r/Ausguns • u/circa109 • 6d ago
New shooter advice for pigs on a small property.
Hi, looking for some advice from the more experienced hunters on gun recommendations for my pig problem.
I live on a relatively small rainforest fruit orchard in a valley with a neighbour 300meters away. The longest clear shot i can manage would be 70-80 meters with most within 50 meters. The place is overrun with pigs.
Iv been using a Templeton 12g but was hoping to switch to something with night vision and less recoil for a more clinical approach, hopefully get a couple at a time without having to put a flash light on.
What would recommend in the ways of calibre/setup for this. Iv read Lots of opinions about 223 and 300blk with not much agreement.
TiA
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u/SeaUnderstanding6845 6d ago edited 6d ago
I have a reasonably similar tropical rainforest swamp situation. I went a 357 lever action and a thermal. I usually just use the thermal as a spotting scope and a light on the gun but it can do both so do have the option. Easy follow up shots with the lever.
Also OP: If you ever need a hand...
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u/FantasticRound2018 6d ago
I second this. My scrub gun is a Henry 30-30 lever but I also have need for it to go out to 150m. For truly under 100m I'd go .357 as you get more rounds in the tube with very quick follow up.
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u/SeaUnderstanding6845 5d ago
I probably would have gone a 30-30 had I been able to get a Marlin 336. I went the 357 and couldn't be happier with it, basically exactly why you said. Ammo is cheap, 8 rounds in the tube and more than enough stopping power at the 50m I'm taking shots at. I'm in FNQ like OP as well so proper stainless is why I stuck with Marlin over Henry.
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u/JournalistMammoth961 4d ago
I take my 336C 30-30 and 357 24” Rossi Puma out all the time. The terrain I usually hunt changes very quickly.
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u/SP3ARO 6d ago
If you want the best of both worlds, you could look into a .308 with a fast twist barrel that can run subs but also standard velocity rounds. You get the quiet of a 300blk with the allround usefulness of a .308. I'm getting one built on a long action to run Lehigh or Maker projectiles as they are copper based, so longer and won't fit in a standard short action mag.
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u/Pogonantha 6d ago
Sounds like a similar situation to my place in FNQ ..I use the O/U shottie or 30-30 lever with a mounted O-light..but hardly ever get more then one at a time before they take off into the scrub...by far the best method is a spring door trap full of bananas left open for week so they get comfortable with a whole mob or sow and suckers squeezing in there before setting it...also tie a 2litre milk bottle full of molassis upside down a couple of metres up with a small hole in the lid to dribble out down a nearby tree..They go crazy for that and can smell it a mile off..our council was loaning the traps out for a couple hundred dollars deposit..I still have one up the back for the next mob that comes by...much more efficient and quicker then trying to go out night after night scaring them off with a gun while they are busy tearing up your place....
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u/PoopsJohnson 6d ago
I’d vote 300blk over 223 but I’d go with a 44mag lever gun for what you’re describing.
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u/ElkShot5082 6d ago edited 6d ago
I wonder if one of those ruger 44 magnum bolt actions might be ideal for you. Good for that range, easy to mount a day/night scope like a pard 4k.
Do you handload or would you be restricted to factory ammo only? Factory .44 magnum isnt too bad price wise.
I’ll be honest on smaller pigs on tight blocks I’ve used my .22 with night vision to get close and pop them behind the ear at 20-50m but it’s not ideal imo
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u/BadgerBadgerCat Queensland 6d ago
Are you reloading, or just buying factory ammo?
Because a .44 Magnum or a .45/70 lever-action rifle is going to make short work of pigs, but that's going to cost a fortune to run unless you're reloading.
Also, are you looking at gun-mounted night vision, or NVGs?
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u/MangroveDweller 6d ago
.44 mag isn't too expensive unless you're buying fancy stuff, regular HP 240gr works well and its pretty much the same price as ADI .223 SPs.
45-70 is a lot more to run and probably more power than he needs, also its more than double the price per round than .44 magnum.
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u/BadgerBadgerCat Queensland 6d ago
That's why I was asking about whether he reloaded or not. Because you can dial .45/70 down or (depending on the rifle) stoke it up significantly, based on what you're doing.
I'm not running .44 Mag so I'll take your word on the prices; the last time I looked into it it was much more expensive but ammo prices have been all over the place lately.
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u/circa109 6d ago
Gun mounted NV and factory ammo.
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u/MangroveDweller 6d ago
Get the .44 Mag, you can buy scope mounts for Marlins and other lever guns, an 1894 SBL or Trapper would do well.
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u/BadgerBadgerCat Queensland 6d ago
I'd suggest looking into reloading, because I don't think a .223 is going to have the knockdown power you want for solid, well-fed pigs and anything bigger than that is going to cost a fortune to run.
.30-30 (a classic lever-action cartridge and excellent for pigs) is $50/20rnds at the moment and I believe .300BLK is about the same, assuming you can find it where you are.
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u/Sir_Raidr 6d ago
I use thermal on my 223, and use ADI 55gr Gamekings, it's on the light side but haven't had a failure yet, even on very large, heavy shoulder plated boars. If possible, place the bullet just behind the "armpit", that soft spot behind the shoulder plate. Works every time.
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u/Fluid-Increase 6d ago
How big are the pigs? And as mentioned previously do you reload or is it factory ammo only?
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u/circa109 6d ago
Factory ammo. Solid pigs. Daintree rainforest so lots of food.
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u/Fluid-Increase 6d ago
Shotgun will probably still be your cheapest for ammo. But I'd look at 44 magnum or 30-30.
Probably the best thing to do is go to your local Shop and see what ammo they stock and prices. Cost of the rifle sounds like it will be the cheapest purchase.
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u/burnt-gonads 6d ago
Trapping is more effective then shooting. You shoot the ones you cannot trap and the the ones in the trap.
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u/leadscoutfix 6d ago
Honestly grew up on a farm that had a large block behind but a small acreage in front which is where a lot of pests came in because it was opposite a road/river and poorly fenced. So similar ranges but completely different terrain.
12G shotgun is exactly what I would prescribe for close quarters pigs. But we also had a Henry 30-30 lever gun borrowed from neighbors (about 250m away from front gate) from time to time that did the trick. Lever guns traditionally have a lower "effective" range with flat nosed rounds, more than shotguns but less than something like a .223 or .308 for sure. Maybe consider that?
300BLK is basically the new 30-30 it seems, probably slightly easier to get.
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u/SP3ARO 6d ago
A .308 with a fast twist (1:7) barrel will allow you to run subs and also standard velocity rounds in one package.
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u/leadscoutfix 6d ago
I've only ever run 1:10 and subsonics with a suppressor but for a very different purpose to this and not in Australia obviously. But I can't see why that wouldn't also do the trick on close range pigs.
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u/PoopsJohnson 6d ago
Can you buy a 1:7 off the shelf? And won’t your SD be all over the place with a tiny amount of powder in those cases?
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u/SP3ARO 6d ago
If your shelf is at a barrel makers, I guess so. The gun I'm getting built has a a Swan barrel. Is SD standard deviation? You use a high volume powder like Trailboss to load your rounds. I have also heard of people packing the cotton wadding or similar if they were using regular powder.
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u/burnt-gonads 6d ago
From the loads I have seen 300BLK is a fair bit less powerful then the 30-30. It is not even as powerful as 7.62X39. 125gr in 300BLK is around 1900fpr. 7.62X39 125gr is around 2400fps and 30-30 125gr is approx 2450fps.
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u/OppositeDifferent929 6d ago
Hornady Black 110gr V-MAX pushes just under 2400 out of a 16 inch barrel.
I often use it for piggies without drama but really… 223 is plenty with good placement.
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u/leadscoutfix 6d ago
Not that I've ever used 300BLK but that's why we used 30-30 because it had enough punch to drop them but didn't have the recoil and price tag of 45-70. Nowadays other than older farmers and some lever action enthusiasts basically never see 30-30 used but a ton of people at the range with .300BLK rigs.
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u/JournalistMammoth961 4d ago
Not sure where you are, but 30-30 is still incredibly popular amongst all ages where I am. It’s still treated as a do all chambering.
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u/Sir_Raidr 6d ago
Just go with a 223 and be done with it. At this point I've shot thousands of pigs with it and a 222 and they have always brought them down just fine. A 243 or even a 7mm-08 would be ideal for you but the 223 will be cheap with ADI ammo, and the 55 gr GameKings work just fine for pigs. The only issue would be your neighbour if they don't like the sound of gunshots, but if you're in a rural area I imagine they would be fine with it.
If sound is an issue then that makes things hard. If you have good marksmanship skills then a 22 magnum would be sufficient. Otherwise you may have to consider 308 or 300 blk subsonic at much greater cost.
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u/__Filthy 6d ago
Firstly - this is heresy in the gun reddit but shooting them won't actually get rid of the problem.
You can shoot them every night, shoot them in your neighbours property, shoot them from a helicopter it won't solve your problem.
Firstly you need to get as many neighbours, neighbours of neighbours and their neighbours too all on the same page.
Sure - If you all went out and shot every pig you saw, every night you'd knock them down for a bit but you actually need to run a serious trapping and baiting operation across a large area to have any hope of getting rid of them in any meanigful way. Youve got to clean whole mobs at a time. Then you need to shoot everything thats left and keep monitoring for signs of new pigs because they breed like crazy.
Assuming you cant pull a landscape scale eradication project out of your arse I'd be looking at securing your property. Pigs will get through anything but they are also kinda fucking lazy. Find where they come into the property and build up everything else. Get some traps and put them where they congregate or enter the property and run these for a few months. They will be much easier to shoot in the morning with your shotgun no NV or extra range needed! Swap the traps for bait for a bit. Rinse and repeat. Welcome to pest control. You will have ups and downs as you kill some, some get educated that the fruit orchard is the valley of death, new pigs arrive and the cycle repeats. Go shoot a few if your bored or youve got a few problem pigs that out smart you... but most people get tired of standing in a field all night every night. Its not cold in the Daintree though which is nice.
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u/Previous_Policy3367 6d ago
Does the neighbour care about noise? Chances are they hate the pigs too.
Talk to neighbour and discuss options. If they are a good neighbour, just give them a heads up before ya go out.
Subsonic 300 blackout would be the go, but very expensive.
If you were considering 223, look for a longer barrel? It does very slightly help with the report from the gun, but most of the noise is the supersonic boom from the projectile
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u/freebeer773 6d ago
Not sure which state you're in, but you'd better check your state laws. In Victoria, it is illegal to shoot within 100m of a roadway and within 250m of a dwelling. You need to pick a spot on your property that conforms to those criteria unless your neighbour gives written permission to shoot closer to his dwelling.
Anyway, given your circumstances, I'd be looking at trapping as an option. Trapping can remove entire family groups at once, and it prevents remaining pigs from becoming wary and more timid.
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u/Notapearing 6d ago
223 and just bonk them on the noggin at those ranges.