Looking to use factory Sub-X out of a 450BM for hogs, is it performing reliably? I can find general discussion about it in my searches but not a whole lot of feedback on its performance. Even knowing that it’s performing in other diameters as well would be helpful.
Hornady Sub-X Effectiveness on hogs?
- Thread starter bmicek
- Start date
I'll preface by saying dudes that trap have killed hogs with a .22LR for a long time. With that in mind, you should have no problem dropping a hog with a very precise shot placement.
I know you are seeking experience with a very specific bullet out of a specific cartridge without much success. There's a reason for that. I'm sorry that I can't help you out with your quest, but I can speak as to why most people serious on hog hunting will not have experience with your desired combo.
Once you get into the subsonic realm, you have certainly lost a lot of terminal performance, even with the big 'ol bullets. Add to that the rainbow-like trajectory, and you have limited yourself to very close range hunting with a combo that isn't as powerful as a lot of hunting handguns. That just about limits you to 30 yard shots from a treestand...which maybe only 5% of hog hunters do.
Thermal hunters out in the open won't touch it because of the trajectory and limited capacity. Ground hunters will stay away due to the limited lethality.
On something like this, you're probably going to have to be the guinea pig and let the rest of us know how well it did. Pics and videos will help.
I'm not trying to come off like a D-bag, but the subsonic for hogs thing is extremely limiting.
Best of luck man.
I know you are seeking experience with a very specific bullet out of a specific cartridge without much success. There's a reason for that. I'm sorry that I can't help you out with your quest, but I can speak as to why most people serious on hog hunting will not have experience with your desired combo.
Once you get into the subsonic realm, you have certainly lost a lot of terminal performance, even with the big 'ol bullets. Add to that the rainbow-like trajectory, and you have limited yourself to very close range hunting with a combo that isn't as powerful as a lot of hunting handguns. That just about limits you to 30 yard shots from a treestand...which maybe only 5% of hog hunters do.
Thermal hunters out in the open won't touch it because of the trajectory and limited capacity. Ground hunters will stay away due to the limited lethality.
On something like this, you're probably going to have to be the guinea pig and let the rest of us know how well it did. Pics and videos will help.
I'm not trying to come off like a D-bag, but the subsonic for hogs thing is extremely limiting.
Best of luck man.
I’m in that 5% diggler1833 describes but unfortunately I haven’t used that bullet yet. I’ve been hunting using full power handloads from a 6.5 Grendel using the 123 gr SST bullet, but I do plan on trying .300 BLK suppressed this summer on hogs. Videos of gel tests with the Sub-X in .300 BLK seemed ho-hum to me. Of course you’re not working with a lot of velocity, so any expansion is better than nothing, but they definitely don’t expand a ton or peel open like those whiz-bang all-copper bullets do. I’ll probably get some to try though, and I really want to try some of those Lehigh Defense max expansion bullets on hogs, personally.
Meh I’ve heard of people killing trash animals out close to 300 yards with 220 smk. 190
Subx should perform much better.
But if you are thermaling there is literally zero benefit over super sonic. The pigs scatter regardless on the first shot so why not use a better performing round.
Zeroed at 100 I had something like 3’ of drop at 200. And then consider the fact that at night you can walk right up to them 20 yards away…
Subsonic hunting is for people who haven’t yet discovered for themselves that subsonic hunting sucks. Subx will be better than the non sub alternatives at sub speeds- it’s still gonna suck though.
Tell me you don't eradicate a lot of hogs without actually saying that you don't eradicate a lot of hogs...
I think it might depend on the situation. Open pasture? I probably would just run supers. But I hunt them in the woods mostly, and it seems there are several sounders that kind of make big circles through the property during the night. I’m wondering if using subs might let me get shots at more groups of pigs. Seems like shooting supers discourages other groups from coming in, but I still haven’t made my mind up yet.
Did you miss the topic of this thread man?
I'm not trying to get on some high horse...but do you see the size of the cutters on the freshly killed boar in my avatar pic? Getting ripped from calf to asshole out in a field because you wanted to stretch the lethality on a particular combo is probably why you don't see a lot of guys running that particular combo.
I must be in the minority
I currently use my 45/70 with deep cast hollow points for deer inside 100 yards and it wrecks them. Obviously I’m limited on range but that’s part of the fun for me, I like the challenge of close range hunting. My dilemma was just picking up a 450BM barrel with no time to dial in a cast handload so I was gonna lean on factory subs.
In a stand? If you're hunting them up close on the ground then you're braver than me. I've accidentally walked up on them in the woods a few times, and that's enough of a pucker moment for me. Thankfully the few times it's happened they ran instead of charging. diggler is not kidding when he says those things can rip you from calf to asshole.I must be in the minority
Deer, not hogs. So far Kansas isn’t riddled with hogs yet but they’re creeping across the border
They are a pest. If a farmer could figure out how to train them, he'd never need a disc. They can root up acres overnight. Although they do give me something to hunt in the summer when every other hunting season is closed.
