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Art Eatman · January 20, 2012, 09:53 AM

JGC, it sounds like you need to do some looking at whatever factory ammo is designed for larger-than-coyote hunting.

Me, I handload, and don't know much about what's on the shelf. If I'm thinking of hogs and deer, I'm going to use something bigger than a .223.

I have an AR, specifically set up for varmints. Slow twist, 20" barrel. I have a bolt-gun .223; 22" barrel. Prairie dog gun, mostly. I don't see either one of them as a first choice for deer or hogs. For hogs, I'd likely at a minimum use my .243, and not use my pet load with the 85-grain HPBT; I'd go up to something around 100 grains.

Hock shops are loaded with bolt guns. Generally, they have about half their asking price in them. Plenty of room for bargaining and arguing. That makes such as a .308 fairly inexpensive, and then life is very, very easy.

January 20, 2012, 09:53 AM	#14
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	JGC, it sounds like you need to do some looking at whatever factory ammo is designed for larger-than-coyote hunting. Me, I handload, and don't know much about what's on the shelf. If I'm thinking of hogs and deer, I'm going to use something bigger than a .223. I have an AR, specifically set up for varmints. Slow twist, 20" barrel. I have a bolt-gun .223; 22" barrel. Prairie dog gun, mostly. I don't see either one of them as a first choice for deer or hogs. For hogs, I'd likely at a minimum use my .243, and not use my pet load with the 85-grain HPBT; I'd go up to something around 100 grains. Hock shops are loaded with bolt guns. Generally, they have about half their asking price in them. Plenty of room for bargaining and arguing. That makes such as a .308 fairly inexpensive, and then life is very, very easy.