Hunting & Fishing Varmint Hunting Caliber(s)?

[pewpewfever]

Ive never been hunting and I want to try it. Found some local hunts online and one that looks likely is a ranch that offers hog and varmint hunting (fox, bobcat, coyote). I have some competition gear that might be suitable, but I want to double check.

Single action rifles and pistols in .38/.357
.22 Rifles and pistols
Semiauto pistols in .308, 9mm and .45ACP
AR15s
PRS Bolt guns in 6mm CM
12G double barrel shotguns
Lever action rifle in 45 LC

Do I need something different for a hunt like this one? Which firearms in particular are likely to serve best? Thanks.

 

[Habituallinestepper]

What sort of hog hunting? I'd love to shoot a pig with a single action revolver, but at distance obviously not the best tool.

Bringing one gun? The AR. Will take a hog as long as its not a monster, and wont damage a pelt of the varmints.

 

[pewpewfever]

I hear about local trips shooting hogs from helicopters with a .45 ACP pistol, but the one I’m looking at is a stay on a ranch. I think you just have the run of the ranch. Is a .223 enough gun for a hog at long range? Only my ARs and bolt guns are scoped, and I have the ballistics calculator going on those for competition. So those are probably my best bet in this scenario if the caliber is sufficient.

 

[stello1001]

.204 Ruger
22-250
220 swift
17hmr
243

 

[king1886ranch]

Your 6CM is more than capable of taking anything on this type of hunt. I’m not a big fan of AR’s for Hogs unless they are AR-10’s.

 

[WB300]

The 6CM, AR15, and either pistol or shotgun will cover it all depending on the type of hunt. Have you tried calling the ranch to see what they recommend?

 

[Coyoteman]

6CM.

 

[thesemperfidude]

Your 6CM is the ticket unless the brush is thick and shots are close then go with the AR.

 

[HydroMT]

6CM, 243, or 25.06

 

[deersniper]

I’d bring the 6cm. And the ar. Use 64gr sp for the hogs and 40-60 grain vmax for the varmints.

 

[Alabusa]

You have the perfect hog and predator caliber in the 6CM. The only issue may be weight since you specified it as a prs gun.

If you need(want) a new tifle, I would recommend a 22-250. It is a fantastic predator round, easy to load for and laser accurate. The only downside, that I know of, is brass life. The 22-250 is hard on brass and you will probably get less than 10 loadings per case. Luckily, the brass can be had for very reasonable prices.

 

[pewpewfever]

My 6CM is a 20 pound rifle, so weight is definitely an issue. Even my precision AR is 12 pounds. I have a much lighter weight AR that only has a 2.5 fixed power prism scope on it. For a first hunt, and given the smaller kill zone, I think maybe I should steer clear of attempting any long range kills. So maybe that lighter weight AR? Is there .223/5.56 ammo for hunting that I should get? Or should I just stick with my factory competition rounds (FGGM)?

 

[diggler1833]

An AR, even in the lowly .223/5.56 caliber is enough for hogs...but you have to place that shot well. The cartridges' effectiveness on runners is not so good, but you're not going to be Todd Huey (Lonestarboars) on your first engagement anyway. I'm guessing you'll be hunting over bait at 100yds or less.

The AR is also extremely effective on predators. However finding that fine balance between good hog bullet and good varmint/predator bullet is a bit more difficult. Someone mentioned a bonded 64gr soft point, and I think those are excellent (62gr as well). I had extremely good results with the Federal T556TNB1/Mk 318 Mod 0 stuff. It is actually better on broadside coyotes than my current 6.8SPC / 120gr SST load *if I don't hit the shoulder. Plus I've taken hogs well over 250lbs with it...but I have had two come back at me. Good hits with a more adequate caliber would have probably lessened the excitement. I'd also consider the all copper expanding bullets like the 62 and 70gr Barnes TSX, or even the 55gr Hornady GMX.

I would shy away from FGMM in your AR for hunting. My last coyote that I took with my 20" Remington 700 had a 69gr pill placed perfectly in the boiler room. I found him 200 yards away a week later when I was cutting hay. I know many people have killed with this bullet, as have I, but the odds are not nearly as good.

 

[pewpewfever]

Thanks. I was looking at the 62gr federal fusion, which is promoted for deer and hogs. It’s an open point, so I’m guessing not so great for smaller game?

 

[diggler1833]

Only killed coyotes with 55gr soft points. However I'm betting that if you tag the shoulder broadside, or run one lengthwise with a 62gr fusion that there won't be any chase at all. The Fusion/Gold Dots open pretty quickly and at decently low velocities for a bonded bullet.

I'm running 64gr Speer LE ammo with the Gold Dot in my DMR that shares duty as my ranch rifle.

 

[Geeb]

Your ar15 with nosler varmageddon bullets will work great for all the animals you will be hunting.

 

[pewpewfever]

Your ar15 with nosler varmageddon bullets will work great for all the animals you will be hunting.

Those look promising for my lightweight AR with the 2.5x prism scope. It has the Primary Arms 2.5x ACSS CQB reticle. I’ve googled the heck out of the reticle to try and determine what grain round the BDC dots are calibrated for. PA is being mum about it, but those competitors that have similar offerings and offer a grain of calibration typically advertise a range of 55-62gr fir Remington .223. I bet PA’s reticle is similar. I might get some 55gr and 62gr rounds and see which one does a better job with the BDC. That might make a nice thread.