There is nothing quite like hog hunting. There are so many different ways to do it, and there is always a new piece of gear to use. Although, no matter how you do it, you need a rifle up to the job. The good and bad news is there is no “best” cartridge for hog hunting. No matter what you choose to hunt with, someone has a good reason why another cartridge is better. However, there are a few cartridges that hog hunters around the country are always talking about. So if you are trying to figure out what to chamber your next hog hunting rifle in, I’ve compiled a list of the eight deadliest hog hunting cartridges known to the internet.
The perfect cartridge for you depends on a number of factors. Mainly how far you plan to shoot, and secondly where you are hunting / how big the hogs are. Wild hogs are known to be tanks, and they can soak up lead in amazing ways. Still, we want to balance power with recoil, so I will start this list with my least powerful cartridge and work my way up to the most powerful, you should find what you are looking for somewhere along the way.
5.56 NATO
Our first cartridge is the most basic, the 5.56 NATO is a go-to choice for hunters that want to use the AR-15 platform. It keeps the rifle light, and the recoil lighter. Your generic 5.56 has a muzzle velocity of over 3,000 feet per second, and it carries more than 1,000 foot-pounds of energy out to 100 yards. That is certainly enough to take down many types of big game, but it also works for hogs. However, 5.56 is the lightest round on this list, and some shooters would argue that it is too light for thick hogs. So if you plan on shooting farther than 100 to 150 yards on a regular basis, you may want a cartridge with a bit more power from the start.
G9 Defense provides an awesome monolithic 556 that would be ideal for hog hunting, the G9 Defense 54 Grain Barrier Blind Solid Copper HP. Monolithic (solid copper) bullets are pretty popular among hog hunters since it takes so much energy to punch through a hog, and using this design is a good idea when you don’t have a ton of energy to lose in the first place with such a small bullet.
One important note is that most hog hunters agree that the similar .223 Remington is usually too light for hog hunting. It is a lower pressure cartridge than the 5.56, so you don’t get as much speed or energy down the line. Of course, the .223 is still deadly, but it would be low on the list of choices for a reliable hog gun.
6.8 SPC
The 6.8 mm Special Purpose Cartridge (SPC) is a cartridge bred to provide better terminal ballistics than the 5.56 NATO. It still fits in the AR-15 platform, but it has a larger diameter bullet and travels a little slower than the 5.56. You end up with a bullet that carries around 20-40% more energy than a 5.56 NATO out to 100 yards depending on which two cartridges you compare. You still hold around 2,500 feet per second in velocity, but with nearly twice the bullet weight.
The 6.8 SPC will hold 1,000 foot-pounds of energy out to around 300 yards, but then its small stature and larger bullet catch up with it. However, for such a light weight cartridge it packs a real punch. It has been known to take down hogs without a problem, and 300 yards of play covers 99% of what hunters need. For a light recoil cartridge that fits the AR-15 platform, 6.8 SPC is hard to beat.
Hornady makes an awesome box of SPC in their Hornady Custom 120 Grain Super Shock Tip (SST), the polymer tip ensures you get good expansion. Since you get a bit more power out of the 6.8 SPC, you usually do not have to worry as much about having too little penetration as you do with a 5.56, so the SST is a good choice here.
6.5 Grendel
Staying in the AR-15 platform, but delivering even more power, the 6.5 Grendel is a favorite among hog hunters. The 6.5 Grendel was designed to provide better long range performance from cartridges like the 5.56 NATO and the 6.8 SPC, and while it has a little more recoil as a result, it is still a smooth shooting cartridge that stacks hogs.
The Grendel launches heavier, more aerodynamic bullets, with many factory loads firing 120 to 130-grain projectiles. While its muzzle velocity is typically in the 2,400–2,600 fps range, its high ballistic coefficient helps it hold energy at longer distances. It stays above 1,000 foot-pounds of energy well past 400 yards, making it an excellent option for open terrain or if you just want a flatter-shooting round than 6.8 SPC.
6.5 Grendel also shines when you want clean kills and deeper penetration, especially with bonded or monolithic bullets. Its sectional density is noticeably higher than either 5.56 or 6.8, and it tends to punch through tough hogs. If you want to hunt at longer ranges without going to AR-10, or you’re shooting larger boars, Grendel may be the sweet spot.
Hornady has another great cartridge for 6.5 Grendel, the Hornady Custom 123 Grain Super Shock Tip (SST). These rounds are great for hog hunting, they carry plenty of power and provide plenty of expansion.
.450 Bushmaster
If you want to stop hogs in their tracks with one well-placed shot, the .450 Bushmaster is built for the job. This is where we really start leaning into big-bore, straight-wall power. Originally designed to deliver .45-70 Government-like performance out of a modern rifle platform, the .450 Bushmaster is a favorite among hunters who want massive stopping power.
With bullet weights typically in the 250 to 300-grain range and muzzle velocities hovering around 2,200 fps, the .450 Bushmaster brings well over 2,600 foot-pounds of energy to the table right out of the muzzle. That’s more than double the energy of most intermediate cartridges on this list. While its effective range is typically around 200 yards, it makes up for that with brutal terminal ballistics.
This cartridge is perfect for dense woods, hog blinds, or brush hunts where your shots will be closer. It’s also a great option in states that restrict hunters to straight-wall cartridges. The recoil is noticeable, but still manageable for most experienced shooters while staying in the AR-15 platform.
.308 Winchester
My personal favorite cartridge for just about any big game, the .308 Winchester is a great choice for hog hunting. Hunters have taken millions of deer with it, and I know it to also work well on black bears. If it can handle a bear, it can handle a boar! Although this is where the AR guys have to step up to the AR-10 platform. You will get a little more recoil, but it is still very manageable, and I don’t think quick follow up shots are too difficult to make within 150 yards with the .308 Winchester.
The .308 Win will give you somewhere between 2500 to 3000 fps at the muzzle depending on the load, but your energy will hover around 2600 foot-pounds. It isn’t hard to find a load that can produce 1,000 foot-pounds of energy out to 500 yards either.
One box of .308 that will knock down pigs is the Norma 180 Grain Bond Strike. As the name suggests, this is a chemically bonded bullet, so you are going to get plenty of penetration on solid boars.
6.5 Creedmoor
Now 6.5 Creedmoor has a few haters, but there are at least two Creedmoor lovers for every hater. The 6.5 is a flat shooting cartridge that will treat you well if you can shoot accurately. Your bullet is a little lighter than most AR-10 cartridges, and that is why some hunters don’t think it hits hard enough to reliably take down boars, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in pure speed. At around 2,800 feet per second at the muzzle, this blazing fast cartridge holds over 1,000 foot-pounds of energy past 500 yards and has plenty of power for hogs.
You’ll like 6.5 Creedmoor for hog hunting because it strikes a balance between power, accuracy, and shootability. It’s an easy shooter, with recoil light enough to not worry about follow up shots. Personally, I like the 6.5 Creedmoor and I have had success with it many times.
The Oryx soft point from Norma is a great cartridge to try on hogs. This is another bonded bullet, with some awesome engineering. They are made up of a copper jacket that is thinner in the front with internal splitting zones to engineer the best possible expansion, which is going to be perfect for hogs.
.25-06 Remington
The .25-06 Remington is a great round for hog hunting. It is a good mix of power and penetration. The originally .30-06 necked down to .257 zips through the air at over 3,000 feet per second. You have a light bullet (around 85 to 120 grains), but the speed produces a flat shooting cartridge that hits hard. Even if you hit a hogs shoulder with a .25-06, you are going to go right through it. You get the same great power that you see in the .308 or 450 Bushmaster, but with way less recoil.
The .25-06 is a great cartridge, but if you are a hog hunter that wants to use the AR platform, you won’t like the long action .25-06. There are plenty of awesome rifles out there chambered in .25-06, but it will most likely be a bolt action.
A great cartridge in .25-06 is the Hornady Precision Hunter 110 Grain ELD-X. This is a flat shooting bullet that will go as far as you need it. The name stands for Extremely Low Drag – eXpanding, taking advantage of a polymer tip to pierce through the air and still expand on impact.
.300 Winchester Magnum
If you don’t want to wonder if you have enough firepower to take down any hog you come across, the .300 Winchester Magnum is the cartridge for you. This is the cartridge I would suggest to hunters that intend to shoot at hogs at a fair distance away, or are in south Georgia where the hogs are just massive.
This cartridge scoots at well over 3,000 feet per second out of the muzzle, and you will have over 1,500 foot-pounds of energy out to 500 yards. That is enough power to take down any big game in North America! Although this is another long action cartridge that you will not find in an AR. If you want to take slower, more powerful shots, and not be limited, the .300 Win Mag is for you.
I haven’t used 300 Win Mag for hogs, but one cartridge that I know to be effective is the Hornady American Whitetail 150 Grain InterLock. It absolutely slams deer, and you can be sure it will do the same to hogs. No matter what cartridge you pick, .300 Win Mag is a winner.
