Favorite Hog Caliber

Wow, glad to see this one is still going strong! Looks like the .300winmag is coming into its own, too.

Shot placement is always the #1 key, but I am a very strong believer in using enough gun to make up for those times when the placement isn’t quite what we’d like it to be. Of course, “enough gun” is a prettty vague description, isn’t it?

John Martin, I’m with you on your last comment, by the way… no criticism until I have to follow a teeny-tiny blood trail into hell’s own hole.

Keep ‘em coming!

Christian and Luke, thanks for chiming in!

Christian, the .223 is a really under-rated caliber inasmuch as it can be very accurate and delivers more power than someone might expect from a .22 caliber round. The recoil is nominal, which makes it perfect for folks who have issue dealing with a hard-kicking rifle. The light recoil also makes it easy to hold the sight picture for quick follow-up shots (although in your case, the single shot will require you to break the sight picture while you reload).

That said, the .223 would not rate very high on a list of recommended hog calibers because on larger hogs with less-than-perfect shot opportunities, it doesn’t carry the energy to penetrate heavy muscle and bone consistently.

Sure, as long as you “slip the pill in behind the shoulder”, you’re going to get quick, clean kills. Same goes for putting one right behind the ear. But that kind of precision requires patience to wait for the perfect opportunity and the skill to make the shot every time. As soon as a shot is rushed, or the hunter gets impatient, it’s entirely likely that you’ll end up with a wounded hog. It may still die, but then you’re faced with a long and difficult tracking job.

Stepping up to a larger, more powerful caliber will increase your odds of making good, clean kills with more marginal hits.

All of that being said, if you’re having success with the .223 and you have the skill and patience to make those precision shots (the caliber is ideal for pinpoint placement), then I won’t knock your choice. I have no problem with single-shot rifles, by the way, since the people who shoot them tend to recognize that the first shot may be the last, and they make the best of it. There’s a lot to be said for that. I also know many folks who can shoot and reload their single-shot rifles as fast as most people can cycle the bolt on their bolt actions.

Bottom line, I would never recommend the .223 as a hog rifle, but yes, it can be effective.

Scott, welcome to the HogBlog.

There are a lot of folks out there shooting the .223 on hogs, but it sure wouldn’t be my first choice. It is an accurate round, and can be quite deadly, but in my opinion it’s too light for anything less than ideal shot placement. I’d much prefer to see hunters using something in the .25 caliber range or better… but you go with what you’ve got.

Good luck, though, and enjoy the hunt.

Hi Bryan,

That .35 should be a great hog gun, as long as you keep the range within reason. Have fun with it, and let us know about your success!

Paul, if you’re not happy with the Barnes (an excellent bullet), try the Hornady GMX or the Nosler ETip. They both offer a bit more expansion on the exit, although they’ll still pass through cleanly.

David, the .303 is a great rifle as long as it’s used properly. Canadian hunters have been slamming moose with it for years. Of course, both of the Weatherby magnums you mention will work fine… actually, the 7mm Weatherby is way more than enough for the job.

One consideration for the Weatherby is the cost and availabilty of ammo. I know you don’t think it’s that big of a deal right now, but trust me, when you’re out in some little hog hunting town and suddenly find you need ammo, it can be real hard to find those Weatherby rounds. You can’t just switch to regular 7mm Remington or .257 Roberts ammo. Unless you’re really dead set on one of those, you might consider something a little more common, such as the 7mm Rem Mag, or .300 Win Mag. But if you really want the Weatherby, it’s a pretty awesome round.

Hiya Cole. That 45-70 should be good medicine for most any hog, especially if you’re handloading to bring that thing up its real potential. I’ve thought a lot about getting myself one of those Marlin Guide Guns in that caliber.

Paul, I’m surprised the E-Tips didn’t work for you so well, but it’s good to hear your feedback. Most of the rifles you listed earlier should be cooking out of the muzzle at a pretty good clip (3000+ fps), which is where the GMX is supposed to excel. I still haven’t tried it yet, although I’ve got a box of bullets in .270 waiting to be stuffed into cartridges.

I guess we’re all still waiting for that magic bullet that contains no lead, and yet will flatten everything it hits with single-minded authority.