[1911beast]

could a 22 take down a hog/pig

[danf_fl]

In a controlled situation, possibly.

If I were having a 150# coming at me, I would like something with a little more power.

[Jstrong]

.22 rimfire has been used to poach much larger animals than your average hog with varying degrees of success. Not to mention its been used to kill plenty of people.

As always... the biggest factor in the fatality of any shooting is not caliber of the projectile,its shot placement.

I'm sure there are legality issues of using a .22 to hunt game much larger than squirrels and rabbits in most every state. So if your planning on hog hunting I would put up the Marlin model 60 and pick up the model 336.

[lonyaeger]

Depends on the size of the hog, the distance of the shot as well. A shot in the ear canal with a .22 will bring down a hog of just about any size, but not many of us are good enough to make that shot.

[Sniper03]

I think personally I would refrain from hunting pigs with a 22 cal. Any type weapon be it pistol or rifle. Shot placement would have to be *perfect* or we would just injure the animal to go off and maybe die much later. Not that I have a love for Hogs except in sausage, summer sausage, roasts and brats. But any animal I hunt I want it to die asap and not suffer!
Besides that, from experience if hurt with a the Hog may decide to get even and attack you! The front of their skull is real thick and penetration at any distance out would be almost impossible with the 22 Ca. Once on the attack you would have one heck of a time stopping the pig before you possibly became the victim of those wicked tusks and trampled! Some are meaner than others. Those with Russian blood line ancestry will have no reservation about attacking even sometimes when they are confronted and not hurt. Something to consider when you think going after them with too small a caliber weapon.

03

[Jeepergeo]

Originally Posted by 1911beast

could a 22 take down a hog/pig

IMO, using a 22 LR to attempt to take a wild hog would be unethical and irresponsible. Sure, a perfect shot might kill a hog with that round. But more than likely, a 22 LR will just injure the hog.

Having the proper equipment is part of hunting.

[hairbear1]

Hope you can outdo Usain Bolt over the 1/4 if you wound a grunter with a .22. Ive dropped pigs with my BRNO.22 because at the time I was chasing rabbits and was in the right place with the wrong rifle and used it admittedly less than 20yds but I managed to drop a couple and finish them off with a 2nd shot.
Trying to drop a pig thats covered in mud will make it even worse as the .22 is just too under powered to bust through a layer of mud and all's it'll do is blow up on the skin and then it's a very interesting scenario as you've now got 1 very pissed off pig.

[alsaqr]

One of the places i hunt is 20,000 acres of US military property. In small game season we are restricted to the use of rimfire rifles or shotguns and small shot on that property. For years i killed wild hogs there with a .22 LR. Put the bullet in the hogs ear at close range and the animal is DRT. A few years ago i graduated to a .22 magnum. It allows for heart-lung shots on hogs to about 150 pounds: i did not take those shots with a .22 LR.

Yeah, neither the .22 LR or .22 magnum is a proper hog caliber. But no hog ever got away wounded after being shot; so i'll just keep on hunting hogs there with my .22 magnum.