For the hunters out there...I'm not an experienced hunter, but looking for a good all-around pig round.

Question:
Using a standard AR platform, what upper / ammo is best for dealing with pig out to 150-200 yards?

Choices:
.223 Rem / 5.56 NATO
.300 Blackout
7.62 x 39 Russian
Other

 

If you're head-shooting stationary pigs then a 556 works with a good bullet like a Barnes solid copper. Can you head shoot pigs consistently at 150-200 yards?

If the shots are more marginal or you are shooting running pigs, I'd definitely bump it up. And I don't see any real advantages a 762x39 has over 300 BO. It is not much faster and neither are really known as "accurate." If you're suppressing, the choice is obvious.

Have you looked into the 350 Legend? To me, it seems to differentiate itself well, though I have no direct experience. It beats a 300BO and even 30/30 in energy but still has very light recoil, which could be good on follow-up shots on running pigs. MPBR would definitely still work well within 200 yards.

I've got a 6.8SPC for that.
6.5 Grendel would do nicely as would 300 BO if you are close.


https://www.thetruthaboutguns....-to-hunt-feral-hogs/

How large are the hogs you are looking at shooting? Heavier 64+grain 5.56 works just fine on little hogs up to 150 or 200 lbs. At closer ranges. On the bigger hogs I probably would just use a .308 or a brush gun like 45/70.

Also, from the hog hunting I have done, you almost always are hunting in low or marginal lighting. That means you are usually pretty close. How are you identifying your targets at 150 or 200 yards? Most of the shots I have taken have been 50ish yards, with a long one being across a field about 100 ish.

5.56 if you’re doing head shots
300BO- bc I don’t have a 7.62x39 (their ballistics are very similar)

Otherwise, something in the 308 field if you’re hunting at night and shot placement may not be best.

I've seen a number of hogs killed with 5.56, but it's been with relatively close shots behind the ear on stationary hogs.

My usual hog hunting round was 7.62x39, but that was specific to our particular style of hunting and location: thick brush where shots over 50 yards were uncommon and shots over 100 yards were not encountered, and using dogs to contain them so shots on running hogs were rare.

For 200 yards, especially if taking uncertain shots on running hogs, I'd want to go with something larger like .308/.30-06.

I wouldn't shoot any pig with something as small as .223. If you're close enough for a headshot, why not use a caliber large enough to shoot for the shoulder/heart? The .300 BLK can do both, but personally I'd avoid headshots because if you're off just a bit or hit the pig on the wrong angle the result can be a severely wounded animal that gets away to suffer a slow death. I've taken down poorly hit game that others had been responsible for. It's a matter of ethics vs "bragging rights" for successfully hitting the brain when a good heart/lung shot does the same thing.

I think 223 would be fine if you chose something like the 70 grain Barnes TSX bullet.

6.8 SPC is good medicine.

I shot plenty of hogs with 5.56 and most all ran off if I didnt get a head shot. 5.56 even suppressed is still too loud. I switched to subsonic 300 blackout with a rugged razor and it was a nice combination.

The only drawback to the 300blk that I saw was range. Place I was hunting at had plenty of feeders so most shots were 50-75 yards and hogs usually dropped right where they were at. The couple of times I would take longer shots over 100 yards was pretty tough. I am not a terrible shot but shots with 5.56 at plus 100 yard were easy and consistent, 300blk was not as reliable( or I am just a lousy shot).

I don't hunt hogs but would want something more capable than .223

I agree with the 6.8spc or a 6.5 Grendel if using an AR15

Distance and environment are everything.

When I envisioned hog hunting in Texas, a scoped 308 seemed ideal.

When I actually went hog hunting in Texas, I soon realized a 300BO pistol with a dot was ideal.

I also enjoy hunting them with milsurp rifles and have taken boars with 7.5x55, 8mm Mauser, and 30 carbine.

For whatever it’s worth, don’t put too much stock in the ethical shot stuff. Hogs are stubborn animals. My 8mm Mauser shot entered left shoulder, exited right hip, destroying every major organ in between…hog ran 250 yards from the shot. Same trip, caught one right behind the shoulder with the .30 carbine, and he was stoned dead in his tracks. There’s no rhyme or reason to what they do after the shot.

I've had great results using IWI 77GR Razor Core

Speer 75gr bonded .223 or Hornady 110gr VMax are what I use for pigs and have never had one walk or run away after being shot. Shot placement is the key to a clean kill.

Perhaps a 450 Bushmaster?

I put my money into the Grendel basket

6.8 SPC

accurate and powerful

No one mentioned .30-.30.

I am wondering why if it will do pretty ok on deer, why not pigs ?

Different meat density?

Not enough range ,?

Thank for those helping to teach me .

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:
No one mentioned .30-.30.

I am wondering why if it will do pretty ok on deer, why not pigs ?

Because this thread is specific to AR-15s... There aren't any ARs in .30-30.

Being a rimmed cartridge, it'd be tough to make it work reliably in a magazine-fed semiauto in general, and especially if trying to shoehorn it into the existing AR-15 design.

But yes, .30-30 does fine on hogs. It's roughly equivalent in performance to the .300 Blackout or 7.62x39 rounds listed in the OP. It's just that those more modern and more compact intermediate cartridges work in the AR-15.

6.5 Grendel or supersonic 300 Blackout. 7.62/.308 is overkill.