Boar/Pig/Hog hunting calibers

[Woldog]

What cal do you guys use for pig/boar/hog hunting. I've been going out more often to my parents farm because they now have a huge wild pig problem. Over the last 10 years the population has exploded to the point my mother doesn't wanna go into overgrown paddocks because of the aggressive boars (She's a 70 year old woman I don't blame her).
So my buddy and I have gone out the past weekend and intend to go out every weekend for the next few months. Last weekend we got 12 pigs, A day later a hunter with a gate trap? Pen trap? not sure what you'd call it got 30. This seems to be quite common and it doesn't seem to be denting their population. We don't really have laws about what caliber you can hunt with here in Australia so currently we've been using
.223, a 12 gauge with slugs and a .410 slug to put them down if they're still alive when we get to them.
We have thought about using a .308 but we wonder if that's overkill. We usually get them with a single shot with the .223 but occasionally it'll pass right through and whoever is manning the 12g has to make a 2nd shot quick smart.

My question is, should we drop the 12g and the .410 entirely and go with a 2nd larger calibre rifle or possibly go to a .44magnum or 30-30 lever action?

12 gauge we're using is an Adler Straight Pull shotgun, we mostly brought that in case we ran into a pig up close and had to put it down before it charged us.

The land we're hunting on is very dense scrub with a large dry creek that runs through the entirety, we are usually shooting on a downward angle into the creek. The reason not to use the .308 is more to do with noise levels (And the very low chance of a shot escaping the scrub or ricocheting into a neighboring property) and wanting to keep it quieter for the people who live in the area.

Range of most shots we make are between 50 yards and 300 yards

 

[CorninginChristianburg]

Not even going to pretend to be an expert but are you using an FMJ?

 

[Woldog]

Not even going to pretend to be an expert but are you using an FMJ?

I think the ones that were passing through were FMJ.
It's his .223, so we've been using what ammo he had laying around for it as we only got asked to start coming out there 2 weeks ago. We might pick up some different ammo for it tomorrow.
I've only taken 1 shot with the .223 so far so I can't say what ammo we've been using. I know we're using rifled slugs in the 12 gauge though.
I'm not entirely sure if soft rounds or hollow points would be better. When it comes to the .223. But I will assume they would be more humane than an FMJ

 

[Zanderlini]

.308 is definitely not overkill for boars. If it's available to you go for it.

 

[RerouteToRemain]

What cal do you guys use for pig/boar/hog hunting. I've been going out more often to my parents farm because they now have a huge wild pig problem. Over the last 10 years the population has exploded to the point my mother doesn't wanna go into overgrown paddocks because of the aggressive boars (She's a 70 year old woman I don't blame her).
So my buddy and I have gone out the past weekend and intend to go out every weekend for the next few months. Last weekend we got 12 pigs, A day later a hunter with a gate trap? Pen trap? not sure what you'd call it got 30. This seems to be quite common and it doesn't seem to be denting their population. We don't really have laws about what caliber you can hunt with here in Australia so currently we've been using
.223, a 12 gauge with slugs and a .410 slug to put them down if they're still alive when we get to them.
We have thought about using a .308 but we wonder if that's overkill. We usually get them with a single shot with the .223 but occasionally it'll pass right through and whoever is manning the 12g has to make a 2nd shot quick smart.

My question is, should we drop the 12g and the .410 entirely and go with a 2nd larger calibre rifle or possibly go to a .44magnum or 30-30 lever action?

12 gauge we're using is an Adler Straight Pull shotgun, we mostly brought that in case we ran into a pig up close and had to put it down before it charged us.

The land we're hunting on is very dense scrub with a large dry creek that runs through the entirety, we are usually shooting on a downward angle into the creek. The reason not to use the .308 is more to do with noise levels (And the very low chance of a shot escaping the scrub or ricocheting into a neighboring property) and wanting to keep it quieter for the people who live in the area.

Range of most shots we make are between 50 yards and 300 yards

Any particular reason you want to dump the 12 ga? It doesn't have the greatest range so I'm assuming that may be it. 30-30 and 44 also don't really have great performance at range.

Can you use semi auto rifles? Can you apply for a suppressor for hunting?

What barrel length is the .223?

I'm not sure what calibers/ammo you have readily available to you over there.

5.56 is good but higher quality ammo will lead to more lethality. 77 tmk, 64gr bsb, 62/64/75 gr speer gold dot, 62 gr federal fusion, 62gr ttsx, etc

These rounds will add lethality in a similar size package

6mm arc
6.8 spc
6.5 grendel

 

[El_Dyablo619]

6.5 Grendel
.308
.300 winmag
.338 lapua

 

[Woldog]

Any particular reason you want to dump the 12 ga? It doesn't have the greatest range so I'm assuming that may be it. 30-30 and 44 also don't really have great performance at range.

Can you use semi auto rifles? Can you apply for a suppressor for hunting?

What barrel length is the .223?

I'm not sure what calibers/ammo you have readily available to you over there.

5.56 is good but higher quality ammo will lead to more lethality. 77 tmk, 64gr bsb, 62/64/75 gr speer gold dot, 62 gr federal fusion, 62gr ttsx, etc

These rounds will add lethality in a similar size package

6mm arc
6.8 spc
6.5 grendel

12g is more the range issue, but it's also good because some of the boars are quite ballsy and will sit in the dense grass until we're right next to them and charge.
No suppressors are legal here unfortunately, if they were we'd happily use the .308 but we do try and keep it a bit quieter for the people who may be riding their horses on neighboring properties.
Barrel length is a NATO military standard at 26inches I believe. He bought the same one that they have in the armoury at his airbase.
We should have that ammo available to us, no ammo shortage here and my local shop has a massive range of ammunition.
Thanks for your advice. We are heading out tomorrow and will head to the shop today to pick up some ammo.

6.5 Grendel
.308
.300 winmag
.338 lapua

.338 Lapua? we're not hunting elephants.

 

[El_Dyablo619]

.338 Lapua? we're not hunting elephants.

Overkill? Yes but if your going to cull the population, I prefer it more

 

[Robocok]

Do you ever eat them? I brought home a pig yesterday. She's supposedly a mini pig but she's 130lbs and strong as hell. Busted through all of the welded wire fencing that I've been using to contain my animals with. I will have to get some hog wire.

She started damaging areas around the house so I had to dispatch her with my glock 17. I felt bad. It's my fault for being a noob at farming but I learned from the experience. She's in my freezer now. It took all night to process her. It was my first time. I still have to carve up the head.

The good thing is that she was free

Spoiler

I used fmj but it was right to the dome. Obviously different than what you're doing. Just sharing because it was my first time shooting a pig. Can't believe how strong they are. She dragged me like 10 feet when I jumped on her before I grabbed her legs.

 

[RerouteToRemain]

12g is more the range issue, but it's also good because some of the boars are quite ballsy and will sit in the dense grass until we're right next to them and charge.
No suppressors are legal here unfortunately, if they were we'd happily use the .308 but we do try and keep it a bit quieter for the people who may be riding their horses on neighboring properties.
Barrel length is a NATO military standard at 26inches I believe. He bought the same one that they have in the armoury at his airbase.
We should have that ammo available to us, no ammo shortage here and my local shop has a massive range of ammunition.
Thanks for your advice. We are heading out tomorrow and will head to the shop today to pick up some ammo.



.338 Lapua? we're not hunting elephants.

Word of caution on the ammo is the twist rate for the barrel. The heavier rounds like faster twist rates like 1:7 1:8. The 77 tmk might be ok in a 1:9 but I'm not sure. Not sure on the 75gr gold dot but probably the same, 1:7 or 1:8 preferred but maybe 1:9. The 62gr speer/fed fusion/tsx work great in 1:9. Just check the twist rate for the barrel (should be on it somewhere). The slower it is like 1:9 - 1:12 the lighter the bullet that it will stabilize and like. If it is a slower twist as in over 1:9 Hornady 55gr gmx or barnes/black hills 55gr tsx is a good option.

Also there are quite a few 77gr loadings from black hills. The tmk (tipped match king) is what you'd want. Others do not perform as well.

 

[Woldog]

Do you ever eat them? I brought home a pig yesterday. She's supposedly a mini pig but she's 130lbs and strong as hell. Busted through all of the welded wire fencing that I've been using to contain my animals with. I will have to get some hog wire.

She started damaging areas around the house so I had to dispatch her with my glock 17. I felt bad. It's my fault for being a noob at farming but I learned from the experience. She's in my freezer now. It took all night to process her. It was my first time. I still have to carve up the head.

The good thing is that she was free

Spoiler

View attachment 869560

I used fmj but it was right to the dome. Obviously different than what you're doing. Just sharing because it was my first time shooting a pig. Can't believe how strong they are. She dragged me like 10 feet when I jumped on her before I grabbed her legs.

My mate feeds them to his dogs, but some of them are pretty diseased despite being very well fed pigs (they go and eat the farmers crops) some we just bury.

 

[RerouteToRemain]

My mate feeds them to his dogs, but some of them are pretty diseased despite being very well fed pigs (they go and eat the farmers crops) some we just bury.

You guys hunt feral cats as well?

 

[Woldog]

You guys hunt feral cats as well?

We don't really have an issue with them, too many wild dogs out there haha.

 

[Woldog]

@RerouteToRemain we picked up some 75 grain ammo, the others were all like 55 grain or something. The twist rate in his barrel is quite fast apparently. We took it in and had old mate at the store tell us what he thought.

 

[Woldog]

@RerouteToRemain @evergreenrider @CorninginChristianburg @Robocok @Zanderlini @El_Dyablo619

So we ran a bit behind schedule got out there at 3:30pm. We saw one piglet and by the time I got around there with the shotgun it had vanished into the scrub, we saw a big one run into the creek we got down there and it had done a houdini on us.
We didn't see much else during the day time hours. I was wearing my mates military noise cancelling that use microphones to enhance every other sound you hear. First time wearing them so for the first 40 minutes or so every time my beard stubble rubbed my vest I was flicking the safety off on the 12g.

I got used to it and we decided to grab a spot light off my dad and headed out again at 7:30pm. Night had fallen well and truly by then and a full moon was coming up. We climbed up a tree we had found during the day time hours next to a some feed another hunter who hunts on our property had put out and waited. Moon got higher and it got easier to see, ready to light up the ground with the spot light. I could hear everything I felt like a super hero, I could hear pigs in the creek next to us trotting along (The scrub is so dense there it would be dangerous both falling down into the creek/coming across a boar that's hiding) so we just stuck it out in the tree.

We hung out in the tree and heard a huge big calling off in the distance (as well as wild dogs that started howling, we were a bit concerned by them as they kept getting closer) The big one went under us (we could just make it out in the moonlight) and we though "It'll go to the feed so we'll wait a minute" I took the safety off and we lit up the feed spot. Nothing.... prick had gone under and kept going (The wind was very hard but it was swirling, so it might have picked up our scent and just known we were there).

We heard 3 other animals go under us, they were definitely pigs but other than their walking they made no noise. We were a bit weirded out about how silent all these pigs were tonight usually they're grunting but these ones maybe because of the full moon were apprehensive about making too much noise.

We saw another piglet in the moonlight but didn't want to fire in the hopes that more would arrive.
By about 8:30pm, we could see something in the feed, it had been there for about 15 minutes. So I took the safety off turned the red dot off and braced myself (with thoughts of "If I fire this fucking thing from this angle I won't bee in the tree after") My mate lit the feed up.... It was a fucking possum, annoying but not what we're after. We climbed down the tree at 9pm and started the 20min walk back to the car.
As we went back something very fucking big ran across in front of us on the headset it sounded like a horse (there are horses in that field but they can't get to where we were) we lit it up and saw the big ass of a pig vanish into the scrub. Another missed opportunity.
9:20 we got back to the car, unloaded the guns (In Australia you have to travel with the bolt out of the bolt actions and for other with the magazine or ammo in a separate compartment to the firearm). As we drove back to my mates house (he lives 15 mins from my parents farm, I live 45 mins away) we spotted no joke about 15 pigs/piglets heading into the fields. WE would have loved to light em up but I couldn't get a hold of the guy who owns the land on the phone to get clearance to shoot.

All in all we spent 6 hours out, fired 0 shots and missed a few opportunities. Last weekend we got 12. This weekend we got zero, the thrill of the hunt.
We have decided to ditch the .223 and simply roll with shotguns from now on, the scrub is too thick from the rain right now that the only pigs we are really seeing are 20m in front of us. When summer comes and the grass dies off we'll probably bring out the ranged guns again, but right now it's just not feasible, the grass has grown close to 7 inches in a week.

 

[El_Dyablo619]

Keep us updated, im getting invested in this outcome now lol

 

[RerouteToRemain]

So we ran a bit behind schedule got out there at 3:30pm. We saw one piglet and by the time I got around there with the shotgun it had vanished into the scrub, we saw a big one run into the creek we got down there and it had done a houdini on us.
We didn't see much else during the day time hours. I was wearing my mates military noise cancelling that use microphones to enhance every other sound you hear. First time wearing them so for the first 40 minutes or so every time my beard stubble rubbed my vest I was flicking the safety off on the 12g.

I got used to it and we decided to grab a spot light off my dad and headed out again at 7:30pm. Night had fallen well and truly by then and a full moon was coming up. We climbed up a tree we had found during the day time hours next to a some feed another hunter who hunts on our property had put out and waited. Moon got higher and it got easier to see, ready to light up the ground with the spot light. I could hear everything I felt like a super hero, I could hear pigs in the creek next to us trotting along (The scrub is so dense there it would be dangerous both falling down into the creek/coming across a boar that's hiding) so we just stuck it out in the tree.

We hung out in the tree and heard a huge big calling off in the distance (as well as wild dogs that started howling, we were a bit concerned by them as they kept getting closer) The big one went under us (we could just make it out in the moonlight) and we though "It'll go to the feed so we'll wait a minute" I took the safety off and we lit up the feed spot. Nothing.... prick had gone under and kept going (The wind was very hard but it was swirling, so it might have picked up our scent and just known we were there).

We heard 3 other animals go under us, they were definitely pigs but other than their walking they made no noise. We were a bit weirded out about how silent all these pigs were tonight usually they're grunting but these ones maybe because of the full moon were apprehensive about making too much noise.

We saw another piglet in the moonlight but didn't want to fire in the hopes that more would arrive.
By about 8:30pm, we could see something in the feed, it had been there for about 15 minutes. So I took the safety off turned the red dot off and braced myself (with thoughts of "If I fire this fucking thing from this angle I won't bee in the tree after") My mate lit the feed up.... It was a fucking possum, annoying but not what we're after. We climbed down the tree at 9pm and started the 20min walk back to the car.
As we went back something very fucking big ran across in front of us on the headset it sounded like a horse (there are horses in that field but they can't get to where we were) we lit it up and saw the big ass of a pig vanish into the scrub. Another missed opportunity.
9:20 we got back to the car, unloaded the guns (In Australia you have to travel with the bolt out of the bolt actions and for other with the magazine or ammo in a separate compartment to the firearm). As we drove back to my mates house (he lives 15 mins from my parents farm, I live 45 mins away) we spotted no joke about 15 pigs/piglets heading into the fields. WE would have loved to light em up but I couldn't get a hold of the guy who owns the land on the phone to get clearance to shoot.

All in all we spent 6 hours out, fired 0 shots and missed a few opportunities. Last weekend we got 12. This weekend we got zero, the thrill of the hunt.
We have decided to ditch the .223 and simply roll with shotguns from now on, the scrub is too thick from the rain right now that the only pigs we are really seeing are 20m in front of us. When summer comes and the grass dies off we'll probably bring out the ranged guns again, but right now it's just not feasible, the grass has grown close to 7 inches in a week.

Yeah that's how it goes sometimes unfortunately.

Electronic hearing is awesome. I still remember the first time using it I was on public land shooting and I could hear people down a couple hundred yards that were shooting at a different hill talking.

Are you using rifled shotguns or smoothbore?

 

[evergreenrider]

@RerouteToRemain @evergreenrider @CorninginChristianburg @Robocok @Zanderlini @El_Dyablo619

So we ran a bit behind schedule got out there at 3:30pm. We saw one piglet and by the time I got around there with the shotgun it had vanished into the scrub, we saw a big one run into the creek we got down there and it had done a houdini on us.
We didn't see much else during the day time hours. I was wearing my mates military noise cancelling that use microphones to enhance every other sound you hear. First time wearing them so for the first 40 minutes or so every time my beard stubble rubbed my vest I was flicking the safety off on the 12g.

I got used to it and we decided to grab a spot light off my dad and headed out again at 7:30pm. Night had fallen well and truly by then and a full moon was coming up. We climbed up a tree we had found during the day time hours next to a some feed another hunter who hunts on our property had put out and waited. Moon got higher and it got easier to see, ready to light up the ground with the spot light. I could hear everything I felt like a super hero, I could hear pigs in the creek next to us trotting along (The scrub is so dense there it would be dangerous both falling down into the creek/coming across a boar that's hiding) so we just stuck it out in the tree.

We hung out in the tree and heard a huge big calling off in the distance (as well as wild dogs that started howling, we were a bit concerned by them as they kept getting closer) The big one went under us (we could just make it out in the moonlight) and we though "It'll go to the feed so we'll wait a minute" I took the safety off and we lit up the feed spot. Nothing.... prick had gone under and kept going (The wind was very hard but it was swirling, so it might have picked up our scent and just known we were there).

We heard 3 other animals go under us, they were definitely pigs but other than their walking they made no noise. We were a bit weirded out about how silent all these pigs were tonight usually they're grunting but these ones maybe because of the full moon were apprehensive about making too much noise.

We saw another piglet in the moonlight but didn't want to fire in the hopes that more would arrive.
By about 8:30pm, we could see something in the feed, it had been there for about 15 minutes. So I took the safety off turned the red dot off and braced myself (with thoughts of "If I fire this fucking thing from this angle I won't bee in the tree after") My mate lit the feed up.... It was a fucking possum, annoying but not what we're after. We climbed down the tree at 9pm and started the 20min walk back to the car.
As we went back something very fucking big ran across in front of us on the headset it sounded like a horse (there are horses in that field but they can't get to where we were) we lit it up and saw the big ass of a pig vanish into the scrub. Another missed opportunity.
9:20 we got back to the car, unloaded the guns (In Australia you have to travel with the bolt out of the bolt actions and for other with the magazine or ammo in a separate compartment to the firearm). As we drove back to my mates house (he lives 15 mins from my parents farm, I live 45 mins away) we spotted no joke about 15 pigs/piglets heading into the fields. WE would have loved to light em up but I couldn't get a hold of the guy who owns the land on the phone to get clearance to shoot.

All in all we spent 6 hours out, fired 0 shots and missed a few opportunities. Last weekend we got 12. This weekend we got zero, the thrill of the hunt.
We have decided to ditch the .223 and simply roll with shotguns from now on, the scrub is too thick from the rain right now that the only pigs we are really seeing are 20m in front of us. When summer comes and the grass dies off we'll probably bring out the ranged guns again, but right now it's just not feasible, the grass has grown close to 7 inches in a week.

Can you bait them? I'd assume so since they are nuisance animals. I'd bait the fuck out of them for a few days of no shooting. Let them get comfortable with the feeding spot. Then unleash hellfire on those motherfuckers. Full disclosure, ive yet to properly hunt. Ive just shot critters.

 

[chosey whales]

My friend has a thermal scope on a 300 blackout that he hunts pigs with at night .
He says it's super easy to walk around and shoot them because they can't c as far at night , he can shoot them before they know he is around

 

[Woldog]

Yeah that's how it goes sometimes unfortunately.

Electronic hearing is awesome. I still remember the first time using it I was on public land shooting and I could hear people down a couple hundred yards that were shooting at a different hill talking.

Are you using rifled shotguns or smoothbore?

Smooth bore with rifled slugs.
But I agree that electronic hearing was something else, the first 40 minutes it was an assault on the senses. He was like "Yeah its great until you're on patrol in afghan and you hear an AK rack a round and spend the next 4 hours paranoid as fuck"

Can you bait them? I'd assume so since they are nuisance animals. I'd bait the fuck out of them for a few days of no shooting. Let them get comfortable with the feeding spot. Then unleash hellfire on those motherfuckers. Full disclosure, ive yet to properly hunt. Ive just shot critters.

So we have a feed spot another hunter has been putting down, he said we could use it. That was where we were up in the tree. The issue was with the full moon they either didn't wanna move around too much, or they had simply been there at dusk and moved on by the time we got there.