Researching a high energy hog rifle

[usmc-nav]

Nice, handy, easy carry, and hard hitting rifle that you may want to consider is the 356 Winchester. Made by both Winchester and Marlin.
Winchester is the model 94 XTR

http://gundata.org/cartridge/85/.356-winchester/

 

[Gus McCrae]

Energy is overrated when it comes to hunting. A few examples to ponder....

.22Mag has more energy than .38 Special +P is that going to be a better self defense round?

5.56 NATO has about the same energy as a traditionally loaded .45-70, which will work better on a Bison or Bear?

.270 Winchester has about 1000 more ft-lbs energy than a 12 gauge sabot..... which one would be better to stop a bear?

How about 5.56 NATO vs .475 Linebaugh? Both are identical on paper right?



Take a look at the formula for Energy: E=1/2mv^2

A premium is placed on velocity..... so if energy is all important, all we need is more speed right? You get the square for each increase in speed! But in the examples above, that doesn't really equate to a better round for putting down an animal. Plus, velocity is constantly getting smaller as it travels through the air. In the examples above, mass makes the difference.

Of course, if you really want to stick with energy.... how about just stepping up to .450 Rigby Magnum right? That ought to take care of a hog.

 

[Hot Pepper]

Look up CZ 550 offerings, a 458 LOTT or 500 Jeffrey. Those should lead to 1 shot kills while producing over 5,000 ft/lbs at 50 yards. They are also bolt actions.

 

[JeeperCreeper]

Look up CZ 550 offerings, a 458 LOTT or 500 Jeffrey. Those should lead to 1 shot kills while producing over 5,000 ft/lbs at 50 yards. They are also bolt actions.

Holy chit! I could probably sight it in before I go broke from buying ammo! Can we say overkill? We hunting hogs or elephants? Recoil would probably become a nuisance on these...

 

[DAVE_M]

I'm partial to the 2-Bore

The owner was considering a load of 275 – 325 grains of blackpowder firing 3500 grains of lead.

 

[Hot Pepper]

Holy chit! I could probably sight it in before I go broke from buying ammo! Can we say overkill? We hunting hogs or elephants? Recoil would probably become a nuisance on these...

HAHA, its an option..lol if you really want to "kill it dead" step up to the 460 Weatherby Mag. You can get factory ammo with up too 7,500 ft/lbf. They are equipped with Pendleton muzzle brake to help alleviate this effect of 100 lb.d of energy to the shoulder.

 

[Whitebread]

Holy freakin flint lock batman.

 

[ajridgedell]

are there any cartridges that haven't been named yet? we got 22mag to 50 bmg recommended and everything in between. so whats it gunna be?

 

[xobelkcat]

Nobody brought up the .338 Lapua!

408 chytac
416 Barrett

To the other end of the spectrum, what about these new .17 speed demons?

 

[JeeperCreeper]

For those pesky buggers 1500 yds away... HELL YEAH! since price doesn't seem to be a problem.

 

[DAVE_M]

are there any cartridges that haven't been named yet? we got 22mag to 50 bmg recommended and everything in between. so whats it gunna be?

2-Bore laughs at your .50 BMG

That I can think of...

.338 Lapua
.375 Cheytac
.408 Cheytac
.416 Barrett

Nobody brought up the .338 Lapua!

408 chytac
416 Barrett

To the other end of the spectrum, what about these new .17 speed demons?

Didn't realize you beat me to it.

I've always had an interest in .17 Remington Fireball.

 

[hunter5567]

My buddy's son killed a hog with a 17 HMR with one shot to the head.

 

[Gator 45/70]

Jesus, Why don't you daises just wade in with a 12'' Bowie and jig the Hog?

Whole different level boys!

 

[Barney88PDC]

In the last 6 months my hog hunting buddy and I have dropped in the neighborhood of 20-25 pigs. All with 300 blackout and 6.8 SPC. Only ones that got away were the ones shot near thick chest high rice or follow up shots on large groups running every which a way (and we recover the great majority of those). We shoot only Supersonic rounds and we shoot everything suppressed. The suppressor is not there to make you super ninja quiet. It does deaden the shot so you don't go deaf with ur buddy popping off rounds a couple feet away from you (only shoot in your designated sector) and, importantly, it hides the muzzle flash to the point the critters cannot locate the shot. There are also a few good demonstrations of suppressed 300blk hits being nearly as loud at the point of impact as they were leaving the muzzle. I think Hunt Tx Hogs has some vids on YouTube with these demonstrations. Another advantage of these 2 rounds is lack of felt recoil. It is not uncommon to get 4-5 follow up kills shots on pigs in an open field. Try that with a 300 weatherby mag... I have never once felt under powered with either cartridge, and I have mag capacities in my personal firearms ranging from 15-30. Our shot distance typically ranges from 20 to 100 yards, But I scored a head shot on one last weekend at a little past 150 with the 6.8. And I practice with the thermal at shots out to 200. Don't get too worked up about muzzle energy and so on. The first time you get into a big group and are limited to 1 good shot followed by one long, running, shoot-em-in-the-butt-as-they-flee follow up, you'll understand the draw of the AR or other low recoiling semi auto platform for hog popping. Im sure just about any modern center fire cartridge will stop a hog if shot just north of the front quarter or just rear of the ear.

Right away I knew this thread would be epic. The best advice in this whole thread is what HogHunter said.

 

[DAVE_M]

Always forget about the Sharps 25-45

 

[Goatwhiskers]

Another one of those deals where people want a rifle that knocks the animal off its feet without knocking the shooter off his feet. Ya remember from physics action generates an equal and opposite reaction? Let's not even talk about destruction of meat. Shot placement is everything. GW

 

[DBMJR1]

 

[bayoupirate]

444 in a Marlin Lever action with ported barrel.
or just get your handi-Rifle ported.
444 Hand loads can get more of what you want.

 

[John_]

For hog hunting, I like the .50 Beowulf on the AR-15 platform. I owned an Alexander Arms 16" upper for a while and I miss it.
Half inch projectile, 2500 ft lbs of energy, reliable semi auto platform, very affordable. Whats not to like?

http://www.alexanderarms.com/products/50-beowulf

 

[Hoggin]

Energy is overrated when it comes to hunting. A few examples to ponder....

.22Mag has more energy than .38 Special +P is that going to be a better self defense round?

5.56 NATO has about the same energy as a traditionally loaded .45-70, which will work better on a Bison or Bear?

.270 Winchester has about 1000 more ft-lbs energy than a 12 gauge sabot..... which one would be better to stop a bear?

How about 5.56 NATO vs .475 Linebaugh? Both are identical on paper right?



Take a look at the formula for Energy: E=1/2mv^2

A premium is placed on velocity..... so if energy is all important, all we need is more speed right? You get the square for each increase in speed! But in the examples above, that doesn't really equate to a better round for putting down an animal. Plus, velocity is constantly getting smaller as it travels through the air. In the examples above, mass makes the difference.

Of course, if you really want to stick with energy.... how about just stepping up to .450 Rigby Magnum right? That ought to take care of a hog.

Excellent point. Also liked HogHunter1203's post.

It seems the AR platform (.300 BO, .50 Beowulf, .458 SOCOM, etc) may be the way to go. I'm really not an AR guy but perhaps it's time to learn more about them. I've got an iron sight .223 and a red dot .300 BO suppressed and it just seems like overkill. Most people I know love the AR platform, but frankly most people I know with ARs just like to look like a bad ass. "Hey, bra, check out my new AR!!!" However, if I want multi shot with reduced recoil then AR may be a better platform than lever or bolt. The suggestions of supersonic .300 BO are solid enough to get me researching and that's a pretty cheap solution as I already have a Rock River weapon. The ballistics on the .50 Beowolf (http://www.alexanderarms.com/images/pdfs/beowulf_ballistics.pdf) did not impress me, but then again that's just paper research.

A few years ago I took my sons hog hunting on a ranch just west of Houston. One morning a 500# boar crept into view. My son hit him between the eyes with his .270. We could see the bullet ricochet off his head leaving literally just a scratch. The hog turned around and ran 40 yards, then turned back around and started running straight at us. I told my son to hit him again and he did, a little low in the jaw. The hog kept coming and at about 20 yards I put a 1" 12 gauge slug between his eyes. He didn't take another step. Blood spouted from his head like water from a yard hose. Love the 1oz rifled slug option but at 50 yards I'd rather have a scope.

Thanks for the serious responses. The goal is the ability to drop multiple hogs in their tracks. Yes, shot placement can be everything, but if I have never been hog hunting in open fields. I stalk in dense woods and often only have 1-2 seconds to acquire and fire.