Is the debate between 223 or 308 for hogs over?

I built a 300 blackout and have been tearing up the hogs with it lately. For those of you who don't know about the cartridge it is a 223 case necked up to take a 308 bullet. Here are some results using 125gr nosler ballistic tips.

Nope....

Over the years, I have used various calibers on pigs.
SKS, Rem 700 in 223, Winchester 100 in 308, 12 Ga w/00 buck, etc.

The last half of last year, I carried an AR in .223.
Did good on yotes, only OK on pigs...

Have a 300 Blackout upper completed except for the gas tube that should be here anyday now.....
Bought some 300 preformed brass, loading dies, box of 110 gr V-Max and box of 130 gr TTSX.
Loaded up 50 V-Max and 20 TTSX for testing(min charges in LC09 brass).

Hoping to hit the range for break in and sight in this week, then hit the piggies immediately after.

Stick with the barnes on hogs in my opinion. I hit one medium hog behind the shoulder with 110gr Vmax and it dropped him but he jumped up and hauled butt to never be seen again without a drop of blood. I havent used a barnes in this caliber yet but every other caliber it has done the best on hogs. I will be loading up some barnes soon enough.

All of my pigs have been DRT with a .223. All shots were 100yds or less. Shot placement is key with any round.

I was just stirring the pot with this post. I have killed dozens of hogs with a 223 but I wanted to build a new caliber to go with my new suppressor.

Yes the debate is over, the answer is :

0 - 200 yards --- 6.8 SPC

150 - 600 yards --- 6.5 Grendel

All above stay within the AR15 platform and require a new upper and specific bolt and magazines.

Light / Accurate / and more forgiving for shot placement if you aren't Mr. Precision like all those .223 hunters...........

BB

Gas tube is in!
Just got back from first shoot and clean session at the range with the 300 Blackout.
Shoot one, clean, shoot one, clean, wash, rinse, repeat.
Never broke in a barrel like this so I'll see how it goes.

Got some pretty impressive groups for my old arse.
First three out of new barrel grouped 1.5 with the first shot punching thru the plastic barrel cap and sending it down range about 45 yards....
The last 5 shots grouped less than 1 inch.
All shots were with 110 Gr V-Max handloaded bullets.

Nice Vern !

Hope that gun works out for you, bet you never thought cleaning after each shot would be so much fun

BB

I wouldn't use either on a vicious hog. .458 Win Mag or nothing.

Yeah, but, .223 is more forgiving if you aren't rich like those 6.5 and 6.8 hunters...

To the gallery: I've shot a .300 blackout and liked it, but is it that much different than the 7.62x39?

i am using a 243 wssm in ar15 on pigs and it puts them down quick.

The debate will be over just as soon as Miss America ends world hunger.

I use a .308 M70, can't see the sights on the .30-30 so well any more.

308 will leave them DRT

The fun part is how far you have to go to keep the Hoppes outta the action....but it did give the barrel time to cool between shots...LOL!
Took it out late yesterday but only saw a group of 7 Tom turkeys hanging out at the feeder.
Full moon coming around and I'll be out there but I gotta take it to the range with the TTSX for a few shots first!

Shot 3 piggies this year with a .243 hornady 100 gr, none of them moved. Ear holed all 3 of them. Shot placement is the key.

Shot placement, trajectory, and penetration are the key (you gotta have all of them regardless of caliber). A buddy of mine razzed me about losing a hog shot with 5.56. So far, when I have chosen my shots, I haven't lost any pigs to the caliber, but two when I have rushed shots (once as hogs walked in on me at the feeder). So he razzed me about "bringing enough gun." He stopped razzing me after missing two hogs, one with a 12 ga slug and another with .45-70 after I started asking him what enough gun is need to drop hogs with a miss and how much is enough gun for a feeder when you shoot the feeder's leg instead of the hog.

I think you do need to be more picky with your shots when using lesser calibers and that there is less room for error, but that certainly does not rule them out for hunting hogs.

...I say this thread goes 4 pages.

I am going to go get my dead horse kicking boots on......

Just stirring the pot. I figured the 300 blackout could be the happy medium.

The reason I like the 308 is because when you are trying to hit multiple pigs on the run you don't always have the luxury of time to make perfect shot placement I want something that will put them in the dirt even if I don't make the perfect shot especially at long rang and dark

I use both, and little man will start using the .223 this next month. shot placement is key

I have a .444 marlin with a 265 gr round that takes them out like a bowling pins.

The main reason for switching to the 300BLK is the 5.56 barrel I had in my AR was a 2 to 4 MOA which makes precise shot placement a problem. And yes, Virginia I did try LOTS of different loads/bullets.
So, needed a different barrel and the 300BLK is appealing to me for various reasons.

I have a Rem 722 chambered for .223 wylde which has no problem holding .5 MOA if you do your job. Shooting piggies with this loaded with 69gr OTMBTs was almost too easy but follow up shots were virtually non-existent(I;m old and slow) which lead me to the AR platform!

I have done in quite a few with my trusty SKS also...but scoping an SKS successfully is pretty hit and miss also! <pun not intended!

I am a firm believer in shot placement. I have heard people say shoot 'em between the eyes or behind the ear, but personally the between the eyes crap didn't work for me. I shot one the other night with my Remington 700 .243 VTR at 100 yards. We were varmint hunting, so I was using Winchester 55 gr. ballistic tips. I smacked him right between the eyes and he lowered his head onto the ground running in circles squealing and then took off. Never found him.

I'm sorry lol

My four inch knife to the heart hasn't failed me yet

^ that sounds like fun

You guys have it all wrong the perfect hog gun is a 22-243. Same case as a 308 with the precision of a .223.

How about .17 HMR?

.17 HMR double kill

Ive used a 223 for a long time. Before that I used a 220 swift. 85% of the hogs Ive shot didnt take a step. Behind the ear gets them every time. The problem is people try and use varmint rounds or shoulder shoot them. I use Barnes TSX, Nosler Partition, and Winchester Ranger 64gr PP for hogs and deer and never have a problem.

You always hear a lot about shot placement,, yup its important, and yup if your shooting at standing pigs who don't know your there at a reasonable range then whack em in the melon and they plow the dirt with their nose they hit so hard.
When your easing through the bush and a big boar comes trotting by a 308 through the lungs is a wicked combination.
I know that there are goingto be thr never shoot at a moving animal group chime in and condemn that shot, well horse poop.
Not everyone hunts sitting on their butt, some hunt standing on their two hind legs and have no trouble putting pigs on the ground with an off hand shot through the vitals from many different shot angles.
If you are doing that then its no contest, bigger is better.

Thats the purpose of people using cqb scopes to pig hunt. You can get on target very fast. Ive shot several pigs on the move through an Aimpoint ML2. I actually prefer to stalk pigs than hunt in a blind. Makes it more interesting.

I had a friend who shot a sparrow with a 223 once. Just barely knocked a chip off his beak. He didn't even fly. I think the bullet "blew up" inside the barrel and the sparrow just got hit with jacket fragments.

hey... FireD started it

The debate is over and the guy that owns the gun store won.....

That's funny right there.

I'll shoot them with whatever I have in my hand at the time. Glock 31, .17 HMR, .17 Remington, .223, 6.5 Grendel, 30-06, 300 RUM, 50 BMG and anything in between.

300 blackout is on my wish list.

Great article about this in Varmint Nation Magazine.

You can shoot hogs with just about anything

You shot him between the eyes and then he lowered his head? I think I found your problem. You probably had a glancing shot that failed to enter the brain cavity. Shooting between the eyes works best when the surface impacted is perpendicular (or close to it) to the trajectory of the bullet. That will usually be when his head is down.

WHat that poor begger would give for a handful of excedren ? Last time my head felt like that was my second bachelor party morning after.
And I hate to say it but on hogs shot placement is for sure the key.
Aim for what you would ideally like to see, but before he gets in the bush pull the trigger on whatever you can see.
These suckers are not big game for hecks sake, they are pasture rippin vermin, don't try and treat them like your gonna get in B&C they are redneck target practice. ok i am editing this thing, i apologize,, thats how i feel, you can do whatever the heck you like of course.
I just get full of folks tooting their one shot one kill horn..