.243 Win....enough for hogs?

[snox801]

Even a mis place shot with a large caliber is bad a gut shot hog with anything will make it a long ways. And as JE said they like to get even. I do like the faster follow up shot of a small caliber 300 blk or .223. But if I'm heading into the woods stalking a wounded pig or going after a monster boar I do pick up the .458 socom. Haven't found a pig that walks away from that thing. Just a dam heavy ar.

 

[geo4061]

Just got back from a hog hunt in central Texas. Shot one at 525 facing me with a 30 mph cross wind. It spun squealed and ran off. Buzzards found two days latter 50 yards away in cedar thicket. Next shot running at 260 yards hit in front of rear ham. Spun around and ran 50 yards to nearest cedar thicket. No blood trail and did not exit. These were shot with a 300 RUM 230 Berger at 3000 fps. We killed 14 more using thermals mounted on a 308 AR using 158 grain Hornady. None were DRT. Head or neck shots were out since the hogs were very nervous and moving. There were heart, lung, and anal to neck. Most ran at least 50 yards and most much farther They were extremely hard to find. Most were found a couple of days later by the buzzards. They run for the nastiest thickest thicket on the place filled with cactus. 243 I don't think so. If you have not been on a thermal hunt you need to go. It was a thrill.

 

[bayjoe]

I would sure go for something bigger if you got it. I've seen 300 pound boars hit broad side right in the heart area and they just kept right on going.

 

[geo4061]

If you are going for meat, shoot small hogs. If you take your time ,have a great hold , shoot at short range, hunt from a blind over a feeder and aim for the neck or side of the head an accurate 243 is probably a good choice.

 

[Sully2]

If you are going for meat, shoot small hogs. If you take your time ,have a great hold , shoot at short range, hunt from a blind over a feeder and aim for the neck or side of the head an accurate 243 is probably a good choice.

I fully intend on "outfitting" with someone that has a stand...up the ladder sort of thing. If a wounded hog wants to climb a ladder after me....he is in for a big suprize...

 

[Deleted member 48126]

I would sure go for something bigger if you got it. I've seen 300 pound boars hit broad side right in the heart area and they just kept right on going.

Yeah that shoulder blade is insane. They'll die, but after about a 200 yard run into the thickest crud the south has to offer. That's where they level the playing field.

 

[rickt300]

I have shot several hogs with my 6MM Remington, mostly with 85 grain Partitions but a few with the old 100 grain Nosler solid base bullet. I always go for CNS hits because I hunt at night and following them into the waist high shinnery isn't too smart ( have done it anyway though). They go right down and I suggest you do likewise. I do the same thing with my 223 but my shots are all at less than 100 yards with the hogs busy eating from piles of corn. If hunting the usual way I like my 308 or 30-06 with heavier bullets so if one runs off I may have a blood trail to follow.

 

[geo4061]

You are going to need more than an accurate rifle. I put together a small list. Go over to Thermal Long Range Hog Hunt If you are interested. Did not want to repeat myself.

 

[geo4061]

243 HaHaHa----Check out Thread 1000 pound Hogs

 

[Sully2]

243 HaHaHa----Check out Thread 1000 pound Hogs

Ive heard ducks fart under water before!

 

[geo4061]

Sully it is easy for you to sit in the LAZ-E-BOY and talk about things you know nothing about. You have never been hog hunting in central Texas have you?

 

[Primal]

I can only comment on hog hunting in my home state of Alabama. I do know from personal experience that the 243 is lethal on hogs in Alabama, and it's not uncommon to see 300 plus pound hogs. Of the 10 that I killed last year with 243, the smallest was around 125 and the largest was 240. I've taken hogs with a 30.06, 7mm STW, and a 20 gauge ultra slug that shot a 225 grain Hornady with a sabot bullet. Given a choice, I will always choose my 243 for two reasons...first, I know what it can do and second, I know the gun well enough to think I can't miss it. It shoot a 100 grain Hornady BTSP and haven't had to trail any of them further than 20 yards.

 

[Deleted member 48126]

I can only comment on hog hunting in my home state of Alabama. I do know from personal experience that the 243 is lethal on hogs in Alabama, and it's not uncommon to see 300 plus pound hogs. Of the 10 that I killed last year with 243, the smallest was around 125 and the largest was 240. I've taken hogs with a 30.06, 7mm STW, and a 20 gauge ultra slug that shot a 225 grain Hornady with a sabot bullet. Given a choice, I will always choose my 243 for two reasons...first, I know what it can do and second, I know the gun well enough to think I can't miss it. It shoot a 100 grain Hornady BTSP and haven't had to trail any of them further than 20 yards.

Zombie thread! This ones been dead for 3 years! OP hasn't been on in 2!

Great advice though. Great bullet selection. The .243 will indeed get the job done.

 

[Snookkatcher]

LMAO at myself! I just noticed the dates on this thread! Still an interesting read. I live in Fla. and hunt the heck out of hogs, mainly in the hunt club I belong to. We lease 24,000 acres of timber co. property, and have them out the wazoo. Club members shoot everything from .223/5.56mm up to .300 mags of assorted flavors, and a few shotguns. Most are shot at feeders under 50 yds.
A .243 works fine... plenty of power and low recoil which helps promote accurate shooting. Head shots are hands down first choice, or neck. Body shots have to go through that tough gristle shield, hog vitals are concentrated much farther forward than deer. And they don't tend to leak much at all. Personally, I use a Rem. 760 pump in 30/06 with a Leupold VX-R 2x7 scope, with the tiny red LED dot where the crosshairs intersect. Perfect for black hogs at dawn/dusk when you lose the black crosshairs, that tiny red dot shines.