Texas Hog purposed gun decision

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twoblink

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As is Tradition.. My birthday is coming up so that means time to buy myself a gun!

I would like to buy a gun this year for the purpose of hog hunting (I think).

I do own a Timberwolf .357Mag Pump Rifle already; but wondering if that's "enough gun" for a Hog. Advantages of course is that I can pair it up with my Ruger GP100 and just carry 357Mag loads for both guns [Cowboy Logistics (tm)].

But thinking I might need a little more gun; my 3 choices are:

1) Ruger .44 Carbine
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2) Remington 870 Express Compact Jr. Synthetic in 20 Gauge
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3) Mossberg SA-20 synthetic with pistol grip in 20 Gauge also
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I find this gun Fugly as hell; but if it's purposeful, I don't care.

I already own a 20 gauge Browning BPS and prefer 20 gauge to 12; but my 28" barrel is not as dextile as these two shotguns.

The gun I REALLY want to take hunting; and have been looking for; for 3 years with no luck is the Remington 7600Police Carbine in 308.. It's comes with a MUCH longer sight radius from the ghost sights and also it's got an 18" barrel already; and it's in 308; which the rest of my rifles are in.
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I have a Springfield M1A National Match which weighs a few tons; and a Mauser K98 in 308 but I don't think I can work it fast enough (left handed) if a hog was charging at me; to get a second shot off. The Remington 7600Police seems to be the perfect gun to me; I don't know how to go about acquiring it though.. so I might have to settle for another alternative.

Comments welcome!
 

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I would go with the Ruger .44 Carbine. Those are great little rifles and fast handling.

As for hog hunting, not sure if you are hunting over dogs, feeders, etc..

The Ruger seems like the best overall from the ones you have mentioned...good luck and have fun hunting!
 
I'm here in Houston; so probably either an hour north or an hour west; huntin' from feeders and perhaps hiding in blinds.
 
So, anything that will kill deer will kill hogs. I've done a lot of hog hunting in Gonzales County, which is more or less your hour West. Every gun you list will kill hogs in that country. I like your thinking on that 308 Police carbine. A 30 cal pump is a great idea, especially if you're walking them up. The 44 camp carbine is another well thought out choice, again, especially for line hunting.

I'll give you one more idea to think on. 30 cal 150 - 170 grs, handy as can be, will taken an optic and light for blind hunting over feeders at night and be great with a ghost ring for walking up during the day: Marlin 30-30 carbine. It's ideal for Hill country Texas hogs.

Love that 308 Police carbine. If that falls through, think long and hard on a 20" Marlin 30-30 with a quick detach 1-4x or even a fixed 4x scope with a scope mounted green light for night blinds and a ghost ring for day hunts. Remington Core-Lokts, available at every Walmart in TX, is all you need. Happy Birthday.
 
I vote for the .308 or as mentioned above the marlin 30-30.
Are you familiar with the Savage Hog Hunter in .308?
 
I am quite familiar with the Savage Hog hunter. I'm left handed; and so most bolt guns I can shoot well from the bench; but not from run and gun; I've given myself bloody lips before. I also have tried and failed to work lever actions well; just not smooth with them; much prefer a pump action.

My thinking on the .44Mag was that .44 in a semi auto rifle will do hogs dead... I know that's not proper English but I think that's quite Texan of a comment.

20 Gauge Slugs will do them just fine; I don't think I can see well enough into brush to bust a hog from more than 50 yards; nor do I want to..

I started looking at buying a regular Remington 7600 in 308 and adding Wilson Combat ghost sights in the rear. 18" barrel vs 22" barrel then would be the only difference..

NutNFancy on youtube thinks 18" for a 308 is a bad idea; the blast is insane. I've not shot any 308 in barrels shorter than 24" so I can't make a comment on it; but if I buy a wilson combat ghost rear; and have a smith lop off 4" on the barrel; I'd essentially have a 7600 Police model... Which might still be a great idea..
 
Here's 2 honest thoughts.
1. Make the first shot count.
2. Use a big enough caliber that you only need one shot.

A 308 with 150-165gr bullets is enough for the biggest hog on the planet.....with the right shot placement.

If you're blind or stand hunting, you aren't going to be charged. If you're just out in the opening, odds are still slim. The only hog to ever "charge" me was one I'd just shot broadside at ~20 yards with a 44mag Marlin. Shot was golden. Pig was dead. He just didn't know it. And he didn't actually charge me. He just ran by me after the shot because he (I assume) didn't know where the shot came from. The hog I shot just before him, dropped.

We get these wild ideas about hogs charging and we have only 1.5 seconds for a follow up before we are mauled. 99% of the time this isn't the case and everything we've put in our heads about the charging boar causes the actual engagement to be somewhat anticlimactic.

Now, having said all that, get the gun you want. It's your birthday. Your gift. Don't give yourself a gift with the receipt.
 
I will share from personal experience that a Sierra Game King in 165 grains, which is an HP, shot from a Remington 700 over any 308 powder giving you a 2600 fps-ish velocity will hit those hogs like the Hammer of God.
 
Yep, anything that will kill a deer will kill a hog, including .17hmr and .22 short. That doesn't make them good calibers for hunting, however. And it isn't just shot placement, but the amount of penetration and trajectory through the body that matter. The problem is that people often will pick a minimal caliber that can get the job done if they make the right shot(s) and then don't make the right shots and the round does insufficient damage to produce a reasonably quick kill. Remember that hogs tend to be much more variable in size and bulk than your typical Texas whitetail that is the comparative standard here.

I am not a fan of pistol calibers primarily because hogs will often end up being at distances that you may not want to be shooting a pistol caliber (given ballistics and trajectory) unless you know you will ONLY be shooting a short distance. Same for slug guns. .308 is certainly a very functional hog caliber.

twoblink said:
NutNFancy on youtube thinks 18" for a 308 is a bad idea; the blast is insane.
Click to expand...
The blast isn't insane. Sheesh. If you think so, get a muzzle device.

100_1718reduced.jpg

http://i627.photobucket.com/albums/tt352/HornHillRange/Hogs Taken in Numbered Order/100_1718reduced.jpg
Rem 788 .308 (18.5" barrel) and 200 lb Boar
 
Since I don't know what guns you already have I will not make an off the wall recommendation. Selecting from your 3 listed my choice would be the Ruger 44.
Lafitte:)
 
Hogs are not Abrams tanks- I've killed many with a 6" knife through the ribs.. Of all that you mentioned, the 7600 would be my first pick, the Ruger #2. I wouldn't use a shotgun- not that there is a power deficiency- because of limited range. I like a 223 AR for piggies myself.
 
Interesting that you didn't mention the AR platform, probably because you already have one. But there is a guy on one of the forums selling a .30 Rem upper. That is basically a .30-30 rimless with plenty of bullet potential if you reload.

Just a thought...
 
A hog charging is the last thing I worry about. The SA-20 with slugs is excellent if you can shoot accurately enough with it. I personally don't think hogs and buckshot work well together. I'm just the opposite of the OP in that I do much better with a lever gun than a pump. Pictured below is my dedicated hog gun. I'd like to have an AR chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor or possibly 7mm-08. You can sheesh me all you want but I don't care fore the muzzle blast of an 18" barreled .308.

 
Twoblink,
You are on the right track get a Rem 760 or 7600 in 308, I have used a 44mag for deer and it has rainbow trajectory bad over 100yds. I own a 760 in 30.06 it is very accurate! long shots over 100 yds are very doable with a 308!! I like scopes my old eyes don't handle open sights any more. I would suggest a Leupold or equal in 1x4 power wide angle if you can find it. If I am not mistaken the 760 were offered in a carbine model with a shorter barrel. My 760 is very dependable, you can also get 10 shot magazines if you so desire. Muzzle blast is no worse than 44mag. wear ear protection!!

Good luck and let us know what you come up with.

Bull
 
So now I'm thinking about it a bit more; it would seem perhaps a 7600 in 308 and getting it cut, crowned as well as threaded for a muzzle break would see ideal..
 
I run cattle on 3 pastures plus got a deer lease, I have shots from just a few yards to 500 yards, I kill them with anything from a .17hmr to various .308s. I do have an old Ruger .44 mag carbine and a Model 77 in .44 mag, they work great up close, for long shots prefer .308s, got a new Ruger Precision rifle in .308 and lately been taking them out at 300-400 yards...so many hogs, so little time.
 
twoblink said:
So now I'm thinking about it a bit more; it would seem perhaps a 7600 in 308 and getting it cut, crowned as well as threaded for a muzzle break would see ideal..
Click to expand...

If you are worried about muzzle blast, you DON'T want a muzzle brake. You want a flash hider. A muzzle brake will reduce muzzle rise and some recoil, but the perceived blast can be significantly worse, particularly for those around you.

cdb1 said:
I'd like to have an AR chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor or possibly 7mm-08. You can sheesh me all you want but I don't care fore the muzzle blast of an 18" barreled .308.
Click to expand...

I take it that you haven't shot a 6.5 Creedmoor? Its about like a .308.
 
Your .357 is plenty if you keep the shots inside about 80-100 yards.

A mini-30 is what I carry most days. Great for follow-up shots when you're surrounded by them and just want to shoot as many as possible.

My 30-30 Winchester has accounted for literally hundreds of hogs and usually drops them where they stand. Pretty quick follow-up shots too.

You have a lot of good options.
 
Double Naught Spy said:
If you are worried about muzzle blast, you DON'T want a muzzle brake. You want a flash hider. A muzzle brake will reduce muzzle rise and some recoil, but the perceived blast can be significantly worse, particularly for those around you.



I take it that you haven't shot a 6.5 Creedmoor? Its about like a .308.
Click to expand...

I have shot one. I also own a 6.5x55. I also prefer a minimum of 20" barrel length on any rifle. If I get an AR-10 platform rifle it will have a 20 or 22" barrel. My AR-15 has a 20" barrel.
 
cdb1 said:
I have shot one. I also own a 6.5x55. I also prefer a minimum of 20" barrel length on any rifle. If I get an AR-10 platform rifle it will have a 20 or 22" barrel. My AR-15 has a 20" barrel.
Click to expand...

So it really isn't about the horrendous muzzle blast of an 18" .308. You just don't like anything shorter than 20", regardless.
 
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