Load Development for Fall Pig Culling

[pk117ac23]

I'm looking for advice on Load Development for Fall Pig / Hog Culling... I'm probably overthinking it but I've always enjoyed suggestions here.

A Friend of mine is looking to cull a 150lb Red Wattle pig this weekend to smoke for a Fall Party. My buddies and I got into a convo about best caliber / projectile to use. I've seen pigs go down successfully at local processor w/ 17HMR w/17gr V-Max @2550fps... but I've also seen Kune Kune's fight tooth and nail against a 9mm and 22LR or slower moving projectiles. We don't have 17hmr, but we do have .223 Rem, 300 Blackout that might suffice.

I've got the following projectiles I could load for him:
.223 - 55gr Sierra Blitz King, 55gr FMJ, 55gr HPBT, 55gr Speer Varmint sp, 62gr Steel Core M855's
.30 cal (Blackout) - 110gr V-Max, 125gr Speer TNT, 125gr SST (probably heaver would be overkill)

Current Loads that work great for Predators (I don't want to have ricochet or pass thru destroy meat at near point blank ranges)
- 300 Blackout /110gr V-Max @ 1950fps
- 223 Rem / 55gr Sierra BlitzKing @ 2900fps

What do you suggest for a decreased load? Thinking Goal would be to have load chronograph around 1600-1800fps so it can make it through the skull but stop short of meat in back legs / back. Maybe the 110gr V-Max in Blackout is perfect? Maybe it doesn't even matter? Curious of your thoughts... thanks!

 

[Jcalder]

Guys at the slaughter house always used 22lr.

 

[TnKen]

Plenty of killed with 22 shorts back in the day.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

Overthinking it. Put a 22 or whatever in its head and be done.

 

[Remi]

22lr, mini mags have worked for me.

 

[Omega]

I'm looking for advice on Load Development for Fall Pig / Hog Culling... I'm probably overthinking it but I've always enjoyed suggestions here.

A Friend of mine is looking to cull a 150lb Red Wattle pig this weekend to smoke for a Fall Party. My buddies and I got into a convo about best caliber / projectile to use. I've seen pigs go down successfully at local processor w/ 17HMR w/17gr V-Max @2550fps... but I've also seen Kune Kune's fight tooth and nail against a 9mm and 22LR or slower moving projectiles. We don't have 17hmr, but we do have .223 Rem, 300 Blackout that might suffice.

I've got the following projectiles I could load for him:
.223 - 55gr Sierra Blitz King, 55gr FMJ, 55gr HPBT, 55gr Speer Varmint sp, 62gr Steel Core M855's
.30 cal (Blackout) - 110gr V-Max, 125gr Speer TNT, 125gr SST (probably heaver would be overkill)

Current Loads that work great for Predators (I don't want to have ricochet or pass thru destroy meat at near point blank ranges)
- 300 Blackout /110gr V-Max @ 1950fps
- 223 Rem / 55gr Sierra BlitzKing @ 2900fps

What do you suggest for a decreased load? Thinking Goal would be to have load chronograph around 1600-1800fps so it can make it through the skull but stop short of meat in back legs / back. Maybe the 110gr V-Max in Blackout is perfect? Maybe it doesn't even matter? Curious of your thoughts... thanks!

If it's a meat hog, any of those will work just fine, even the 22LR in its ear, unless the hog is free ranging and semi-wild. The 300BLK with 110gr would be my choice at anything approaching 100 yards.

 

[DaveB]

Hmmm. I think Omega's 110 grainer is what will work. They don't generally stand there staring at ya so that idea about no meat damage is a nice dream.

A whole lot more fun tho with a 300 Win Mag and 180 Partitions.
1. They hardly ever squeal.
2. They don't have to be tracked down.
3. Under 80 pounds you can Head-On chest shoot them and the exit will be out the back.
4. Piggies in California had ticks...lots of them. And cleaning them is hardly any fun (they smell).