5.56 for hog hunting

[Pk2424]

I understand that hunting hogs with a 5.56 isn’t everyone’s first choice, but besides that what is a good round for hogs?
Hornady 62gr Tap barrier, Winchester defender 64gr bonded base, black hills 62 gr tsx? Pros and cons to these? If it helps shooting 16” barrel with a 1:7 twist.

 

[PNWGATOR]

Maybe start here:

.223 for bear, deer, elk and moose.

DON'T HAVE TIME TO READ 176 PAGES? HERE'S THE CHEAT SHEET. “Bullets matter more than headstamps.” “Spent primers offer the supreme tutorial”. I’ve read it here and elsewhere online. It got my attention. I started digging and asking questions and listened. The 77gr TMK delivered by a .223...

www.rokslide.com

 

[Rich M]

Pretty much. 5.56 is probably overkill for hogs - you might want to use a 308 or 300 magnum. LoL!

There was a guy who used to do night-time IR hunts and one of his clients went off the reservation and shot a farmer's cow with 5.56 - killed it right quick.

I use a 357 magnum rifle most of the time when i hunt hogs. Don't overthink it - just go have fun.

 

[ScreamingPotato]

We just earhole them so pretty much anything works. I tend to just use the 55gr Gold Dots but whatever shoots well. If you're planning to fling at moving targets with body shots there's not a lot of good options without increasing caliber, small to small medium the normal stuff will work but once they start getting any size on them you're not getting through shoulders or armor plates very easily.

 

[go4thegusto]

Some friends just returned from a TX hog hunt. Were using AR's with thermal scopes in open fields. Mainly running shots where exact placement cannot be done. They lost some hogs. Could hear the whop of the 223 rounds but they kept going in to cover. I would suggest a 6.5 Grendel or 350 Legend as a minimum in an AR15. Otherwise jump to a 308 AR10.

 

[long hunter]

What about a 450 bushmaster in a AR patform, Have a buddy who has invited me on a hog hunt in Texas and thought I would use 450 BM. never hunted hogs so it would be a first time deal.

 

[weekender7]

You can kill every sow with a .556 in the lungs with a good bullet like a TSX or TTSX. Boars over 150 lbs are better recovered if shot in the ear hole.

 

[h2so4]

I’ve heard the back hills 62gr tsx drops ‘Um. That or the 77gr OTM would be my choice.

 

[kkp005]

I live in Texas and have killed trailer loads of hogs with thermal at night shooting a measly 10.5” barreled 7.62x39 and cheap Russian soft points. They aren’t armor plated. Put any of those bullets listed behind their ear or right through the shoulder and you will have a dead hog… personally I use 77gr TMK’s when I’m carrying my tikka 223 and they don’t make it far after that mean little bullet zips through them

 

[Packin_packout]

556 will kill them it's just will you recover them before they run off into brush if you don't head shot them. Big fields no issue with chest shots...small fields not so good. Was shooting 20-30 pigs per year of my buddies property at night. Ballistic tips don't hold up to the shoulder plate. Tsx work OK and give you two holes.

as far as other calibers... Have used 300 blkout supersonic with tac-tx and had much better luck. No to subsonic unless you are doing head shots on single pigs. Prefer 308 with accubonds. Winchester Silvertip would just delam and you'd find jacket on far side of body.. Some hogs are just too stubborn and amped up to die. I have rolled them with a 308 at 20 yds through the boiler room and had them get back up and charge at me. Literally had to elbow buddy out of way to get two practically contact shots in to pile one up a few years back. 12 gauage 4 buck has been my go to for working in the mesquite flats at night. Shoot them head on...broadside get a further back than you would think on big boars so you get enough penetration into the lungs w/o getting hung up in the shoulder plate.