Best rifle/scope combo for coyotes and hogs

[89lxcoupe351w]

Like it says
let me know

 

[safarigene]

Right now my hog rifle is a Winchester Super Express 375 H&H. Used it to get this hog a couple days ago.

I am working on loading some ammo up for my Remington 788 in 6mm and this will be me go to rifle unless I am shooting only hogs.

 

[jimmy-buffett]

For varminting purposes I've always been a fan of the Ruger Mini-14. It's not a tack driver by any means, but it's cheap, there's tons of accessories, the ammo isn't too bad but it still packs a punch (especially the 45-grain JHP stuff). Plus, if you drop it or knock it around a bit, it's no big deal.

 

[kingofwylietx]

My wife uses a Ruger M77 Mark II in 25.06 with a Simmons 9x scope. It shoots straight and will take anything in Texas.

I use a pistol for hogs, have never had a chance to fire at a coyote....so I can't add much more.

 

[Code3GT]

I'm planning on using my AR for varminting. I really really wish my dad would give up his Mini-14. He never uses it and it just screams "mod me!!"

 

[TAZ]

For coyotes Youd be very well off with an AR in any caliber aside form 22lr. For Hogs though I am not sure 223 will be enough. Maybe a 6.8 upper and you can do both.

 

[kingofwylietx]

. For Hogs though I am not sure 223 will be enough. .

I second his concern about .223 for hogs. I am sure somebody has tried, I just have not heard anything. We have had great results with a .243, but .223 only puts about 55-70% of the energy of a .243 downrange.

Our foreman at the ranch stopped by this weekend with a new .223 AR, but he was just sighting it in at our range. I should know how it does by Christmas, but I'm sure somebody will chime in with more info before then.

 

[Texas1911]

Nothing wrong with a simple .308

I vote M1A

 

[kingofwylietx]

Nothing wrong with a simple .308

I vote M1A

Another good one. The guy I have seen take the most hogs at our ranch uses a Chinese [gasp] SKS in .308, no scope. It's ugly, but nothing else has sliced up more bacon. He bought it for $100.

 

[TAZ]

I second his concern about .223 for hogs. I am sure somebody has tried, I just have not heard anything. We have had great results with a .243, but .223 only puts about 55-70% of the energy of a .243 downrange.

Our foreman at the ranch stopped by this weekend with a new .223 AR, but he was just sighting it in at our range. I should know how it does by Christmas, but I'm sure somebody will chime in with more info before then.

People use AR's for Hogs, heck I have a friend who has a kill with 22lr. Placement is everything. That said, you wont find me trying to kill a hog with a 22lr.

SKS in .308??? Never heard of that one, you sure it wasnt a 7.62x39?? There would be another good choice for an AR upper. Pleanty of cheap ammo available.

 

[Hoji]

For varminting purposes I've always been a fan of the Ruger Mini-14. It's not a tack driver by any means, but it's cheap, there's tons of accessories, the ammo isn't too bad but it still packs a punch (especially the 45-grain JHP stuff). Plus, if you drop it or knock it around a bit, it's no big deal.

While the Mini-14 is an ok rifle{ I have owned several, and still own one} I would not trust my life to a gun that has an average of 5-6 inch groups from the factory. When I say risk your life , I do mean it. Don't believe me? Pop a 350lb+ boar and wound him with a 45gr .22 bullet and see how fast you can run.

An ok coyote gun, but if you are going to use .223 for hogs, get a better platform because shot placement is everything.

I use a DPMS LR308 with a Nikon Buckmaster on it.

 

[kingofwylietx]

People use AR's for Hogs, heck I have a friend who has a kill with 22lr. Placement is everything. That said, you wont find me trying to kill a hog with a 22lr.

SKS in .308??? Never heard of that one, you sure it wasnt a 7.62x39?? There would be another good choice for an AR upper. Pleanty of cheap ammo available.

I am of the opinion that it is totally inhumane to shoot a hog with a .22LR, regardless of how great a shooter you think you are......but that isn't what this thread is about so I won't dwell on it.

The SKS could be 7.62. I'm a pistol hunter/shooter, so I don't really know rifles very well. The only rifle I have is a Ruger 10/22. But if most SKS's are 7.62, that's probably what it is. I know it's an SKS.....I just 'thought' it was .308.

 

[Hoji]

I am of the opinion that it is totally inhumane to shoot a hog with a .22LR, regardless of how great a shooter you think you are......but that isn't what this thread is about so I won't dwell on it.

.

I kill them all the time with .22LR. Mostly in traps, and one behind the ear puts them down clean and fast. I will take a 10/22 target model sometimes if I am stand hunting. Put down the dominant sow with the .308, and the piglets will often come back and bang, bang, bang, bang with the Velociters. Lots of smokers for the grill.

Try not to preach outside your areas of expertise.

 

[kingofwylietx]

I kill them all the time with .22LR. Mostly in traps, and one behind the ear puts them down clean and fast. I will take a 10/22 target model sometimes if I am stand hunting. Put down the dominant sow with the .308, and the piglets will often come back and bang, bang, bang, bang with the Velociters. Lots of smokers for the grill.

First, I was not preaching. I was expressing an opinion, which I stated. There is a forum specifically for Texas Hog hunting, if you are an expert, they would value your opinions and tactics. However, even on there, they do not condone hunting hogs with .22LR or .17's. I agree that your using a .22 on penned hogs is seperate from hunting them from a stand with a .22, and that piglets are probably easily taken with a .22. That, though, was not within the context my opinion. My opinion was about using sufficient firepower to humanely kill an animal in such a way as to avoid any unnecessary pain being inflicted upon the animal. Perhaps you wanted to show your hog hunting prowess, or perhaps you misinterpreted what I said. I see you use a .308 for the sow, so I will not assume you are intent on being cruel to an animal. And, as such, after my further explaining my statement, you most probably agree with the basic concept of a clean kill.

Try not to preach outside your areas of expertise.

Hog hunting is not outside my area of expertise. I use a Maglight with red lens and .454 Cassull with Leupold scope, which have downed plenty of hogs. I'm a night hunter, as I don't like to get up early enough to chase them at sunrise.


If you wish to go deeper in discussion on this, feel free to pm me so we don't completely hijack this thread.

...........Back to your regularly scheduled program.........

 

[Hoji]

PM sent.

 

[dglockster]

An AK in 7.62X39 with a red dot sight will work just fine. You can also have your choice of mag capacity from 5 rounds up to . . . your choice.

 

[JoeinTX]

As for the hogs, as far as I am concerned, anything goes.

We have 1000 acres in NC Texas that have been absolutely overrun by the wild hog explosion....it's not at all uncommon to run across a bunch of 20-30 at a time while making the pasture rounds. These animals are pure destruction the likes of which we have not seen before. My interest is not ensuring that they die to quickest of deaths even though I am not impartial to the plight of animals by any means but rather I'm interested in seeing them reduced in population dramatically.

My dad, who still lives on the place and is a retired TPWD game biologist, is vehement in afflicting them in anway possible due to the pressure they are putting on the other species of higher value........deer, quail, turkey, etc., without prejudice. We are now to the point of leaving coyotes largely alone hoping that they can grow and impact the pig population as another weapon against them. Increased coyote populations can adversely affect deer and other animals as well so it's a calculated balancing act in the process.

Wild pig meat is very good, some of the best barbecue I've ever had, but these animals are not in short supply nor worthy of serious concern with regards to how they die.


I am currently hunting them with a #4 sporter Enfield (shoots fine as a fiddle) and have just introduced a .223 CZ to them. Dad is using everything from .17s to Mini-14s. The idea is to hit for a kill while also hitting as many as possible.

 

[Hoji]

As for the hogs, as far as I am concerned, anything goes.

We have 1000 acres in NC Texas that have been absolutely overrun by the wild hog explosion....it's not at all uncommon to run across a bunch of 20-30 at a time while making the pasture rounds. These animals are pure destruction the likes of which we have not seen before. My interest is not ensuring that they die to quickest of deaths even though I am not impartial to the plight of animals by any means but rather I'm interested in seeing them reduced in population dramatically.

My dad, who still lives on the place and is a retired TPWD game biologist, is vehement in afflicting them in anway possible due to the pressure they are putting on the other species of higher value........deer, quail, turkey, etc., without prejudice. We are now to the point of leaving coyotes largely alone hoping that they can grow and impact the pig population as another weapon against them. Increased coyote populations can adversely affect deer and other animals as well so it's a calculated balancing act in the process.

Wild pig meat is very good, some of the best barbecue I've ever had, but these animals are not in short supply nor worthy of serious concern with regards to how they die.


I am currently hunting them with a #4 sporter Enfield (shoots fine as a fiddle) and have just introduced a .223 CZ to them. Dad is using everything from .17s to Mini-14s. The idea is to hit for a kill while also hitting as many as possible.

Hate to break it to you but coyotes have a very minimal impact on feral pigs. When you figure a piglet will outweigh your average coyote in about 3 months..... you get the picture. We have seen that coyotes will pick off small{under 20 lbs} piglets if there is no mother around to p[rotect them so if you come across a sounder, shoot the dominate sow first if possible, and as many other big sows as possible, this also leaves the young without guidance and they are easier to trap without a trapwise mother around.

Good luck.

 

[JoeinTX]

Hate to break it to you but coyotes have a very minimal impact on feral pigs. When you figure a piglet will outweigh your average coyote in about 3 months..... you get the picture.


Oh, no breaking news there. Like I said, it's just one of several efforts to try to stem the hogs' growth along with hunting, what trapping we can get, etc. It's along the same lines of thinking where you leave the red ants alone so that they'll compete with the fire ants for food and territory hoping the bigger enemy will be hurt by the lesser enemy. Yeah, you still have one potential enemy left but he's the lesser of the two or so you hope.

It's all a balancing act as one new species/enemy is introduced and you try to use nature, hopefully, to help you in controlling it without hurting yourself too much.

 

[AusTex]

I use a few weapons for hogs.. but it depends on what my friends and I scheme up while at the ranch. But this pic will get you an idea what im working with.

I handload .223 Vmax @ 23 grns H-335, I use CCI primers as I fire these out of semi auto weapons sometimes and I dont want any slam fires.

Alot of people will say that the .223 is not a good hog round. However if you can put a well aimed shot on them a amax/vmax or alot of barnes bullets will do the trick.

I use the scope pvs 14 combo on more than just this .223 rifle. However i can take this thing out to 500 yards no problem, and having a semi auto is nice.. also the .223 is alot more quiet than the .308 .. once i have this barrel threaded for my silencer it will really be quiet and the hogs will not scatter as much.. might be able to take more than 1

http://i477.photobucket.com/albums/rr134/jcm151/Picture006-1.jpg

http://i477.photobucket.com/albums/rr134/jcm151/CanonSD450012-1.jpg

Edit* i should of read more of the previous posts...

.223 is not ideal for shooting hogs.. what really is not ideal though is full metal jacket. People that are saying AK 47 for hogs.. well most available cheap ammo you find ... aka academy.. is full metal jacket.. for the love of god dont shoot hogs with fmj .. even in the head I have seen fmj bullets ricochet off hogs skulls!

Hornady makes a .223 vmax load 55grn. its is not super cheap but it works. If you use 7.62x39 sellier and belliot or however you spell it makes soft points. use that atleast.

My friend is a big ak user, i have seen him shoot hogs with fmj, the hog stop look at us.. then run off. Then we have had long tracks to find the animal. And when we have found the pig it is far from dead. This creates dangereous situations and also just not a good way to go for the animal.

so again, get yourself some soft points, or ballistic tips, vmax and shoot them right behind the head in the neck.

I am not a hog authority, just my two-cents on the issue however i do have alot of first hand experience with the .223 & 7.62 round on texas hogs.

Jeremy