What bullets for a Boar in a .30 06 Double Rifle
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I've used 150 SSTs for years now without any problems. Had some guy in Croatia discussing the ability of heavier bullets, better suited than the 150 grain SSTs. He was saying that they weren't good enough. Strange as we were both standing over a large Boar that had been stopped by me using a 30.06 and the 150 SST.
WildBoarHunter
Well-Known Member
I'd recommend Nosler Partition. Or any bonded bullet. Oryx, Accubond, Interbond, Evolution. Appropriate weights would be at least 165 gr for smaller boar and 180 gr for larger boar. They are tough animals and accordingly a tough bullet is sometimes required for a clean kill. 150 gr bullets are too light and too fast for close range shots at driven boar. Sometimes, when hitting something tough, they can fragment too much or even fall apart completely. I won't say it happens a lot, but sometimes it might happen. So tough and bonded is the way to go.
I won't say a 150 gr SST won't do it's job. It will most of the time. Sometimes when shooting smaller boar or hitting something soft it might do even better than a tough bullet. But for bigger boar I'd say it's too light, too fast and too soft.
I won't say a 150 gr SST won't do it's job. It will most of the time. Sometimes when shooting smaller boar or hitting something soft it might do even better than a tough bullet. But for bigger boar I'd say it's too light, too fast and too soft.
EMcC
Well-Known Member
I used 150gn soft point for driven boar for several years and never had a problem, that was in a .308 but since going over to the mighty 30-06 I have used 180gn Sierra round nose to very good effect.
I have also been known to use commercial Winchester 220gn soft point just because I have some.
Most driven Boar are taken at less than 50 yards, so expensive, super dooper bullets are not always necessary, in fact, on one of my trips to Croatia I was shooting with a group of Croats that were using PPU 180gnSpt and did very well with that too.
More recently I was shooting with a group of Austrians in Hungary and some of them were using the same bullets.
I have also been known to use commercial Winchester 220gn soft point just because I have some.
Most driven Boar are taken at less than 50 yards, so expensive, super dooper bullets are not always necessary, in fact, on one of my trips to Croatia I was shooting with a group of Croats that were using PPU 180gnSpt and did very well with that too.
More recently I was shooting with a group of Austrians in Hungary and some of them were using the same bullets.
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I would assume whatever it was originally regulated for in fist place.
Dorsettaff
Well-Known Member
180 Grand Slam or 180 Partitions
WildBoarHunter
Well-Known Member
180 gr softpoints might be a much better choice than 150 gr if one would prefer to use a softpoint bullet for hunting driven boar. The reason is that 180 grainers are slower and have a little more weight to spare so even if they fragment, they still keep enough weight to penetrate and make an exit wound. In fact, 180 gr softpoint might be the best performer when the boar is hit in the softer last half of the body. Which happens a lot with unexperienced hunters because they don't swing the rifle enough in front of the running animals and so the hit goes too far back. Softpoints do not have a controlled expansion and so they do massive damage and good blood trail. 180 gr softpoint could make a problem only by fragmenting too much when hitting something very hard like bones. So bonded is the preferred choice because it behaves in similar manner to a softpoint bullet, but does not fall apart even when hitting bones.
bewsher500
Well-Known Member
Show us the rifle and we'll tell you!
sounds fun
sounds fun
WildBoarHunter
Well-Known Member
Driven boar hunting is probably the most popular type of hunting in my part of the world. Driven hunting does have it's specifics. Things often don't go the way they were planned. Animals can go one way or the other. You just can't know what they'll do or what route they'll take. Shooting is done on running game most of the time. It just isn't like stalking or hide hunting, where most of the shots land where they were supposed to. So bullet choice is even more important than with any other type of hunting. Every bullet is good when it is placed well. The same can not be said when the bullet is not placed well, or when something doesn't go right.
WildBoarHunter
Well-Known Member
Hales Smut
Well-Known Member
+1
Every bullet works if it's properly placed
Yes that's correct.
I'll stick to my 150 grain SST accurate and have always done the job from stripys to medal Kielers.
Thank you all for the responses. I have the chance to get the rifle I am buying regulated to a bullet of my choice, hence the question. As a number have said correct bullet placement is key, however my experience with running game is that one is not always as precise as one would like! I could have gone with a 9.3 calibre, however want to use it on deer in UK as well and the police are not as keen.
As expected no definitive answer but 180gr would seem to cover most bases
As expected no definitive answer but 180gr would seem to cover most bases
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