Researching a high energy hog rifle

Much of my hog hunting is on public land with a .22 magnum (Magnum Research carbon fiber bull barrel) during small game season. The .22 mag drops a hog on the spot with most head shots.

During primitive season I use my CVA .444 crack barrel. Possibly my favorite hog gun for the price ($400 for rifle and scope). The .444 will drop a hog as long as you hit it anywhere in the front third of it's body by generating 3180 #s muzzle energy. Love that weapon for when I only have a second or two to acquire and fire. Reliable and powerful but it's only one shot. I'd like to have 3-5 rounds in the event I get charged (and don't want to go for my sidearm) or come up on a few hogs rather than one roaming boar.

I'm convinced velocity is the key to power. Highest possible velocity, within reason, generates muzzle energy. I think the equation is E = M*(V Squared), so velocity is the key.

So I've been looking at a .450 Marlin on consignment at a local gun shop which generates 3572 #s muzzle energy. It has a 2+1 capacity which is fine but I'm a little worried about the kick. It seems the .450 with a 350 grain projectile will generate about 35 feet pounds of recoil energy. The experts seem to agree that 15-20 ft# of recoil energy is about the most an average hunter can endure before starting to develop a flinch which can ruin accuracy. The .444 with a 265 gr projectile generates 22 ft# and I find that comfortable.

The goal is highest possible muzzle energy (since most hogs are shot within 20 yards) with the lowest recoil energy.

So my paper research has led me to think the .300 Weatherby Magnum is the way to go. With a 150gr projectile it will bring 4174 #s muzzle energy (wow!) with only a 25 ft# recoil energy. It has a poor ballistic coefficient at .387 but only drops 2" from 100 yards to 200 yards.

The 45-70 is popular but it only brings 3032 muzzle energy so it's not what I'm looking for.

I'm wondering what you life long hunters out there think. The goal is maximum energy within 100 yards with the lowest recoil energy so I don't develop a flinch with the rifle. Must have capacity for multiple rounds (bolt action probably best) and stainless barrel (or ceramic coated) because I get wet a lot.

Have you looked into 300 blackout? It's on the lower end of the spectrum, but it drops hogs just fine and you'd be surprised at what it is capable of at 100 yards. Felt recoil is minimal and you have a large selection of firearm choices.

So highest possible energy with lowest recoil, hummm. So we have to immediately throw out Newton's Third law to make this possible. So highest energy I'd say 50 BMG for sure! But ceramic barrels are going to be hard to find. Or we could go low recoil and just stick with your .22. Decisions, decisions.

Seems to me that you should start looking at semi auto.
As a general rule any caliber semi will have lower felt recoil than a fixed model in the same chambering.

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I've hunted with my .300 BLK AR suppressed and was unimpressed. The round (forgot specifically which round it was) was louder than expected and the delivered energy was not impressive. It's a fun gun to shoot and I think it's a must have in the gun case, but mine won't have 500 rounds through it before I pass away.

I wasn't aware that semis have a lower felt recoil than bolts or lever actions. Is that because some of the gas escapes out of the action instead of all of the gas escaping out of the end of the barrel?

The thing I hate most on a hunt is hitting an animal and not being able to locate it. And I'm not a fan of slow deaths. If I pull the trigger I want that animal dead immediately and in it's tracks. So I want to bring max force and energy within reason.

I just don't have experience with the bigger calibers. On paper, the .300 Weatherby Magnum seems the way to go. Will have to research semis though.

DAVE_M said:

Have you looked into 300 blackout? It's on the lower end of the spectrum, but it drops hogs just fine and you'd be surprised at what it is capable of at 100 yards. Felt recoil is minimal and you have a large selection of firearm choices.

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Blackout is a great option for that kind of hunting. Other options I would consider: anything in an AR15 or ar10 platform also lever action carbines (if you dont like ar's for whatever reason) 44mag 45 long colt ect.

My choice would be something ar15 based, its just so much easier to shoot than bolts or pumps or even traditional autoloaders.

Hoggin said:

I've hunted with my .300 BLK AR suppressed and was unimpressed. The round (forgot specifically which round it was) was louder than expected and the delivered energy was not impressive. It's a fun gun to shoot and I think it's a must have in the gun case, but mine won't have 500 rounds through it before I pass away.

I wasn't aware that semis have a lower felt recoil than bolts or lever actions. Is that because some of the gas escapes out of the action instead of all of the gas escaping out of the end of the barrel?

The thing I hate most on a hunt is hitting an animal and not being able to locate it. And I'm not a fan of slow deaths. If I pull the trigger I want that animal dead immediately and in it's tracks. So I want to bring max force and energy within reason.

I just don't have experience with the bigger calibers. On paper, the .300 Weatherby Magnum seems the way to go. Will have to research semis though.

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The 6.5 grendel is a much hotter round than the BO but will fit in an ar15.

If you were running subs in the BO, may I suggest try the supers?

I hunt with a FAL. It's plenty accurate within a 100yds. I hunt in hog heavy woods, so a 10 round mag is what I usually have in it. It's heavy, but that helps with recoil. I love the Federal Fusion MSR rounds, they've stopped everything I've shot with them in it's tracks. I'm a big .308 fan. I don't think you need magnums if you're hunting within 200yds.

I'd say give the .300BK another shot with supersonic rounds... The subs don't work well on hogs.

A 350 grain projectile ? Are you shooting 800lb hogs ? I see hogs anywhere from 5 - 350lbs when I'm in the woods and the last thing I want to tote thru the swamp is an expensive heavy rifle shooting an projectile twice as big as it needs to be. Size your caliber for the game your hunting, for me that's a .270 130-150 grain or .270wsm 140 grain during rifle season, .35 whellen 180 grain for primitive arms and .22mag on WMA during small game season. Get away from the numbers and get to real world hunting experience, to me the type of bullet is more important bonded is the only way to go accubonds innerbonds are all good and expansion along with weight retention are awesome. Stay away from any ballistic tip projectiles in magnum calibers because at that muzzle velocity they tend to shatter on impact and can leave poor blood trails. This is all just my opinion from hunting for 40 years

I'm no ballistician but something you may want to take into account is how much of that energy will be delivered to the animal. If it exits the other side like I'm sure any 300 magnum will do, your not getting all that energy into the pig and a 308 win may have the same effect on the pig. If it leaves the other side still doing 2000 fps that doesn't help you much. I've heard of a lot of success with 458 socom.

ajridgedell said:

I'm no ballistician but something you may want to take into account is how much of that energy will be delivered to the animal. If it exits the other side like I'm sure any 300 magnum will do, your not getting all that energy into the pig and a 308 win may have the same effect on the pig. If it leaves the other side still doing 2000 fps that doesn't help you much.

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That's a great point that I didn't consider. Won't bullet tip type (i.e. JHP vs. roundnose) fix that issue?

Hoggin said:

I've hunted with my .300 BLK AR suppressed and was unimpressed. The round (forgot specifically which round it was) was louder than expected and the delivered energy was not impressive. It's a fun gun to shoot and I think it's a must have in the gun case, but mine won't have 500 rounds through it before I pass away.

I wasn't aware that semis have a lower felt recoil than bolts or lever actions. Is that because some of the gas escapes out of the action instead of all of the gas escaping out of the end of the barrel?

The thing I hate most on a hunt is hitting an animal and not being able to locate it. And I'm not a fan of slow deaths. If I pull the trigger I want that animal dead immediately and in it's tracks. So I want to bring max force and energy within reason.

I just don't have experience with the bigger calibers. On paper, the .300 Weatherby Magnum seems the way to go. Will have to research semis though.

Click to expand...

You say you can drop a hog with a .22 mag, but .300BLK doesn't impress you?

LOL I'm done here.

Personal preference I guess, but I've slayed many more hogs with my .22 mag than I will with my .300 BLK. That Magnum Research is a fine weapon matched with a quality scope and it's lethal close and far. I ahve a red dot on my .300 BLK and I'm not a big fan of red dots for distance, so my chosen scope for .300 BLK is part of the reason why I don't like hog hunting with it. Bottom line with the .300 is it doesn't deliver the energy I want. It's fun to shoot, but it's not my favorite hunting weapon for hog stalking.

I also have some questions.. Why rifle ? I hunt them and a catch dog will let me walk up, stick the thing and no shots fired..
I also have shot them with a bow when the dogs were bayed somewhere else, the bow kills easily..
If you are needing that crazy amount of energy, maybe work on shot placement instead?? even a 223 is enough to drop the toughest hogs if shot even at a decent location..
300 BO will not give you the kenetic engergy you are expecting from a rifle round if shooting subs.. but two holes in anything kills..

Hoggin said:

Personal preference I guess, but I've slayed many more hogs with my .22 mag than I will with my .300 BLK. That Magnum Research is a fine weapon matched with a quality scope and it's lethal close and far. I ahve a red dot on my .300 BLK and I'm not a big fan of red dots for distance, so my chosen scope for .300 BLK is part of the reason why I don't like hog hunting with it. Bottom line with the .300 is it doesn't deliver the energy I want. It's fun to shoot, but it's not my favorite hunting weapon for hog stalking.

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Then what you want is .458 Socom, and if you come back and tell me that isn't fun...

I second dave_m. .458 Socom.

Hoggin said:

That's a great point that I didn't consider. Won't bullet tip type (i.e. JHP vs. roundnose) fix that issue?

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Not entirely I've punched through an seen many others who have punched through good size deer with good tips. The last deer I shot was with my 30-06 and hornady sst's the exit wasnt any bigger than the opening. Now I have no Idea if it opened up or not but that joker didn't even move he just collapsed. I believe that is the definition of overkill.

Get a Marlin lever action chambered in .444
You like the round's performance out of a single shot, you'll love it out of the lever gun, have more rounds for follow up shots, and you don't have to buy/stock/reload a new caliber.

My $.02

xobelkcat said:

Get a Marlin lever action chambered in .444
You like the round's performance out of a single shot, you'll love it out of the lever gun, have more rounds for follow up shots, and you don't have to buy/stock/reload a new caliber.

My $.02

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yes what he said

Do you want hog left after you shoot it? I feel like a rail gun would work nicely. It would provide a large projectile and a very high amount of energy upon impact. A thermonuclear warhead might work for a large hog too.

But in all seriousness, any solid rifle round is going to be fine for a hog.

--Sent from my Galaxy S6