Bullet preference for hogs

[rodneyshishido]

I shot a small sow this past weekend with my '06 using Winchester factory ammo with a 150gr bullet. The shot was taken at about 40 yards and hit just forward of the front shoulder. The bullet disintegrated. I am going to go to handloads but cannot decide on bullet manufacturer. I would prefer not to have to go to premium bullets. What are your experiences?

 

[sancho]

i shoot everything with nosler partitions. if you are reloading, the cost is negligable. i have even given up on reloading. i just buy the premium ammo preloaded with the partition.

i havent rifle hunted in two years. never in condor country.

 

[w8_liftr]

I use Barnes TSX in a 270WSM. Never had a failure. 4 shots=4 pigs in the freezer. I look at it this way, if you buy cheap, you get cheap. The bullet is the only thing connecting you to the animal. Get the best you can afford.

 

[bpnclark]

Swift A Frames for shots that will be under 100 yards.
Swift Sciroccos for shots that will be over 200 yards.

Every other "bonded" type bullet is a Scirocco knock-off. Accubonds and Interbonds are not as good. Their jacket is a lot thinner and wont hold up as well (but that's why Sciroccos cost more).

A Frames are a "beefed" up Nolser Partion.

Good luck

 

[LAOutdoorsman]

Before I switched to Barnes because I had to. I used to always use partitions and had a great success rate.

 

[sancho]

bpn. you have bullets set up for ranges?

my .257 wby, shuts off mulies with 120 gr partitions. out to whatever distance. i still have the 150gr NP bullet i pulled out of an aoudad. i remember weighing it, and being amazed. first big game animal i killed. i stayed with that bullet.

i miss reloading.

 

[bpnclark]

bpn. you have bullets set up for ranges?

Yep - but now its more like guns for different ranges. I only load one type of bullet per gun and I never change the load. My three "Big Game" guns (which I would use on a hog hunt).

My -
270 Win shoots a 150 grn A Frame (my -150 yard light backback gun)
300 Win shoots a 165 grn Scirocco (my +200 yard gun)
375 H&H shoots a 250 grn A Frame (my -80 yard big gun)

Now if I ever hunt in So Cal I'll be screwed because I dont shoot or load Barnes Bullets (because they suck).

 

[Rancho Loco]

More pigs in California have probably died to cor-lokts than any other bullet. Hot-cors work fine too, if you shoot them in the right spot. I've used both. I've also used Accubonds, Scirrocos, Grand-slams, TSX's, and TTSX's. All with success...

Shoot a pig through the heart or lungs with a good bullet and they're going to die. It ain't rocket science.

I really wonder sometimes about the problems people have with certain bullets...

 

[myfriendis410]

I just don't get the hatred for the Barnes. They shoot well in most rifles, handload to respectable velocities and accuracy, and they work on hogs. I've killed a LOT of hogs with Barnes, and they hold together and knock 'em down when you hit 'em where you should. I've had Sierra bullets come apart, had Partitions lose their entire front end, and peeled Accubonds like a banana. The Barnes hold up well and kill 'em dead.

 

[rodneyshishido]

Thanks for the input. The Swift bullets sound interesting.

Rancho, I used to shoot Remingtons, but, now I can only get Winchester unless I do a special order. The core lokts used to group adequately in my rifle, but not as good as I would like. At the risk of sounding arrogant, I avoid the heart/lung shots to avoid meat loss. I generally do head or neck.

 

[sancho]

bpn...very hard to argue with your logic. makes perfect sense.

you have quite the arsenal. i like my life simple. i would take that 300 load it up with a 180 gr, and hunt everything. i have never shot a 375, but reading stories in outdoor life as a kid made that caliber magic in my mind.

 

[weekender21]

I just don't get the hatred for the Barnes. They shoot well in most rifles, handload to respectable velocities and accuracy, and they work on hogs. I've killed a LOT of hogs with Barnes, and they hold together and knock 'em down when you hit 'em where you should. I've had Sierra bullets come apart, had Partitions lose their entire front end, and peeled Accubonds like a banana. The Barnes hold up well and kill 'em dead.

I have to second that! I have had horrible problems with soft bullets like Winchester power points and excellent results with bullets designed to penetrate. Nosler Partitions were the best hard core bullets around at one time but there are much better options out there these days. I have had the best luck with Winchester fail safe and most recently Barnes TSX. There are no other big game animals in CA that deserve a well built bullet more than hogs. In my opinion, a large boar requires a tougher bullet than a bull elk. I would go with the Barnes TSX as a first choice and nothing less than a bonded bullet, ie: Accubonds. Hogs require premium bullets, at least the big ones.

 

[bpnclark]

Barnes suck!!!

In and out with very little damage. I have shot 6 animals with them. All died but it was a pain in the a**. They all ran off with very little to no blood trail to follow. If I had to hunt with Barnes again, I would aim for heavy bone. That way I'll know it will expand and do some damage.

Some people like Fords and some like Chevys. Personaly I drive Jeeps. To each its own.

Good luck Rodney :toast-yellow:

 

[bux-n-dux]

The best example I have is not based on my performance, because it is meager at best, but my dads. He shot 30.06 and used 150 grain core-lokt bullets. Every deer I saw him shoot dropped dead, or left a blood trail a blind man could follow, although he wouldn't have needed to follow it for very long. Granted he didn't take very man 200yd shots, but that's blacktails in Norcal woods for you. I shoot core-lokt out of my older guns (including my dad's -.06) and they do very well. In my newer guns premium bullets like Siroccos and Hornadys do better.

bux-n-dux

 

[hatchet1]

ah... the bullet question,once again... there is no "one" bullet, find the bullet your rifle likes to swallow and stick with it..unfortunatly the granolas have made it so that
those of us that hunt in the dodo bird zone must shoot either barnes or e-tips,
which in my opinion are terrible... in reality it looks as though this state and probably country at some point will go all copper, so you may want to start aclimating your
rifle to this crap sooner rather than later.. i dont like it.. but there it is... if you
are able to track with out a bloodtrail, you should be allright..atiotic-wavin-flag

 

[myfriendis410]

It all just goes back to "use enough gun". Shoot a big enough bullet and who cares if it opens up. My experience has been, however that in the 7mm r.m. and 300 w.m. OVER penetration would be my only issue. The handful of bullets I have recovered, mostly muzzleloader and 45-70 bullets, were absolutely beautiful advertisements for Barnes. The only bullet I have recovered other than that was a 200 gr. plain base that broke every bone in the front running gear and lodged under the gristle plate after shedding 1/2 gr. in weight. I'd call that good performance any day of the week.

My hunting buddy's two best bullets in his Weatherby Mk V .340 Wby. are both Barnes; watched him shoot a one inch group at 300 yards in the Bull with that gun and he has named his rifle "Thor"; because, of the over 100 elk he's killed, he's NEVER seen what this gun/bullet combo does to big bulls.

I am also somewhat comforted in knowing I am not injesting any lead fragments in my meat. Now, don't get me wrong; I think this whole zone A thing is a load of hooey, and I think you should shoot whatever works best in your gun and gives you the most confidence. That said, I am just fine with shooting the Barnes.

 

[weekender21]

My buddy and I recovered a beautiful 140gr Barnes TSX bullet from a Tule elk in 2005. It was perfectly mushroomed and put the bull down in short order. I have never recovered a rifle bullet out of my .270 WSM. At roughly 3,200 fps penetration has not been a problem on deer or hogs. I personally have no experience with any other Barnes bullets than the ones I was handloading for my short mag worked awesome! (140gr tripple shocks).
In my opinion, using a well build bullet is far more important than "using enough gun". I would rather shoot a large pig with a 270 and a well built bullet than a Weatherby 300 magnum and soft tipped bullets any day!

 

[bpnclark]

I would rather shoot a large pig with a 270 and a well built bullet than a Weatherby 300 magnum and soft tipped bullets any day!

Thats probably because you have never killed a large pig with a 300 Wby. Trust me, its more fun!

 

[bpnclark]

300 Win Mag - 165 grn Scirocco out of a cow elk I shot at +320 yards. Entered in the heart and ended in the opposite shoulder. If I was shooting a Barnes, this probably would have been the only time I would have been able to recover one.

The problem I have with Barnes is I dont think the mushroom out of my 300. They might, but I have never recovered one. Also the exit wounds they have left are about the same size as the entry hole.

If they work for you! :toast-yellow:
If they dont try a Swift! :toast-yellow:

 

[weekender21]

Swift Scirocco's are bonded bullets, not the soft tipped ones I was referring to. Swift Scirocco's are quality bullets, I doubt you'll get anyone to argue that point. I personally have no plans to shoot another hog with a rifle, they were made for archery!