“Wild hogs are among the most destructive invasive species in the United States today. Two million to six million of the animals are wreaking havoc in at least 39 states and four Canadian provinces; half are in Texas, where they do some $400 million in damages annually. They tear up recreational areas, occasionally even terrorizing tourists in state and national parks, and squeeze out other wildlife.” That according to smithsonianmag.com.

So the question isn’t should you shoot hogs. It’s what’s the best tool for the job? They’re tuff buggers that require a round that can penetrate their thick hides and a rifle that will let you put follow-up shots on them to finish the job. Here are five excellent choices for popping those pesky piggies.

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38 COMMENTS

  2. PSL is a surprising choice – big ungainly thing, and not really sure what sort of ammo selection you have in 7.62x54R that will work in the semi-auto. There is a lot of surplus ammo available for Mosins, with nice heavy bullets. I had a PSL for a while, and found it to be disappointingly inaccurate for long range use – I sold it off quickly.

    Although a bolt action isn’t as fast as a semi-auto, I really liked my Ruger Gunsite Scout while hunting hogs on high-fence property outside San Antonio. Fast mag changes are nice to have, and the little Scout handles very well.

    Living in Washington, I don’t have much opportunity to hunt pigs – but if I did, it would be with either the Ruger, my DPMS Recon, or a suppressed 300 BLK AR.

  3. Pest control calls for cost effective solutions. The ideal round for the task at hand is 7.62×39. And the best tool to deliver that is a Ruger American bolt action with 10 round mini30 magazines….maybe the CZ527 if you can accept being limited to 5 round magazines. Once again, bubba clean misses the obvious choice. Hunting comes with a 10 round per mag limit on many state managed land tracts.

  5. One guy I know swears by a nice heavy AR-10 in .243, shooting from a stand. He says he could only very,very rarely get multiple pigs offhand, but can routinely get 4 or 5 this way. Distance is key as well, he prefers at least 150 yard shots, says it sometimes takes just a second longer to scatter. Silencer would probably suit him but he can’t be arsed.

  6. In the last 3 weeks I’ve killed about 80 pigs. Many hundreds over the years. A supressed AR in 6.8SPC under an NV optic has proven the best combination I can find. I took out 23 in one evening like this last week.

    • JWT – Since you’ve got the 6.8 bolt, you should try the 358 MGP for the big piggies. It’s just deadly.

  7. So the guns most people are suggesting or a little too much gun for most pigs. It is true, pigs do get big, but the vast majority of the pigs that you will shoot are under 80 pounds. The 30-06 will certainly kill them, there just won’t be a whole lot of meat left for you, unless you’re using a solid round. For the vast majority of pigs, the 556NATO round, with a soft point and a heavier grain, works just fine. If you really want to work on eradicating pigs, fast shots, both follow-up shots as well as transition shots to the next animal, mean more than a heavier grained more powerful round.

    • It is already legal. There is nothing to legalize. You can hunt pigs in Texas with a full auto M60 from a helicopter or even a hot air balloon.

  9. I hunt hogs with a 300 BLK unsupressed. Initially, I used a 110 grain bullet, but found it did not deliver enough energy for a kill shot. Have had success with a 220 gr subsonic load. Also had success with a 308Win bolt action, but there was no chance for a follow up shot. Most of my hog shooting has been in the woods at short range. Every pig I have shot has both an entry and exit wound.

  10. Darn. I was hoping someone would summarize the list in the comments so i wouldn’t have to watch the video. I guess i will never know what rifles made the list

  14. One thing I don’t get – if wild pigs are such a problem, you’d think landowners would be begging people to come hunt them. But I hear you have to pay a fair amount for the privilege- what’s the real story about paying for hunting wild pigs?

    • Most of us have had bad experiences with people shooting livestock, houses, barns, and pets. We want the pigs gone, but just letting anyone on the property to start shooting isn’t worth the risk.

      • Thanks, jwt. When growing up hunting doves around Wichita Falls, we would occasionally run into a land owner who felt that way and who wouldn’t let us hunt. I understand that issue especially if someone has been plagued with ‘slob hunters’ before. But that problem isn’t necessarily solved by charging people to hunt, unless the idea is to use the proceeds from the hunt to repair any damage caused. In the case of pigs, though, charging hunters to eliminate a problem seems limiting and not as effective as just begging people to come help. I remember my mom’s uncle, a physician in San Antonio and avid deer hunter, saying on a couple of occasions that the local farmers and ranchers were pleading for people to come and hunt deer since the overpopulation at those times were causing starvation in the herds. No fees for hunting in those cases. Sounds kind of analogous to the pig problem…

  15. I wonder what changes might arise for gun banners if there were a few million of these bastards running around in NYC, CT/MA, Cook County, LA County, SF Bay. Makes an interesting picture.

  16. I like using an enfield. But, I don’t live in Texas where there’s waves of them. If I did I’d probably choose something belt fed.

  17. 30-06 is overkill in my opinion, people act like hogs are tanks. 5.56 works just fine if you do your part. My brother-in-law uses a .22 Magnum and has had no issues either.

  18. Hogs shouldnt be treated like game animals. That is the reason they are spreading so fast.

    They should be treated like a scourge with severe fines for anyone caught transporting them fo release.

    I see a hog … i kill it … regardless of when or where it is.

  19. In the deep South, shotguns are still the go to guns for thick cover hog shooting. Whenever afield with the 12 bore, I keep a double handfull or three of Dixie Tri-Ball Buckshot in the shooting jacket for those times when an upland game hunt turns into a hog shooting opportunity. Three .60 caliber hard cast 315 grain pellets will put even a big hog down pronto.

  20. I use the Mini30 and the Mini14 so far on Pigs. Both work great. I use the 60 grain soft points out of the .223 . Follow up shot are tough anywhere you go since they are moving fast as son as the first pig goes down.

  21. We are looking for farmers / ranchers with wild hog problems that we may be able to hunt on their land. Can anyone help???

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