Advice on Warthog Rifle

[Bert the Turtle]

I can say with 100% assurance that a 243 with a TSX will nicely kill animals a lot bigger than a warthog. Vital triangle placement and you will be fine. Just use a good bullet for the job. A TSX works very well in a small/fast cartridge. I'd absolutely use something that holds together so that you get adequate penetration.

 

[YancyW]

Will the barrel twist in your rifle be fast enough to spin that longer bullet accurately?

I was just joking, but yes, the 77gr bergers work fine in an 1-8 twist. I have shot piles of pigs with them, they are lightening bolts.

 

[shark_za]

The Savage 99 will make a lovely handy Warty rifle, my friends license for a 99 in 300 Savage was just approved and we have dies, cases and bullets. (150gr Sierra Pro Hunter RN to start)
I can see that being pretty sweet loaded light to around 2400fps.

 

[flatwater bill]

112....The 80 grain Barnes TTSx is slightly longer than the 100 grain Pro-Hunter. If I can get some, I will see if they will stabilize.
404...I stand guilty of underestimating pigs
Red Leg....that a fine Wartie....It would be difficult to make a better hit
375F...Why take a .250? ..Because it is there. I mean here. I will be targeting some small animals, impala,
Springbuck....but the Warthog is the biggest. I thought of taking the .22 High Power, but upgraded
LvW....I have shot some pronghorn here (45kg) with the Hornet, but thought it too light for me to use.
Shark....I may also bring a model 99 in 300, which I have used here on deer and elk without problem.
thanks all.................FWB

 

[Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS]

Hi fwb
We took these 2 in last 2/3 weeks

We harvest quite a few really good ones every year

 

[Frederik]

Fredrk................If I had even the remotest clue as to where to hunt the elusive wartie, I wouldn't be going back the umteenth time to get one. I would simply get off of the plane, get picked up by my PH, and shoot one on the drive to his house. Or park for lunch out in the field and bag one as I awakened from a siesta......Like everyone else does. Or perhaps hit one with the Land Cruiser. I am still working on the where part. And the what part too. But I will not use a 375H&H (or larger) on a duiker or a warthog. Still considering other advice as noted above.......................Thanks for all..................FW Bill

Bill, the reason I ask is that some areas are better for trophies than others as a rough idea anything in the Nort West province and then follow the Limpopo river right to Crooks Corner and beyond that is the areas I would be looking for trophy warthogs.

Although they are all over the country the hardness of the surface ground tend to let the tusks wear more. But there is exceptions even in teraarin thats is rocky and hard.

 

[Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS]

Bill, the reason I ask is that some areas are better for trophies than others as a rough idea anything in the Nort West province and then follow the Limpopo river right to Crooks Corner and beyond that is the areas I would be looking for trophy warthogs.

Although they are all over the country the hardness of the surface ground tend to let the tusks wear more. But there is exceptions even in teraarin thats is rocky and hard.

this is true

the soft sandy areas, as where we are, and good vegetation, allows the warthogs tusks to grow well and quickly. also with the ground being generally soft they dont break their tusks often.

 

[Desperatezulu]

Will your rifle/bullet combo work? Yes it probably will. Is it close to the subjective optimum - probably not.

I understand that you don't know where you'll be hunting yet but I would filter my choice on the location. Northern Transvaal (Limpopo) bushveld, then you're looking at shorter range shots with a high likelihood of some grass/branch obstacles to factor in. I'd look at something heavier and slower - the straight walled cartridges come to mind (357 and up), especially if you want to use a lever gun. I think you want a bullet weight of 150gr or more. If you use lighter bullets then they need to be man enough for the job - premiums or monos. Pigs aren't especially big or tough but the bullet still needs to penetrate heavy muscle to get the job done.

If you're hunting in more wide open spaces where you can pick your shot and there less likelihood of foliage interfering then your proposed combo would be better suited. I think a 6.5 upwards would be better though.

 

[Jörg Krüger]

The area I hunted with @KMG Hunting Safaris this summer was thick with hogs, you could take a truck load if you were actually targeting them.

Don't forget that as soon as you target something, that specific something tends to just disappear

 

[Firebird]

If it was me, I would make sure my ph was ok with my family member errr favorite little rifle and bullet combo and go have a great time with them. And I bet your ph has a camp rifle to use if you get separated from your ammo somehow.-I bet you can shoot that special rifle like a laser!

 

[curtism1234]

You have a handy rifle fully capable of killing impala and warthog, especially with a premium bullet. Unless you intend to hunt something as the opportunity presents, there is not really a need to buy another rifle unless you want one. If you want to hunt something else, you can rent a rifle for a day or two; that won't help you with a giant wildebeest standing right in front of you while warthog hunting though...

 

[Luederitz]

My next trip to Africa....

Where i Africa do you want to hunt?
For instance in Namibia the minimum caliber requirement is .270" so you should check the legal requirements.
My personal point of view: you are traveling around the half of the world and carrying a gun at the lower caliber range? Use enough gun if you are on an expensive safari.
.30-06 is a good choice, although warthog is no tough animal.

 

[flatwater bill]

Lueder...............thanks for the heads up. I will certainly recheck the laws for any changes. But I refer to this........the medium game I seek, impala, springbok and wartie all require 1350 joules of energy. The load that I use in the 250 produces a bit over 1600 ft pounds or over 2100 joules........FWB

 

[AZDAVE]

Your 250 will work fine, make sure of your first shot placement, and use a premium bullet. and go have a good safari.

 

[CBH Australia]

Your 250 will work fine, make sure of your first shot placement, and use a premium bullet. and go have a good safari.

And get a nice Warthog, they are cool.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

My next trip to Africa....coming soon I think, I'll concentrate on the two low level trophies that have so far eluded me: wart hogs and impala. I'm planning to take my Savage Model 99 in 250 savage for this hunt. It will be fine for the impala. I've shot a few impala, and their size and structure is familiar to me. I've also taken 200 pound muley bucks with this rifle and load (100 grain Sierra Pro-Hunter backed with 34 grains of 4320 for a velocity of right at 2700fps) But what about the pigs? American ferals have a thick gristle armor on the chest, and people often use a heavier rifle. What does one need for Wartpigs? What does a big boar weight?....75kg (165pounds)?? or less. It is no use to recommend heavier bullets for this rifle as the 1:14 twist means this is the biggest pill it will handle. 250 Savages are generally used for animals for which the 243 is used, however, it is a little less powerful. BTW....this is the way Americans often hunt: They buy a 243 and have great success on deer for years. But eventually, they wound one. And so they buy a .270 and again, it kills like lightening. But....you guessed it...one day they wound a buck. Next year, they are packing a 300 Winny......and so it goes. I don't want to fall into that trap. Love to hear from some riflemen who have salted half a dozen or more big warthogs, and a PH or two as well. Thanks.....and good hunting...FWB

@flatwater bill
Mate take the 250 Savage and have fun, just place your shots properly and you will have no problems.
In Australia we used the old 25/303 which is the same power as the Savage. It has killed 1000s and 1,000s of pigs without issue. So use the 250 with confidence.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Fredrk................If I had even the remotest clue as to where to hunt the elusive wartie, I wouldn't be going back the umteenth time to get one. I would simply get off of the plane, get picked up by my PH, and shoot one on the drive to his house. Or park for lunch out in the field and bag one as I awakened from a siesta......Like everyone else does. Or perhaps hit one with the Land Cruiser. I am still working on the where part. And the what part too. But I will not use a 375H&H (or larger) on a duiker or a warthog. Still considering other advice as noted above.......................Thanks for all..................FW Bill

@flatwater bill
Where we hunted 8n Namibia the seemed to be every where. Even driving from the airport to property they were on the side of the road along with baboons.
The 25 cal cups and comes in 100gn @2,700fps will be fine. Don't listen to the naysayers, you will be fine
Bob

 

[crs]

I like Bob Nelsons attitude.

I shot my first 200 pound feral hog with a .357 magnum 125 grain bullet in the eye from 5 yards.
Since then have put down a bunch of feral hogs with rifles up to .405 WCF (blew off the right fore leg) and .45-70 . I have read about hogs frontal armor plate, but never seen anything that will stop any big game rifle bullet.
My son uses his .223 and the managers of a central Texas ranch also use .223. After I shot my deer there, we drove around hunting hogs - I shot two on the run with my .308 and left them for the buzzards --they invited me to come back just to cull hogs.
My point,-- the rifle and caliber are not too important, just shoot and kill them.

I just remembered, my 300 grain bullet from my .405 WCF blew off the left front leg of my warthog in RSA. I love that rifle! Any thing from pigs to buffalo!

 

[crs]

Flatwater,
We now have warties in Texas and the State game management folk a re begging hunters to kill any they can.
I kinda want to take a Texas wartie just for bragging rights. There is at least one exotic game ranch that offers them and any number of free range warties have been spotted on game cameras. There is a large state property in the Rio Grande valley with them and I guess they are here to stay.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

I have dropped three warthogs with a .243 Winchester and the Winchester Power Point 100 Gr soft point bullet. Two of these were single shot kills. Nevertheless, my preferred warthog caliber is a .30-06 Springfield and 180 Gr Remington Core Lokt soft points. More recently, I have gravitated towards Sako Hammerheads after Remington became bankrupt again.