Best hog rifle?

[justplainpossum]

My neighbors have agreed that the pigs on our ranches are getting out of control, and they have to go (traps didn't work very good at all). I'm going to buy the rifle, and they're going to come over and shoot for me (doc won't give me the ok to use a rifle).

Every night the sounder comes to my tank (right around dusk), and then moves along the edge of the woods, about 30 or 40 yards from my house. What rifle would be most effective? A couple of people have recommended that I get a semi-auto, since I want to get rid of as many as possible, but others have said the way a sounder operates, we'll only have a chance at maybe two at a time before they run, and so a lever or bolt action would be enough. My neighbors have killed hogs with their .22 rifles, but should I get something bigger? There are a lot of cows around here, so we have to be cautious.

Also, the sounder comes into my front and back yards, usually late night until dawn. I have my .45 xdm pistol, but I worry that if I shoot at one in the relative darkness that I could wound it and create an even greater danger for myself and the ranches around here. Would you just yell at them and let it go until you had a clean shot? Thank you for your advice.

[Eppie]

I feel like I'm being baited justplainpossum.

Are you a woman or a man? How far out of town are you? Most town/cities don't allow discharge of firearms within city/town limits? Do you have any experience with guns? Do you own any guns? You need to give us more info before we can give you some decent advice.

[justplainpossum]

Baited? I don't understand.

I'm a woman. I live in the country. I have some experience with handguns, but the rifle will be for my neighbors to use for me at my place.

[myfriendis410]

If the shots aren't far (and it doesn't sound like it) I might suggest 00 buckshot and a tight-choked 12 gauge. Pump or auto. Take the plug out and cut loose.

[shouldazagged]

A lever gun in .30-30 might also be a good choice, especially if the shots are at moderate to longer range.

[taylorce1]

Why do you have to buy the rifle? I could see helping supply the ammunition that will be used to eradicate the pest population. However I wouldn't buy a rifle for someone else to use.

As far as the suggestion on the shotgun I don't think 00 buck would be a good choice, unless you were extremely close to them. Plus I don't know how aggressive a wounded hog would be, I imagine the other hogs would make short work of it as soon as it couldn't defend itself. Lastly I'd think a little hunting pressure would cause them to find other feeding grounds.

[Eppie]

You are in luck since you live in Texas. Just go to Texas Gun Trader and post an ad (they are free) and that you're looking for someone to exterminate pigs on your property. State that you're willing to let them hunt free of charge.

I don't know where you are located but I would love to come out and help you cull the herd. I know lots of guys would love the chance to do some free hunting.

I doubt that you'll have to give them anything other then a kind word, definitely wouldn't have to buy them a rifle.

[bcarver]

I would not have someone come to my property that did not own their own rifle. find someone else.

[mehavey]

+1 above

No one should have to borrow your rifle to do this job. Trust no one who does
not have/and is expert with their own weapon of sufficient power.

That said, I'd get a (used if you can find one) Marlin lever-action 357Mag;

put a low-power (1x4) scope on it; and have someone you trust teach
you how to use it.

That rifle, that caliber, and that very personal capability addresses at broad
slew of your problems -- both present and future (and some you don't even
know about yet.

[justplainpossum]

Like I wrote in my original post, I cannot use a rifle, or I would certainly learn to shoot one. I wish I could get a lever action! I've always thought those were such awesome guns.

Thank you, Eppie, but there are apparently insurance liabilities that are prohibitive (this being a ranch that is leased for cattle.) I'm between Houston and Austin, so I'm sure you know what a problem we're having out here!

That Marlin is a handsome gun. If the .22 isn't able to do the job, I will consider getting a .357 or .30-30, since ya'll recommend them.

I just found a picture of the Winchester 1892 .357 carbine. Oh my.

[big al hunter]

I posted on your thread in the hunting forum also, then I found this thread. My recommendation is that you get yourself a handgun in 357 mag. That you can put a scope on. Then practice with it. When you can hit a paper plate with every shot, shoot the pigs yourself. Everything I said in the hunting forum thread is the same for placement of the shot.

[Wyosmith]

If it were me, and I was trying to thin them out ASAP I'd use an AK 47 with 154 grain soft point ammo, a quad rail hand guard with a low powered scope or dot sight.

[justplainpossum]

Big Al, you're serious! I didn't know you could put a scope on a handgun. How would that even work? I mean, the handgun is out in front of you, so how could you use a scope? Okay, I've got to google it for pictures, I can't get my head around that!

Okay, so I just read something about a 'red dot' sight, but I can't find a good description of what it is, exactly, and how it works. I'll keep checking. Oh, Wyosmith, you just mentioned that, I see.

They were also talking about eye relief, and I thought, what, like, Visine?

[mehavey]

Big Al's got the right cartridge (357Mag), but I'd again recommend it in a rifle.
In a handgun, that cartridge is a handful (no pun intended).
In a rifle, that cartridge is a true pussycat -- I would even say very pleasant.

Also, a scoped handgun is still a real challenge at any real distance, while the
rifle in that cartridge will easily reach out to 100 yards without any real effort.

The rifle can also start a heavy bullet down range 50% faster than a handgun
(1,800 ft/sec vs the slower 1,200 ft/sec). That means the rifle bullet reaches
that 100 yards still going faster than the pistol bullet even starts at.

If it's not too personal, what would impede you using a rifle?



postscript:
I'd also get the Marlin over the Winchester`92 design as the Marlin is already designed for a scope.
(I say that having got both the Marlin & Winchester)

[justplainpossum]

If I wait until I can use a rifle, I'll probably have more pigs here than rabbits. And again, a pest removal service would have to go through several local ranches to remove the hogs, and permission for that has not been given.

But thanks for the recommendations for the rifles that were posted here; that's a good start, and I appreciate it.

[myfriendis410]

I mentioned buckshot after watching a helicopter hog hunt where it was employed to amazing effect. I have never been a huge fan of 00, but it sure opened my eyes when I saw how effective it was; tight patterns and flat folded 'em. Another thought might be to get a crossbow; at night you might be able to get several shots in before the group is spooked off.

[justplainpossum]

Sigh.

All I had wanted to know is, is there a more effective gun to get rid of more hogs at one time than a .22 rifle? And if so, I would buy one and my neighbors could come over when the pigs showed up at my place and use it for me.

I need a drink.

[Revoliver]

Originally Posted by justplainpossum[/QUOTE

All I had wanted to know is, is there a more effective gun to get rid of more hogs at one time than a .22 rifle?*

This is a perfect example of what doesn't make sense and therefore why I am so leery.

Why is your neighbors .22 suddenly inadequate when they've been using it effetively thus far?

Why do YOU have to buy a new rifle FOR THEM to use?

Good luck in whatever direction you decide to go.

[CTS]

Justplainpossum, is there not some sort of waiver you could have someone sign relieving you of any liability if they came on your place and hunted the hogs. There are plenty of people that would be happy to take care of the problem for you.

To answer your question, I would go with a semi auto, something like an AR in 6.8 SPC would be ideal though maybe hard to find right now, perhaps a Browning BAR in .243 or something similar. http://www.browning.com/products/cat...id=031&tid=330

[justplainpossum]

Yikes.

I got my recommendations, which I do appreciate. I'm going to leave this thread now.

[Tucker 1371]

I would recommend something centerfire in the neighborhood of .30 cal, and the quicker you can make follow up shots the better so a lever, pump, or semiauto with iron sights or a low power scope. .30-30, .308 Win , 7.62x39. Anything semi auto is probably going to run you over $800. The only centerfire pump that comes to mind is the Remington 7600 in .30-06. Lever actions in .30-30 and .45-70 can be had for $500 and up.

A 12ga shotgun with rifled slugs might not be a bad idea either.

[JohnKSa]

The OP some good answers and seems to be satisfied with the information obtained.