308 Help

[ut755ln]

One of the great things about this forum is that a lot of times, the members have already figured out the answer to a question so I am hoping that is the case here. I have a small ranch outside of Houston. It is only 200 acres but the farmer/rancher that leases land from us estimates that he suffered $20 to $25k damage from feral pigs tearing up crops, pasture, damaging fences and other equipment. We even have two cases of livestock being injured.

What I have done about it is get some cattle dogs (1/2 Anatolian/GPD) and they do a good job keeping things away from the livestock. I have hired a trapping company that has been active but they have not done much to actually mitigate property damage. I keep an AR with me in the truck and if I see them I will shoot one or two which leads to my observations and questions. The 16" AR has about a 60% kill ratio with solid hits. It is amazing to me how some of the pigs will shrug off a 77 grain 5.56.

After speaking with some of the other land owners in the area, they recommend that I step up to 308. I would like to get a semi-auto because we have seen groups of pigs as large as fifty strong. The other thing they recommend is baiting fields and shooting them at night. I do not have NODS but the guys I have spoken with typically use a dedicated thermal scope or an optic with an inline thermal that clips on the rail in front of the primary optic.

I have an unused Sandman S as a can so it will be suppressed. I do not care if I have to go through a Form 1 procedure with the ATF. I am not looking to shoot at pigs a 1/4 mile away. This is going to be carried in the truck and grabbed quickly to take random shots or I am going to use it at night to kill as many pigs as I can on a baited trap.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[redneckbmxer24]

Use a better bullet. 223/556 works great on hogs with a properly placed shot. 77gr SMK simply are not great killing bullets, it’s about 50/50 whether they’re going to pencil through or fragment. Federal or Black Hills 77gr TMK, Barnes TSX or TTSX in any flavor, Federal Fusion, Federal LE 55gr SP or SGK or Speer Gold Dot are all far better options for killing shit.

I’d put the $2K+ you’re going to spend on a decent large frame AR towards a better thermal and hunt them at night. That will be your most effective solution.

Also, it’s the responsibility of the farmer leasing your land to protect his crops and livestock. So if you don’t want to deal with it you don’t have to. Rolling hogs with thermal is fun as shit though.

 

[alamo5000]

I've heard of people using 'creative' ways to hunt at night. One person got a motion sensor from Home Depot and wired it to a red tail light and then hung it up high enough to see from farther away. At very least it let him know if something was out there...problem is cows and such can set if off too so it depends on the situation. With a half decent but somewhat inexpensive thermal he could sit back a couple hundred yards off and take very effective shots...

In your case though you will be much more effective doing a multiple prong approach. A combo of primarily trapping, and also hunting will help knock down a few more. If you get some hog wire or cattle panels you can make a fairly effective figure six trap.

There are 101 ways that you can approach this. Trapping will be the most effective at reducing total numbers. Without knowing the entirety of the situation, the terrain, the exact layout in relation to neighbors and such it will be harder to give exact suggestions though.

 

[KYAggie]

With that many hogs transiting your area combined with how they breed, trapping is your best option for a quick solution. Those hogs you shot with the 5.56 likely died, just not where they could be found.

As for a 308, you can’t go wrong there. My first choice would be a Ruger SFAR. There‘s a much wider range of bullets that are more effective in a 308. Night vision is a hoot, but you’re going to spend at least $2500-3000 for something useable. Look at Bering Optics if you go that route.

In the mean time, keep trying to trap and get some Barnes, Federal Fusion, or Gold Dot loads for your 5.56, like mentioned above. If you reload, the Nosler 64 grain bonded would also work as well.

Also, those hogs are delicious to eat.

 

[ut755ln]

Also, those hogs are delicious to eat.

Ironically, the guy that traps on our property captures them live. He then loads them on a trailer and takes them to a feed lot. They give them clean water and some kind of sweet grain for two weeks or so. They then butcher them and sell almost exclusively to Chinese restaurants in Houston. Apparently, the restaurants prefer not fatty pork and the trapper is underselling traditional meat markets.

 

[fdkay]

One of the great things about this forum is that a lot of times, the members have already figured out the answer to a question so I am hoping that is the case here. I have a small ranch outside of Houston. It is only 200 acres but the farmer/rancher that leases land from us estimates that he suffered $20 to $25k damage from feral pigs tearing up crops, pasture, damaging fences and other equipment. We even have two cases of livestock being injured.

What I have done about it is get some cattle dogs (1/2 Anatolian/GPD) and they do a good job keeping things away from the livestock. I have hired a trapping company that has been active but they have not done much to actually mitigate property damage. I keep an AR with me in the truck and if I see them I will shoot one or two which leads to my observations and questions. The 16" AR has about a 60% kill ratio with solid hits. It is amazing to me how some of the pigs will shrug off a 77 grain 5.56.

After speaking with some of the other land owners in the area, they recommend that I step up to 308. I would like to get a semi-auto because we have seen groups of pigs as large as fifty strong. The other thing they recommend is baiting fields and shooting them at night. I do not have NODS but the guys I have spoken with typically use a dedicated thermal scope or an optic with an inline thermal that clips on the rail in front of the primary optic.

I have an unused Sandman S as a can so it will be suppressed. I do not care if I have to go through a Form 1 procedure with the ATF. I am not looking to shoot at pigs a 1/4 mile away. This is going to be carried in the truck and grabbed quickly to take random shots or I am going to use it at night to kill as many pigs as I can on a baited trap.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Depends on your budget.
The 6.8 SPC is an absolute hog hammer and is nothing more than an upper swap and a new magazine.
The 6mm ARC and 6.5 Grendel are also good choices.
With good glass, you can hunt them at night during a full moon.
There is nothing wrong with a large frame AR in .308, since you are talking about quick followup shots, I'd look to something loaded with lighter weight bullets in the 125-150 range.

 

[KYAggie]

Depends on your budget.
The 6.8 SPC is an absolute hog hammer and is nothing more than an upper swap and a new magazine.
The 6mm ARC and 6.5 Grendel are also good choices.
With good glass, you can hunt them at night during a full moon.
There is nothing wrong with a large frame AR in .308, since you are talking about quick followup shots, I'd look to something loaded with lighter weight bullets in the 125-150 range.

That Barnes 130 TTSX bullet would be perfect in a 16” AR10.

 

[KYAggie]

Apparently, the restaurants prefer not fatty pork and the trapper is underselling traditional meat markets.

Interesting; I guess it beats alley cat!

He could probably make a lot more money selling it as wild boar to the specialty meat markets, but I’m not sure what the laws are that might be preventing that.

There’s a ranch east of Centerville that takes in trapped wild hogs for “hunts”, both on their property and other local fenced properties. They are really hog harvests, not hunts, but they are lot of fun and not very expensive.

 

[msgriff]

Posting this video just to show the kill ratio of a .308, I'm not suggesting that you need a helicopter to take care of your problem. This is in Northern Queensland Australia, Aussie made .308 AR (Wedgetail WT25, 6,200 Au$), Aimpoint H2, Winchester 150gr Power-Point. Distances are typically 25 -100 yards, with some in the 200 yard range.

 

[ut755ln]

Posting this video just to show the kill ratio of a .308, I'm not suggesting that you need a helicopter to take care of your problem. This is in Northern Queensland Australia, Aussie made .308 AR (Wedgetail WT25, 6,200 Au$), Aimpoint H2, Winchester 150gr Power-Point. Distances are typically 25 -100 yards, with some in the 200 yard range.

I have some bolt action rifles and I'm well aware of how much harder they hit compared to 5.56. My thought process was a chrome lined barrel and 150 grain 308 will last a long time. I had someone DM me here and said that Daniel Defense makes a highly reliable AR 10 with a build in adjustable gas block that may be a good fit.

 

[alamo5000]

The 6mm ARC and 6.5 Grendel are also good choices.

I was thinking the same thing. For this application there really isn't a need to build a large frame AR. Of course it's not always about need, but more importantly 'want'.

With hogs it's important to get good shot placement especially if shooting a smaller round. That's however not always possible with the chaos that sometimes happens.

There is no reason NOT to bump up to a bigger option. It's just a matter of which flavor.

 

[wvfarrier]

There are plenty of 223/556 projectlies that work great on hogs. We use the the 75 grain Gold Dots and 64 grain trophy bonded bear claws. Put it right behind the ear or anywhere in the neck. DRT.

 

[Ape_Factory]

POF Revolution DI in 308. As small and light as an AR15 and comes in a 16" and a 12.5" version. I have one and it's been 100% reliable and shoots sub-MOA with a few hand loads in bullets ranging from 110gr. up to 180gr. I have a 200gr. load but it's about 1MOA. Had it since 2019 I hand load exclusively and generally don't use factory loaded ammo but had decent luck with PMC bronze and Federal. It's a definite step up from say an SFAR and I've had no running/gas/function issues with it. It just shoots everything and does have an adjustable gas block that's very easy to adjust.

 

[Jsp556]

Armalite DEF10 and an Armalite Handguard

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1015633988

Armalite AR10 Handguard kit, Tactical, 15 inch 10TACHGD15-MLOK ArmaLite Parts | EveryGunPart.com

AR10 Handguard kit, Tactical, 15 inch MPN:10TACHGD15-MLOK UPC: 815718022516 The AR-10 Competition Handguard kit is ultra-light and is designed with a slim profile for maximum comfort with minimum weight. The rail features full-length M-LOK attach

everygunpart.com

About $1330 total. Armalites are solid rifles. Spend the $1000 difference on ammo or toward your optic.

 

[Hobo Hilton]

Soon you will learn.. You will have to get into the "business" of eradicating pigs, by any means... or... Just shoot pigs as a hobby.
Shooting pigs for a hobby or the fun will never eradicate them.
When you throw the number of $25k out there, that is serious damage.

 

[nikerret]

There are some pretty good 300 Blackout options, if you’re interested.

 

[Jsp556]

Figure out what you’re gonna get?

 

[River44]

6.5 Grendel is a hog hammer as well

 

[Junco Grande]

I have some bolt action rifles and I'm well aware of how much harder they hit compared to 5.56. My thought process was a chrome lined barrel and 150 grain 308 will last a long time. I had someone DM me here and said that Daniel Defense makes a highly reliable AR 10 with a build in adjustable gas block that may be a good fit.

Same rig I'm using in South TX. DD5 suppressed and the 150 TTSX has been lights out.
The Black Hills 77 TMK 5.56 and 300 blackout 110 TAC TX have been excellent as well, but the 308 just makes you feel good

 

[ut755ln]

Same rig I'm using in South TX. DD5 suppressed and the 150 TTSX has been lights out.
The Black Hills 77 TMK 5.56 and 300 blackout 110 TAC TX have been excellent as well, but the 308 just makes you feel good

What length barrel did you go with?

 

[fdkay]

This would be the bomb, lethal with fast follow up shots:

Barnes VOR-TX Ammo 308 Winchester 130 Grain TTSX Polymer Tipped

Barnes bullets have historically had the reputation of offering quick, clean and humane kills. Now they are taking their highly regarded bullets to the...

www.midwayusa.com

 

[hlee]

If hunting and trapping were effective methods of pig population reduction, there wouldn’t be any pigs in the enter State of Texas. The fact is that pigs are smarter than most of the people hunting them. And, before anyone gets all “and for starters” on me, I’m not talking about all hunters. I’m just talking about the hunters that think they are helping to control the numbers by shooting them- especially those that are paying property owners to "help us solve our pig problem."

Oh, you can certainly reduce the number of pigs that you "see" by hunting them. Pigs respond very well to hunting pressure. You can push them to other properties, and/or you can condition them to not be around when humans are around. But, they are still in the area. And, when the pressure dies down, they will be back.

The only thing that works with any real success is "exclusion." Hog panels- aptly named- work great to keep pigs out of areas where you don't want them. But, they are expensive. We use them around deer feeders to keep the feral pigs out. Cattle, on the other hand, will step over hog panels. "Bull panels" work to exclude cattle, and will keep pigs out too. You build a fence with hog panels and you won't have any hogs crossing it, assuming you build it well. But, you have a lot of money tied up in the fence, and now have a pretty large investment in time to maintain the fence. "Goat fencing" would probably work too, but I don't have any first hand experience on that- other than to say that any "wire net" fencing low enough for a deer to jump will need to be maintained, and you will find a couple of deer every year that tangled a leg on their jump and died in the fence.

So, what is the solution? Turn your farmer's loss into windfall profits. Cash in on those "hunters" that get a rise out of shooting a pig. Your property is near Houston. There are a metric butt-ton of lawyers and "oil men" in the city just looking for a way to light some cash on fire. Split the profits with the farmer, if you like. But, unless you want to be out there every couple of nights, in the sticky, mosquito infested SE Texas nights, just to shoot a few pigs, so that someone else "might" lose less money, give up on the idea of pig pop management with a gun.

 

[RUTGERS95]

Ironically, the guy that traps on our property captures them live. He then loads them on a trailer and takes them to a feed lot. They give them clean water and some kind of sweet grain for two weeks or so. They then butcher them and sell almost exclusively to Chinese restaurants in Houston. Apparently, the restaurants prefer not fatty pork and the trapper is underselling traditional meat markets.

I amazed no one is capturing and raising them to be pig farmers lol

free livestock

 

[BCP]

Pigs can give birth 2x a year to anywhere from 6-15 piglets. So you shoot say five of a large group (which would be really good shooting) and they are busy making replacements in no time. You will have to fence off areas that are sensitive and put up large traps. I’ve seen videos with these big falling/fence traps that get 20+ at a time.

Oh I would use 55-65 gr soft points or any kind of 308, gamekings would be good or even plain fmj.

 

[fdkay]

Pigs can give birth 2x a year to anywhere from 6-15 piglets. So you shoot say five of a large group (which would be really good shooting) and they are busy making replacements in no time. You will have to fence off areas that are sensitive and put up large traps. I’ve seen videos with these big falling/fence traps that get 20+ at a time.

Oh I would use 55-65 gr soft points or any kind of 308, gamekings would be good or even plain fmj.

Actually, gestation is only 120 days (3x a year), damn things are almost born pregnant, like a tribble.

 

[bfoosh006]

I would like to think even a basic inexpensive Federal 308 SP ( 150gr or 180gr ) would be effective on wild Hogs. Typical 308 SP ammo is danged near everyplace.
Even though fancier calibers are vailable for a AR15, the ammo tends to be pretty costly, and I am cheap when it comes to effective ammo.
Someone correct me if I am wrong.

That said, and given your ranges, I would consider a Ruger 16" SFAR.
I would tend to think a illuminated reticle LPVO would be better for my aging eyes. ( something like this https://www.primaryarms.com/slx-first-focal-plane-1-8x24mm-rifle-scope-with-acss-raptor-556-reticle )

The smaller sized 308 based SFAR would be easier for me to manhandle out of a pickup.
Be aware, a 308 out of a 16" barrel can have decent muzzle blast.

 

[JR1200W3]

I have a 16" 308W. I used to think for years that was dumb rifle. 175 SMKs out of a 24" 308W was already slow enough. A 16" is basically a 30-30, right? Well, I built this 16" 308 large frame last year and I've been pretty impressed. I load 130gr Barnes TTSX and they run about 2800-2850. They are a hammer. I tried the 125gr Nosler BTs and the 125gr Sierra ProHunters. Those bullets were running about 2900fps and they just blow up. I do not suggest them at those speeds. But the all copper monos are bad bitches.

 

[Jsp556]

I have a 16" 308W. I used to think for years that was dumb rifle. 175 SMKs out of a 24" 308W was already slow enough. A 16" is basically a 30-30, right? Well, I built this 16" 308 large frame last year and I've been pretty impressed. I load 130gr Barnes TTSX and they run about 2800-2850. They are a hammer. I tried the 125gr Nosler BTs and the 125gr Sierra ProHunters. Those bullets were running about 2900fps and they just blow up. I do not suggest them at those speeds. But the all copper monos are bad bitches.

125gr NBT’s over a max charge of Varget in a 24” bolt 30-06 is one of my favorite white tail loads. I assume you’re talking about the fragmentation and damage to the animal when you say blow up? I’ve never had a deer take a step after being hit with one. Planted several pigs with the same load. 110gr v-max type damage.

 

[FredHammer]

I've been at the hog killing thing for 23yrs. Vermin reduction efforts. First two years showed I needed more than 5.56 M855 to kill hogs DRT or DRT(ish).
So, I went the third year with 77MK and found hogs 1/2 mile away bleeding out every natural hole + 4-5 SMK holes.
4th year me and my hog killing posse outfitted with M1As, AR10s, FALs put the fuckens to those hogs with 155gr AMAX. 90% of our encounters were on surprise pack shoots with running hogs 100-600yds laying the lead the whole time. Squeals, snot & ass, fucking glorious.

308 anchors them like no 5.56 can. I'll say the 155AMAX can be applauded for the success too. Last few years, just to change shit up, I used a 708 AR10 with Hammer Bullets, 120gr Hammer Hunters. Expensive as fuck, but DRT'd hogs like Thor's Hammer. Can't say they did any better than 308 15AMAX tho. So, I got some 139gr SSTs for the 708AR to launch at them next trip. LOL.

A semi-auto 708/308 18-20" barrel is the ticket for hog killing.

 

[Bevo]

125gr Speer TNT from a 16" .308.

SMOKING.

 

[JR1200W3]

125gr NBT’s over a max charge of Varget in a 24” bolt 30-06 is one of my favorite white tail loads. I assume you’re talking about the fragmentation and damage to the animal when you say blow up? I’ve never had a deer take a step after being hit with one. Planted several pigs with the same load. 110gr v-max type damage.

Ya, I'm talking about not having core of bullet left over after impact. Just a little bit of the cup left. No exit; questionable penetration.

I like to shoot bonded bullets or copper monos. I have had two experiences with bullets that were too lightly constructed that blew up on rib cages. This happened after I have had successful kills with them. But on those particular days it hit a rib and blew a fist size chunk and didn't penetrate to the heart right behind the hole. One was a 95gr TGK on a whitetail at 35 yards. I was shooting it out of a 6 Creedmoor at 3050 fps. You could clearly see the heart behind the hole and the rib cage. The surface was shredded but no significant damage to the heart. I put a second round into her and knocked her over and killed her. Then just this last year I shot a cow elk at 300. Perfect shot placement with a 175 grain ELDX. She just started walking forward and laid her ears back. Once she got clear of a couple of other cows I put another round into her and she started walking the other direction and as I was about to shoot her a third time she fell over. When I gutted her you can see her liver was shredded but I didn't see any other damage to the organs. When we hung her up and got the hide off, you could see the entrance hole. It was a massive 2 inch hole right where the liver had been. That first 175 grain bullet hit a rib and just detonated. There wasn't enough bullet left over to penetrate through the rest of the organs. But the second bullet put her down. I knew I should not have been shooting the ELDX's. But my rifle really likes that load and I didn't have any Barnes bullets loaded up for the hunt. I have since developed a really nice load with the 168 grain LRXs for that 7 WSM.

I don't think testimonials about killing whitetail is a good metric for success. They are pretty damn small and thin skin. If you are shooting an animal that's known to be a little bit tougher and have a thicker hide, I would definitely want a bullet that retains enough mass that it penetrates through the rest of the body.

 

[eastexsteve]

One of the great things about this forum is that a lot of times, the members have already figured out the answer to a question so I am hoping that is the case here. I have a small ranch outside of Houston. It is only 200 acres but the farmer/rancher that leases land from us estimates that he suffered $20 to $25k damage from feral pigs tearing up crops, pasture, damaging fences and other equipment. We even have two cases of livestock being injured.

What I have done about it is get some cattle dogs (1/2 Anatolian/GPD) and they do a good job keeping things away from the livestock. I have hired a trapping company that has been active but they have not done much to actually mitigate property damage. I keep an AR with me in the truck and if I see them I will shoot one or two which leads to my observations and questions. The 16" AR has about a 60% kill ratio with solid hits. It is amazing to me how some of the pigs will shrug off a 77 grain 5.56.

After speaking with some of the other land owners in the area, they recommend that I step up to 308. I would like to get a semi-auto because we have seen groups of pigs as large as fifty strong. The other thing they recommend is baiting fields and shooting them at night. I do not have NODS but the guys I have spoken with typically use a dedicated thermal scope or an optic with an inline thermal that clips on the rail in front of the primary optic.

I have an unused Sandman S as a can so it will be suppressed. I do not care if I have to go through a Form 1 procedure with the ATF. I am not looking to shoot at pigs a 1/4 mile away. This is going to be carried in the truck and grabbed quickly to take random shots or I am going to use it at night to kill as many pigs as I can on a baited trap.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I've killed so many hogs dead as a stone with 22lr I can't count them all. I've also gut-shot hogs with a .308 and had them run 100+ yds. A gut-shot hog is a gut-shot hog. A 5.56 gun with a soft-nosed hunting round should do just fine as long as it's a well-placed shot. Baiting hogs under a red light works fine as long as you have them coming to the bait. But, hogs are smart. They are smarter than deer or dogs. Don't be surprised if they stop coming to that bait pile once you roll a couple of them.

 

[Jsp556]

Ya, I'm talking about not having core of bullet left over after impact. Just a little bit of the cup left. No exit; questionable penetration.

I like to shoot bonded bullets or copper monos. I have had two experiences with bullets that were too lightly constructed that blew up on rib cages. This happened after I have had successful kills with them. But on those particular days it hit a rib and blew a fist size chunk and didn't penetrate to the heart right behind the hole. One was a 95gr TGK on a whitetail at 35 yards. I was shooting it out of a 6 Creedmoor at 3050 fps. You could clearly see the heart behind the hole and the rib cage. The surface was shredded but no significant damage to the heart. I put a second round into her and knocked her over and killed her. Then just this last year I shot a cow elk at 300. Perfect shot placement with a 175 grain ELDX. She just started walking forward and laid her ears back. Once she got clear of a couple of other cows I put another round into her and she started walking the other direction and as I was about to shoot her a third time she fell over. When I gutted her you can see her liver was shredded but I didn't see any other damage to the organs. When we hung her up and got the hide off, you could see the entrance hole. It was a massive 2 inch hole right where the liver had been. That first 175 grain bullet hit a rib and just detonated. There wasn't enough bullet left over to penetrate through the rest of the organs. But the second bullet put her down. I knew I should not have been shooting the ELDX's. But my rifle really likes that load and I didn't have any Barnes bullets loaded up for the hunt. I have since developed a really nice load with the 168 grain LRXs for that 7 WSM.

I don't think testimonials about killing whitetail is a good metric for success. They are pretty damn small and thin skin. If you are shooting an animal that's known to be a little bit tougher and have a thicker hide, I would definitely want a bullet that retains enough mass that it penetrates through the rest of the body.

I like loads that dump most of their energy inside the animal. If I were hunting elk, Moose, Caribou, or bear, I’d use a tougher bullet. I’ve never had a pig take a step after getting hit with 125gr NBT from an ‘06 or 308.

Pigs aren’t any tougher than white tails in my experience. I’ve shot them with everything from Hornady 62gr BTHPs out of a 16” AR up to 300 Win Mag. Good hits put them down. They run when hit in the guts no matter what they’re shot with.

 

[Jsp556]

OP, did you ever decide on a gun/caliber?

 

[ut755ln]

OP, did you ever decide on a gun/caliber?

I am a member of a large shooting club in the Houston area. Like on this forum I have been talking with and looking at various setups. I stopped myself from going down the path of getting best in class, this is going to be a beater rifle (to an extent). I am also not looking for the most accurate rifle ever, just accurate enough.

For the money, I like the Sig 716i TREAD. I also really like the Galil Ace Gen 2 in 7.62 NATO. To digress, I have never been a huge fan of AKs but this AK like rifle is actually pretty nice. The one I got to handle was right at 2 MOA with factory range ammo. The only mod the guy did to the rifle was put in an adjustable gas piston, apparently he felt it was over gassed from the factory. I also got to look at and handle the DD V5 which is kind of a nicer version (and more exspensive) of the Sig. All of the other 308s were kind of one off builds that people did.

We were shooting steel at 300 yards and the bigger round hits noticeably harder than 556.

 

[eastexsteve]

I am a member of a large shooting club in the Houston area. Like on this forum I have been talking with and looking at various setups. I stopped myself from going down the path of getting best in class, this is going to be a beater rifle (to an extent). I am also not looking for the most accurate rifle ever, just accurate enough.

For the money, I like the Sig 716i TREAD. I also really like the Galil Ace Gen 2 in 7.62 NATO. To digress, I have never been a huge fan of AKs but this AK like rifle is actually pretty nice. The one I got to handle was right at 2 MOA with factory range ammo. The only mod the guy did to the rifle was put in an adjustable gas piston, apparently he felt it was over gassed from the factory. I also got to look at and handle the DD V5 which is kind of a nicer version (and more exspensive) of the Sig. All of the other 308s were kind of one off builds that people did.

We were shooting steel at 300 yards and the bigger round hits noticeably harder than 556.

Yes, it needs to be a "work" rifle. I have a couple of those I carry in the truck or side-by-side. If your convinced to go to a .308 then a Sig Tread is a good one for this.

But, if you've got that big of a hog problem, you will definitely need to step up your game if you are hunting them. It's going to be night hunts with thermal, and a lot of shooting. This is where I think a 5.56 gun would work out better. Lighter, cheaper to feed, and easier on the night vision optics.

But, you will need to be trapping them also. You will never put a real dent in them by just hunting. I've been there and done that. The only thing that finally gave me some real relief was the last drought. It moved them back off of the high ground on my property and back down into the river bottoms where food was easier to find for them. But, after these last rains, I'm starting to see signs of them again.

 

[Junco Grande]

What length barrel did you go with?

I have a 16"