Humane .223 Bullets for Hog Killing?

[APynckel]

Looking for some ideas on pills to use for putting down some swine. This will be mostly for harvesting, so don't want them running off for buzzard / coyote food. All weights open for discussion. I've had some Barnes Tsx 70 grs, but they're rather pricey.

55gr Vmax to the cranium? 77gr SMK through the shoulder (I don't trust it)?

Thanks in advance

 

[lonestardiver]

Hogs are tough...shot placement will likely matter more on these beasts. Brain dead save the most meat... I would go with a Sierra Game King...you want it to punch through. Rapid expansion is not the key here. In .223 I would go with as heavy a bullet as your rifle can stabilize and you can shoot accurately. Shoot to bust major bones...while heart lung shots are great, they can walk off like nothing hit them and their self sealing gristle won't leave a blood trail.

 

[APynckel]

So shots to the ear / grey matter are best, obv. Don't waste meat that way. Bullet selection is tough for something that will punch through while expanding and doing damage though. TSX's seem to be one of the few viable options.

 

[lonestardiver]

I have had good luck with 168gr SGK in a .30-06 on hogs. Good expansion and minimal loss of bullet weight.

 

[APynckel]

............



.223

 

[lonestardiver]

I get the .223 part. I haven't used .223 on a hog. I was passing along my experience with the SGK on hogs based on what I have successfully used in the past in an effort to give you some basis to bullet performance.

 

[Vaquero]

65 gr sierra game king.

 

[lonestardiver]

Yep

 

[Governors20]

I would worry more about shot placement than bullet. You need to shoot them in the head if you want to put them down on the spot. M855 green tip to the head is all you need.

 

[ed308]

That Barne's TSX bullet is one of the best. But you might try Federal Fusion and Speer Gold Dots in .223/5.56.

 

[Mikewood]

I have had good luck with 168gr SGK in a .30-06 on hogs. Good expansion and minimal loss of bullet weight.

Very true.

Want a sure DRT (dead right there) result from bullet on a hog? You need to use a real cartridge. Or start shooting a lot of Hogs, wounding a lot and becoming an expert at shot placement under field conditions. Then you can use 55g FMJ. Most folks just can't hit a golf ball at about 100 yards in the field. A .30 cal bullet goes a long way to making that 3" group your shooting into a good stop and not a hog running off into the brush. Try a 45-70, or other rifle designed to take large game.

Not saying you can't kill pigs with a .223. I have but if I knew I only had one shot this season on a pig I would use my M1A in 308 or my 444 marlin. Not any of my ARs.

 

[Younggun]

Lol@ "a real cartridge"


Me and my buddies were messing around with airsoft wars for a while. Switched to .223 cause it was pretty much the same thing.

Shooting a pig in the head in field conditions isn't rocket surgery.


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[Bozz10mm]

Federal Fusion 62 gr would do a good job. Speer makes a Gold Dot 75 gr in .223 that should work well.

 

[sobi1998]

In my experience, softpoints didn't pass through and through. I've used m855 and hit the spine, totally obliterated it and still passed all the way through. Really any bullet to the brain will kill it so I think you mean a show stopper on the main parts of the body. I'd try FMJ or a hollow point. As long as you hit the heart or lungs they'll drop or die within 50 yd radius. But it's always helpful to have a pass through. Blood will drain instead of pooling inside the body when you pass through. I'd say use something that passes through


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[hobiegates]

I've shot a gig 3x at point blank range in the forehead with .224" 62gn FMJ from a 16" barrel and none of them penetrated the skull. Left a little white patch where the fur used to be.

I don't recommend .223/5.56mm for hog hunting because unless you can put it IN the ear, you run the risk of it running off. If you can put it in the ear of a live and moving target every time, why not use .22LR? Heavier bullets give you a much larger margin of error.

Can it be done with a .223? Sure. Will your target ratio be much higher with a cartridge designed for hunting? Absolutely.



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[Governors20]

Last boar I shot ran 75 yards after getting hit in the vitals with a 308 150gr SST. Believe it or not, my 300BO with a 125gr SST does a better job at pass through than the 308 150gr. For the big ones, I only use the 308.

 

[Younggun]

Sounds like you need to use a bullet with a little thicker jacket in .308 to improve weight retention.

It's not uncommon for bullets to come apart because they hit moving too fast.


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[APynckel]

I don't have much trouble holding sub MOA groupings with my rifles, and I know shots to the grey matter / right behind the grey matter are optimal. I shoot the best groups with 77gr SMKs, but they aren't the best for hunting....

 

[Governors20]

YG
I like the SST because they do massive damage to the internals. A majority of the pigs I hit with the SST just drop in place. All the energy the bullet takes with it after passing through is wasted. The SST dumps everything.

 

[Dman62]

You can never go wrong with Nosler partitions in my book. I've heard good things about Winchester Power Points.