# Is .223 a good caliber for hogs?



## Bambibuster21

Is .223 a good caliber for killing a hog? I planned on taking my AR-15 with some 55 gr hollow points.


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## BUCKNDUCKSLAYER

I havnt killed one with a .223 but if you are looking to kill big boars Id go on the safe side and shoot a .308 or bigger. Its hard to get a good heavy blood trail alot of times cause there fat seals there wound so I like to shoot a bigger round but im sure a well placed shot would do the trick but on a hog to me its best to have a more round than you need. They are tuff. If you are close enough and a behind the ear shot is an option ive seen an air gun kill one on tv with a behind ear shot. Good luck hope you kill some its a blast trying to out smart them.


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## BonaireBuzz

We only use .223 on hogs.  Admittedly, you need to have a well placed shot, but on head shots, they don't run.   On the flip side, I don't care how big of a caliber you shoot, if you can't hit your target, you will have dificulty getting your animal.  Additionally, we tend to shoot groups of hogs and the low recoil of the 223 allows you to get quicker shots for multiple kills in each group.  Just my .02 worth.


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## deadend

55 hp's are varmint bullets.  Use an appropriate bullet to shoot a large animal.  TSX's and Partitions are good choices.


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## dm/wolfskin

All .223.  If you don't drop them in thier tracks, more than likely there will be no blood trail.  Though I hunt them mostly with my longbow sometimes I take the AR or TC Encore with me. When my stalk fails and they give me a chance with the gun I take it. Mike


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## blood on the ground

you need good shot placement or you will not have a blood trail! head shot!


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## lungbuster123

Yes you can kill the heck out of some pigs with a .223 big or small. Just make sure you use a good round. I killed two with a .223 and a 60 grain Nosler Partition one was 115lbs and the other was right at 220lbs.


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## bigreddwon

We use Hornaday 75g BTHP, DEVASTATING wound channels!! I use a 308 as well and I don't get good blood trails with it either, their fat tends to seal them up like a run flat tire. The 223 is MORE than enough to destroy vital organs. Ive exploded a heart with a 308 and had them run 100+ yards still, and leave not a drop of blood.

As said in a previous post the 223 allows for very quick follow up shots. We've killed many hogs with them. Good hunting


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## Razor Blade

My 9 year old has dropped every hog he shot at, in its tracks, with a 223. All head shots from a stand. Scott


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## snook24

small but we have dropped a few with them also


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## lungbuster123

I forgot to mention I didnt shoot either of mine in the head either.


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## Totaloutdoorsman

I'm gonna try my m4 out with Wolf 62 grain Hollow points.  Its more than enough for hogs.  Heck...The DNR expects you to kill hogs with a .22LR on WMA's so a 5.56 is plenty.


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## seaweaver

If it will not make 2 holes....

cw


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## cb1967

*22 mag*

i've shot them in the head with a 22 mag on a wma. he shook his head and squealed like crazy when the dust flew off its head he ran. i trailed the blood for a half mile and it stopped. went back and looked the next morning, still aint found that hog. this was a good shot at 50 yds.


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## goastinstructor

Alot of my hunters have used .223, ive found the guaranteed sweet spot is 2" behind the ear and 2" down i assure you they drop like a rock


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## bigreddwon

She was 296lbs, on a scale when we FINALLY got her down for the last time. First shot was in the head, just in front of her ear behind her eye, dropped her, several other hogs were shot and dropped. She got back up. A shot to the neck,... dropped. Other hogs were shot in the meantime. She got back up.. A 12g 1oz rifled slug sat her back down as she was trotting out of the field. It took another shot to the head to end it. 

No shot was over 60 yards. The 308 180g soft point federal has made the SAME shot MANY, MANY times.. 99.9% of the hogs hit like she was NEVER moved again. Hogs hit in the neck or the head just drop n flop usually.

Hogs are tough and some hogs are capable of living through trauma that I would not expect. Is that a reason to carry a 338 Lapua? No. Shoot what you shoot well. Make the best shots you can and get over it if they get away, it just happens every so often when you shoot an animal with such an intense will to live.

Most hogs we encounter are in the 50-150lb range and you CANNOT tell the difference between the fist size hole a 75g 223 or a 150g 308 makes on the far side of your average hog. 

A 223 with quality hunting ammo is hard to beat as far as lethality, weapon weight and cost to practice with. You CAN go bigger, but trust me, it wont stop them ALL, ALL of the time.. Just my opinion.


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## Bambibuster21

So I keep hearing behind the ear. what about a vitals shot? is it behind the shoulder like a deer or what?


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## lungbuster123

Bambibuster21 said:


> So I keep hearing behind the ear. what about a vitals shot? is it behind the shoulder like a deer or what?



Pig's vitals are alittle further forward then a deer. Both the hogs I mentioned were shot in the vital's. A good round choice with a good shot is all it takes.

This is the smaller pig I shot with that .223 and Nosler Parition...slightly quartering away behind the close shoulder and out the front of the offset shoulder you can see the exit here I could have stuck my thumb in it...the shot was around 70 yards or so. He went about 30 or 40 yards spraying blood.


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## goastinstructor

The reason i have most of my hunters shoot behind the ear is because that it is a more forgiving shot than a brain attempt... Before when i was just getting into the hog service i wud tell hunters to shoot them in the head and a few hogs to snout shots.
Also if you go broadside vitals with a .223 the blood trail is almost non-existant on a larger boar... Not saying its true on all situations but its a chance not worth taking.

If you go behind the ear...miss low you cut its throat, miss left or right you get spine or brain and to high is a clean miss usually.


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## seaweaver

All those shots are fine....when you have the time and the sight to aim for that small area. I've never had my hogs trained to stand still that long!
Spot and stalk has not afforded me that op very much. Either I bust in on them or they bust in on me and every so often I get to creep in and do "my set up".
If I sit over feed zones waiting I get bored. I would rather be moving. Will the .223 do it? yep as those here have documented. But that type of shooting is applicable to a small margin of the shots I find opportunity for so I carry fat heavy and slow. 35 rem,375win,44, 444,45/70
.223 will let you stay far back if safety is a need....:ke


cw


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## deadend

seaweaver said:


> All those shots are fine....when you have the time and the sight to aim for that small area. I've never had my hogs trained to stand still that long!
> Spot and stalk has not afforded me that op very much. Either I bust in on them or they bust in on me and every so often I get to creep in and do "my set up".
> If I sit over feed zones waiting I get bored. I would rather be moving. Will the .223 do it? yep as those here have documented. But that type of shooting is applicable to a small margin of the shots I find opportunity for so I carry fat heavy and slow. 35 rem,375win,44, 444,45/70
> .223 will let you stay far back if safety is a need....:ke
> 
> 
> cw


I'm with you on this. I never see hogs that hold still long enough for high % head shots.


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## CAL

Killed a bred gilt Tuesday at 130 yds.shot behind the shoulder with a 40 gr.ballistic tip out of a 204.She never moved out of her tracks.

Do I think it is adequate? No I do not.I think one needs more horse power for all situations.My kill was a standing broadside shot.Hog never knew what hit her.


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## Bambibuster21

So I got some Wolf Gold .223 75 gr BTHP. Cant wait to slaughter some pork.


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## bigreddwon

deadend said:


> I'm with you on this. I never see hogs that hold still long enough for high % head shots.




Body shots kill them dead too... Shoot whatever caliber you have the most confidence in, but 223 will kill any hog that ever lived. I've killed 5 in one go round with a 223 under 200 yards and most where body or neck shots. Kill the " fill in the blank " and the body will die.. You could insert many individual organs that a 223 will liquefy into that blank.

Dane (another hog control operator) killed 11 a week or so ago with a 223 solo. Nuttin fancy will be using a pair of them to expand their dog hunting and I guarantee they will be STACKIN hogs..

With the right bullets,inside 200 yards or so, and any of today's insanely kick butt optics its a DEADLY hunting tool.

I know some of you ol timers are set in your ways and I mean no disrespect, but the OP asked if a 223 was good for killin hogs... And it is..


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## treeman101

deadend said:


> I'm with you on this. I never see hogs that hold still long enough for high % head shots.



If they will not stand still for you, train yourself to hit a specific spot on a moving animal.  I don,t train my hogs I challenge them to run so i get more practice at real life situations, and have great results.


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## goastinstructor

treeman101 said:


> If they will not stand still for you, train yourself to hit a specific spot on a moving animal.  I don,t train my hogs I challenge them to run so i get more practice at real life situations, and have great results.



This is true make the moral choice in your shot. The first time you hog hunt dont rush your shot if your not comfortable, than dont shoot.  Its sad but there are alot of people that say its just a hog and if you wound and lose the animal then its just one less pest.  WRONG!!!!! If at first your not comfortable, no matter what weapon you have, simply study the animals movements and move on to the next.  A once in a lifetime animal is not only the size, score, or age of the animal but a combination of shot presented, shot placement, trophy status of  the animal and the memory involved with the hunt which is the most important..

Basically you know your capabilities so stay  with in your means of shot placement and make a sound ethical choice.


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## Swamp Man

Have to agree with most of the posters on head shots.  I shoot a 223 Handi Rifle, 55 grain Remington soft points.  Shot a small pig at 110 yards once, with a 55 grain V-Max, hit it in the neck and almost decapitated it.  Don't shoot them in the shoulder!  That thick plate on the hog at that point will stop a 55 grain bullet sometimes.  Very little blood to trail.


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## deadend

bigreddwon said:


> Body shots kill them dead too... Shoot whatever caliber you have the most confidence in, but 223 will kill any hog that ever lived. I've killed 5 in one go round with a 223 under 200 yards and most where body or neck shots. Kill the " fill in the blank " and the body will die.. You could insert many individual organs that a 223 will liquefy into that blank.
> 
> Dane (another hog control operator) killed 11 a week or so ago with a 223 solo. Nuttin fancy will be using a pair of them to expand their dog hunting and I guarantee they will be STACKIN hogs..
> 
> With the right bullets,inside 200 yards or so, and any of today's insanely kick butt optics its a DEADLY hunting tool.
> 
> I know some of you ol timers are set in your ways and I mean no disrespect, but the OP asked if a 223 was good for killin hogs... And it is..


I don't have a problem killing hogs with a .223, but frangible varmint pills are never a good choice.  I've killed a pile of them using TSX and NP.  I don't see the logic in taking a small rifle hog hunting when I've got more appropriate weapons within reach.  I normally take them as targets of opportunity with smaller weapons.


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## HoCoLion91

My granddaddy used to slaughter hogs with a .22 long rifle.  Anything bigger than that should be considered over kill.  If you don't want them to run off, start shooting a .300 mag.  Just my .02


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## River Rambler

dm/wolfskin said:


> All .223.  If you don't drop them in thier tracks, more than likely there will be no blood trail.  Though I hunt them mostly with my longbow sometimes I take the AR or TC Encore with me. When my stalk fails and they give me a chance with the gun I take it. Mike



I hear ya! I drop them with a 22-250 right in the ear. This is also with varmint round, 45 grain to be exact.

That's one heck of an impact at relatively short distances when it's going 4000+. I know everyone says they just dissentigrate, but the dead hog says different.

Oink Oink


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