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.