect hold, perfect shot, etc. FORGET IT, try to get a good shot on the first one, and then go for it, remember running pigs need lead, depending on distance, of course. Don't get into the mind set of "I'll be embarassed if I don't kill a pig with every shot.", if you don't miss a few pigs now and then you aren't shooting enough at them when you have the chance. Remember, you sure as hell can't kill 'em, unless you're shooting at them. Here's an example of leading runners, but not really all that good because I was locked into a rest position, more or less. using above mentioned .300 WM bolt gun I shot a pig under a feeder at about 95 yards from deer blind, narrow cover, only about 10 yards wide, his "partner" in crime took off the wrong way on shot, went across 10 yd lane, changed his mind, and reversed trying to go back into heavier cover on other side.....by that time I'd rechambered, and just got on him as his nose was about a yard from the brush, by this time he is about as flat out as a pig gets, stuck crosshairs about 6 inches IN FRONT of his nose, pulled trigger in a hurry and hit him mid-torso, too far back but they pigs can't stand much of a 165 gr ballistic tip. He died in about 30 yards. While this isn't a perfect example of pig leading because I wasn't standing and swinging, like a shotgunner, but I hit the pig about 4 feet behind my hold due to his motion. Within reason, it's hard to overlead a running pig, get in front, if they're doing anything but walking, AT LEAST hold on his nose.

PPS: One final tip for the "perfect shot" crowd, if you can see them, then you can kill them, doesn't matter how dark it is, forget the crosshairs and just center then in your scope. My son killed two like than in near dead dark a week or so back, using a (I hate to type this, Stonecreek might see it) Leupie 3-9 with B&C reticle, said he had no idea where the crosshairs were, but followed my "center 'em and shoot" advice, result two dead shoats.

I want to try my 1941 Johnson in a group scenario -- 10 shots of .30-06 should be hell on pigs!

We are working on a DPMS semi in 50 B&M. This is not the bigger 2.25 inch case, but a 2 inch case in 500 caliber. Capable of 325 Barnes at 2350-375 Barnes at 2250 and holds 10 rds in the magazine. With a muzzle brake on a 16 inch barrel this should be a serious pig shooter when finished. We will see!

Michael

Well, to each his own, but with a muzzle brake on it, it's probably going to be incredibly loud.....I've got a 18 inch AR in .223 with a brake and it is ridiculous how much louder it is and I'm not one of those guys who hates brakes. I've got a .450 Bushmaster (brakeless) but haven't managed to use it on pigs yet. Frankly, while it is not all that hard of a kicker, it has enough recoil so that it will increase recovery time which translates into less chance for multiple kills.

Gato',

It only has a five round magazine, but I have on a few occaissions taken 5 for 5 with a Remington model 81 in 35Rem. It normally plays out something like...was walking back to bunkhouse while there was still a bit of light and came across pigs at stupid close range. 200 grains at 2000fps may not seem like much, but never seen a pig get up when shot under 50yds.

Sasquatch

PS: Got an M1A with lots of 20 rnd mags. Perhaps one day this will come into play and become a pig slayer too.

AB

The .35 Remington is a much underused and underrated pig/deer round. It puts their you know what in the dirt.

quote:

Well, to each his own, but with a muzzle brake on it, it's probably going to be incredibly loud.....I've got a 18 inch AR in .223 with a brake and it is ridiculous how much louder it is and I'm not one of those guys who hates brakes. I've got a .450 Bushmaster (brakeless) but haven't managed to use it on pigs yet. Frankly, while it is not all that hard of a kicker, it has enough recoil so that it will increase recovery time which translates into less chance for multiple kills.

Gatogordo

I don't use muzzle brakes on my rifles. However, this rifle has an entirely different purpose and recovery after recoil is an issue, thus the brake. This 2 inch 50 B&M is equal in every way to a 50 Alaskan, only this is semi. Not primarily a hunting rig. The little 450 Bushmaster is not a comparison to this round. If one decides to push issues it is not hard to push a 500 gr bullet to 2000 fps in it. For fast recovery it will need a brake. I hate brakes--I don't put brakes on my hunting rifles, but I think one will need a brake on this rig as it's purpose is to put accurate shots down range fast.

Michael

Michael:

Let me first say that I hope you have fun with your new gun and I'm not going to get into a "mine is bigger than yours" argument. I think you're way on the other side of overkill and excess recoil FOR PIGS and you're going to find that brake is damn loud. I've got a .50 Beowulf too but it isn't nearly as accurate as the .450 Bushmaster. I've got a 50BMG rifle and I don't shoot pigs with it either but if you're really wanting to compare loads, well, step up.......

AR15 in 6.5 Grendel
or
Bolt action rifle in 6.5 Grendel or 260 or 6.5x55

Might be fun to try a 458 Socom 400 gr.- subsonic, suppressed.
KB

I like to have a BLR in .450 Marlin,with a low power scope. I like the way levers get you into action. I know you don't need a .450 to get the job done, I killed my last with a little 6.5 Ariska (sp) in my Italian/Jap. rifle, but a little more usually doesn't hurt much, even for multiple targets.\



Some have asked about the 6.5 on an earlier post, it is a war souviner, that some one butchered. It was made by the Italians for the Japs during WW2. My cousin gave it to me and I chopped the barrel and the stock, added a scout style scope. Ugly as hell, but reasonably accurate and handy, one of several rifles I use mainly for hog hunting.



I'd love to see Marko put his Johnson into action with pigs going every which way.

quote:

Remember, you sure as hell can't kill 'em, unless you're shooting at them.

That sentence made my day. I have had good luck with a 30/30 with barnes bullets and a .348 with 200 grain silvertips. Don't let the box fool you about being good for big game. Those bullets turn themselves inside out on a mid size hog.

Gatogordo

Not trying to compare "mine is bigger", but I did not think you understood what the cartridge was, and why I wanted a brake on it. Not for recoil obviously. Also I will probably never hunt pigs with it, but it would do a good job. In fact I will probably never hunt anything with it, basically I am a bolt or lever man for that sort of work. If I hunt pigs I am using one of the little guns listed above, they weigh in at 6.25 lbs and carry easy.

No I don't want to compare loads with your 50BMG can't compete with that any more than I can tote it very far. But if I was in TX and had an opportunity and was a 50BMG sorta chap I would have to see what it would do to a pig. Might be like prairie dogs or something? Having a vision about exploding pigs in my mind.

Michael

Overkill? Huh? Gato, I think I would have to try that .50 BMG of yours on a pig -- at least once! LOL!

I have used all manner of big-bores on hogs as I still think that a live target offers the best practice -- especially in light of the fact that we don't have much cape buffalo or elephant in the Southeast! I have also found that smaler, hyper-velocity cartridges seem to do a lot more meat damage........just an observation.

Nowadays I rarely even break out a rifle and have been using my revolvers for the last few years. Oh, but I think the Johnson is coming out soon (no sexual conotations -- 1941 Johnson!).

I remember waking up once next to a pig!

I have absolutely no recollection of how I arrived in such a state! I checked my "johnson" to make sure it was still loaded, but could not remember how many rounds I had put down? I did not find any empty cases laying around, so that was a good sign! However, just to be on the safe side I took my "johnson" and a generous dose of Hoppes #9 and a wire brush and gave my "johnson" a good scrubbing! It has suffered no ill effects from the incident since, so I figure it all worked out in the end!

Since that time I have tried my best to keep my "johnson" put away when pig hunting!

Michael

LOL! Thanks for the laugh! I need to preempt any conversation about my 1941 Johnson with the fact that I am indeed talking about a firearm!

quote:

Originally posted by Gatogordo:
Michael:

Let me first say that I hope you have fun with your new gun and I'm not going to get into a "mine is bigger than yours" argument. I think you're way on the other side of overkill and excess recoil FOR PIGS and you're going to find that brake is damn loud. I've got a .50 Beowulf too but it isn't nearly as accurate as the .450 Bushmaster. I've got a 50BMG rifle and I don't shoot pigs with it either but if you're really wanting to compare loads, well, step up.......

Gato makes a very good point.

In Europe we shoot driven boar with a variety of calibres, usually not smaller that 7mm.

The porblem with the big-hitters is as Gato points out coming back onto aim after recoil.

I personally use a 30.06 but can see why a lower recoiling round would be a very good choice for this type of hunting

Whitworth

Opps! Somewhere in between "mine is bigger" and "johnson" I lost my train of thought?


Michael

quote:

I remember waking up once next to a pig

Like I said I lost my thought process for a minute, what I actually meant to say was this,
I remember "WALKING" up next to a pig!

Michael

quote:

Originally posted by michael458:

quote:

I remember waking up once next to a pig

Like I said I lost my thought process for a minute, what I actually meant to say was this,
I remember "WALKING" up next to a pig!

Michael

LOL! That damn Johnson just seems to open the door for inuendo!

"in-u-endo"......ewwwww.....now you're getting positively nasty.......

I killed my first two hogs this year with a Savage 10 in .308, at 15 and 25 yards. I was expecting some 100 yard shots, but they were in the swamp in the cane thickets and did not come out in the daytime, so I had to go in and get them.

I bought a Marlin 1895 Guide Gun in 45/70 for next year, and I'm working on some loads for a 350 grain cast bullet.

Crowkiller:

That .45-70 is a fine pig gun, just remember you don't have to load it really hot to kill pigs. I've shot quite a few with Hornady 300 and 350 grain jacketed bullets rolling along at about 17-1800 fps which gives me good kills but doesn't kick the fire out of you doing it. I think I like the 350s better, but that may be because I bought a pot full of them as blems one time. A lot of people seem to like the Rem 405 bullet, and I bought some to try, but haven't done so yet.

Couldn't agree more that the .45-70 Guide Gun makes for very fine hog medicine. Plus, it's a handy little rifle.

Gato -- you are a sick man!