Hogs vs. .223/5.56

Stats Shooter · October 5, 2016, 10:18 PM

So I have hunted hogs for years using mainly my Saiga.308 or my .300 win mag for longer shots.

I was wondering if any of y'all use .223 and if so what bullet weight.....also what distance.

The reason I ask is I have heard people use .223 and some anecdotal stories but know of no one personally. i have shot some 300 lb boars that I'm not sure the .223 could handle without it being a head shot

rickyrick · October 5, 2016, 10:33 PM

Did it for years. Take a careful shot and they will go down.

Less than 100yds mostly from 0-50yds

noonesshowmonkey · October 6, 2016, 12:24 AM

Heavier seems to do better. 69-77gr SMKs or BTHPs.

Then again, 69-77gr is about all I'd be shooting at anything made of meat, on two legs or four.

colbad · October 6, 2016, 12:48 AM

Standard 55g bullet within 100yrds. Head and neck shots drop em like sack of cement. Admittedly I took my time and got good position for taking a precision shot.

Old Stony · October 6, 2016, 03:26 AM

Been shooting them off and on for years now with all kinds of calibers, but .223 seems to do a good job of dropping them on the spot if you shoot them middle of shoulder or further forward. I've dropped a bunch of them with the caliber and will probably continue ....

Mobuck · October 6, 2016, 07:12 AM

"i have shot some 300 lb boars that I'm not sure the .223 could handle without it being a head shot"

Even with a head shot, I'd be skeptical. A pig old enough to grow to 300# is going to have some pretty dense bones which could easily deflect or fragment a little .224 bullet. I'm not a wild pig expert but I've seen quite a few market hogs and have an idea of relative size. Most of the porkers I see pictured aren't all that big.
I constantly see the posts of "I killed a _ _ _ _ _ _ _ with a .223" and ask myself why people feel such a borderline unethical shot is such a notable event.
I don't have the delusions of the.223's overwhelming killing power that others have. Yes, it punches above it's weight class BUT it's still a moderately powerful small caliber AND NOTHING MORE.

thallub · October 6, 2016, 07:28 AM

i've killed dozens of wild hogs up to 300 pounds with the .223/5.56mm. The Barnes TSX 53-70 grain bullets are good hog killers: Those bullets go through both shoulders of a 150 pound hog.

Boogershooter · October 6, 2016, 07:39 AM

Wild hogs are not hard to kill. If you hunt them half as hard as you do whitetail, you won't have any troubles killing them with any cartridge you choose.

The problem I see mostly is with night hunters. They usually are hunting for large groups of Pigs and once they fire the first shot they use the spray and pray tactic. Sure they bring home alot of hogs but they also leave alot of crippled hogs that got away. This is the typical scenario for people trying to rid their land of the (pests) and not harvesting the meat.

Now if you take the same gun and use normal hunting tactics you will be just fine. Get close, focus on one animal, one shot, and you will be in good shape. Head shots are the most common because where hogs go when injured isn't a nice place most of the time. A good shoulder shot with any good bullet 223 or larger usually results in a quick kill.

Double Naught Spy · October 6, 2016, 01:02 PM

Yes, it can be done and done fine if you are pig sniping where you get to make a good, well placed shot. I found that when I stopped shooting them in the head with 5.56, I started losing hogs.

Anytime you don't hit CNS, you have the potential to have a hog that runs, regardless of caliber.

I don't suggest people got to .223/5.56 simply because most don't take the time to make good shots, or are dealing with hogs on the move and don't know how to lead moving animals.

Yeah, .223 can work. So can .22 lr. The point being is that with less energy on less bullet, the more precision comes into play.

Stats Shooter · October 6, 2016, 11:04 PM

Thanks guys for the suggestions. I'm not going to use smk's for hunting though....there are plenty of good hunting bullets with as good a ballistics as an smk but better performance on impact. I usually use nosler Accubonds but I'm leaning towards development of a barns TSX load. 70 gr

noonesshowmonkey · October 7, 2016, 01:15 AM

Specifically for hunting, getting away from the Mk262-type loads, the Barnes TSX 70gr rounds make short work of hogflesh.

Old Bill Dibble · October 7, 2016, 05:52 AM

Quote:

Yeah, .223 can work. So can .22 lr.

I don't think so. Not unless it is a really small hog.

Ibmikey · October 7, 2016, 07:42 AM

I shoot with Stony when in Texas and can attest to the 55 gr FMJ knocking a hog over in a flash. My favorite is 300 Blackout and have taken hogs up to 350 pounds with a single shot using a 125 gr hollow point.
Also the 300 can be used at home for deer sizad game where the 223 cannot.

Double Naught Spy · October 7, 2016, 07:50 AM

Quote:

I don't think so. Not unless it is a really small hog.

Think again.

Yes, .22 lr will work on a really small hog. It can work on really large hogs. It really comes down to proper shot placement. Folks even use .17 hmr. You can use these wimpy calibers and get the job done, if you know what you are doing, if you really choose your shot and shot location properly.

Are such small calibers a good idea? No, but they can get the job done. The rule of thumb I follow is that as power and bullet size decrease, shot locations decrease as the need for precision increases.

Here is a reasonable-sized eating sow taking with .22 lr.
http://www.outdoorhub.com/news/2015/...ld-boar-22-lr/

Here the same guy takes another breeding sow...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWZIFEMZamk

Here, he takes a claimed 400 lb boar. I don't know that it is a 400 lb boar, but it is a large boar, no doubt about it. The remarkable part is that not only is he using .22 lr, but subsonic, suppressed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4J7kgpIaGeI

This guy makes very precise shots on very specific spots. So yeah, .22 lr can work on hogs, even very LARGE hogs.

thallub · October 7, 2016, 02:23 PM

Hunting wild hogs with a rimfire rifle requires a lot of patience. i wait until the hog is broadside and put the bullet in the ear.

i often hunt wild hogs on a huge federal property where only shotguns and small shot and rimfire rifles are legal outside deer and elk season.

For years i hunted hogs there with a .22 rimfire. Picked my shots very carefully and limited the range to 50 yards. Killed a lot of wild hogs with that Ruger 10/.22.

Then started hunting with a .22 magnum and the CCI TMJ ammo. With the .22 magnum hogs under 100 pounds are sometimes shot just behind the crook of the front leg. They seldom travel more than 20 yards after being shot.

October 5, 2016, 10:18 PM	#1
Stats Shooter Senior Member Join Date: August 26, 2016 Location: North Dakota Posts: 1,636	Hogs vs. .223/5.56 So I have hunted hogs for years using mainly my Saiga.308 or my .300 win mag for longer shots. I was wondering if any of y'all use .223 and if so what bullet weight.....also what distance. The reason I ask is I have heard people use .223 and some anecdotal stories but know of no one personally. i have shot some 300 lb boars that I'm not sure the .223 could handle without it being a head shot

October 6, 2016, 01:02 PM	#9
Double Naught Spy Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2001 Location: Forestburg, Montague Cnty, TX Posts: 12,717	Yes, it can be done and done fine if you are pig sniping where you get to make a good, well placed shot. I found that when I stopped shooting them in the head with 5.56, I started losing hogs. Anytime you don't hit CNS, you have the potential to have a hog that runs, regardless of caliber. I don't suggest people got to .223/5.56 simply because most don't take the time to make good shots, or are dealing with hogs on the move and don't know how to lead moving animals. Yeah, .223 can work. So can .22 lr. The point being is that with less energy on less bullet, the more precision comes into play. __________________ "If you look through your scope and see your shoe, aim higher." -- said to me by my 11 year old daughter before going out for hogs 8/13/2011 My Hunting Videos https://www.youtube.com/user/HornHillRange

October 5, 2016, 10:33 PM	#2
rickyrick Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2010 Posts: 8,236	Did it for years. Take a careful shot and they will go down. Less than 100yds mostly from 0-50yds

October 6, 2016, 12:24 AM	#3
noonesshowmonkey Senior Member Join Date: April 19, 2014 Posts: 329	Heavier seems to do better. 69-77gr SMKs or BTHPs. Then again, 69-77gr is about all I'd be shooting at anything made of meat, on two legs or four.

October 6, 2016, 12:48 AM	#4
colbad Senior Member Join Date: December 3, 2012 Posts: 506	Standard 55g bullet within 100yrds. Head and neck shots drop em like sack of cement. Admittedly I took my time and got good position for taking a precision shot.

October 6, 2016, 03:26 AM	#5
Old Stony Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2013 Location: East Texas Posts: 1,705	Been shooting them off and on for years now with all kinds of calibers, but .223 seems to do a good job of dropping them on the spot if you shoot them middle of shoulder or further forward. I've dropped a bunch of them with the caliber and will probably continue ....

October 6, 2016, 07:12 AM	#6
Mobuck Junior member Join Date: February 2, 2010 Posts: 6,846	"i have shot some 300 lb boars that I'm not sure the .223 could handle without it being a head shot" Even with a head shot, I'd be skeptical. A pig old enough to grow to 300# is going to have some pretty dense bones which could easily deflect or fragment a little .224 bullet. I'm not a wild pig expert but I've seen quite a few market hogs and have an idea of relative size. Most of the porkers I see pictured aren't all that big. I constantly see the posts of "I killed a _ _ _ _ _ _ _ with a .223" and ask myself why people feel such a borderline unethical shot is such a notable event. I don't have the delusions of the.223's overwhelming killing power that others have. Yes, it punches above it's weight class BUT it's still a moderately powerful small caliber AND NOTHING MORE.

October 6, 2016, 07:28 AM	#7
thallub Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2007 Location: South Western OK Posts: 3,112	i've killed dozens of wild hogs up to 300 pounds with the .223/5.56mm. The Barnes TSX 53-70 grain bullets are good hog killers: Those bullets go through both shoulders of a 150 pound hog.

October 6, 2016, 07:39 AM	#8
Boogershooter Senior Member Join Date: December 9, 2014 Posts: 645	Wild hogs are not hard to kill. If you hunt them half as hard as you do whitetail, you won't have any troubles killing them with any cartridge you choose. The problem I see mostly is with night hunters. They usually are hunting for large groups of Pigs and once they fire the first shot they use the spray and pray tactic. Sure they bring home alot of hogs but they also leave alot of crippled hogs that got away. This is the typical scenario for people trying to rid their land of the (pests) and not harvesting the meat. Now if you take the same gun and use normal hunting tactics you will be just fine. Get close, focus on one animal, one shot, and you will be in good shape. Head shots are the most common because where hogs go when injured isn't a nice place most of the time. A good shoulder shot with any good bullet 223 or larger usually results in a quick kill.

October 6, 2016, 11:04 PM	#10
Stats Shooter Senior Member Join Date: August 26, 2016 Location: North Dakota Posts: 1,636	Thanks guys for the suggestions. I'm not going to use smk's for hunting though....there are plenty of good hunting bullets with as good a ballistics as an smk but better performance on impact. I usually use nosler Accubonds but I'm leaning towards development of a barns TSX load. 70 gr

October 7, 2016, 01:15 AM	#11
noonesshowmonkey Senior Member Join Date: April 19, 2014 Posts: 329	Specifically for hunting, getting away from the Mk262-type loads, the Barnes TSX 70gr rounds make short work of hogflesh.

October 7, 2016, 07:42 AM	#13
Ibmikey Senior Member Join Date: June 1, 2013 Location: Now relocated to Texas Posts: 2,943	I shoot with Stony when in Texas and can attest to the 55 gr FMJ knocking a hog over in a flash. My favorite is 300 Blackout and have taken hogs up to 350 pounds with a single shot using a 125 gr hollow point. Also the 300 can be used at home for deer sizad game where the 223 cannot.

October 7, 2016, 02:23 PM	#15
thallub Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2007 Location: South Western OK Posts: 3,112	Hunting wild hogs with a rimfire rifle requires a lot of patience. i wait until the hog is broadside and put the bullet in the ear. i often hunt wild hogs on a huge federal property where only shotguns and small shot and rimfire rifles are legal outside deer and elk season. For years i hunted hogs there with a .22 rimfire. Picked my shots very carefully and limited the range to 50 yards. Killed a lot of wild hogs with that Ruger 10/.22. Then started hunting with a .22 magnum and the CCI TMJ ammo. With the .22 magnum hogs under 100 pounds are sometimes shot just behind the crook of the front leg. They seldom travel more than 20 yards after being shot.