Hog hunting? What caliber?

[biznutz]

After some connections here in the Army I have an open ended access to "great" hog hunting in SC. My question is what caliber is prime for this? I will be buying a barrel assembly for my Encore.

Some that I'm considering

.308
.300
30-06
.270
.270 WSM

Any input?

[HittinTheBushHard]

I think I'd go with the 30-06...just my 2 cents

[Thunderflight]

biznutz

All the calibers you mentioned are sufficent if not excessive. When I was stationed at MCAS Beaufort we used to hunt hogs in the Savanna River National Wildlife Refuge. I've killed them with arrows and shot gun slugs with no problems.

Back in Feburary I hunted my buddies lease in Loris and used my .44 to take out two (with one shot), but they were super small (and tasty). If I could have made it back before I deployed again I would have used my AK-47.

Most of the SC hogs you'll encounter will be in the 20 to 75 pound range. I've killed a 100+ pounder before and seen a few that might go 150, but the biggens are rare. Personnaly if your going to gun hunt I'd use what ever your comfortable with.

This is an edit, but I'd save the money on the extra Encore barrel and use your ML barrel. It'll kill a hog just as dead as a rifle.

[jhammer]

I would stick with a .270. The WSM and WSSM rounds have been known to cause feeding issues in some (not all) guns. Plus, it doesn't sound like they will be commercially available much longer. The 30-06 is my second choice though!

[ohiosam]

A WSM should feed OK in an Encore:) Any calibers listed are good. Is this an Encore rifle or handgun?

[Thunderflight]

I would stick with a .270. The WSM and WSSM rounds have been known to cause feeding issues in some (not all) guns. Plus, it doesn't sound like they will be commercially available much longer. The 30-06 is my second choice though!

Where did you hear the WSM round might not be commercially around soom?

[MaS19]

.243 is an awesome hog round.

[bmiller]

I think I'd go with the 270. :bouncy:

[Rick]

I like to hunt wild bore with a 44mag Redhawk or a black powder rifle.

[boilermaker101]

I have hunted for years out west I used three different guns for pigs. I used a 44 mag for upclose stuff like with running dogs. then a 30-30 for heavy cover and last but not least 7mm mag for long range flat shooting rifle.

[Thisbucks4u]

Where did you hear the WSM round might not be commercially around soom?

Winchester is re-releasing the new model 70 (made by FNH). The 223 wssm isnt on the list. I think thats why the whole "Demise of the WSSM" thing is goin around. But, People arent buyin them, so I dont know how much longer they will be offered in factory guns.

[TheCream]

When I went hog hunting in GA several years ago, I was bow hunting, but took my .270 as a backup in case I couldn't get into bow range. Since I couldn't even get within rifle range, I never got to try it. :nono:

It might be a little excessive, but the .270 would certainly get the job done.

[jackalope]

The WSM rounds will be around for a loooong time... Note i said the round, there is no telling how much you might pay for them though.. And you'll always be able to get a rifle chambered in anything.. The WSM has too much usefulness as a long rage gun...

As far a shooting a pig, I'd stick to te good old 30-06. With rounds ranging from 140 - 220 grains it'll hunt anything in the US and most African game. A tried and true round with millions of dead critters to show for it..

[Thunderflight]

Winchester is re-releasing the new model 70 (made by FNH). The 223 wssm isnt on the list. I think thats why the whole "Demise of the WSSM" thing is goin around. But, People arent buyin them, so I dont know how much longer they will be offered in factory guns.

I sure hope not. I've got 300 WSM....:bouncy:

[Thunderflight]

I also know a few people that use a .41 to shoot hogs.

[cjd3]

I know its not one of the choices but for hogs under 200 ish lbs, I have used a 44 Redhawk w/ 300 gr JHP. They worked well as long as I slipped it behind the big ol sholder plate. ( you may just make em mad if you sholder shot a 300+lb one.)

[ap0317ah]

These are the guns and cartages I like for popping pigs.

Marlin 336 chambered in 30-30.
TC hawkins .50
m1a .308
mini 14 .223
SKS 7.62x39
Ruger blackhawk in .44
my .02
Tom

[rhoadl]

Living in Texas for 20 yrs (the hog capital of the US and now Florida The 2nd most hog populated state and having over 500 lifetime kills it all depends how you want to hunt them.With a knife,spear,handgun or shotgun w/buckshot you will be in a stalking situation. I usually start in a tree and climb down after spotting a group or a single I want to stalk.If I use a handgun I use a Freedom Arms model 83 in .454 Casull with 350 grn lead tip flat nose bullets as they will go through a hog longways sideways upside down. My 2nd choice is an LAR Grizzly auto in .45 Win mag with 260 grn lead tips. More shots in less time.Being a long time hog trapper/hunter and having the stitches and dead dogs to go with it some hogs are good hogs and some are bad hogs. You remember the bad hogs. When jump shooting stalking groups of hogs a Benelli Super Black Eagle with 000 buck shooting for the head neck area is very productive at up to 45 yards.I once emptied a gun at 6 hogs and had 6 dead with this combo I'd rather be lucky than sittin' home if ya know what I mean. In Florida and Texas on private property hogs are considered domestic stock and can be hunted with more of a variance of guns.For a rifle I use a Fulton Arms prepped Springfield M1A with a 5 or 20 round mag depending on the situation. A friend and I dropped 15 hogs in 3 minutes on a damn once sitting in a pre planned ambush area with shooting sticks at 100 yrd clear view in every direction.I also like to use the SBE with a slug barrel and scope in this scene as It keeps me tuned in to my Ohio deer gun even though I mainly bow hunt in Ohio now. Your choices are many.Figure out how you want to hunt and where 1st scout it and see what you come up with.If the hogs are small and not so bad a 22 rimfire is a good choice on private land most public lands may be under a differnent set of laws ..check first and remember too if you trap big boars live you can sell them to hunt clubs to help finance your next excursion.Florida gets 60-75 cents a pound for big tusky longnose boars.That makes the 400 pounders worth more than a shot to the head since they are not the "broilers" we enjoy most. I hope this helps

[Caribou Dreamer2]

OKAY GUYS, WE NEED YOUR HELP!!

THE OHIO DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE HAS PROPOSED TO "BAN ALL RUSSIAN, WILD, FERAL, RAZORBACK HOGS IN OHIO"! YES BAN! THAT INCLUDES PRIVATE OWNERS, HUNTING PRESERVES AND SO ON. WE NEED YOUR VOICE AND I KNOW YOU HAVE ONE I HAVE HEARD YOU TALK!!!!! SO CALL OR EMAIL NOW AND TELL THEM TO LEAVE THE PRESERVES AND HOGS ALONE!! THE OAAO OR OHIO ASSOCIATION OF ANIMAL OWNERS IS WORKING ON THIS NOW AND WE ARE BANNING TOGETHER AND NEED THE HUNTING PUBLIC TO HELP. THIS IS ANOTHER FOR OF "GOVERMENT TAKING" AND AN INFRINGEMENT OF MINE AND YOUR HUNTING RIGHTS. CALL NOW AT 1-800-945-3543 OR IF YOU OUT OF STATE CALL 1-614-265-6300 OR EMAIL THEM AT WILDINFO@DNR.STATE.OH.US-------------YOU GUYS KNOW THE FUN YOU HAVE HAD HUNTING HOGS, DO YOU WANT IT TO STOP? DO YOU WANT TO TRAVEL TO TEXAS TO HUNT THEM
OK GUYS SEND THEM ALL THE EMAILS YOU CAN SEND THEM LETS STICK TOGETHER ONCE AGIN.

[jackalope]

OKAY GUYS, WE NEED YOUR HELP!!

THE OHIO DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE HAS PROPOSED TO "BAN ALL RUSSIAN, WILD, FERAL, RAZORBACK HOGS IN OHIO"! YES BAN! THAT INCLUDES PRIVATE OWNERS, HUNTING PRESERVES AND SO ON. WE NEED YOUR VOICE AND I KNOW YOU HAVE ONE I HAVE HEARD YOU TALK!!!!! SO CALL OR EMAIL NOW AND TELL THEM TO LEAVE THE PRESERVES AND HOGS ALONE!! THE OAAO OR OHIO ASSOCIATION OF ANIMAL OWNERS IS WORKING ON THIS NOW AND WE ARE BANNING TOGETHER AND NEED THE HUNTING PUBLIC TO HELP. THIS IS ANOTHER FOR OF "GOVERMENT TAKING" AND AN INFRINGEMENT OF MINE AND YOUR HUNTING RIGHTS. CALL NOW AT 1-800-945-3543 OR IF YOU OUT OF STATE CALL 1-614-265-6300 OR EMAIL THEM AT WILDINFO@DNR.STATE.OH.US-------------YOU GUYS KNOW THE FUN YOU HAVE HAD HUNTING HOGS, DO YOU WANT IT TO STOP? DO YOU WANT TO TRAVEL TO TEXAS TO HUNT THEM
OK GUYS SEND THEM ALL THE EMAILS YOU CAN SEND THEM LETS STICK TOGETHER ONCE AGIN.


What do you do if you don't agree with game "preserves" importing non native animals to hunt and then inadvertently releasing them into the wild to destroy habitat for Ohio’s native wildlife. IMO if you want to hunt hogs go to Texas.. We don't need those damn things in Ohio.. They WILL get out, and the WILL destroy habitat by the thousands of acres.... I hate it when the government needs to regulate anything. Especially hunting rights. But if the hunting public isn't going to do it that what’s left for the DNR to do besides step in.. This isn't an issue of the DNR imposing on your hunting rights. It's the DNR trying to protect the outstanding wildlife habitat that we here in Ohio hold dearly. IMO the DNR is doing their job to stop the spread on invasive species just like MO is doing with Asian Carp..

[swampdonkey]

I used a 30-06 for the hog in my avatar. Put him right down. Im taking my 7 year old son on a hog hunt next march. the guide told me to pick him up a .243 . I stopped at Gander today to look at one . I think Im gonna try and find somthing nice used.

[rhoadl]

You want to save Ohio you better work on gettin' more yote & hog-varmint hunters into the field.Ferel hogs come from hog farms that have stock gets loose.It's happened for the last few hundred years.When I was raised in Ohio I hunted all the time and never even glassed a yote. Living in Texas for 20 years I killed every yote I ever had a chance to shoot.They devastate small game and look at the stats on what they do to small yearling deer. Hogs move deer around but to my knowledge do not threaten their existance. I glassed 4 yotes last monday dragging a road kill buck of around 180 lbs into the brush at my dads Wooster farm. Lit up 2 of the 4 and I'll shoot them in a day or 2 when they return Cry some more or hunt some more I'll keep on killin' em all

[nratom45-70]

Try a 45-70 Govt.