Hog Ammo - Pistol and Rifle

Brad W

New member
For hogs I know one concern is penetration. On an upcoming hunt I am planning to mainly use my ar10 and my friend is using a .308 savage axis which should be more than adequate obviously. For this I was planning to buy basic SP hunting ammo. Frankly I was thinking of using whatever cheap name brand ammo I could find. I assume this would be fine considering it's .308 and a bit overkill to begin with?

I also plan to bring pistols for myself and my hunting buddy as a backup. I was thinking a .45 Springfield 1911 and a .357 Ruger GP100. For pistol velocities I have read it's best to FMJ to ensure you get good penetration. Is this what most of you do as well? I had read that HP and SP can deform so much at the thick hide that with pistol velocities they end up just under the skin and not always hitting vitals.
 
You sound like you're ready to kill some hogs to me! Placement shot is the key, into the ear or right behind it drops them. But if they are running, you should still be fine with that 308 if you hit them in the body.

I use a 6.8, 30 Remington AR, and now a 260 Remington all in AR platforms and always have my Ruger SR1911 with my 230 HP loads that shoot pretty straight and will have some thump if needed.
 
Thanks for confirming my plans. I've wanted to down a hog for a long time so I am probably over planning haha can't wait!
 

Originally Posted By: Brad W I am probably over planning haha can't wait!

I don't think so. It's always good to plan and to think ahead. That's what I do right down to the back pack and what I carry in it and where I place.

The .308 isn't "overkill." If you think that's bad, my son used a .375 H&H on hogs this year and last. Not that he needed it but just that he wanted the joy of using it.

As to bullets, choosing a good one just helps better ensure a good kill. For the .308, the Barnes TTSX 130 grain worked great for me just recently. That's the first time I have tried that bullet, but have been using the TSX (non-tipped) in other calibers for years. They are great bullets.

Good luck on your upcoming hunt. Keep us posted, and with photos of course.

 
6mm06 has pretty much covered it. I'll only add this... When and if you actually get a hog in your sights he might very well not pose for the classic below the ear shot and you might even find yourself with a running or angled shot in which case that 308 will shine.

Any old soft point ammo will likely do the trick but my bullet of choice would likely have a solid base or bonded core such as the Nosler Partition or Nosler AccuBond but then there are so many hogs killed with the diminutive 223 that I'm certain that many would consider my 308 "cannons" as overkill... LOL

$bob$
 
By the way my favorite hunting sidearm is my Glock 20 (10mm) and I use 180gr Gold Dot ammo. I have 14 shots of nearly 41mag speed and power at my side ready to go at a moment's notice and it rarely takes more than 1 shot to get the job done.

So far it's spoiled several hog's fun but none were over about 150 pounds. Penetrating a large boar's gristle plate might be more than that pistol can handle.
 
Thanks guys. I will take all the advice into my plans and hopefully have a success hunt. I will definitely post pics when I have them.
 
Ive had really good luck with the SST's in 6.8.
They are fair priced in 308 so id suggest those.
Killed many of them with 223 using everything from 50gr Nosler BT's to 77gr TMK's.
They arent hard to kill, just stubborn sometimes. They like to run around even [beeep] they are dead, they just dont know it yet.
 
Originally Posted By: Brad WFor hogs I know one concern is penetration. On an upcoming hunt I am planning to mainly use my ar10 and my friend is using a .308 savage axis which should be more than adequate obviously. For this I was planning to buy basic SP hunting ammo. Frankly I was thinking of using whatever cheap name brand ammo I could find. I assume this would be fine considering it's .308 and a bit overkill to begin with?

I also plan to bring pistols for myself and my hunting buddy as a backup. I was thinking a .45 Springfield 1911 and a .357 Ruger GP100. For pistol velocities I have read it's best to FMJ to ensure you get good penetration. Is this what most of you do as well? I had read that HP and SP can deform so much at the thick hide that with pistol velocities they end up just under the skin and not always hitting vitals.

As far as the pistols are concerned, you have a some different choices. 45 ACP : You could go the cast bullet route with some Buffalo Bore, or even though you have read or heard, of not using HPs consider the Federal Hydro shocks or the Hornady XTP Both have been used and proven themselves quite well. 357 : A good cast is hard to beat with the 357 and a 180-200 grain are first choices. Watch out for the flash if you are going to shoot in low light with a 357. Now pistols is going to be better with closer ranges than rifles of course and as been stated positions are a constant change. Pigs are almost always moving and you are going to be moving even if ever so slight. So remember this and go for the larger part of the neck. I say this and have done so many times since the shoulder is best left to the calibers beginning with a 4 and revolvers are best. 44 mag 45 colt 454 you get the jest. SO the ear shot is really reducing your target area. You will be moving and the hog might move at the last second or never stop moving, so the ear shot is better for rifle. Also I would imagine that you will be hunting Juvenile hogs. No 300LB Plus boars. 150 LB or less is usually the fare. Nothing wrong with it and it is still exciting. With either pistol the neck shot or run one through the boiler room. ( Somewhere in this section is a drawing of the hogs anatomy look for it or even google it ) AND by all means shoot till it drops. Don't expect a one shot DRT. It can happen but even with seasoned hunters things happen. Try to plan and over plan by shooting at least a 4" group at 50 yds and at least a 6" group at 100 yds. If you plan on stretching the legs on your pistol. A 2" group at 50 yds is even much better. And over plan by practicing a quick follow up shot. Hogs sometimes charge right at you instead of running away.
One last thing about HPs especially in pistols is that sometimes hogs have been to a wallow and have a good coating of mud on themselves. This does not help things either. So I do understand your reluctance to use one. But as you have said along with everyone else is placement is King. And if you go with a +P Buffalo Bore cast just don't give your gun a steady diet of them. They are hard on a gun unless you change springs of course, and why beat up a gun early?
 

I use this for open field stalks when hunting alone at night. M&P .45 with light and laser running a 22 lb Wolf Spring and Hornady Critical Duty ammo.



Being able to light things up when hunting with thermal in pitch black dark is the main reason I chose this rig. I consider it a very bright flashlight with a little something extra attached to it.

Nothing gets your attention like a big boar circling back and stopping 15 yards behind you growling in the dark.

9sYyWPF.jpg
 
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