30-30 for Hunting Hogs

30-30 is one of the most common calibers for hunting. However, we mostly use it for deer, not hogs. If you’re planning on going on a hog hunt, should you consider taking your 30-30? Let’s find out.

How Effective is 30-30 for Hog Hunting?

So how effective is 30-30 on those pesky pigs? In order to answer this we need to analyze the cartridge first. Once we determine if 30-30 can truly bring hogs down, You will have to decide how you want to outfit your rifle.

Strengths of the 30-30 Cartridge

The 30-30 cartridge has been used for many years on a wide variety of game. It’s strength lies in the fact that it’s a near perfect blend of everything you might need for a hunting round:

1. It’s plentiful and generally affordable. (for a hunting cartridge)
2. It has highly effective ballistic performance at close-medium ranges while not beating your shoulder to a pulp. (manageable recoil)
3. It’s being fired from a lever action rifle! (definitely better looking than an AR-15)

Why Lever Actions are a Good Choice for Hunting

Okay, but why would you want a lever action for hunting? A lever action is a lightweight, handy rifle that can carry 6-9 rounds loaded, with more to boot in a side saddle if needed.

Its slender profile makes it easy to transport or maneuver through brush on a hunt.

This makes it a standout choice for taking out an animal if you have to hike in to your favorite spot.

Ballistics Needed to Hunt Hogs with 30-30

What is the ballistic performance are we looking for? Most hogs wont go down without a fight. This usually means that even with great shot placement, you need a rifle cartridge that can deliver enough energy and ballistic performance to drop the hog on the first shot, before it runs off.

It all start with understanding how big hogs really are. A wild hog can range anywhere from 170 pounds all the way up to half a ton. THAT’S a big pig. Consider also that hogs have very tough hides, and thick bones, so your 30-30 will need to have enough velocity to penetrate AND expand to incapacitate the animal.

Energy Required to Kill a Wild Hog

Generally, the mass of a male deer is 100-150 pounds. The widely accepted energy to take a deer down is somewhere around 1,000 ft. lbs. For an Elk (500-700 lbs. mass), 2,500 ft. lbs. is preferred.

Splitting the difference, we’ll set a perimeter of 1,500-2,000 ft. lbs. of energy required for our 30-30 cartridge. Of course we can still take down hogs with less, but this is just to help guide us with our ammo selection.

Thankfully, there are many 30-30 loads that can meet these requirements or close to it! The main issue is going to be the range you will have to shoot the hog at. 30-30 is not known to hold its energy very far.

Maximum Effective Range of 30-30

In order to stay within the energy requirements, we will have to take out the hog at or closer than 100 yards. Depending on your barrel length and muzzle velocities, you should be looking for 2,000-2,500 FPS. I recommend looking at 170 GR Winchester Federal Fusion. If you want to increase your range, you will have to find a cartridge with higher muzzle velocities, heavier bullet weight, or a combination of both.

How to Hunt Hogs with 30-30

Alright, so you will need to be close. With this in mind, one of the best strategies is to hunt your hog using a feeder and a blind to sit in.

Using a Feeder

Utilizing a feeder will draw the hogs in close where you can easily see and take a careful shot. Most hogs like to come out at night when it’s cool or be near water in the daytime. Using this information you can carefully select where you want to place yourself and your feeder, should you have to sit and wait for a few hours.

Nighttime Considerations

Like I mentioned before, hogs like to come out at dusk. If you are considering a 30-30 lever action, you may want to upgrade your factory sights to some form of night sight. Another option is to switch out your stock furniture to a RPP M-LOK Rail System. This will allow you to mount a laser or red dot to use with night vision.

Of course this is probably the funniest mix of tools to use, but when it comes to hunting hogs, It’s 90% about having fun, right? Right! nighttime

Conclusion

In summary, one last thing I will say is that if you are hoping to get multiple hogs in one engagement with a lever action in 30-30…let go of that dream. (unless you are as good as Lucas McCain in “The Rifleman” of course) Although I think hunting hogs with 30-30 is extremely fun, at best I think you should expect to get one good shot off before the whole bunch is scattered. However, with a solid rifle and the right load, you’ll have no problems dropping your hog in fashion!

Now, if you are on the “hunt” for the best 30-30 to do the job, check out our site. We have a plethora of 30-30 in stock today that will be sure to haunt hogs for the entire holiday season.