Hogs with 22LR

[Joshk358]

Just curious who has hunted hogs with a 22LR? What load did you use? Distance? Gotta assume they'd be mostly head shots. Interested to hear about your experience with the good ole 22LR.

 

[RME]

I’ve hunted them with a 22 WMR quite a bit. If you can bump up to a 22 mag it’s worth it IMO.

 

[V00D00]

been there done that. if you aint putting it in the ear u aint doing anything. need more than 22lr imo

 

[HairyScandinavian]

We've used the CCI Stingers for the kids when they were small with their Cricket 22's. Need a fairly small sized eating hog and need to ear hole them. This was back before suppressors. It can be done but need a situation for an easy accurate shot and those darn things don't hardly stand still. We were about 25 to 30 yards out when successful.

 

[Whbull]

Headshots only with CCI 40gr at 15 yards. Effective but unforgiving. Not my first choice.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

Mostly 22wmr from the seat of the tractor.

 

[Ramem7mm]

I have been point blank with a 22LR on feral hogs for slaughter and the bullet did not penetrate the skull. God awful squealing noise and needed another round.

Also for slaughter feral pig seen a point blank with a 22 mag and shot a decent size pig. First shot front of skull and knocked it over but then it got back up and needed a second round.

Not a good choice for hunting. Killing in a pen for slaughter with ideal point blank would be ok.

 

[RME]

Not a good choice for hunting. Killing in a pen for slaughter with ideal point blank would be ok.

In some states on public they only allow squirrel tackle outside of firearms season for deer so that’s usually the interest in rimfires for hogs. If it wasn’t for that I wouldn’t be using 22 mags

 

[IW17]

Done it but only because it's what I had when the opportunity presented itself. Too limiting on shot placement and distance otherwise.

 

[T-town]

Just curious who has hunted hogs with a 22LR? What load did you use? Distance? Gotta assume they'd be mostly head shots. Interested to hear about your experience with the good ole 22LR.

Are you wanting to load hogs up in the truck to take to the skinning shed or are you trying to kill hogs?

I kill dozens and dozens every year with a ruger 10/22 shooting mostly Remington thunderbolt 40g and occasionally CCI stingers. For constant movement reasons as mentioned above, I have abandoned most head shots even on trap executions. shoot them behind the shoulder through the lungs and they die. Larger pigs and over 100 yards I prefer .223 if I have it with me.

 

[RWT]

Are you wanting to load hogs up in the truck to take to the skinning shed or are you trying to kill hogs?

I kill dozens and dozens every year with a ruger 10/22 shooting mostly Remington thunderbolt 40g and occasionally CCI stingers. For constant movement reasons as mentioned above, I have abandoned most head shots even on trap executions. shoot them behind the shoulder through the lungs and they die. Larger pigs and over 100 yards I prefer .223 if I have it with me.

Quite curious at what distance, what size hog and how many do you recover of the dozens and dozens you kill?

 

[T-town]

The vast majority of ones I kill are in a trap, so there’s that. You do get to see what kills and what doesn’t. I personally don’t want to waste ammo and don’t want to inflict unnecessary suffering (even though I hate pigs). Most everything is under 150lbs with the bulk being under 100. Largest is 275.

Outside the trap, most shot opportunities are within 50-75 yards. However, I have killed some much larger pigs out further in open ground. After getting an initial round in them, they wouldn’t go far, so just keeping arcing rounds into them, hearing the thump, until they go down.

.22 is just what I normally have with me for coons, possums, snakes, beavers, otters and pigs. It’s not ideal for pigs by any means, except it’s easy to carry, low ammo cost, easy target acquisition on multiple moving targets and they die. Some die within sight and others can go a few hundred yards. Blood trails are nonexistent.

Personally, if I’m “sport hunting” hogs and want to kill and recover some decent sized pork, I’m toting my .223.