.223 is it to small a round for smaller hogs

[lxtrail]

I bought a new howa the other day mainly for my girlfriend to shoot and i am looking to take her on the hog hunt on tajon in may. the rifle i bought so she could shoot is a .223 and i feel with proper shot placement and she will be proficent before i take her to take a animal. and on a smaller hog maybe up to 150 lb hog just would like your opinion

 

[bpnclark]

You can shoot the biggest hog in town with a 223. Just shoot it in the head. You wont have a mount but you'll have some pork.

 

[socalkid]

I shot my first hog, a 100lb. sow, with a .223. Laser rangefinder said 148 yards. Through the heart. She dropped in her tracks. Just choose the right bullet and work on shot placement and your good to go IMO.

 

[kingwouldbe]

Lxtrail, it can and has been done, but this is not fishing, we don't want to use the LIGHTEST tackle we can get away with.

We want a quick, clean, kill, if she's new and a green hunter she could pull the shot and gut shoot it and that might turn her from ever hunting again.

Better to use something with a little more umpha

 

[myfriendis410]

The .223 is too light. Show some respect for the hogs. No offense. A light .25 caliber with a muzzle brake won't kick any more than a .223 and will do a much better job with heavy bullets.

 

[Speckmisser]

Lonnie,

Plenty of time before the Tejon hunt... help her learn to use something with a little more oomph. If necessary, I may have something she can use... although she'd need to practice with it. You know how to get in touch with me.

The question about the .223 comes up over and over here, and the ensuing argument is always the same.

But the bottom line is, light calibers require precise shot placement, patience to get in range and wait for the proper target, and the willingness to pass up low-percentage shots. That really makes it a game for experienced riflemen under controlled conditions.

Hunting a place like Tejon with a .223 would be way too much handicap even for an experienced hunter. You'd really be stacking the odds against your girlfriend.

I will add that Tejon Ranch considers a wounded hog a dead hog... so shoot it and lose it, and you're done.

Considering the cost of taking her to Tejon, do you really want to mess around with too little gun?

 

[DanV]

You will get 2 different opinions over and over again on this on ! I personally would rather have my 7 mag in my hands than one of my .223 , with that said I would not hesitate to shoot a smaller pig with my .223 if the opportunity presented itself . I handload so I always have a few 60 gr. Nosler Partitions in my pocket just in case while varmint hunting . DON'T use regular HP's made for varmints for hogs , use a heavier built bullet like a NP , Barnes or a Grand Slam if they make them in that caliber . A properly placed shot with a small caliber will kill a hog just as fast as a larger projectile . A bad shoot with any gun short of a canon can result in a wounded animal !

 

[Speckmisser]

Just a quickie to follow up Dan's comments... you'll have to use Barnes if you're shooting at Tejon.

 

[doccherry]

A .223 is fine for hogs. So is a revolver in .357. So is an arrow. In some cases, a spear is more than adequate. Problem is, your range is severely limited and you need to make a perfect shot. It's sporting, but you need to have the presence of mind and the discipline to pass on 90% of the shots that fairly open country like Tejon will present you with. I wouldn't hesitate to use a .223 here on the Big Island, but that's because the shots are in close and the pigs are standing still when I shoot. Also, there are so many pigs that I don't mind passing on the first 3 or 4 that are not standing broadside within 50 yards. At Tejon, you may get one opportunity [if you're lucky] and that will be at 175 yards on a pig that is spooked and moving.

If recoil is a consideration, a 25/06 or a 7-08 or even a little .243 shooting hot handloads with good bullets would work a lot better. In my opinion, the .243 is fine on broadside shots of 150 yards or less if you are absolutely, positively sure that the bullet will hit right behind the shoulder and take out the lungs or the heart.

Tejon is not the kind of country that lends itself to hunting hogs with a .223. You'll need to pass on most shots and if you take a risk and botch the shot, you'll inflict pain and suffering and that's bad Karma, not to mention a rotten ending to what could have been a memorable hunt.

 

[sancho]

wow, a .223 bullet is tiny! what is the heaviest? 62gr? (it's been a long time) i remember when the barnesX bullet first hit the market, the company touted the bullet's ability to "step up" in capabilities. i.e. you could go down in bullet weight to boost the velocity, and still retain the knockdown capability of a heavier lead based bullet. i have never tried them. i tried the nosler partition, and never looked back.

you are so lucky to have a girlfriend willing to try hunting. i feel blessed my S/O lets me love hunting. i think you should stack the odds in her favor for a perfect humane kill. nothing will turn a rookies stomach as watching an animal die an anguished, lingering, drawn out death. or losing an wounded animal. go with a 7mm-08. they kick like feather pillows, and will shut down deer sized game. it's a great caliber! either way, good luck and i hope she scores at Tejon!

 

[Uncle Ji]

Though not my first choice but with the right ammo, and enough practice to have full confidence in the gun I would not, and have not hesitated in using a 223 on pigs. I have used Sierra 70 grain spire points on 2- 150 pound boars and with body shots dropped them both in their tracks with single shots from a mini-14 though these were close range 25 yards forest pigs. Know your limitations and the limitations of the gun you choose and you'll be okay, but if you want to increase the margin of error increase the cartridge size.

I have a .223 in a scoped NEF Handi-Rifle which works just dandy for the wild goats here which raely get over 100 pounds.

 

[lxtrail]

thanks all, speck you know i dont try to stir the pot i was just curios i did get the 223 but i will bring it as a back up on that hunt and if you dont mind speck maybe giving her a try with rifle, I am going to get her shooting my .270. she is a great girl and im not worried about her stomach but i do want it to be the best hunt that she will never forget. thanks for you opions i listen to the all

 

[myfriendis410]

You sound like a considerate and thoughtful outdoorsman. I think you will find that she won't have any trouble at all shooting the .270. Have a great time!

 

[daddy63]

I'm sure you looked into this already, but the managed recoil ammo would be a good place to start her off with 1\2 the recoil. I got some in 7mm o8 for my boy. Haven't shot them yet but he already is excited to shoot it with the reduced kick. Good luck on the hunt

Look forward to the story after.

 

[Speckmisser]

No worries, LX...

I have Kat shooting a .270, and she has no problem with it. The nice thing is that it's plenty of gun, even with less than ideal hits are reasonable range.

 

[jesunter]

.270 sounds better.
Lots of the recoil comes from the powder gas exiting at 4500 fps, so you will want to use a fast burning powder (less grains needed). A muzzle brake can reduce foot pounds of recoil, but the resulting muzzle blast can actually increase the perceived recoil.
Going with the 1" plus recoil pads (instead of the factory rubber plates) with a padded shooting jacket will help. Also, get her a pair of high-end earmuffs with the maximum db rating.
Make sure the gun fits her well too, and does not have too much drop at the comb.

 

[Nic Barca]

The problem I see witht he .223 is that it's just a really small round. Not that it wont do the job but the hole is small and if the pig runs, don't expect a great blood trail with any less than ideal shot. Shoot for the head if you can or shoot to drop them in their tracks. If the pig runs and you have to track it, that's where you might get some problems. There's n ot much margin of error with such a small round. Save it for those with a lot of experience

 

[Bluegunner]

Have killed 6 hogs in the last two years with my 22-250 using Barnes 53gr TripleShock pushed along with 35gr of Hodgdons Varget. All six were shoulder shots and none went more than 20 yards. They weighted from 140# to 320#.