Meet a friend of my brothers who offered to take me and my son Hog Hunting when I come back down to FL in November.

 

He said he recommends a 12 gauge slug gun as the area he hunts has a lot of brush and most shots are well under 100yards. He also has a 357mag revolver since on occasion they can't tell which direction the shot came from and will run towards you...

 

I have done plenty of deer hunts but never a hog hunt...

I was thinking I would bring down a couple of AR-15's with red dot's to handle both the kill shot and any follow-up shots required if necessary...

 

Does anyone have a better suggestion or tip's for a decent .223 hog load to use.

 

He was poo pooing use .223 for hog... Not sure why???

I know .300 black out is popular but I thought that was just because if can go subsonic suppressed.?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He is right. You'd be better off bringing a 12 or 20 gauge shotgun. Either one gives you a better chance at a humane kill.

With 223 you need a headshot on a big pig. A body shot is not going to do it, at least in a quick and sporting way. If you are going to use an AR, you want the heaviest bullet your rifle will chamber. Usually that is 68 grains. Higher than that and they don't fit in magazines and/or feed well.

 

 

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.223 is only effective with a headshot.  I've seen a 300 pounder take 4-7 rounds to give up the fight.  Ball ammo makes pencil-points and they keep coming.

 

Even this year's Hog Hunt I witnessed a headshot with a .223 that needed a second headshot, then some .357 mag to the head.  This was May 1st.

 

Lunker is correct.  I've hunted with him!

Down in Jupiter FL where I occasionally hunt hogs the brush is so thick that we only take head shots because the bush is so thick. I usually use a 7mm/08 or 25/06 and have never needed to fire a second shot to kill the hog. they drop right where they stand. I am thinking about building a 450 socom upper to hunt hogs with my AR but I have never used a .223 to hunt hogs. Whatever you decide I would recommend a head shot anyway because depending on the area tracking a wounded animal in the FL bush can be hard and dangerous. I know guys that have been attacked by a wounded pig hiding under the palmetto bush and I was bitten by an Eastern diamondback rattle snake (luckily just a dry bite so no venom) and the bush gets so thick you may never find the hog without tracking dogs.

saiga12 and call it a day 

I was hunting hog last month down near Okeechobee with an AR with an ACOG because that's all I had.  I needed more than one shot to bring one down.  Shots will generally be less than 100 yards so you should be fine with an RDS AR if you can deliver a quick 4moa follow-up shot.  Next time, I plan to bring something in .300 BO or .308.  My friend uses .338 lapua.

 

Of course, make sure the wind is in your favor and wear a good pair of knee length or rubber hunting boots.  The brush and muck there is something else. 

I have hunted hogs and agree with everyone that recommends not to use an AR in .223/5.56.  Of course they can kill, but I believe in using the tool that will provide the quickest, cleanest kill.  I have used .308 and it works great.  Next time I am using a 44 magnum.  If you do choose to use a .223/5.56 I would recommend a solid copper bullet like the 70 grain Barnes TSX or the Winchester Razorback 64 grain XT.  Both will penetrate well.  Normal .223/5.56 range ammo will fragment too early.  The solid copper bullets do a lot of damage.

Just curious, would a 7.62x39 work better than a 223/556?

I used a 30-30 successfully without going for a head shot, one shot, one kill, thru the chest cavity and I recovered the bullet lodged in the far side just under the skin.  My dad used a 30-06 and the exit hole crater was a sight to behold.  My cousin used a 308.

 

There's some uniformity here starting with a 30...

 

I would consider a 243 acceptable.  7.62x39 will do the job too.

Just curious, would a 7.62x39 work better than a 223/556?

yes either a 308 or a 7.62x39 ... bigger / faster round 

killed many a hog with a 223 single shot NEF Handi-Rifle.

223/556 will work find with the right ammo and shot placement.  I would stay away from using shotguns, slugs are not going to cut it, not enough penetration.  For 223/556 i would use a Hornady with  a GMX head or if you want to see some nasty performance, a box of Lehigh Defense Controlled Chaos.

223/556 will work find with the right ammo and shot placement. 

 

 

I've seen a lot of people posting about MK262 (77gr Sierra MatchKing OTM bullets) and hogs and how it performs well...

223/556 will work find with the right ammo and shot placement.  I would stay away from using shotguns, slugs are not going to cut it, not enough penetration.  For 223/556 i would use a Hornady with  a GMX head or if you want to see some nasty performance, a box of Lehigh Defense Controlled Chaos.

I personally saw a guy kill 2 Russian boars in TN with a 20ga slug.  The slug passed through the first one and almost passed though the second. He used a Lightfield slug.  Plenty of power and penetration with a sabot slug.

People use 75 grain OTMs, bonded bullets in the 60s, and copper bullets (TSX) with great success of one shot stops. I would go with bonded, TSX, or the Lehigh Defense as mentioned. The OTMs are bad ass but I would want guaranteed penetration.

May 1st I used a .50 caliber 370 grain T/C Maxi-Ball on top of 72 grains of Goex Black Powder.  Headshot by the ear did the job (in thick brush) at 1347 fps (average via chrono).  Lots of "thumpability" in them conicals I tell ya!

Shotgun slugs( not grand daddys foster type slugs) are absolutely deadly on any north American critter inside 100 yards.  I'd go after any critter in NA with some of lightfields slugs.  Built beyond belief and extremely devastating on game when put in the right spot.

 

Nick 

I'm betting a hornady slug will get the penetration

Hey... Don't be dissing my granddaddy's Foster Slugs...