What cartridge to choose for pig hunting in NSW?

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What cartridge to choose for pig hunting in NSW?

Post by Yogi303 » 26 May 2021, 1:31 pm

Hello to all.
I am new to hunting and need help with deciding on a good calibre for pig hunting in NSW.
I have been looking at the .243, 6.5 x 55, .308 and .303.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Yogi.
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Re: What cartridge to choose for pig hunting in NSW?

Post by deanp100 » 28 May 2021, 6:50 pm

Mate any of those calibres will be fine. However in my opinion the more important thing is the type of gun compared to the type of country you will be hunting in. I wouldn’t choose a bolt action 6.5 over a lever carbine 308 if the country is thick scrub. If it was open paddocks and cultivation’s the most accurate bolt gun will probably be the top,choice. Do you have these guns already? Calibre wise I would rank them 308, 6.5, 243, 303 in that order factoring in some ease of ammo supply.
For pigs I would take a short quick gun with a low power scope everyday over a longer range outfit as you will find the majority of pigs will be running, fast in thick cover.
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Re: What cartridge to choose for pig hunting in NSW?

Post by bladeracer » 28 May 2021, 6:57 pm

Yogi303 wrote:Hello to all.
I am new to hunting and need help with deciding on a good calibre for pig hunting in NSW.
I have been looking at the .243, 6.5 x 55, .308 and .303.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Yogi.


.303's tend to be quite heavy and long, I would look at something lighter and shorter, unless you're shooting from a vehicle.
Lever-action carbines in .30-30 or .44 Magnum would also be good if you're in heavy bush, or even a gun with slugs or heavy buck.
If you're sniping them at longer distances I'd look at a scoped 7mm-08 or .308.
6.5x55mm is a terrific all-round cartridge.
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Re: What cartridge to choose for pig hunting in NSW?

Post by Oldbloke » 28 May 2021, 7:18 pm

Yogi303 wrote:Hello to all.
I am new to hunting and need help with deciding on a good calibre for pig hunting in NSW.
I have been looking at the .243, 6.5 x 55, .308 and .303.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Yogi.



They will all do the job. Use one you are confident with. Consider a scope.
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Re: What cartridge to choose for pig hunting in NSW?

Post by SCJ429 » 28 May 2021, 7:24 pm

I never had a pig run off when I hit it with a 45/70 Govt. Great for rabbits too.
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Re: What cartridge to choose for pig hunting in NSW?

Post by deye243 » 28 May 2021, 7:26 pm

Lever action thutty thutty rifle so you have 7 or 8 shots of 170 SPEER hot cors
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Re: What cartridge to choose for pig hunting in NSW?

Post by Blr243 » 28 May 2021, 7:37 pm

The biggest boar I ever shot in my life , in nsw , not that the state matters much , was with an 87 v max in 243. But if u think you might shoot pigs from behind the latter three of your choices would be more appropriate.....military 303 rifles are a bit heavy and longish
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Re: What cartridge to choose for pig hunting in NSW?

Post by Diamond Jim » 28 May 2021, 9:24 pm

Blr243 wrote:The biggest boar I ever shot in my life , in nsw , not that the state matters much , was with an 87 v max in 243. But if u think you might shoot pigs from behind the latter three of your choices would be more appropriate.....military 303 rifles are a bit heavy and longish


...but they do have 10 shot magazines and there are likely to be a lot of sporterized SMLEs in gun shop bins for very affordable prices that would be absolute poison on pigs. The old .303 has taken everyting from African elephant downwards and it's still a very capable cartridge.
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Re: What cartridge to choose for pig hunting in NSW?

Post by bigrich » 28 May 2021, 9:27 pm

so far my experience with boar is they pop up under your feet almost sometimes :D . i've not encountered them much past 50 yards .
on a recent trip to texas , i was stalking up from downwind along a line of dams . i stopped to take off my jumper and a huge black shaggy boar popped up 20 meters in front from behind a log , other times when damn jumping the range has been just as close

the moral is a good 1.5-5x20 scope is a real asset for pig hunting on a dedicated pig gun . my own is a 358 win bolt action 70 . however , in hindsight a 44 lever gun would be good too ;)
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Re: What cartridge to choose for pig hunting in NSW?

Post by deye243 » 28 May 2021, 9:27 pm

Diamond Jim wrote:
Blr243 wrote:The biggest boar I ever shot in my life , in nsw , not that the state matters much , was with an 87 v max in 243. But if u think you might shoot pigs from behind the latter three of your choices would be more appropriate.....military 303 rifles are a bit heavy and longish


...but they do have 10 shot magazines and there are likely to be a lot of sporterized SMLEs in gun shop bins for very affordable prices that would be absolute poison on pigs. The old .303 has taken everyting from African elephant downwards and it's still a very capable cartridge.

Yep and if not tens of thousands hundreds of thousands of buffalo years ago
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Re: What cartridge to choose for pig hunting in NSW?

Post by deanp100 » 28 May 2021, 9:58 pm

303 will do thr job for sure, like they have all over the world but ammo choice restricts it a bit now. Sure there is some available, but the others are much cheaper, varied and practical.
No one gun will fit every circumstance. Pick one , get good with it and go at it. You will miss some close shots or long shots because you had the wrong gun for the circumstance, but who cares . They are only pigs.
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Re: What cartridge to choose for pig hunting in NSW?

Post by womble » 29 May 2021, 4:41 am

Fast follow up shots with a 303 too. And good open sights.
But nowadays no so cheap a gun. Even the poorest examples fetch decent money now.

308 and a 12 gauge shotgun will have you covered for any occasion.
But someone mentioned 45/70 in a lever gun, can’t argue with that. They will definitely know they’ve been shot.
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Re: What cartridge to choose for pig hunting in NSW?

Post by Biscuits » 29 May 2021, 9:01 am

I'd go 308; it is a very versatile cartridge and there is nothing wrong with it until you start shooting at stuff over 600 metres away. The ammo is cheap (by ammo standards) and there is every kind of ammo readily available. I also own a 1918 No 1 Mk 3 SMLE 303. It's nowhere near as accurate as my 308. Might be more fun to shoot fast, but not as accurate. Lever actions, again not as accurate although they are fast shooting. It's also the type of gun, not just the cartridge. If you were going to be shooting at short range in brush, you could consider a 308 scout rifle (e.g. Ruger Gunsite Scout); shortish barrel, open sights, not heavy, extended rail so you can use a low power long eye relief scope. Wouldn't be as quite fast as a lever gun, but it would be a lot more useable at longer ranges.
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Re: What cartridge to choose for pig hunting in NSW?

Post by bigpete » 29 May 2021, 10:28 am

I'd choose the 303. Coz why the f*** not
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Re: What cartridge to choose for pig hunting in NSW?

Post by InisBineest » 29 May 2021, 10:38 am

Having never shot pigs, how does a heavier projectile from a 223 go?
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Re: What cartridge to choose for pig hunting in NSW?

Post by SCJ429 » 29 May 2021, 10:47 am

bigpete wrote:I'd choose the 303. Coz why the f*** not

Coz whatever a 303 can do, a 458 can do better! :allegedly:
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Re: What cartridge to choose for pig hunting in NSW?

Post by SCJ429 » 29 May 2021, 10:51 am

InisBineest wrote:Having never shot pigs, how does a heavier projectile from a 223 go?

It is fine if you put the bullet right into the brain box but a difficult shot into the neck shield not so much. Preferable to use something bigger, you often don't get a lot of time to get your shot off and a 223 is a bit puny.
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Re: What cartridge to choose for pig hunting in NSW?

Post by Bugman » 29 May 2021, 11:28 am

243 for me plus close in scrub work I tend to favour a 12 gauge.
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Re: What cartridge to choose for pig hunting in NSW?

Post by animalpest » 29 May 2021, 12:12 pm

A .223 used in the thick stuff is a recipe for poo in your pants, or worse.
A short .308 such as the Ruger Scout topped with a variable scope topping out at no more than 7x would be my choice. Still capable of 1MOA and good for shots from 1m out to 300. It's my go to rifle for pigs unless I know the shooting will only be open paddocks.
In the thick stuff only, a lever 44 mag is quick, holds 11 rounds and a big slug for stopping power.
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Re: What cartridge to choose for pig hunting in NSW?

Post by FNQ » 30 May 2021, 7:02 am

308 cheap reliable and excellent choice of ammo. Best bang for the buck.

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Re: What cartridge to choose for pig hunting in NSW?

Post by duncan61 » 30 May 2021, 11:02 am

It sounds like you have not purchased a firearm yet and I would suggest .243 W to be the best option.I have been to country stores with very limited ammo supplies and they will always have .243 22LR and some shotgun stuff.No pig in Australia will survive a neck shot with a 100g PSP in .243.It is a practical calibre for head shooting roos with 80g cheap projectiles and can be loaded with 55g ballistic tips for foxes and rabbits.Over my time I have done all these things.We all have our love of certain things and my love for my 7mm Rem Mag Sendero borderlines on bizzare but if I had to go bush with one rifle I would take my 1500 Howa I paid $700 for in .243W
.22 winchester .22hornet .222 .243 7mm rem mag cbc 12g
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Re: What cartridge to choose for pig hunting in NSW?

Post by Bello » 30 May 2021, 4:31 pm

Hi Yogi303
The calibres you have mentioned are all good calibres.
Can I ask (without being a smart ass here)
Is this your first rifle
Have you done much shooting before.
I ask this as I have seen several people buy 308 and bigger as their first rifle and develop a flinch at their first shot.

If you have used rifles in the past and you are familiar with them and their recoil, then you will have no problems with your listed rifles choices.
I would suggest the 243 being very versatile and lower recoil.
You can buy loaded ammo for the 243, the buffalo river or Australian outback that start at 70gr or 87gr or 100gr loaded ammo, quite accurate.
This rifle then can be used for smaller game hunting with the lighter ammo and heavier ammo for larger prey.

The 308 will have a little more recoil. This rifle can also be loaded with lighter ammo and right up to over 200gr bullets.
You will not have any problems getting 243 or 308 ammo most places.

I have found in my travels that although the calibre of the rifle IS important, the shot placement is more important.

Happy hunting
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Re: What cartridge to choose for pig hunting in NSW?

Post by duncan61 » 30 May 2021, 4:56 pm

Totally concur Bello
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