Complete hunting newbie has a stupid question

[h34choctaw]

So I've never hunted before.....pretty familiar with firearms between the military and various rifle/postol courses I have taken as a civilian. My son wants to go hunting and I've been thinking of pig hunting on state and federal land. We are taking the hunter safety courses now. I have two tricked out M85NP .233 AK's with braces and red dots on them. They have 10" barrels. I shoot Silver Bear 75 great hollow points and was wondering if that is enough to do the job or would you recommend a better .223 round. I'd prefer to use what I have for now to see how we like it. Thanks for any advise you might have

 

[USMC033run]

I would use a slightly larger caliber rifle. Or you can pull an uncle Ted Nugent and use a 10mm handgun.

 

[Alaskan]

If you are stuck on your current setup for busting hogs, take head shots or upper spine/top of the neck only. Or looking into bullets that are a little better. You have a shorter barrel and Russian ammo, at least try a better ammo option.

 

[Alaskan]

Hornady SST, Speer Gold Dot 64gr - 75gr, Winchester XP 64 gr, Remingtin Ranger Power point, 77 gr BTHP's, these will all expand rapidly at slower velocities found in shorter barrels. I'm a fan of Speer Gold dot 64 grs. But all should work well.

 

[USMC033run]

Hornady SST, Speer Gold Dot 64gr - 75gr, Winchester XP 64 gr, Remingtin Ranger Power point, 77 gr BTHP's, these will all expand rapidly at slower velocities found in shorter barrels. I'm a fan of Speer Gold dot 64 grs. But all should work well.

Speer Gold Dots 64gr here as well. I will have to second that one.

 

[h34choctaw]

Would steel case hollow point in 7.62x39 out
of a16" barrel be a better option or would the Speer Gold Dots in .223 be just as good.

 

[batoncolle]

62 gr Federal Fusion - pretty much the same thing as the Gold Dots mentioned above. Watch the video below that explains shot placement, and you'll bust them all day long. If you want to use the 7.62, then again get the Fusions. Either will work just fine killing hogs and deer.

 

[Alaskan]

Would steel case hollow point in 7.62x39 out
of a16" barrel be a better option or would the Speer Gold Dots in .223 be just as good.

If you are set on Russian steel case ammo, the 7.62x39 Tula 154 gr Soft point is your best option. The Russian HP's act more like full metal jacket rounds. So go with a SP in the Russian stuff.

I know they are just Hogs, but good ammo is your best option for a quick kill. Hogs on the move are hard to hit and you will not always hit them in the right places. Watch some Lone star Boars videos on you tube.

 

[WinstonSmith]

I would not hog hunt on the ground with a 223 unless I was very confident in my marksmanship skills. Especially with a kid (not sure of your sons age so disregard if not applicable) and both being new to hunting. It's different than putting holes in paper. New hunters will often be effected by elevated heart rate when taking shots at a live animal. Affectionately referred to as "buck fever". If stalking separately I would make sure to maintain awareness of each others position and know your fields of fire. This can be hard to do if you arent used to hunting with others especially in unfamiliar terrain. I would recommend setting up a blind to hunt from initially. I would also recommend making sure both of your marksmanship skills are sufficient to be successful without wounding an animal you may or may not be able to find later. This includes being able to accurately guage the distance you are effective with the firearm you will hunt with. Especially with the short barrels you mentioned. With a large hog this is more of a concern than with other critters imo. Attend an Appleseed event. If you do well it will give you confidence at that critical moment you are taking an important shot. Feel free to PM me if you want some info on that. It's a cheap event ($60) and we have a couple local events coming up in Canton soon. They are fun and you will learn a lot regardless of your skill level.

 

[Cornholio]

x2 on the appleseed