Lever Gun for Hog Hunting.......

[gregintenn]

I was actually going to post that I have a cousin (on the paternal side of the family) in Georgia who apparently hunts wild hogs with dogs and a knife. From what some of my uncles tell me, his dogs corner the hog and he comes from behind and slits its throat. Yes, there is a strong 'crazy' gene on my dad's side of the family. I guess I got a bit of it, myself, but not nearly as much as many of my male (or female, for that matter) relatives.

Now that's hunting! As crazy as it sounds, a small part of me would like to give it a try.

[Will Carry]

The 30-30 has kilt more game than any other cartridge in America I recon. The 45-70 is a lot of rifle and will kill Hogzilla or a big Bear. The 44 magnum will do the job too and you can shoot 44 specials in it too. I would go with the 30-30.I have a .357 magnum level gun that I would hunt hogs with. Check out this link. It's an interesting article.

Lever-Action Ballistics: .30-30 vs. .357 Magnum

http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2011/05/chris-dumm/lever-action-ballistics-30-30-vs-357-magnum/

Edited February 15, 2012 by Will Carry

[whiskey]

30-30 is fine. Take the .41 in case you have to track a wounded pig into a crawl thicket. The only disadvantage I see in the 30-30 over the .44mag is magazine capacity in a lever gun.

.44mag, rifle and pistol were my choices when I lived in hog country. My and my buddy and taken close to a hundred hogs with .44mags. I used 300gr XTPs and he used some cheap winchester JSP 240gr. The flat front JSP's worked just as well as the XTPs. We both played around with heavy hard cast lead loads and killed a few pigs with them, but got more run-offs. Our goal was ZERO tracking through the Florida swamps. Center of the neck with a major caliber is the best medicine for DRT hogs.

If you can't get a DRT hog, then hopefully the place you are going has a tracking dog. I have seen so many run-offs lost cause they just stop bleeding and the track is lost after a short distance.

[peejman]

As with most any caliber debate, bigger bullets make bigger holes. But that only matters if you acutally hit the target. If you can shoot 2" groups with an AR, but 8" groups with the .45-70, use the AR. Use whatever you're most comfortable with.

[Guest Ceolas]

Just a note on the Marlin 336, they also make the base (non-Stainless) model in 35 Remington which gives it a little extra pop.

Supposed to be a good round for black bear so it should work for a hog.

[MikePapa1]

You know you can chase 'em down and take them with a survival knife. Just wear a cup.

Well, I grew up in Indiana where they raise a hog or two. My best friend ran a farm and had about 50 hogs including 5 boars. I'd just soon take them from afar, thanks. There was a farrowing operation down the road about 3 miles. It had about 1,000 head in farrowing buildings. When I was in high school a man that worked at the operation was going through one of the buildings that had 6 month old barrows. Somehow he either slipped or was knocked down and he was seriously mauled before he was pulled out. I keep my distance from wild hogs.

[Good_Steward]

I like to stay out of the norm, I guess, but I LOVE my PUMA .454 Casull lever. Also have a Ruger Super Redhawk in the same caliber that I enjoy handgun hunting with. Think .44 Mag on steroids . . . And a 7.5" barrel .454 is pulling nearly identical ballistics (velocity and energy at the muzzle) as a .45-70 with a 24" barrel.

Edited February 16, 2012 by Good_Steward

[Jimbo100]

I have a Marlin 336 in .35 Remington. It's my favorite rifle and I took a 250 lb. boar hog with it some years ago. A lot of old time writers felt the .35 was ideal for hogs and black bear and I can't argue with them.

[Ropin4gold]

I found some pretty good deals on .35 rem Marlins. They are around $300. Now I'm torn between 30-30 and the .35 rem.

[R_Bert]

Web search; similar ballistics. 30-30 - cheaper ammo (unless you reload), a bit flatter trajectory. .35 Rem - slightly bigger hole, 20% heavier bullet ( slightly slower than 30-30). Both in the same relative utility class. Hard to go wrong with either choice. Get both.

Edited February 18, 2012 by R_Bert

[Curiousgb]

I found some pretty good deals on .35 rem Marlins. They are around $300. Now I'm torn between 30-30 and the .35 rem.

If you can find a nice 35 rem for 300 buy it. I love my 35. 35 will be little harder to get ammo for but mine is very accurate. If you reload you are in great shape.

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[gregintenn]

http://www.davide-pedersoli.com/scheda-prodotto.asp/l_en/idpr_356/rifles-model-86-71-lever-action-model-86-71-lever-action-boarbuster.html

You could always play it safe and go with the "boar buster."

[I_Like_Pie]

I like to stay out of the norm, I guess, but I LOVE my PUMA .454 Casull lever. Also have a Ruger Super Redhawk in the same caliber that I enjoy handgun hunting with. Think .44 Mag on steroids . . . And a 7.5" barrel .454 is pulling nearly identical ballistics (velocity and energy at the muzzle) as a .45-70 with a 24" barrel.

Maybe factory loads, but a handloaded guide gun puts out 300 grain bullets at 2200 fps with a good charge of RL-7. 405 grain at 1750.

That is not quite (but almost) twice the ME of a 454 casull making it powerful enough to go clean though an elephant, 2 school buses, and a candy factory before stopping!! 454 casull is only good for an elephant, a school bus, a sno-cream truck and a maybe a standard poodle!!!

[R_Bert]

Maybe factory loads, but a handloaded guide gun puts out 300 grain bullets at 2200 fps with a good charge of RL-7. 405 grain at 1750.

That is not quite (but almost) twice the ME of a 454 casull making it powerful enough to go clean though an elephant, 2 school buses, and a candy factory before stopping!! 454 casull is only good for an elephant, a school bus, a sno-cream truck and a maybe a standard poodle!!!

Hmmm.. sounds overpowered. I would have thought you would want it to go through one side of the elephant, ratttle a round for a while, and leave the innerds "jello".....Ain't that what the innerdnet sez ?

[badben]

A friend of mine uses a .50 caliber black powder double rifle, and tried very hard to get me to buy one for hog hunting and to use my .44 model 1860 Colt replica to put them out of their misery if needed. I think my SKS with hollow points will work just fine.

As far as the question of which rifle has took more game, legally or otherwise? My answer is the .22 long rifle. I have that was my first rifle, an old single shot sears, and believe me it has taken its share of game. I can still shoot better with it than any gun I have ever owned!

[Mdunntn]

I've heard alot of people using .17 hmr

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[xd shooter]

The 17 HMR may be their cup of tea , but I can't see enough penitration before the bullet expands. Maybe getting a 17 HMR FMJ round. Just too fast of a round with no AS*! To me it has a place for plenty of game but not a hog. JMHO

Edited February 18, 2012 by xd shooter

[Mdunntn]

There's an Asian Guy on YouTube who makes some pretty good use of it.

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[Good_Steward]

Maybe factory loads, but a handloaded guide gun puts out 300 grain bullets at 2200 fps with a good charge of RL-7. 405 grain at 1750.

That is not quite (but almost) twice the ME of a 454 casull making it powerful enough to go clean though an elephant, 2 school buses, and a candy factory before stopping!! 454 casull is only good for an elephant, a school bus, a sno-cream truck and a maybe a standard poodle!!!

Ahhh, but you are not taking into account for the fact that the ballistics fired out of the 20" barrel lever .454 vs. the ballistics charts only showing for a 7.5" .454 (300 gr @ 1,600+ FPS). I'm telling you, this is one heck of a versatile round in handgun or lever.

Edited February 18, 2012 by Good_Steward

[Guest TnRebel]

I have used a Marlin 336 in 30-30 for many years with great pleasure for hog and deer hunting.

Edited February 20, 2012 by TnRebel

[Guest Larry]

Here in Tx we have lots of them, I have shot them with a 243&6mm and did not get good placements due to movement at night and saw them never fall from it, my favorite night rifle is a 308 bolt gun, daytime hunting I take my Garand. Last one I shot with a 45acp at about 5yds in the bottoms at night, head shot with 230gr ball.

[dlm37015]

i went hog hunting a few weeks ago carried several rifles but the most spectacular was with my 500 nitro double the 750 grain lead bullets just rolled them over.some of the other hunters thought i was using bombs

[Chris]

I'd stick with 45-70. I've squared off with a few 500 lb + hogs and was glad to have the extra stopping power.

[Ropin4gold]

Well I'm still in the hunt for a good used Marlin 336 in 30-30. Wal-mart has em new for 379 and I haven't been able to find a good used one under $350.

[xd shooter]

The Wal-mart 336 may be an exclusive. If so it will be the bottom of the line Marlin.

The used ones you find will quite possibly be better guns (not always) & you might even get one that is an original Marlin

& not a Remlin.