There are few better ways to quench your bloodthirst outside of traditional hunting seasons than whacking some hogs. We’re not saying they should be killed indiscriminately (although many would argue it’s totally fine), but the truth is: they are an invasive species causing serious problems for farmers all across America.
Most of the time, you’re doing your country a favor by killing them. In fact, while only 12 states allow for hunting wild hogs year-round, many other states with season restrictions have no bag limits.
But be mindful — wild hogs can be aggressive and hard to catch. If you’re going hog hunting any time of year, making quick, effective kills is essential to keep your wild pork chop from running off into the brush. Plus, no one wants to hear a pig squealing in pain due to a bad shot. The right shot placement reduces the suffering of the beast to almost zero.
So, where should you blast Ms. Piggy and her ilk to drop them where they stand? That’s a good question, and one that carries a lot of different answers. In short: the head, heart, and lungs. Let’s take a closer look and where to shoot a wild hog for quick, effective kills.
Photo by Kevin Jackson on Unsplash
Feral Hogs 101: Why Hog Hunting Is Awesome
Wild hogs are kind of the worst.
They cause tens of millions of dollars in crop damage every year, ruin farmland, and destroy property. They generally jack up everything they come across. Plus, they breed like rats.
But before you think you’re gonna go all Rambo on the hog population and fix the problem, that ain’t gonna happen. There’s basically no way to completely eradicate these varmints. We can only apply a never-ending stream of Band-Aids, trapping and shooting the critters as much as possible.
That said, hunting hogs is a hoot! And there are a ton of ways to do it:
- Night Hunting: Some hunters stalk hogs at night under thermal or night vision optics — which is completely unconventional as far as traditional hunting goes, but it lets you get closer to game than ever before.
- Hunting With Dogs: This is even more of a rush, with an extra dash of danger. A hog being grabbed by three dogs is in no mood for conversation when you’re bringing reckoning to his life.
- Traditional: Hunting hogs from a treestand or a blind when sitting over bait works, too, but lacks the primeval element of stalking in the night or with a pack of dogs.
There’s nothing quite like plinking some piggies. But be careful — hogs aren’t like deer. A deer will usually dart at the sound or impact of a gunshot, but hogs (like many other wild animals) are ornery and potentially dangerous when they've been wounded and feel like their luck is running out. Make sure you kill them as quickly as possible, not just for ethics, but also for your own safety.
Many hunting dogs are laid low because they tangled with the cutters on a wild hog. An anchor shot to the noggin is never a bad idea when you approach a hog with any life still in it.
If you run into a pack of wild hogs (also called a “sounder”), prepare for all hell to break loose after the first shot.
Where To Shoot a Wild Hog To Kill It
No matter how you choose to pursue these wild porkers, it’s always best to drop them as fast as possible. Here’s how to do it, based on the anatomy of a wild hog.
(Original source: https://www.crittercontrol.com/wildlife/wild-hogs/wild-hog-sounds/)
Headshot (Side)
This will always be the No. 1 way to drop a living being right in its tracks. Period. Sending hot lead and copper through the brain will be an immediate lights-out no matter what — if you can hit it.
Luckily, wild hogs have a decent surface area to hit when you’re aiming for the head. If you can get a bullet in the ear hole or just beneath/behind it, it’ll drop in its tracks. Even if you don’t hit the brain directly, the bullet will send skull fragments through it, turning its lights off instantly.
(Original Source: www.veterinary33.com)
Headshot (Between the Eyes)
When looking head-on, put your bullet directly between the eyes for the same struck-by-lightning result. Do your best to put it here because hogs are TOUGH. They’re legendary for shaking off multiple rounds, only to expire later.
TIP: Be careful. A shot in the mouth is no bueno, cause it’ll run off and possibly starve to death. Do your part to make a humane kill.
Photo Credit: Joe Songer
(Original Source: https://www.al.com/news/2022/05/wild-hogs-wreaking-havoc-on-alabama-wildlife.html)
Body (Heart and Lungs)
When taking a broadside body shot, you can also stick your bullet in the boiler room. Same as a deer, you want to take out the heart and lungs. However, hogs have that side “armor plate” on their shoulder, and you’ll need to punch through it to reach the vitals. Using a caliber of sufficient energy is paramount.
Quartering to shot placement (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_boar)
Body (Quartering To/Away)
Because a hog won’t always stand at a perfect right angle to you, variants on kill shots are quartering to and quartering away. When a critter is quartering to you, it’s between head-on and broadside. The hog is at a 45-degree angle to your left or right. In this case, head shots are still on the table, but if you want to take a body shot, put the bullet on the shoulder or even slightly in front of it so that when it enters, it still takes out the heart and lungs.
When shooting an animal quartering away, aim further back, almost in the mid-section, to hit the heart. Once again, it’s imperative here to use a gun with the cojones to push through all that bone and pork matter to score a hit on the vitals.
When To Open Fire
Now, when you come across a whole sounder (group of hogs), much of the above goes out the window after the first shot. For the first one, take your head shot if you feel confident enough in your abilities, then after that, be ready for the worst.
Hogs scatter in a hurry when the shooting starts. Your goal is to put as many hogs on the deck as possible. Once the chaos sets in, you’ll need to put lead in whatever part of the hog you can see — because they won’t be standing still any longer. Hitting hogs running at full tilt is an art form all its own.
The Best Guns and Calibers for Hog Hunting
Remember, wild hogs are tough critters with thick skin and shoulder blades like armor. You need a gun with enough power to break through their tough exterior.
Winchester M193 5.56 55Gr Fmj 20/1000
$13.61
Winchester
Prices accurate at time of writing
.223 Remington / 5.56 NATO
Even though there are no published minimums for hog hunting like there are for deer and other game, you want to use enough gun to make quick, humane kills. The widely established minimum is the . 223 Remington or 5.56 NATO. Many hog hunters also opt for the most popular rifle platform in America, the AR-15, with its standard chambering of 5.56/.223.
TIP: With a semi-automatic action, the AR-15 also comes in handy should you be ambushed by a whole family of squealers.
With a 62-grain bullet, the .223/5.56 delivers enough downrange energy to drop a hog where it stands with a head shot. A body shot will likely set the hog in high-speed motion, but rest assured, if you hit it solidly, it won’t go too far.
Federal American Eagle Suppressor 300Blk 220Gr Ot 20
$27.28
Federal
Prices accurate at time of writing
Grendel, Blackout, and More
Other AR chamberings hunters use are the 6.5 Grendel, .300 Blackout, 6.8 SPC, and .308/7.62 NATO. All are available in popular semi-automatic rifles like the AR-15 and AR-10 (.308/7.62) that deliver great reliability and accuracy and plenty of oomph to whack a hog.
TIP: When selecting ammo, choose a hollow point or soft point style that expands upon impact. This lessens the trailing you have to do and delivers a quicker, cleaner kill.
Don’t Use a Shotgun
You can use a shotgun if you like, but you’ll need to be up close and personal, like when using dogs. But then, you don’t really want to be sending pellets downrange where there are dogs all over your quarry. A well-placed rifle shot will be the best bet in the VAST majority of circumstances.
Hog Hunting Methods
As we said, there are several ways you can take on wild boar. Hunters in farmland with hog problems have plenty of options. Here’s a bit more on that subject:
Hunting at Night
The most popular (and effective) is hunting with thermal or night vision equipment at night. Hogs are more active in the nighttime and their wary nature keeps them in thicker cover during the daytime hours.
At night, they roam more freely — feeding and rooting and doing whatever it is hogs do. Plus, you can get really close to them at night (like 30 yards). Hogs can’t see worth squat, but they can smell pretty well, so be mindful and stay downwind if possible.
Baiting Hogs
Where legal, you can bait hogs — but this often turns into a waste of money while only exacerbating your problem.
Sure, the bait brings them in, but it also brings more hogs onto your land. Your neighbors might thank you for drawing the hogs away from their land to take up residence at your place. But that’s not really what you want.
But baiting is a good option if hunters pay to hunt hogs on your land and you make money from their abundance, or if you’re in the trapping business. In these cases, bait is both necessary and extremely effective.
Trapping Hogs
Trapping is the most effective way to get rid of sizable numbers of hogs, but even when they’re in a pen, you need to be mindful of shot placement. They will go berserk when you approach the trap, then crank the crazy up to 11 when the shooting starts. To avoid potentially dangerous escapes and too much equipment-totaling melee, do your best to put lead into hog heads.
Final Thoughts
All hunting success depends on shot placement. Whether you're shooting a groundhog, wildebeest, or anything in between, if your bullet misses the mark, you’ve lost. With feral hogs, shot placement is critical to ensure a quick, humane kill. It’ll also keep your quarry from running off, making your life harder as you go to recover it, and prevent them from mauling you and your dogs.
Before you head afield, make sure you’re confident in your gear and are proficient in using all of it. Knowing your rifle will work and hit where you aim does wonders for your confidence when the moment of truth arrives.
Looking for ammo for your next hog hunting extravaganza? Count on Pro Armory to have the right gear at the right price for hunting, shooting, and more — all with guaranteed secure purchases and lightning-fast shipping.
Check out our selection of rifle ammo, optics, and tactical gear to enhance your hunting prowess.
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