Personal experiences with the 5.56 and hogs

Richard Teague

LSB Member
My first AR was a 5.56 just like most here. It was an A1 version and I really like shooting it but it had a non removable carry handle and I never saw a hog while I had it out. Then there was a parade of Flat top AR's all in 5.56 that I did use for night hunting feral hogs. I shot more than a few with the Federal XM193 round and with the right hits it was pretty good at killing hogs. That said I lost more than a few also. I built an upper with a 20 inch barrel 1x7 twist and tried the heavier bullets, what I found was that unless I made a solid CNS hit most of the time that hog would make it 75 yards at least into the dark and amongst the thorns where looking for a hurt hog in the dark isn't all that smart so eventually after a couple of real thrills I quit doing it. One exception to the CNS hit it seemed to me if I hit the heart solidly the hog seldom went far. Best load I used in the 5.56 was the 75 gr. Hornady BTHP on top of a max amount of IMR 4895. In my opinion the 5.56 is just not as good as bigger guns like the 6.5 Grendel/6.8 and not even close to the 7x57 or 308 no matter what you load it with.
 
Last edited:

der Teufel

Livin' the Dream …
SUS VENATOR CLUB
Not wanting to start up a caliber war discussion, but my experiences are similar. Shot an 80 Lb hog, watched it run, shot it again. It went down, but required another shot to finish it.

Sold it and bought an AR-10. The AR-10 is heavy, but it does put the hogs down. That said, even the .308 doesn't always drop 'em on the spot.

But, this a free country and folks should use whatever they like best.
--
 

RattlesnakeDan

San Antonio Texas
LSB TURKEY BUZZARD PRESERVATION SOCIETY
SUS VENATOR CLUB
LoneStarBoars Supporter
I killed a bunch of hogs with a 556 also before someone told me it didn't work on hogs. lol
I use the 6.8 and prefer it much more but if I had a 223 I would take it out w/o hesitation.
 

chthump

LSB Member
Shot many with a 556, knocked them down, then they got up and ran off, if I wanted to take pictures it was, put 2 in them "minimum", I switched to a 6.8 SPC, if the shot was good, one shot dropped them, then I switched to the 6.5 grendel, "love that round", one shot one pig down"most of the time", and the range is pushed out past 200yds-250yds+.
 

Wray

LSB Member
With head and neck shots i did fine, follow up shots on large sounders not too much luck. I finally had one boar about 200-225 that i had to put five rounds into to drop. About the same time I came across another night hunter who was using the grendel and loved it. I started researching it and others. The decision was made at the time part because grendel brass was a buck a round and SSA was selling new 68 brass for 41-50 cents a round. That and about 20 minutes on the phone with Harrison (***) convinced me to order a 16" upper from him. I've since ordered 4 more barrels from him. I'm very impressed by the speed and accuracy I'm getting with the thermal and the new 22" triad.
 

437

LSB Active Member
good on first hog, not so bueno on runners. went to 308 after that. 14 guys on lease only 556 fire out there is on steel. we do have a guy continuing to use 300blk subs he can't grasp why he can't find hogs. 'i hit him i know it!'.
 

pruhdlr

Cantonment,Fla.
SUS VENATOR CLUB
Heavier is not necessarily better because it is slower.
A 50 to 62gr is great if it is driven as fast as possible and it hits bone going in. Square on the shoulder is best,especially if using a Barnes TSX or 60gr NosPart.
The faster twist bbls tend to help also. Even when shooting the 62's I reccomend the 1:7 twist bbls. --- SAWMAN
 

Brian Shaffer

Hog Hunter
SUS VENATOR CLUB
LoneStarBoars Supporter
You can use .22 subsonic on hogs if you know what you are doing. .223 on hogs certainly can work. It works best in situations where you can basically snipe a single hog cleanly. As Wray said, "follow up shots on large sounders not too much luck." There are definitely better choices.

This guy is a hoot. I have watched a bunch of his vids. I don't know that this is a 400 lb hog, but it is certainly a very large boar taken with a .22 subsonic.

I killed a bunch of hogs with .223/5.56, but had to do a LOT of tracking on shots that were not head shots. Tracking may not be an issue in open country, but in the woods, even a short run can result in a lost hog sometimes.
 

der Teufel

Livin' the Dream …
SUS VENATOR CLUB
good on first hog, not so bueno on runners. went to 308 after that. 14 guys on lease only 556 fire out there is on steel. we do have a guy continuing to use 300blk subs he can't grasp why he can't find hogs. 'i hit him i know it!'.
Yeah, I have a 300 BLK in addition to the AR-10, but the only place I would even consider using subsonics would be close in at a feeder where I can take one shot at a (hopefully) somewhat stationary hog. No way I'd lug it around to shoot at a bunch of runners.
Now with supersonics, I don't think it's as poor as some folks make it out to be. I mean, assuming I haven't misread the specs, a 6.5 Grendel with a 16" barrel pushes a bullet weighing roughly 130 grains at about 2500 fps. The Blackout throws a 110 grain bullet at 2400 fps. Weaker yes, but not dramatically so.
 

437

LSB Active Member
Yeah, I have a 300 BLK in addition to the AR-10, but the only place I would even consider using subsonics would be close in at a feeder where I can take one shot at a (hopefully) somewhat stationary hog. No way I'd lug it around to shoot at a bunch of runners.
Now with supersonics, I don't think it's as poor as some folks make it out to be. I mean, assuming I haven't misread the specs, a 6.5 Grendel with a 16" barrel pushes a bullet weighing roughly 130 grains at about 2500 fps. The Blackout throws a 110 grain bullet at 2400 fps. Weaker yes, but not dramatically so.

yea i just meant with subs he had piles of pigs at a spot last year mag dumped on them multiple times couldn't find a single one.
 

KJQ6945

LSB Member
I have one hunt under my belt, and I was shooting 5.56. It wasn't my first choice, but it did the trick. Sometimes...
As others have said, it sucks on a running hog/ body shot. Head /neck shots worked, and were DRT inside of 250. I dropped a sow at 250 plus, then went for the others, and recovered nothing. I watched her fold, then moved to the runners. She got back up and was never seen again.
I had a hog come up on the body of one I had shot earlier, and was making a hasty retreat. I hit him several times,(per the other hunters hearing the bullet hit), but never slowed him down. It will work, but I believe, it takes an optimal hit.

I'll go bigger before I move south.
 

Ratdog68

LSB Official Story Teller
LSB TURKEY BUZZARD PRESERVATION SOCIETY
SUS VENATOR CLUB
LoneStarBoars Supporter
Dad told me, his dad used to hunt inland grizzly (Alaska/Arctic) with a rolling block single shot .22, he said gramps said "shoot 'em in the ear". Gramps was nuts. LOL
 

RattlesnakeDan

San Antonio Texas
LSB TURKEY BUZZARD PRESERVATION SOCIETY
SUS VENATOR CLUB
LoneStarBoars Supporter
Dad told me, his dad used to hunt inland grizzly (Alaska/Arctic) with a rolling block single shot .22, he said gramps said "shoot 'em in the ear". Gramps was nuts. LOL
I don't want to be close enough to a griz to hit it with a 22 let alone in the ear!
 

Ratdog68

LSB Official Story Teller
LSB TURKEY BUZZARD PRESERVATION SOCIETY
SUS VENATOR CLUB
LoneStarBoars Supporter
I don't want to be close enough to a griz to hit it with a 22 let alone in the ear!

A friend of mine was sitting in his boat (at shore) while waiting for caribou (same region). Heard something which wasn't right, turned around, and saw a grizz charging at full speed towards him. He shouldered his .338 and blew a fore-leg clean off the beast! It never missed a step on it's charge. A few more into the bear, and his dead carcass slid to a stop, feet from him.
Wouldn't that just leave a place for the bear to hang an earring?

Basically. LOL
 

Deerhuntr71

New Member
Yeah, I have a 300 BLK in addition to the AR-10, but the only place I would even consider using subsonics would be close in at a feeder where I can take one shot at a (hopefully) somewhat stationary hog. No way I'd lug it around to shoot at a bunch of runners.
Now with supersonics, I don't think it's as poor as some folks make it out to be. I mean, assuming I haven't misread the specs, a 6.5 Grendel with a 16" barrel pushes a bullet weighing roughly 130 grains at about 2500 fps. The Blackout throws a 110 grain bullet at 2400 fps. Weaker yes, but not dramatically so.
I hunt with a 300 16” no can. My shots are usually 100-125yds. I use Fiocchi 125 gr sst hornady bullets. Haven’t had a problem yet with putting pigs down. I know there are a lot of people that don’t like the caliber but my max range is well within its capabilities.
 

robtattoo

New Member
I've dumped 4 with 5.56 from a Ruger GSR, including my biggest to date. All were DRT but they were also all stationary, sub 200yds & shot pretty close behind the ear. I don't think I'd even attempt shooting runners with one!
I switched out almost exclusively to a 300blk shooting 110 black tips & so far I've been really happy with the performance. Shot one from tooter to rooter a few weeks back & needles to say, it never took a step.
 
Top