Boar Hunting Question? Will 30-30 work?
Sep.03, 2011 in
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A friend and I are considering a guided boar hunting trip in the Southeast (NC, SC, TN). I have a 30-30. My friend has a 270.
Will my 30-30 be okay for Southeastern sized boar? I also have a 12 gauge pump (for slugs) if that is a better choice.

September 7th, 2011 at 6:36 pm
that’s a pretty big gun to use,it will certainly put the boar down,a 270 will too and won’t leave as big a hole.good hunting buddy
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September 12th, 2011 at 5:35 am
Either will get the job done. The 12 ga. will have more kick, though. Just remember that if the boar is facing you, he has a pretty thick shield of cartalage over his shoulders that protects his body from attack from a position in front of him. A shot to that area may not penetrate well enough to kill him quickly and you may need a place to retreat to QUICKLY so as not to be injured by a highly irritated pig. If you are not going to mount the head, a head shot is best. Otherwise, try for a heart lung shot from the side.
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September 16th, 2011 at 4:37 pm
Sure. Take your 30 WCF and have fun. Use the 170 grain loads, not the lightweights (I have no experience with the 165, but it’s probably fine, too).
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September 21st, 2011 at 10:37 am
I went on a hunt in SC. Used a Matthews bow. I bowhunt only and harvested a 110 lb’er. 30-30 will do the trick for sure.
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September 26th, 2011 at 11:36 am
You wanna have some fun? Grab a hold of a .45 ACP pistol and go after the swine on foot. They’ll give a good chase, and if you’re lucky, they’ll charge you! Be ready to fire, and ALWAYS carry a couple extra magazines. I’ve taken a few hogs, most have been with the 45. Everyone tells me to use a 44 MAG or a 357 MAG, but the 45 does just fine. Don’t get me wrong…a 150 yard shot on a hog with a rifle is awesome, but a 15 foot shot is even better. Good huntings!!!
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October 1st, 2011 at 4:36 pm
Yes, that’s a reasonable gun to use at reasonable range. The 30-30 has probably killed more deer sized game in the last hundred years than any other single caliber.
People seem to think you need huge amounts of energy, but a 30-30 will drill a hole right through any reasonable sized boar, even if you come across hogzilla the 30-30 will still do the business with a shot in the vitals.
The accuracy of the 30-30 is much more of an asset than the bigger hole a rifled slug will make, missing is much more of an issue than not making a big enough hole.
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October 6th, 2011 at 7:35 pm
A .30-30 Winchester is a bit light for the really big (400+lb.) hogs, but a head shot should work everytime. Use the heavier 170 grain bullets, though. If you opt to take your 12 gauge use the slugs.
The .270 should be just fine, again with the heaviest bullets. I would not go after hogs with a .45acp. Although the .45 is a good manstopper, for heavy boned & muscled animals with thick hides like hogs, the .45 moves too slow and developes too little energy. Also, I would not get a hog to chase me. It is a four-legged freight train that can get up to forty miles per hour. I really don’t think I can outrun it. LOL!
H
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October 12th, 2011 at 2:36 am
The 30-30 will be fine. Several friends and I have taken wild boar with bows. My brother shot one with a 30.06 and another friend shot his with a 7MM-08. It’s all about shot placement. I shot mine with a Browning bow, shooting only 62 pounds and it drove the Muzzy tipped arrow up to the fletching. He went about 30 yards and piled up. Remember they have a cartilage plate over their ribs so a quartering shot works best. A 150 or 170gr bullet should do fine. Good luck and good hunting.
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