I don't think a 223 is suitable for hogs at all. I know, I know, lots of people using them and killin lots of pork but I've killed many hogs with old bullet holes from folks using too small a rifle. I've also seen a 350lb hog soak up 2 broadside hits from a 300 Win mag and still went 150 yards. A 223 may be a suitable deer rifle here in Texas with our anorexic whitetails but I will never use one for hogs......again. I learned my lesson the hard way. If your AR is all you've got use the heaviest good penetrating bullet it shoots well. JM2C
I don't think a 223 is suitable for hogs at all. I know, I know, lots of people using them and killin lots of pork but I've killed many hogs with old bullet holes from folks using too small a rifle. I've also seen a 350lb hog soak up 2 broadside hits from a 300 Win mag and still went 150 yards. A 223 may be a suitable deer rifle here in Texas with our anorexic whitetails but I will never use one for hogs......again. I learned my lesson the hard way. If your AR is all you've got use the heaviest good penetrating bullet it shoots well. JM2C
My $.02;
It is not that important what caliber or bullet weight you use as much as shot placement. A gut shot is a gut shot if it's a deer or hog or elephant. You are more than likely going to kill the animal its just not going to be anywhere close to where you are. 50BMG excluded. I've shot a lot of hogs with a 22-250. Some were gutshot and I did not find them. That's fine with me because I don't eat them or touch them. If they were in a field that I could not drive in and drag or load them I gut shot them so they would die in the brush.
I coyote hunt quite a bit now and I shoot a 16" barrel 223. I've killed hogs with it too. You just have to be patient and take only the best shot if you expect to kill it where it is. After all the best spot is in the ear, really.
My $.02;
It is not that important what caliber or bullet weight you use as much as shot placement. A gut shot is a gut shot if it's a deer or hog or elephant. You are more than likely going to kill the animal its just not going to be anywhere close to where you are. 50BMG excluded. I've shot a lot of hogs with a 22-250. Some were gutshot and I did not find them. That's fine with me because I don't eat them or touch them. If they were in a field that I could not drive in and drag or load them I gut shot them so they would die in the brush.
I coyote hunt quite a bit now and I shoot a 16" barrel 223. I've killed hogs with it too. You just have to be patient and take only the best shot if you expect to kill it where it is. After all the best spot is in the ear, really.