Best 223 bullet for hogs

I am NOT trying to start a debate about what caliber is better on hogs.

My question is for people that are using .223 rifle caliber for hogs, what bullet type are people using and having the most success with? what grain, composition, brand, velocity etc. There is so much variety out there, it is a bit overwhelming.

Thanks

I use the sierra #1360, which is a 55gr SPT. Get superb accuracy out of AR and bolt action with it. im proly pushing it around 3000fps out of carbine. Theres lots of good bullets out there but theese are cheap and effective.

I use Ballistic Silvertips on hogs with great success....

without a doubt or a question the best hog bullet in that caliber is going to say Barnes in front of it.
But as you are going to hear more than once , the very best bullet for shooting hogs are the ones in your gun at the time.

You need to try a variety and settle on the one that works best in your gun. No two rifles from the same manufacturer will shoot exactly the same. Add to that, you are asking what bullet in a .223 works best, without regard to the various platforms (AR, semi-auto, bolt action, etc.).

They all can kill, but what works in someone elses setup may not be accurate in your setup. Try several until you gain confidence in one....which is another factor..

I've had great luck with the Bitterroot Valley 55 gr. VMAX bullets. $10/box can't be beat, I just try to make sure I buy 5 boxes at a time to hopefully get the same batch of reloads.

Is there any advantage to shooting the heavier grain bullets (62-79 gr) on hogs? I have an ar-15 w/ a 1/7 twist 16" barrel.

I just loaded up some 63gr sierra spitzers and im gonna try them on hogs. Ill let yall know how they work.

not one to promote .223 on hogs but if that what you got im backing up hamilton and saying barnes triple shock

ive used cheapo brown bear ammo, shoot them in the middle of the neck and they will drop regardless of the bullet.

Federal Fusion 62 GR

Any of them if you shoot them where you supposed to. If they are going to run they are going to run and doesnt matte which one.

60gr nosler partition bullets. I have a buddy that loads them up for me. They are running right around 3000 fps. They are very effective on hog and deer. I have been very happy with this bullet.

My favorite,out of my Bushmaster Varminter, is the Barnes 55g TTSX with 24g of Benchmark and a COL of 2.220 (CCI450 Primer). Velocity 3100fps.

I also suggest the Barnes 55gr TTSX, but i did shoot one with a 40gr v-max the other day.

Either the Sierra #1365 55 gr. SBT or #1395 65 gr. SBT work just fine depending on you barrel.

CORBON 62 Grain DPX

I really like the 60 grain Federal with the Nosler partition. That's a great cartridge that will produce nice exit holes and blood trails for deer, but it's a bit pricey for pigs.

I like the 62 grain green tips, the 55 grain M193 or whatever is cheap and gives you "snuff tin" accuracy out of an AR platform. If you're shooting 'em in the head anyway, why pay for a bullet designed to perform in the chest cavity?

55gr Vmax all day...if you want heavy the 69gr gamekings are some good rounds but id take the Vmax over them

Another vote for the 60gr nosler partition. I also think the barnes 53 & 62 gr loadings are very good choices.

I will vote for the 60 grain Nosler patrtitions too.

If you strictly take head shots anything that goes bang and flys straight will work.

matt

If you do shoot them in the head, where do you recommend putting the bullet? I have heard in the ear. Any recommendations?

Ear and head coincide to a large extent in my experience, but any hit at a level about even with the eye from the shoulder to the top of the neck will interrupt the spine and drop the pig. The neck is probably the most forgiving target. Sometimes adrenaline or a spooky, cautious pig will not let you settle on the behind-the-ear shot; the middle of the neck doesn't move that much.

For head shooting hogs I alway shoot for the center of the head up and down half way between the ear and eye.

This^^^

"Best 223 bullet for hogs"...

that's a trick question, right?

i never understood why people try to make a head shot or earhole shot. sure they will drop with no tracking, but a neck shot will do the same thing, they drop where they are standing and no tracking and the neck is the size of a pie plate which is easier to hit. you have a small margin for error with head or ear shot and at night its even harder. i guess its an ego thing or people think thats the only way to get a hog to drop right there.

i prefer hornady 55gr softpoints and 64gr win power points over h335 in my loads. factory the rem premier 62gr ultrabond makes 2 holes and the winchester factory 64gr powerpoint does as well.

The one your gun shoots most consistentally.

Iv seen way to many pigs run away from neck shots... theres alot of meat to hit and if you dont hit the actual bone your not gona find him...

They have a spine that comes out the back of the skull, goes DOWN then back UP again at the shoulder/back area. Not exactly a 'U', but it leaves a lot of muscle at the top of the neck that could be a 'non-stopper' type of hit with a small caliber. Generally something like a .308 with interbonds, etc. will put so much shock in the area that it still disrupts the spine. However, for small calibers you want to be more precise!

Having said that, the neck area immediately behind the jowls, up to the ear and front to the eye, is a fairly large target in itself. The biggest problem is they sometimes don't like to stand still! So jump over to a site that talks about boars and Texas and look for a dissection pic that shows the actual anatomy of a hog, and then plan accordingly.

I've dumped a bunch of pigs with a .243. I'll be trying out .223 within the next few days. I know it works though because we've seen the results right here on the THF!

A pretty easy rule of thumb: hold the horizontal bar of the crosshairs so that it covers the eye or just underscores it and keep the vertical bar ahead of the shoulder - you'll hit spine. This works whether the pig is eating from the ground or has its head up.

I haven't seen one run off when hit that way (not saying that it couldn't happen, of course, I just haven't seen it) and I would generously guess that the middle horizontal third of the neck is the DRT threshold.

Alrigh! Thanks fellas!