Couple of Hog Hunting Questions

scottd

I am planning a hog hunt in early April and I have a few gear related questions, mainly surrounding bullet selection. As it stands right now my primary gun will be my 45-70 with plans to run a 350gr Speer HP. Recently I was able to acquire a 300 blackout which has potential to serve as an interesting hunting round. Any advice regarding the 300 blackout as a hog gun? My research has turned up very little concrete information about the 300 blackout as a hog round. With that in mind, what type of bullet would be best for hogs? Any help is appreciated.

timc

I don't know if I'm an expert but I have been putting hogs in their final resting place for many years. The 45/70 will work just fine but for me it is really much more gun than you need for hog hunting; my preference is an AR-10 in .308.

With that said I have been playing with the .300 Blackout this season and have found it to be surprisingly good at dispatching hogs at ranges out to 200 yards; yes it will work farther than that but it is starting to bleed off energy very fast after that and trajectory gets kind of softball like. I am running Barnes 110 grain Varmageddon bullets pushed by 19.7 grains of H-110 which gives me 2465 fps out of my AR with a 16" barrel.

These two pigs were taken using the Blackout at ranges of 160 and 180 yards. Both were head shots, both DRT but not surprising because of my bullet choice there were no exit wounds.

scottd

That's good info, thanks. Do you have experience with bullets in the 150 grain range? Do you feel like the lighter bullets force you into head shots? How do you think they would perform on the body? I will be using 5744 for powder mainly because that was all I could find at the time. I don't have 110gr for the 300 but I think I should invest.

sakodude

No help on the 300B/O but curious were your chasing the piggies?

Sako

scottd

sakodude wrote: »

No help on the 300B/O but curious were your chasing the piggies?

Sako

There is a game ranch up in the UP that offers hog hunting. Hog is something I want to hunt on a regular basis so my buddy and I figured we should try it on a more reserved basis before we invest a ton of time and money in wild hunts. The name of the place is Superior Game Ranch and you can find them on a Google search. I have never hunted this place, only talked to the people on the phone and they seem nice enough. Not really sure what I am getting myself into at this point but it's worth a shot.

timc

scottd wrote: »

That's good info, thanks. Do you have experience with bullets in the 150 grain range? Do you feel like the lighter bullets force you into head shots? How do you think they would perform on the body? I will be using 5744 for powder mainly because that was all I could find at the time. I don't have 110gr for the 300 but I think I should invest.

For me the 150's won't give you enough speed for practical hunting, you will only get around 1900 fps and 11" drop at 200 yards with a 100 yard zero. Subsonics are fun for playtime but when I meat hunt I want some speed on the bullet and the only way to get that out of the blackout is to go light on bullet weights.

The lighter bullets do not force me into head shots I have just always taken head shots on pigs mainly just to test my shooting skills. I very rarely miss anymore at ranges of 300 yards or less and if I do...Well its only a pig!

I have dropped 2 deer this year with chest shots at ranges of 175 and 205 yards; the smaller doe dropped within a few steps, the much bigger buck made it about 30 yards.

knitepoet

scottd wrote: »

That's good info, thanks. Do you have experience with bullets in the 150 grain range? Do you feel like the lighter bullets force you into head shots? How do you think they would perform on the body? I will be using 5744 for powder mainly because that was all I could find at the time. I don't have 110gr for the 300 but I think I should invest.

Having played with 223 based 7mm rounds (slightly larger case the the BO ) Unless you are wanting to go subsonic, I REALLY don't think you want heavier than 125gr bullets for the BO.

I download wife's 308 to near BO velocities with 125 Nosler Ballistic tips and I have no qualms whatsoever with her taking body shots. Haven't had a deer stop one yet. I know Zee has had good results with the 125 Hornady SST in his SPs, so their velocity is probably close to the BO as well.

knitepoet

Tim, these the bullets you're using?
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/464261/nosler-varmageddon-bullets-30-caliber-308-diameter-110-grain-tipped-flat-base-box-of-100

timc

knitepoet wrote: »

Tim, these the bullets you're using?
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/464261/nosler-varmageddon-bullets-30-caliber-308-diameter-110-grain-tipped-flat-base-box-of-100

Yes sir that is them, they make nice itty-bitty groups out of my Blackout with the suppressor.

scottd

timc wrote: »

For me the 150's won't give you enough speed for practical hunting, you will only get around 1900 fps and 11" drop at 200 yards with a 100 yard zero. Subsonics are fun for playtime but when I meat hunt I want some speed on the bullet and the only way to get that out of the blackout is to go light on bullet weights.

The lighter bullets do not force me into head shots I have just always taken head shots on pigs mainly just to test my shooting skills. I very rarely miss anymore at ranges of 300 yards or less and if I do...Well its only a pig!

I have dropped 2 deer this year with chest shots at ranges of 175 and 205 yards; the smaller doe dropped within a few steps, the much bigger buck made it about 30 yards.

Much of the hunting in my neck of the woods require far shooter shots. Many of my hunting spots are heavily wooded and typically produce shots under 100 yards. This accounts for many of the reasons I chose the 45-70 as my primary deer rifle. That said my goal is to hunt hog in Oklahoma and Texas eventually. I noticed that the 125gr can run around 2200fps, would that be a sufficient compromise or should I still look at getting into the lighter 110gr?

BigDanS

Find out from your game ranch what the typical shot ranges will be. On a ranch you may be in a stand or blind near a feeder with the maximum shot at 100 yards or so. I recently hunted with a 45-70 with reduced velocity Trail Boss loads pushing a 405 gr lead bullet and at short ranges it was great. Anything past 100 yards and you will need to calculate the drop in 10 yard increments with a reduced load. Full power loads, even at trap door velocities are a lot of power, unless you hunt hogzilla.

The .300 BO is nearly a 7.62x39 in velocity and trajectory and if you stay with 110 or even 125 gr loads you will be fine in my opinion. I have taken pigs with the 7.62x39 without a problem. Know your anatomy and distances.

IMHO

D

timc

scottd wrote: »

Much of the hunting in my neck of the woods require far shooter shots. Many of my hunting spots are heavily wooded and typically produce shots under 100 yards. This accounts for many of the reasons I chose the 45-70 as my primary deer rifle. That said my goal is to hunt hog in Oklahoma and Texas eventually. I noticed that the 125gr can run around 2200fps, would that be a sufficient compromise or should I still look at getting into the lighter 110gr?

Nothing wrong with the 45/70, I have taken a lot of game with mine so if it is a rifle you are comfortable with then that should matter most.
My main reason for liking the 110 grain bullets is trajectory, the less I have to worry about bullet drop the more comfortable I am at taking shots at longer ranges which it sounds like you won't be dealing with as much. I think you will be fine with the 125's.

scottd

The 125's are available and I have a load to start at with the powder I have, only reason I am pushing the 125s. Loads of great information, thanks again.

timc

cpj wrote: »

Considering trap door loads killed lots of buffalos, a hog, even hogzilla, is a cakewalk for the 45-70.

I agree, nothing wrong with trapdoor loads even out of trapdoor rifles! :jester:

snake284

scottd wrote: »

I am planning a hog hunt in early April and I have a few gear related questions, mainly surrounding bullet selection. As it stands right now my primary gun will be my 45-70 with plans to run a 350gr Speer HP. Recently I was able to acquire a 300 blackout which has potential to serve as an interesting hunting round. Any advice regarding the 300 blackout as a hog gun? My research has turned up very little concrete information about the 300 blackout as a hog round. With that in mind, what type of bullet would be best for hogs? Any help is appreciated.

I don't have any experience with a black out other than when I used to drink too much, but seriously knowing that it has a relatively limited powder supply, I would try something in the 125-130 grain range with a Spitzer tip so it would penetrate through the hogs thick hair, skin and fat layers.

But just to get you blooded properly and get you some meat in the freezer, I would use the 45-70 first. About any bullet in that beast will knock a hog dead at long ranges. Save the Blackout for an encore performance after you're eating hog ribs and backstrap. Last hog I shot was about a month back and I killed it at about 120 yards with my .270 with a 130 grain bullet.

timc

snake284 wrote: »

I don't have any experience with a black out other than when I used to drink too much, but seriously knowing that it has a relatively limited powder supply, I woud try something in the 125-130 grain range with a Spitzer tip so it would penetrate through the hogs thick hair, skin and fat layers.

The 110's make it through the thick hair,skin, fat layers and skull!

BigDanS

cpj wrote: »

Considering trap door loads killed lots of buffalos, a hog, even hogzilla, is a cakewalk for the 45-70.

Yeah I know...

This gun...



Killed this pig in one shot:



Load: 405 gr lead bullet over12.7 g Trail Boss and a Tula Magnum large rifle primer in Starline brass, about 950 fps or so.

I am just saying that if you were hunting hogzilla you might want a trapdoor load over a reduced power load. Perhaps I was unclear... like I am sometimes.

D

scottd

BigDanS wrote: »

Yeah I know...

This gun...



Killed this pig in one shot:



Load: 405 gr lead bullet over12.7 g Trail Boss and a Tula Magnum large rifle primer in Starline brass, about 950 fps or so.

I am just saying that if you were hunting hogzilla you might want a trapdoor load over a reduced power load. Perhaps I was unclear... like I am sometimes.

D

1895 GS? I have the same gun, love it.

BigDanS

scottd wrote: »

1895 GS? I have the same gun, love it.

Yep in stainless... that one is a Remlin with about a 6.5 lb trigger,

D

woodsrunner

Those that know me know of my total disgust of feral hogs which is based on a career of forest/wildlife management activities. As far as I'm concerned, use a 3" 50cal deck gun if it's available. Anything that will put a hurt on the damn things! If you will double-lung a hog with anything that is capable of putting a projectile through both lungs it will go down within 60-75 yards. If it can't breath, its down! I've killed them with a .32cal flintlock squirrel rifle which is about the same in power as a .22mag. Broadside 'em with a double-lung shot and it will go down! My experience, anyway!

sakodude

scottd wrote: »

There is a game ranch up in the UP that offers hog hunting. Hog is something I want to hunt on a regular basis so my buddy and I figured we should try it on a more reserved basis before we invest a ton of time and money in wild hunts. The name of the place is Superior Game Ranch and you can find them on a Google search. I have never hunted this place, only talked to the people on the phone and they seem nice enough. Not really sure what I am getting myself into at this point but it's worth a shot.

Just checked out their web site, will be interested to hear how it all goes for you.

Sako

Farm Boy Deuce

When you make it down to Oklahoma give me a shout. Hog hunting is a good time.

Bigslug

There's a 130 grain Barnes TSX that should be just about perfect for the Blackout. Should give penetration about like what you'd expect from a traditional 150 or 168 grainer.

But I'd roll with the .45-70 myself. . .