Would you ever consider using a .223 Remington as a hog rifle?

I grew up in MT hunting and fishing, and am a Master Gunsmith, and Gunsmith Reloader. For the sake of argument, you could use hollow points .223 (I'd use boat-tail HP's). If you are using an AR-15 go ahead and use the 55grain, However, if you are using a Mini-14 use a 68 grain bullet. (Accuracy issue--Use Greenhills equation if you want to figure out why Mini-14's shoot to the right with 55grain bullets).

I'm not sure if the .223 really has the power to do the one shot, one kill deal with a boar. It is a really fast round, about 2800fps and is designed to tumble upon entry. Even with the HP flatening a bit, it's still going to tumble. If you shot the boar under the head to the right to go throught the heart, you probably would acheive your goal. From the side, boars are really tough, you could aim and hit the heart entry zone, but the bullet will start to tumble immediately, and you may not hit the heart. I wouldn't bother with the head, it is one of the strongest places on a boars body.

The .223 is good for varmit and small animals, but I really don't think you would acheive a good kill of a boar with one. I admit I have never tried, I would opt for a .30cal for a hog or boar. I only say that due to the ballistics difference between the rounds.

Good question though, however if you have the magic touch to hit the few softspots on a hog or boar, then you could be the the one on the grassy knoll. (Just Kidding)

-L

I would say only at extreme close range. I have seen it done but most hog hunts I've been on have been with dogs and they pin or corner the hog so often one of the hunters just reaches in with a pig sticker knife and punctures it's jugular vein. If the dogs are having a hard time controlling the bore a Mini 14 to the head works just fine. Now if you're talking about some 600 pound porkers from distance forget your 223 they only drop with a precise shot from a 30-06 or similar and will run like hell if you miss a vital organ. Up close with a large caliber is the best bet for a quick kill.

In the interest of brevity here's my opinion from a lot of experience- you can shoot a 300 lb hog right between the eyes with a 22 rimfire if you are standing a little above him while he is in the pen.When a farmer kills a hog he doesn't take his 30/06 to the pen with him. He takes his 22. Of course this is a special situation and I only mention it for the benefit of those that think you need a bazooka to kill a hog.And over the years I would say I have killed over 50 hogs with a bow and arrow. Some with a bow that had a draw weight of 50 lbs ( my first compound bow) So if I were armed with a .223 Remington, I would think I had powerful medicine for a hog, assuming the shot was made that was in the right vital area, and not a broadside shoulder shot. But I am sure there are others that think their elephant gun is the only thing to use. And in the case of a charging 300 lb plus boar that would be my gun of choice also. So I guess it would all be relative. What happened to my brevity?

223 For Hogs

I believe it is a little light for hog hunting. However, I would feel OK about it with proper shot placement and some distance between myself and the hog. If it comes down to closer quarters I would opt for a much larger caliber or a slug gun. I once shot a hog with a 50 cal muzzleloader with little effect. I have also shot many domesticated hogs while butchering on a farm. They were killed with almost instantly in most cases with a .22 long rifle. Although they were domesticated, they still have the same anatomy. So, a .223 would work in the right hands.

Honestly Butch, .223 is fairly potent. Admittedly, I wouldn't go after the 800+ lb. monsters of legend with it... but for most hogs .223 will suffice with decent softpoint ammunition.

I've shot several rather large deer with .223 (An old stevens 200 I borrowed), and it works very, very well. Regardless of what others may think, the .223 is quite venerable if you know how to shoot.

I would most definitely advise it for hog hunting. Very good round; as long as you know what you're doing... and I have a feeling that you're a pretty damn good shot.

If it's legal, go for it. I can't see a reason not to use a .223 for hogs (just don't take a shot at some 800+ lb. monster and expect to drop it instantly, ha ha).

I would use it on a hog up to 300 lbs. On the big boys I would stick to shots behind the ear or in the forehead. For the smaller guys I would use the vitals area as another choice. With some of the grains available out there you can have some sizable pills coming out of that barrel. If I were wandering around the brush stalking the suckers I would be carrying my 1x9 twist Savage which I would be loading 62 grain SPs. If I were to be posted in a open area with a stable platform I would have my 1 for 8 twist savage shooting either 80 grainers or 75s since its an LDPV with a super heavy barrel not to be toted far. Growing up raising hogs and being poor, we used to put down hogs for slaughter with a .22LR from 10 to 15 yds. That is a forward on head shot with no possibility of ricochet so I wouldn't be against using a .223 for greater distances. I wouldn't dare bet my life on a 450 pounder going down on the first shot with a .223 so I would just pass on those boys.

If you are going to use this particular round, I would suggest using a V-Max bullet and have a very tight shooting group (one inch group at 100 yards). You will need to have a good shot placement either in the ear or in the eye. There are not many places you can shoot a hog and do very much damage with a .223 round.

A behind the should shot, heart or lung or even a head shot with a 30 cal rifle (30-06 180 gr SpirePoint-Corelok) will not easily damage or kill the hog with one shot. The hog has a thick gristle on his flanks and his skull is about 3 inches thick. You are left with only and ear or eye shot. Any other place will only piss off the hog.

I'm from central Texas and do alot of hunting. Our pigs here can get up to 400 lbs as to their usually just three generations from domestication. I usually do my hog hunting with a 7 mag, but i have taken them with a .223 and 22-250. In my opinion, its a hit and miss so to say with the .223. Roughly a month ago I took down a 350 lb boar with an ear shot with my .223 and he dropped. A few days later I took the same shot on a 80 lb sow, she ran off. There was blood and i'm very confident in my shooting as to I used to shoot competitively. If your hunting pigs with the .223, your pretty much relying on the luck of the draw. I will say this though, I have roughly 60 guns in my collection and the .223 is definately my favorite.

The main difference between these two cartridges is not in the cartridges, but in the chamber dimensions. The 5.56mm and .223 Rem chambers are nearly identical. The difference is in the "Leade". Leade is defined as the portion of the barrel directly in front of the chamber where the rifling has been conically removed to allow room for the seated bullet. It is also more commonly known as the throat. Leade in a .223 Rem chamber is usually .085". In a 5.56mm chamber the leade is typically .162", or almost twice as much as in the 223 Rem chamber. You can fire .223 Rem cartridges in 5.56mm chambers with this longer leade, but you will generally have a slight loss in accuracy and velocity over firing the .223 round in the chamber with the shorter leade it was designed for. Problems may occur when firing the 5.56mm cartridge in a .223 chamber with its much shorter leade. It is generally known that shortening the leade can dramatically increase chamber pressure. In some cases, this higher pressure could result in primer pocket gas leaks, blown cartridge case heads and gun functioning issues. The 5.56mm military cartridge fired in a .223 Rem chamber is considered by SAAMI (Small Arm and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute) to be an unsafe ammunition combination.