.223 vs .308 for a hog gun

Are any of y'all using .223? I realize .308 will pack a lot more punch, but is a .223 pretty lethal on 100lbs and less?

Also, is a semi-auto really necessary, or do any of y'all hunt with bolt action? In other words, do you ever get a second shot?

Will .223 work ? Yes. Is it the best choice- No. Doubt very many fall close to the shot. If this is not a problem or you don't mind looking for them go ahead with the .223. I killed a boat load of small hogs with a bolt action .22 hornet.

Second shots are definitely possible, even with a bolt action.

If you need an excuse to buy a .308 on an AR platform then this is good a reason as any.

Yeah, I basically need an excuse to buy an AR-10.

I use a 223 and if you shoot them in the head/neck, they drop in their tracks. If you shoot them in the boiler room, sometimes that will run a little piece. I keep shooting till they drop. I also wait till two pigs line up before I pull the trigger. Shoot the sow first in the neck and hit the pig behind her wherever the hell I can. I use a FMJ in the pipe and soft points in the mag. I use a semi auto as I rarely see a single pig unless it's a lone boar. I would prefer to use a 30 cal semi auto, but my PV-14 is rated for .223 or smaller.

Wow, you've really thought this out!

They are a nuisance and on about the same level as a armidillo. Put a round in them and keep on moving!

Use enough gun. Go with the 308. It's a beast. It's the difference between a 168 grain bullet and a 55 grain bullet.

I day hunt with a Browning X-bolt in 243 with 95 gr SST rounds.

I night hunt with 300 black outs with 110 gr rounds or 308 with 168 A-Max rounds.

I killed a lot of pigs with a 223 AR. I tried rounds as large as 77 grains and I still had to shoot large hogs multiple times most of the time.

If I was purchasing a single rifle to hog hunt with today. I would purchase a 308.

How is the 5.56 round? My AR shoots both

It's going to be indistinguishable from the .223

I killed 3 pigs with 3 shots with a bolt action out of a tree stand this year. Last year I killed 3 with a crossbow in one sit. I think all about getting luck and proficient with you wepon . I bought my fist ar 556 a few weeks ago and I'm shooting the barns tsx and I have no doubt they will drop some pigs in their tracks . From my experience pigs are alot easier to drop than deer.

I would split the difference and go 300 BLK. Here is my reasoning. I have killed LOTS of running hogs. 223 is best for running hogs, with practice you will hit everytime, but on large hogs it will often take multiple shots. 308 gas gun kills running hogs great BUT the recoil take you off the target WHEN multiple targets are there, thats a bad thing. Now the 300 BLK, lets you stay on target, like the 223 on running hogs. And its just like the 30/30 in ballistics and knock down. I have killed with 223,6.5 Grendal,6.8 SPc,308 gas gun, and 300 BLK. I like the 300 BLK with an Armasight Zeus on it!

A 223, is totally ineffective and will only wound any hog therefore providing mass quantity of pork carcasses for coyotes to feed on since you wont find them causing coyote populations to explode
...There... Go buy ya an AR-10

I have killed hogs with a 223 with no problem. I shoot boys in the head. They drop right there.

.223 is plenty sufficient for hogs 100 lbs and less.

Makes sense.

Hog head shot with a .308. Dead in tracks. You should have no doubts about the choice to make. No second shot needed!

So I quess the one of us on here that have killed 100s of hogs a peice with 223 are ineffectively killing them???

Nothing like a good caliber debate!

Seriously if you can kill a pig with a glorified pellet gun u can kill it with a 223. I bet the Indians would have loved a 223.

Every pig so far this year billed with a .223/5.56. Proof on our Facebook. I shoot all weapons the way I imagine you do, with an aimed shot. Seems to work fine so far, but in all fairness, all shots have been at under 150 yards.

Ruark said it best use enough gun.

Yep..I'd rather use my 450 bushmaster

Either works fine. Keep the 223 to headshots if possible but it will do the job on a good boiler maker shot with good ammo. Even with 308 we try to hit em behind the ear.
I honestly think the best option is to split the difference and use 300 blackout. 308 bullet with almost zero recoil and hits like a 30-30 out to 200yds.

I asked a outfitter on the 223 vs 308 once and his response was classic.

Can you use a condom with a hole in it, and hopefully get lucky. I prefer more assurance....308.

I kill them on management areas all the time with 22 rimfires. Not ideal, but with good shot placement it's doable.

That said, if the property allows centerfires I use a .30 cal ar-15. I don't feel under gunned with a .223 but the .30 does a better job.

The one I built to hunt hogs is a 7.62x39. Low recoil, very inexpensive hunting ammo (PRVI Partisan) and even cheaper plinking ammo (it eats any old crap that I feed it with aplomb).

Elk - just got a 300 BO. What bullet are you using for the 300 BO 110? Or the better question - are you using the Hornady 110 Vmax? Thanx

I am shooting that or the Nosler Varmaggedon (sp). Both in 110 gr. Just depends on which I can find the cheapest and in stock.

in my 300 i shoot the hornady 110vmax, but i also have some that shoot a 155 grain hornady amax 308 bullet. Havent tried them yet. They dont have the power the 308 has. But I can shoot faster and more accurate with the 300 than with a 308. So to me it just made since to go with the 300 and also buy a 556 upper too.

Building a 6.8 SPC AR for hogs... anyone have any experience with a 6.8 AR platform on hogs? I figured it would be heavier hitting than 223 but still in AR-15 platform.

Yes. I have a Spikes Tatical Bio-Hazard build. Thats in 6.8 SPC. I have killed several hogs with it. ONLY problem with 6.8 is bullet selection. Its a .277 caliber like the 270 Win but the bullets need to be smaller = Like 85-110 gr SO the selection is not great IF you dont reload. Silver States Armor has the best factory bullets for hogs and deer.

I can't stop using my ol' 30-30 and sometimes my 45/70. I love a lever gun.

My day gun is a bolt action Browning X-Bolt in 243.

My night guns are 300 black outs and 308s.

User preference it sounds like. If you can pin point the head shot a .22 mag between the eyes will drop it. More has to be taken into consideration on what is best for the application. The shooter for starters. I'll have to side with the 30 caliber weapons. I've never had any large hog walk more than 30' when I hit them in the head or where I would shoot a deer. I was using a 300WSM 165gr ballistic tip ammo to boot. I do like the idea of the AR10 though being as I have a AR15.
Do some field testing with what you desire and then maybe you'll answer your own "which one" questions that drag on and on.

Would you rather shoot Zombies with a .223 or a .308? Get the AR-10. Pigs now and Zombies when the Zombie Apocalypse gets here!

I am really liking the performance of my 300 black outs shooting Nosler 110 gr Varmeggen (s) ammo. It has low recoil and not real loud. I am noticing a much improved knock down over my old 556. The round is slower but at our ranges that is not coming into play. I seldom shoot a pig over 100 yards. Most are under 60 yards.

...had a friend shoot a hog between the eyes with a .243 years ago...peeled the hide some and ricocheted off that thick skull, and pissed a 300 lb boar off REAL bad! It ran Rex up a tree, after which he shot it again and killed it.

223 with 55-70gr TSX, or TTSX will do the job just fine on hogs or deer out to 200yds.

Well I am still trying to get my first piggy. I am currently building a 300 blackout. The few times I have been piggy hunting I have been taking my .243 wssm shooting 100gr handloads. Never had a deer take more than a few steps. So hopefully I can eventually get me a piggy or two.

Thanks to Geno by the way for taking me and shows me around. One heck of a guy.

I put that deuce deuce on them.

Sweet! Perfect size, too!

.308
...because shooting twice is just silly!

I shot my first pig 11 times with a 223 AR15.. I popped him broadside in the vitals at 50 yards with a Ballistic tip moving around 3000FPS... Alone The 200+ pound boar turned to charge me at full force. So I paused behind a sapling until he closed in on me. I proceeded to put 7 more bullets into him between the distance of 15 yards to point blank. I literally fired the 7th shot from the air as I was jumping over the boar... he slid up against a tree behind me as my feet touched the ground & I turned to put 3 more rounds in his neck... I understand this instance was uncommon. This was my first live encounter with a wild boar in Bankhead National Forest, & at 19 years old I knew I had a passion for hog hunting. I have since killed many pigs & used a 223 AR15 as a "support rifle" with 30 round magazines using high velocity FMJs.. I'll only use it if im accompanied by another hunter with a larger caliber like a 308...the 223 does not effectively incapacitate pigs without precise shot placement. But the 223 is great for The first precise shot & slowing down pigs while your buddy picks them of with a 308.

I agree with some of you guys about using enough gun.. I've killed a dozen or so since October and have seen the run like the wind blows with a shoulder shot from a 5.56 but one in the brain pan with same calbre will stop them dots.. I like the 6.8 SPC for shooting sounders so I can get multiple kills and bolt guns for the singles.. The 308 and the 6.5 creed are very good choices for a hog gun

When stalk hunting during the day I keep several rounds loose in my pocket for quick reloading. My personal record for most pigs out of one sounder with my bolt action on a day stalk hunt is 8. I have done it twice.

I routinely kill 3 or 4 out of a sounder when I get in them. Shooting the big sow first really helps with that.

I like a 308 and a pile of tannerite

We have been using the Hevi Hog shells from Hevishot
with our 12 gauges

So why not a 300blkout? The 110gr Barnes tacX bullets are great. I even have some 125gr Accubonds that should do nicely

I killem all the time with a 25grn 17hmr, but I confess, I do shoot them behind the eye every time. ive killed bunsches with 223's and 308's( one really cool FN 308 with gen 3 nightvision and a fully suppressed barrel) buuuuuut I shotem all in the head. ive kiltem with thermal to. but ive learned from experience if they sittin still shootem right behind the eye if they are runnin im still tryin to shoot theyre nose off. if theyre within 40yds I got a super black eagle 2 loaded full of buck shot along with an ar-15 with an eotech. helicopters are fun to, also if I do shootem with a bow I will only shootem quarterin away sose I can quarter that arrow through all the little piggys vital organs also with large diameter broadheads. mwahahahahahahahaha.... ahem scuse me I got carried away. 223 will definitely mow pigs down with headshots if you planning on shootin them in the body id go like 30 cal bullets an bigger like maybe 300 win mag or some of the wsm's anything that will cause massive trauma inside the chest cavity. even then you still gonna get some runners.... I don't like runners. I make pigs.. ded:)

Back home when I humped through the woods, I used my AR15. If I went to my sniper hide, I lugged that boat anchor AR10.

I finally got my first hogs on Saturday. And I can say that my 308 did a number. The bullet went thru a big sow (headshot) and then headshot a smaller sow. I got two with one shot 135 yards

just realized I said 25grn 17hmr an theys no such thing they are 20grns, got ma wires crossed. my bad

Amen! Pass the gravy.
A good ol 30-30 can't be beat.

Man says he needed an excuse to buy an AR10...But to answer your statement, theres no comparison between the power of a 308 and a 223,,,Not even close

You HAVE TO HAVE a 30.06! Nothing else will do!!!!

Man I really hope that was the Remington 700 you got from me that you was putting to work on them pigs.

I've been invited to a hog hunt and plan on carring a .556 AR. Should I shotem in the eye......

Earhole

Got ya