Hog rifle suggestion

Best AR caliber for hunting hogs?

  • 5.56

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 6.5 grendel

    Votes: 3 8.6%
  • 300 blackout

    Votes: 6 17.1%
  • 6.8 SPC

    Votes: 26 74.3%

  • Total voters
    35

Brian Shaffer

Hog Hunter
SUS VENATOR CLUB
LoneStarBoars Supporter
What I like about the Grendel is that even from a 16" barrel, you are going to get over 2400 fps from a factory Hornady SST 123 load. By 100 yards, it will surpass the energy of a 6.8 120 gr. Hornady SST load and carry more energy to the target from there forward.

With that said, 6.8 has more factory rifle and ammo offerings and the rounds can be loaded a good bit hotter than standard, something you will have trouble doing on the Grendel. There are more and more Grendel offerings forthcoming and more manufacturers, but they are well behind 6.8 in number.
 

hdfireman

Blackstone Arms
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Vendor
LoneStarBoars Supporter
What I like about the Grendel is that even from a 16" barrel, you are going to get over 2400 fps from a factory Hornady SST 123 load. By 100 yards, it will surpass the energy of a 6.8 120 gr. Hornady SST load and carry more energy to the target from there forward.

Have to disagree here!! Below is based off of Hornady #'s and a ballistics app. For starters Hornady's FPS numbers on the Grendel are out of a 24" barrel vs the 6.8 being in a 16" barrel. If you take the average of 30 FPS per inch it drops the Grendel down to 2340. I also believe that their velocities are slow on the 6.8 because I get 2410 fps out of a 12.5 barrel but we will use the listed number
----------------------------Muzzle-------100 yards------------------200 yards
6.8 120 SST--------------2460 fps-----2247 fps/ 1345 ft-lb------2044 fps/1113
6.5 Grendel 123 SST---- 2340 fps-----2176 fps/ 1294 ft-lb------2020 fps/1114

The Grendel does not out perform the 6.8 inside 150-175 yards much less 100. At 200 that start evening out and the Grendel will pull away from the 6.8 after that.

With that said, 6.8 has more factory rifle and ammo offerings and the rounds can be loaded a good bit hotter than standard, something you will have trouble doing on the Grendel. There are more and more Grendel offerings forthcoming and more manufacturers, but they are well behind 6.8 in number

Agree with this statement
 
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pruhdlr

Cantonment,Fla.
SUS VENATOR CLUB
Just waiting for some reloading enthusiast to do a 6.8AI.
Wondering if one of those advanced reloading programs would give an estimate on the velocity gain in a 90 and 120gr bullet. --- pruhdlr
 

hdfireman

Blackstone Arms
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Vendor
LoneStarBoars Supporter
Just waiting for some reloading enthusiast to do a 6.8AI.
Wondering if one of those advanced reloading programs would give an estimate on the velocity gain in a 90 and 120gr bullet. --- pruhdlr
This isn't a great comparison because the 95 TTSX was my reloads and the 120 SST was factory Hornady but out of a 12.5" barrel 95 TTSX was 2710 FPS and the 120 SST was 2410
 

Brian Shaffer

Hog Hunter
SUS VENATOR CLUB
LoneStarBoars Supporter
Have to disagree here!! Below is based off of Hornady #'s and a ballistics app. For starters Hornady's FPS numbers on the Grendel are out of a 24" barrel vs the 6.8 being in a 16" barrel. If you take the average of 30 FPS per inch it drops the Grendel down to 2340. I also believe that their velocities are slow on the 6.8 because I get 2410 fps out of abutt 12.5 barrel but we will use the listed number
----------------------------Muzzle-------100 yards------------------200 yards
6.8 120 SST--------------2460 fps-----2247 fps/ 1345 ft-lb------2044 fps/1113
6.5 Grendel 123 SST---- 2340 fps-----2176 fps/ 1294 ft-lb------2020 fps/1114

Hypothetical calculations are great for load development and such. I like to use actual performance data. Folks are getting better than 2400 fps from actual chronographed 123 gr. AMAX and SST factory ammo (same load and BC). No doubt there is variation. For example, I get 2675 fps from Hornady SST 123 gr. out of my 22" Liberty barrel. By your calculations, I should get 2520, which I am not getting. Guys are getting 2450--2500 fps from 18" barrels which at the 30 fps suggested decrease per inch would yield only 2400. I get 2530 from my 20" Shilen barrel with factory SST which ostensibly should be only getting 2460.

So, I am not big on the Hornady ballistics app.
 

hdfireman

Blackstone Arms
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Vendor
LoneStarBoars Supporter
I understand what you're saying and it goes both ways. The numbers that Hornady uses which are the one's I used to work this up are also on the low end for the 6.8. So we could take a 16" grendel and a 16" 6.8 and chronograph them to get accurate starting numbers but the fact will remain the same that the Grendel does not outperform the 6.8 at 100 yards in a 16" barrel. At that length the 6.8 is better a little beyond 100 yards around 175-200 yards they even out and beyond that the Grendel will out perform the 6.8.

That's all with factory ammo. We start talking reloading you can push the 6.8 harder than you can the Grendel so the 6.8 would start out with a bigger advantage than the 6.5. The Grendel will still catch and pass it at the longer ranges but the statement that the Grendel "out performs" the 6.8 at 100 yards is not entirely true and is subjective to the length of barrel.

I did not use A Hornady ballistics app.
 

ScottJ

LSB Member
I vote for .308. I have a gen 1 DPMS and it is a bit heavy, but I have a nice wide sling. Compared to my .458 winnie, it's not heavy and it shoots incredibly soft. I walk around with it quite a bit. My friend used his fancy smart phone to determine one average night we walked a little over 6 miles, quite a bit in mud. If you're walking 15+ miles in a night, then yeah, it may be a concern for weight. Otherwise, get in shape! :) For guys over 60 yrs old, going with a light gun may be the only feasible option. I do have an AR-15, a DelTon with heavy barrel, and used that last pig hunt as I let one of my buddies use my AR-10. The 15 is very, very light and that is nice but it didn't have the big hog killing "thump" of the 308. I'd rather carry the weight and lift a little to stay in shape than use the smaller gun. For small pigs, no problem with the .223. For 250+ lb ones, I sure saw a difference.
 

Schneeky

LSB Member
LoneStarBoars Supporter
Just waiting for some reloading enthusiast to do a 6.8AI. --- pruhdlr
That would be sexy. But not feed for chit. Get a boltgun! Hehehe. d;^)
I broke down and forked out for a SCAR 17s a few years ago. It sports a Leupold HOG by day and a REAR-IR (IRD) otherwise. It costs me 2#'s in the field as opposed to a 6.8 AR. Been thinkin about gettin lazy. But can't bring myself to make that move just yet. Still ridin the "frontal area=shock" theory with my l'il 125gr SST's at 2800 that just keep dumping every oz of energy into whatever I shoot and they are usually DRT at NC hoggin ranges. Hard ta jack with success. d;^) Schneeks.
LanceREAP.jpg
 

witch's wail

New Member
I shoot a .338 Federal in an AR-10 Platform from Wilson, mostly in CA ( 200 grain speer hot core)., In SC I use the .458 HMR from again Wilson, similar to the SCOM but about 200fps faster ,same bullet. The 300 grain BT from Nosler are bombs.>308 is fine as is my 6.5 creed moor with 143 grain eld-x rounds. Depends on range of fire, day or night, and surrounding cover, or lack thereof.Stopped using the .44 mag after 10 stitches in my left calf.
 

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Marco Fiorilo

New Member
I think I'm on the right feed. Quick question. I've got a thermal scope and it's hog time! But is a 5.56 AR with Barnes Vor-TX or a bolt 6.5 with ELD-X a better choice. East Texas big thicket hunting from a stand.
 

FrankT

Destin FL
LSB TURKEY BUZZARD PRESERVATION SOCIETY
LoneStarBoars Supporter
Probably few follow up shot chances so I would pick the bolt gun. you want them anchored where you shoot them
 

jglass

LSB Member
I like the AR platform with 450 bushmaster. Packs a powerful punch with Hornady 250 gr FTX.
I have thought many times about a 450 Bushmaster. But with ammo in short supply it's hard to justify buying another rifle. I did buy a 45 ACP in an
AR style rifle for daytime hunting. For hog hunting it seems to be a waste of money. I had one shot at close range placed ahead of the front legs. I had to of hit the hog but it squeaked and ran off. The 300 blackout still does a good job here in Florida where the hogs are at close range, 30-40 yards.

We will leave for Florida in a week (December 11) for 3 months. My wife needed heart surgery so we got delayed.
 
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