I posted a hunting report about this on the hog hunting forum if anyone is interested.

I bought a used Ruger M77 .338 a number of years ago for a song and a dance, slapped a $112.00 Bushnell scope on it (my shop didn't have the Leupy I wanted), dialed it in on Double Tap's 250 grain Nosler Partition Gold loads, and finally took it hog hunting in Florida two weeks ago. I think I found the perfect hog hammer! I took a 120 and a 175 pounder - both bang-flop, and my brother-in-law used it on a 111 yard shot and the bullet took out a boar and a sow standing behind it! Do you need a .338 for hogs? Nope, but it sure does put them down!! I think I have a new favorite rifle!

Whitworth
In the circle I travel in [the DRSS] we consider the 338 as a "little light" for hogs , as we usually use our "elephant guns"

Only kidding of course. Hunting wild pigs is a great way to use a persons "bigger guns".
As I said in the post under pig hunting well done.

Actually, with regards to rifles, the .338 is amongst the lightest calibers I have ever hunted hogs with! My .416 rem hits them pretty hard, but the Lott was a true sledge hammer!! I wanted to see how my squirrel gun would work on hogs!! It works really well!

Whitworth



"Them big guns" do work good, and are fun to hunt with.

338s and 358s = Bang....Plop, down right there,

Of course the 160lb hog I shot at 240 yds this last year did the same thing, she just did not understand it was ONLY an 85gr X bullet from my 243 Mannlicher Ruger #1! Good thing she did not know, I would have hated to have tracked this smelly varmint!

Seriously, I really think a 338 Federal and 358 Win are ideal hog guns, lots of lead, modest recoil, plenty range and accuracy. I do have to admit, ANY bullet other than that x bullet in my chamber would have made me question myself and my confidence, but it really made a believer out of me, very impressive bullet in my experience! Penetration, expansion, and DEADLY.

I LOVE one shot drop right there kills!

Congrats!

I fine this very interesting. You actually need a 338 or 416 to kill a hog sized animal. Enlighten me on why that is.

It’s just a question, no judgment on my part, I just want to know.

Mick
You do not "need" a big gun to kill hogs. I have killed a bunch with my 308.

However if you have a big gun or two and like to hunt with them wild pigs is a fun way to do it.

My doubles are my favorite pig hunting guns....

Although I do have this Winchester 1895 Take Down in 405WCF that has yet to take a hog....

Need has nothing to do with it! But fun has everything to do with it. I am attempting to book a cape buffalo hunt in 2009 and I can think of no better practice than on a live target, therefore the big-bores get the nod most of the time. Big-bores are just more interesting to hunt with in my opinion. When my .450 Ackley is done, you guessed it, I'm taking it hog hunting! Is it needed? Not only no, but hell no! Is the .338 needed? Again, no, but it kills them with authority!

Besides, there are no degrees of dead........

Thanks for the answers.

quote:

Originally posted by MickinColo:
I fine this very interesting. You actually need a 338 or 416 to kill a hog sized animal. Enlighten me on why that is.

Hey Mick, you never know what you might run into when you hunt hogs in the South





You might need every bit of that 338 win mag and then some!!

Congratulations on your pig and fine choice of a weapon. I also bloodied my 338 win for the first time today. Took the head off of a ground squirrel at about 75 yards and then gut shot one right at 200 yards. Needed a 338 for squirrels? Nope, but it sure was fun.
Beware the hunter who uses one gun for everything. He probably knows how to use it.

Beware the squirrel hunter who uses too little gun like a .338!

My old man told me 20 years ago that anything bigger than a 22 mag was overkill for hogs.
He followed that by saying that overkill was a very very minor sin when dealing with pigs.

Whitworth, Are you back in the states for a visit, or for good? I hear there is a new Mopar mag coming out, are you doing any more writing? Congrats on the new rifle, as you can see, here in Texas, that is an entry-level Hog gun! Lee.

Hey Lee! I am back for good -- just haven't changed the location on my signature yet! Haven't heard about the new rag. Do you know who's publishing it? Nah, I don't have the time to play with the cars now, so I can't really write about them. My Barracuda is still on the left coast less engine and I don't know when I will have the time to put something together for it.

It's my squirrel rifle actually! I love using the big-stuff on hogs!

The .338 is probably the best all around caliber for North American and maybe the world, for the game it was intended for, and its not a bad caliber at all for Cape Buffalo and Lion.

I haven't "bloodied" my .338 Win Mag, it has had a terrible run of luck, first a rough bolt face and then scope trouble this week. Finally got the scope adjusted and a light, practice load established, sub-one inch groups dead center at fifty yards. I use the cheapest 200 grain bullets I can find with 53 grains of Varget. I figure after 200 rounds, once a day, six at a time, I'll be ready to work up my final moose load for September, if I draw a tag. It is interesting to note that this .338 Win Mag "plinker" load is 20 fps faster than the .30-06 with a maximum load at 2577 fps. according to the Hodgdon's 2007 Annual Manual. Maybe medium bores do have their place as plinkers. Now if I can get my off-hand groups small enough to brag about...