308 bullet to use for feral hog hunting

[Beiruty]

 

[ebb]

A 100 Vmax. That is the one bullet mentioned i would not use. To thin of a jacket, not meant to hold together.

 

[Big Mc]

I have a Remington 700 XCR Compact 308 rifle with a 1:12 twist rifling. For target shooting I use Berger 30 cal (.308), 175gr hybrid target bullets that work well. However, I need suggestions to select a bullet for reloading for hog hunting. Any thoughts?

Use what you have. ANY 30cal. will put down a hog. I shoot a Swift with 6o gr HP. Here in south Texas. Never had to look for one. Just my two cents Tommy Mc

 

[Turpentine]

Most of my hogs have been killed with my 56 pound Black Widow recurve with a Zwickey 4 blade Eskimo Broadhead and a total arrow weight of 550 grains. Or my homemade 57# longbow with same arrows. Hogs are not hard to kill and don’t require tank ammunition to get the job done. Most any bullet from 17HMR on up will work if you put it in their ear hole. I’d recommend if you plan to body shoot them to use a larger caliber than that and the 308 win will do just fine. 165 SST, 168 and 178eldms or noslers in the same weight class work just fine. Remington corelokts do too. With a bow, I always preferred to stay under 1/2, even better just a smidge lower than 1/2 way up the body to avoid the shield and stay tight to the front leg. A bit quartering away was even better. Hit like that most wouldn’t go make it 40 yards. A hit over half way up the body with bow or rifle won’t bleed much at all unless you get a good exit wound. A hog hit high can travel a good way and you likely won’t have much blood to track by. Hogs move around a lot when feeding and if you are patient you will usually get a broadside shot with the rifle. Then my favorite shot placement, the ear hole is very effective. A little side note. It always seemed to me when bloodtrailing both deer and hogs that if you didn‘t fine them in the first 75-100 yards, you most likely were in for a long night.

 

[FNSafari]

I don't think you could go wrong with the Barnes .30 cal 130/150 grain TTSX. I shoot them fast but notice less recoil in my rifle than if shooting a 150 or heavier bullet. I don't hog hunt. You don't have to worry about penetration, just expansion.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I use bulk 168smk i got from the barrel at sierra and shoot them thru an m1a.

 

[Webster]

I have a Remington 700 XCR Compact 308 rifle with a 1:12 twist rifling. For target shooting I use Berger 30 cal (.308), 175gr hybrid target bullets that work well. However, I need suggestions to select a bullet for reloading for hog hunting. Any thoughts?

Years ago I shot a Rem 7mm Mag for deer. Used a Hornady 154 gr Round Nose bullet. They worked great. You don't need a long pointed bullet.

 

[Turpentine]

How big are the hogs, and how far away? In most cases a soft load on a 150 grain Hornady RNSP in and around 30-30 velocities on the low side, up side + 150 FPS will work. They're reasonably priced and my sister in law has killed pigs, bear, deer and several other species with a soft loaded 30-06 for 40 years. Accuracy is not varmint or competition grade but if you miss a pig it won't be the bullets fault.

Interestingly you mention soft loaded 30/06. I do that for my sons 03-a3 and also for a friends 12 year old daughter. She just uses her dads Weatherby Vangauard 30/06 and he asked me to take the rifle and work up a nice soft load for her. I use Remington brass, winchester LRPrimer, a 150 grain Hornady SST seated to the cannelure, and 44 grains of good ole imr 4895. I got lucky, it was the first load I tried and it shoots 6 shot ragged 1 hole groups at 100 yards. It’s a very consistent load. Speed iirc is around 2650. Kills deer and hogs just fine and at that speed the sst does a very good job. Her dad liked the load so much he started using it too.

 

[David Milisock]

Interestingly you mention soft loaded 30/06. I do that for my sons 03-a3 and also for a friends 12 year old daughter. She just uses her dads Weatherby Vangauard 30/06 and he asked me to take the rifle and work up a nice soft load for her. I use Remington brass, winchester LRPrimer, a 150 grain Hornady SST seated to the cannelure, and 44 grains of good ole imr 4895. I got lucky, it was the first load I tried and it shoots 6 shot ragged 1 hole groups at 100 yards. It’s a very consistent load. Speed iirc is around 2650. Kills deer and hogs just fine and at that speed the sst does a very good job. Her dad liked the load so much he started using it too.

This is one reason I prefer the 06 instead of the 308, you can load it soft safely with a course cut extruded powder and nearly as hot as factory 300 Win mag in the same rifle.

The added case capacity makes it a quite a bit better than the 308 for elk.

 

[barefooter56]

I have a Remington 700 XCR Compact 308 rifle with a 1:12 twist rifling. For target shooting I use Berger 30 cal (.308), 175gr hybrid target bullets that work well. However, I need suggestions to select a bullet for reloading for hog hunting. Any thoughts?

Cassidy,
The pigs are classified as "varmints' use the 175 HYB TGT bullet if you wish.

 

[Bamban]

Meplatted M118 LRs, and gut choot 'em. They run back to the woods - gift for the Coyotes.

 

[Zero333]

I don't know the main difference between European Boars and American feral hogs, but the following bullets will drop a European Boar in it's tracks from a 308win...

110 TTSX
130 TTSX
140 Hornady Monoflex
150 Horn. SST
150 Horn. BTSP
150 Horn. Interbond
150 Sierra Pro-Hunter
150 Sierra BTSP
150 Nosler Bal.Tip.
150 Speer Grand Slam
and about 50 more types of bullets with drop them in their tracks.

I like the 110 TTSX for their Point Blank Range. From a 24" barrel 308win I had no problem getting 3,300 - 3,350 fps and room to go faster with Win-748 in Winchester brass lit by 210m spark plugs.

I'm you're certain you won't be hitting them passed 100 yards, it's hard to beat a semi-spitzer or even a Round Nose soft point in the 150 gr range.

I personally wouldn't overthink it. Even FMJ's will do the job. If you're shooting them at a feeder, you're good to go with any rifle. But if they're on the run, I would consider semi-auto action. they're not slow critters.

 

[Turpentine]

I'm sorry guys, I have a huge amount of photos of Pat with his bow or 223AI. Coyotes, raccoons, alligators, and hogs.

View attachment 1388274

I really wish I had taken more pictures. I don’t bowhunt anymore after breaking my back in a treestand accident. 3.5 years using a walker and 9 operations to get me standing up straight again. I still tried to shoot sitting down. Then tendon issues in my elbows made it where I couldn’t pull the bow back at all. I sure miss it. Hogs are the perfect animal to hunt with traditional equipment.

 

[Turpentine]

This is one reason I prefer the 06 instead of the 308, you can load it soft safely with a course cut extruded powder and nearly as hot as factory 300 Win mag in the same rifle.

The added case capacity makes it a quite a bit better than the 308 for elk.

I have 2 308s. One AR and one a bolt action I built. I love the AR, it’s handy, and it is very accurate. It’s one of the main guns I use for depredation hunting out to 500 yards and it’s perfect for that. As ARs go it is a very useful caliber And it’s very well mannered. I may be asking for a lynching for what I’m about to say.. The bolt gun is ok. I built it for longer range shooting. It can be a very accurate, consistent round. Out to 800 yards it does very well. At 1000 it pushes my wind reading skills to the limit. One thing I really don’t like about it though is it’s a short action and that limits coal when feeding from the mag. Mine has a long jump from mag length to the lands. I am just really not a fan of short actions. I tried it but it’ll be my last one.. It seems with the 308 bolt gun im always trying to get a little bit more. More BC, more velocity, more range. It’s a great cartridge but it does have its limits. The 30/06 can pretty easily do anything a 308 can do and then can do a whole lot more when asked. It’s got case capacity, it’s got mag length, and most every one I’ve ever shot was pretty doggone accurate. Recoil can be pretty stout. You can run it wide open if you need to or you can throttle it back to where it’s comfortable to shoot and still have plenty of power to do the job.

 

[David Milisock]

I have 2 308s. One AR and one a bolt action I built. I love the AR, it’s handy, and it is very accurate. It’s one of the main guns I use for depredation hunting out to 500 yards and it’s perfect for that. As ARs go it is a very useful caliber And it’s very well mannered. I may be asking for a lynching for what I’m about to say.. The bolt gun is ok. I built it for longer range shooting. It can be a very accurate, consistent round. Out to 800 yards it does very well. At 1000 it pushes my wind reading skills to the limit. One thing I really don’t like about it though is it’s a short action and that limits coal when feeding from the mag. Mine has a long jump from mag length to the lands. I am just really not a fan of short actions. I tried it but it’ll be my last one.. It seems with the 308 bolt gun im always trying to get a little bit more. More BC, more velocity, more range. It’s a great cartridge but it does have its limits. The 30/06 can pretty easily do anything a 308 can do and then can do a whole lot more when asked. It’s got case capacity, it’s got mag length, and most every one I’ve ever shot was pretty doggone accurate. Recoil can be pretty stout. You can run it wide open if you need to or you can throttle it back to where it’s comfortable to shoot and still have plenty of power to do the job.

My daughter in law, sister in law and grandson agree with you on the 06. A nice soft load (no flinching) put meat on the table. My brother puts a 180 out AR nearv3,000 FPS and has taken several elk and more deer than most. The only reason I never got a 308 was that I have had a multitude of old military 06's since I was 16 years old.

Hell I only have an 8x57 Mauser because I bought it just for the action, I was tricked by the shop owner into buying some surplus ammo. It turns out that rat fur broach cut barrel shot so well I kept it. You know, you got an 06, why have a 308 or 8x57?

 

[Bunt]

165 Partitions would be my choice, hard to find right now.

 

[bubbaokie]

223’s have shot a lot with them…usually run off…., coyotes gotta eat too. I rebarreled a 223 to 6.5 TCU and went to 120 grain bullets. Works great. Like has been said before…..30cal bullets…don‘t over think it. Any of them will work. I killed one last year with a 17 HMR (about 215#s). Only gun available at the time. One shot in the ear. Ran about 50 yards and tipped over.

 

[Turpentine]

My daughter in law, sister in law and grandson agree with you on the 06. A nice soft load (no flinching) put meat on the table. My brother puts a 180 out AR nearv3,000 FPS and has taken several elk and more deer than most. The only reason I never got a 308 was that I have had a multitude of old military 06's since I was 16 years old.

Hell I only have an 8x57 Mauser because I bought it just for the action, I was tricked by the shop owner into buying some surplus ammo. It turns out that rat fur broach cut barrel shot so well I kept it. You know, you got an 06, why have a 308 or 8x57?

I cut my teeth on 270 Win. I my neck of the woods owning a 270 is pretty much necessary if you intend to be issued a man card. We were taught from a young age. A 243 was a great squirrel cartridge. Go get a 270, put a scope on it, get a box of Remington 130 Corelokts, go forth and kill stuff. I still believe it is one of the best cartridges ever invented. If you wanted bigger, or ever intended to venture out west, get a 30-06. I’ve come to appreciate the 30-06 even more due to working up loads for so many of them. It’s usually a pretty easy process to find a good load for them.
The new cartridge offerings of today interest me very little. They are doing little, if anything for me, that can’t be done by the old tried and true And brass for those is much easier to come by. I do have two 6.5 Grendels in AR 15s that I use a lot. Blasphemy I know. One with NV, one without. They are quite useful, very accurate, and really good for a young person to shoot well because of lack of recoil, muzzle blast, and the adjustable stock. They do very well on deer and hogs At reasonable ranges. Ammo and brass availability is somewhat limited but they moved my AR 15 in 5.56 to closet queen status.
However, there were three calibers I always wanted to own since I started reading reloading manuals in my early teens. 6.5-06, 6.5 x 55, and 308 win.. I don’t have the 6.5 x 55 yet but will likely buy an old Mauser or Manlicher at some point for my son because he likes historical military rifles.
I just built a 6.5-06 for a long range depredation and target gun And from all indications it’s going to be a shooter. I wanted a gun that could reach a bit farther than my 308 bolt gun and make reading the wind a little easier. It needed to carry a substantial amount of energy down range. I didn’t want something that would kick my hat off or needed a muzzle brake. I hate the durn things. None of my guns wear them or a suppressor. And won’t.
My 308s, especially the AR, have served me well. But both required fairly extensive load development to find the right load. Particularly the right powder. The 308 bolt gun will do just a shade over .5 moa at 1000 if I make the right wind call And that gun has taught me a lot. It’ll run a 168 eldm @ 2740 and a Nosler 150 Accubond at around 2925 very accurately. It’ll run faster velocity wise but the accuracy isn’t there. It wears a 26” varmint barrel in 12 twist and is quite heavy. Not something you’d want to carry all day.
The AR 10 is a 1 in 10 twist and absolutely hates 150 grain bullets. Groups look more like buckshot patterns. But it runs a 168 Amax at 2630fps. It’ll do under .5 MOA with that bullet, 168 ballistic tips, 165 Accubonds or 165 Game Kings as long as you use the right dose of AR Comp powder And the right brass. Its very fond of 1967 thru 1985 LC match brass, annealed and neck turned. Winchester is a close second without the extra prep. It’s a deer and hog hammer at reasonable distances and by far my favorite shorter range depredation gun. It’s a 1 in 10 twist and absolutely hates 150 grain bullets.
Sorry for the long windedness, wife’s gone on a trip, I’m bored, and I like talking guns.

 

[G7BC]

I think the whole "you need a lot of bullet" for hogs gets overblown on the internet. Biggest boar I've ever killed was with some 77gr TMKs out of a 18" AR.

I routinely shoot them with 6mm/105 class target bullets at ranges from 300-600 yards, and I've shot them with my FTR rifle and 200.20x/N150 combo.

They die the same every time.

I bet your 175s would work just fine.

Maybe if you ran across some 10 year old 600lb monster boar you'd need something fancy, but I just don't see that it's worth the time/effort/expense to go out of your way for them.

It's kinda like asking "what shoe for killing spiders". Anything will work. Kill em and keep driving.

Hey Mike, I used to watch your youtube channel and noticed it went away?

 

[MikeMcCasland]

Hey Mike, I used to watch your youtube channel and noticed it went away?

When I first started that it was early COVID "lockdown" period, I was very bored, very excited about F-Class, and there was literally nothing on the topic on YT except some 5 year old videos explaining the basic scoring practices.

A few months later you have guys who start making videos, and pumping out content that I can't compete with. Cortina has more credentials, FCJ has more knowledge/scope, and it's honestly a lot more work than you might think.

It's a lot easier (and more fun) to just go shooting and post on an internet forum every couple of months.