# .22 mag for hogs...



## Gamikatsu

Before we start a this is not good for that caliber war..  all i have available to me is my marlin 25MN .22 mag... going out wed for squirrel/hog.  If i really wanted to just hunt hog i'd take my crossbow but nutter busting has been getting to me... so i'm going to take my .22 mag.  head shots only on squirrels just to save meat.  currently shooting the CCI JHP 40 grain.  think that would penetrate enough in the ear or just behind it on a small ish hog?  i'd hate to have to try and find either the CCI PSP or the Rem PSP and re sight...


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## Nicodemus

I would use solids, for everything. Better penetration on hogs, and less meat damage on a squirrel.


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## Gamikatsu

true that... now to just FIND them... around here finding anything like that is impossible... have to drive to basspro i guess.


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## Stackem

Biggest pig I have killed was shot just forward of shoulder and angled out of the neck...pig was about 120 and shot was about 30yds....I was suprised at the damage when cleaning this pig. 22mag did a complete entry and exit....no doubt I will carry for hogs....


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## Gamikatsu

What. Bullet stackem?


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## Okie Hog

> I would use solids, for everything. Better penetration on hogs, and less meat damage on a squirrel.



Bingo!!
i often hunt hogs on a huge piece of federal property where the only legal guns outside of deer/elk season are shotguns and small shot or rimfire rifles.  Killed a lot of hogs there with the .22 magnum using the CCI total metal jacket ammo.


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## weekender

we have killed quite a few with a .22 mag and 33 grn V-max ammo from Wally world


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## bull0ne

nicodemus said:


> i would use solids, for everything. Better penetration on hogs, and less meat damage on a squirrel.



x 2


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## 1990chevy

A 22mag will kill any hog with a well placed shoot behind the ear. I seen my grandaddy kill one when i was about 8 that was easyly 250 lbs.


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## hogman1

.22 mag with no doubt will kill em.....ive used a .17HMR


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## bfriendly

Gamikatsu said:


> true that... now to just FIND them... around here finding anything like that is impossible... have to drive to basspro i guess.



Walmart "Might" have the CCI solid point..........I have found them there, but only on occasion.  BTW-I have to add that, for me, I will go Heart/lung shot every chance I get; yes I am shooting a .22 mag too, its PLENTY
a .22lr will get it done too, FACT!

If you have an Academy Sports within Driving distance, they HAVE em! Easily the best prices too


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## Bonaire-Dave

I'm using Hornady 30gr V-Max in a Savage 93, ss bull barrell, laminated thumb hole stock. Dave


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## bullsprig1100

I agree that a lung/heart shot with a 22 mag. 40 gr solid will break a hog down with good results. I use the Marlin 25mn myself and have had nothing but good results. A well placed shot from a 22 mag. is more lethal than a poorly placed shot from a centerfire rifle.


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## tree cutter 08

i saw one droped with a cci 40gr hp right at 150yds. the bullet was lodged in the skin on the other side fully expanded. amazing


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## tkyklr1

I use a 22 mag myself.


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## Hooty Hoot

Hammer dead with a solid jacketed bullet. Doesn't make a mess like a deer rifle. It is what I use.


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## Pro Hunter 1971

bfriendly said:


> Walmart "Might" have the CCI solid point..........I have found them there, but only on occasion.  BTW-I have to add that, for me, I will go Heart/lung shot every chance I get; yes I am shooting a .22 mag too, its PLENTY
> a .22lr will get it done too, FACT!
> 
> If you have an Academy Sports within Driving distance, they HAVE em! Easily the best prices too




PLENTY!

 Hardly, You have to have PERFECT placement.
95% of hunters in the field cannot make that PERFECT Shot.

That is a FACT!


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## benosmose

I have killed some 500 plus pounders with 22 shorts but the barrel was point blank to the forehead of them Id go for the ol smokepole on small game dates imo


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## goastinstructor

17HMR+230lb hog = a bad day for this guide bout 3 months ago.  Ive seen a 22mag put em down with well placed shots no doubt but keep in mind your hunting hippos with a 30-30.  Just be ethical in shot placement and maintain patience if the right shot does not present its self let it walk.  So, much for beatin a dead horse the 22 mag will do it.


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## goastinstructor

Honestly if you can obtain one,  ye ol smoke poll would work a heck of alot better.  Prohunter is right and I know from first hand most hunters will not make the shot.


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## NCHillbilly

weekender said:


> we have killed quite a few with a .22 mag and 33 grn V-max ammo from Wally world





Blairsville-Dave said:


> I'm using Hornady 30gr V-Max in a Savage 93, ss bull barrell, laminated thumb hole stock. Dave



Where are y'all shootin' em with the V-max, head or body? My 25MN like the V-max loads, but I just always figured they would blow up on a hog instead of penetrating.


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## manok

CCI maxi-mag HP + V  30 grn JHP, I have yet to test.

Anyone tried them ?


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## Gamikatsu

i have two boxes... CCI maxi mag 40 grain JHP and cci maxi mag 40 grain FMJ.  I hope the FMJ shoots same POI as the hp's... i got to take them out and see how they shoot.  7 or 8 bucks per 50 aint bad... not .22 LR stuff but.... thats what i got a .22 LR for!!!  my .22 mag is a hog dedicated gun.


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## ridgerunner404

am leaving this afternoon for chattahoche WMA for sqirrel and hog will be staying thru wed. oh yeah 22 LR here. will get the job done on med to small hogs,.maybe some of you up there


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## Planewood

*22 & hogs*



Gamikatsu said:


> Before we start a this is not good for that caliber war..  all i have available to me is my marlin 25MN .22 mag... going out wed for squirrel/hog.  If i really wanted to just hunt hog i'd take my crossbow but nutter busting has been getting to me... so i'm going to take my .22 mag.  head shots only on squirrels just to save meat.  currently shooting the CCI JHP 40 grain.  think that would penetrate enough in the ear or just behind it on a small ish hog?  i'd hate to have to try and find either the CCI PSP or the Rem PSP and re sight...



We always used a 22 rifle with solid 22 long rifle bullets when butchering big hogs.  Right between the eyes and up a little.  The smaller hogs we used a hammer to knock them out then jerked them up with the tractor lift and slit their throat.  The still beating heart would pump out most of the blood that way.


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## Okie Hog

> Honestly if you can obtain one, ye ol smoke poll would work a heck of alot better



Killed a lot of hogs with muzzleloaders and i prefer them:  But muzzleloaders are not an option on some places i hunt.  Options are small shot or a rimfire rifle, thats all.  i pick my shots carefully and no hog has gotten away after being shot by my .22 magnum.


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## Rev.432

I took a hog last year with 22 mag.
 I use Federal Game-Shok 50 grain jacketed hollow point.
the heavier weight gives more knock down power.


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## goastinstructor

Okie Hog said:


> Killed a lot of hogs with muzzleloaders and i prefer them:  But muzzleloaders are not an option on some places i hunt.  Options are small shot or a rimfire rifle, thats all.  i pick my shots carefully and no hog has gotten away after being shot by my .22 magnum.



Im not saying it cant be done I've done it myself all Im saying is Ive seen and cleaned enough hogs shot by other people that unless you have the experience a .22 mag is not your best choice.  As stated earlier "plenty" is not the propper adjective to describe the .22 mag I mean c'mom people dont make it sound like hes goin out with a hog slaying machine that cannot fail.  Your David chunkin a pebble at Goliath, yes it will make the kill but dont think its a sure thing if you do not excute extreme judgement with shot placement and timing.  And Rev really?  50grains and knockdown power in the same sentence, just seems funny to me.


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## Okie Hog

> Im not saying it cant be done I've done it myself all Im saying is Ive seen and cleaned enough hogs shot by other people that unless you have the experience a .22 mag is not your best choice. As stated earlier "plenty" is not the propper adjective to describe the .22 mag I mean c'mom people dont make it sound like hes goin out with a hog slaying machine that cannot fail. Your David chunkin a pebble at Goliath, yes it will make the kill but dont think its a sure thing if you do not excute extreme judgement with shot placement and timing. And Rev really? 50grains and knockdown power in the same sentence, just seems funny to m



We agree that a .22 magnum is not a proper hog rifle.  However, i have killed dozens of hogs using a .22 magnum on 18,000 acres of restricted federal property:  No wounded hog ever got away.  My shots are limited to 50 yards or less.   

There is absolutely no substitute for shot placement.  i saw a hog gutshot with a .338 Win Mag run off to die a lingering death.  Hunted with  a guy who gutshot a huge sow twice with his .300 Win Mag and 180 grain Partitions:  i finally put that hog down.  That was our first and only hunt together.   i won't hunt with a person who can't put the bullet where its supposed to go.

Every year a dog and i track a few dozen elk and deer for other hunters:  Sometimes we track a hog.  In the vast majority of cases the hunter claims his arrow or bullet hit the animal in the right place.  i often hear "i double lunged that animal and the bullet/arrow (select one) failed".  Those animals are usually gutshot.  One guy claimed the huge gutshot buck i found was not his because he "double lunged" his deer.

If you don't feel a .22 magnum is capable of taking hogs then don't use it.


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## Showman

The person pulling the trigger is his/her on worst enemy when it comes to shot placement.  I have talked to so many people who are wondering why they missed a Deer/Hog with their favorite rifle/Bow.  First question I always ask them is "When was the last time you took it to a range and checked the sights?".  I hate hearing "It was dead on last year (or the year before that) and I haven't touched it since then".  "Did you clean it, move it, bump it, drop it, or even look at it wrong?"  "Yes, I cleaned it after I shot it and it slipped (fell over, got bumped putting it in the rack, fill in anything you want)"  "We'll, there ya go. Now you know why it isn't on target".  People, if you are going to take a weapon into the woods to harvest something for the table, at least do the animal the common courtesy to have recently sighted in your weapon with the Ammo you plan to hunt with.  
A .22MAG is quite sufficient to take down a Hog (or a Deer for that matter) at close range (less than 75 yards).  A .17HMR is also capable of doing it at that range also.  But if you do not go to the range and make sure that where you point that bullet is where it is going to impact, you might as well stay at home.  Know where you need to hit that animal to quickly bring it down and do everything you can to see that is what happens.  Practice makes perfect (well, that is the saying anyway).  Not every shot will be perfect but it should be close enough to do the job as quick as possible.  Know your prey, know your weapon, know your ammo, and you will have success.


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## Okie Hog

> Not every shot will be perfect but it should be close enough to do the job as quick as possible. Know your prey, know your weapon, know your ammo, and you will have success.




Following up after the shot is very important.  Animals i thought were not hit proved to be hit when followed up.  If it does not fall over dead some hunters never bother to check.  Saw two guys stop their truck and one took  shot at a huge bull elk with a 7mm Rem Mag.   i saw dust fly off the animal:  Told them it was hit.  They both laughed at me and said it was a clean miss.  As they got into their truck to leave  i asked if i could keep the animal.  They both laughed again at the crazy old coot, said yes and drove off.   

Tracked that elk for about 1/4 mile and found him dead:  Hit in one lung.  Field dressed that elk and loaded it onto my trailer:  Those guys were at the check station.  They had conniption fits as  i checked in their elk and left.


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## Pro Hunter 1971

> (less than 75 yards). A .17HMR is also capable of doing it at that range also



You can " Kill" a Hog with a GAMO Air Rifle too, but I wouldn't. 
You are WAY Undergunned with a .17 HMR.


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## Showman

Not at all.  It may be a really small bullet but it is more than enough to take a Hog down.  Just don't use them there plastic tip bullets, use FMJ's and it will do the trick every time.  I have seen more than one big bruiser taken down with a .17HMR.  Still, you must make a good shot to do it but it can be done.  Head shot's are the recommended shot placement for the .17's though.  Heart/Lung shots sometimes will not make it if the Hog is really HUGE with a lot of fat.
DRT is DRT no matter what you use.


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## goastinstructor

Okie Hog said:


> There is absolutely no substitute for shot placement.  i saw a hog gutshot with a .338 Win Mag run off to die a lingering death.  Hunted with  a guy who gutshot a huge sow twice with his .300 Win Mag and 180 grain Partitions:  i finally put that hog down.  That was our first and only hunt together.   i won't hunt with a person who can't put the bullet where its supposed to go.
> 
> If you don't feel a .22 magnum is capable of taking hogs then don't use it.



I understand where your coming from and  I put hunters 
on pigs year around and I see how people shoot.  If 
someone is on this forum asking for caliber info then 
personally I assume the worst case scenario Okie obviously you and I have smashed some pork in our days... I mean alot of pork but for inexperience I just would not recommend a 22 mag.


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## huntingonthefly

Prolly killed over a *** hogs with a 22 mag with solid points. usually within 50 yds. and in the shoulder. only 2 or 3 in the head. only lost two or three n then i shot a lil bak was the reason. the round has always performed well, sometimes busting both shoulder bones.  I'm not hunting 500 lb russian boars in tbe carolinas.b ut the common piney woods rooters we have down here in middle n south ga wmas.


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