.223 hornady whitetail vs hog

[Djcala]

Well today was start of hog hunt on base. I decided to get away from the crowd and go creep a new area with my trusty plain jane iron sight carbine and some new ammo i been trying out. The hornady whitetail hunter ive used it in the 243 with great terminal performance as well as accuracy. The 223 version is a 60gtn interlock and weel its just as good very consistant accuracy and drt performance. Nice meat hog right at 60 yards offhand didnt have my normal shootingvstick i was cruzing woods light and quick. Saw this one a good ways off rooting i circled around down wind got close and layed it down.

 

[John A.]

While I typically don't use 223 for larger stuff, looks like it did the trick.

Nice shot.

 

[nitesite]

Dj~

I think the .223/5.56mm is a great head-/neck-shot round for pigs if the bullet that is selected is right. You proved that again!

That little piggy will give you about 16-lbs of very tasty meat. Shooting them at that size is perfect for delectable freezer packs of PORK!

Nice shot brother.

 

[Djcala]

Well if i take folks on a hunt i kinda prefer they use something like a .308 etc... Someone experienced and proven marksmanship thats willing to wait for right shot i dont care what they use. Knowing your quarry anatomy and having ability with your equipment is they key in my book. I despise havingvto track a hog so if i cant put it down neck or brain i dont shoot. And thank you both.

 

[John A.]

I wasn't criticizing you for using it.

shot placement is key with anything.

And you have the proven time behind the trigger to know what you're doing.

I just lost some confidence in Hornady's bonded bullets with the SST line after shooting that 4 pointer. While it anchored in the spot it was standing, I believe that was due to a heart shot more than anything. There wasn't even a speck of blood on the entrance wound.

It didn't even have a complete pass through at 40 yards.

The bullet itself didn't perform as I thought it should have.

I'm not sure if you're donating this pig or not, but I would be interested in finding out whether that bullet fragmented up, or if it tried to stay together.

 

[Djcala]

@John A.
I didn't think you were at all. As for bullet it is somewhere in woods. Complete pass thru neck just behind head little hole in maybe 3/4" exit. Proper brain or neck shot is instant death. That pretty hog just dropped off at my Vietnamese barber parents house (they are in theyre 70's) they will clean prep cook and invite me for a meal and give me some left over to take home. Easy peasy
I dont have any experience with the sst but the innerlok bullets to me are simply a more accurate "coreloct" or psp and they are reasonably priced. Not fancy but accurate and effective in my experience so far.

 

[nitesite]

Barnes Copper for me.

 

[Djcala]

Im to cheap. But i do test and expect what i use to work. I dont really care what brand off hammer as long as nail is driven effectively. I have to admit though i am a homer for family run American businesses heck thats how i ended up buying one of the patriot rifles and checking out this forum. So i also kinda lean Hornadys way when i can now if the product dont deliver gun or bullet il drop it in a heartbeat and try something else.

 

[John A.]

The sst that I referred to earlier, fragmented and the jacket separated entirely.

I recovered it just under the hide on what would be the exit side.

Bonded bullets shouldn't do that. And why I have with backed away with my support of them.

 

[Djcala]

I would def not be happy about that performance of sst especially on a whitetail. I want two holes leaking not just the inbound small one. Ive been pretty lucky with bullet selections. I did have a miserable failure with one 7 or 8 years ago and honestly dont remember what bullet it was. I hand been handloading for the wifes 25.06 which had put down a truck load of deer over the years for her with great results using factory ammo. I of course knew i could improve while i did come up with a very speedy and accurate load when she used it on a smallish buck that bullet did the grenade routine on impact. The shot was about 90 yards and we did recover the deer after a pretty long track. Basically wrong bullet wrong speed part of my learning curve at the time with reloading. She gave me much grief and back my magic bullets. Her go to round for the 25.06 on deer was and still is the115grn Winchester Silvertips and you wont convince her to use anything else.

 

[Djcala]

@John A.
This is pretty comical. The sst talk jogged my memory had to go look in my ammo storage. Look what i found haha. These were actually purchased with my patriot along with several other various boxes of ammo to test. The super sst was most ridiculous expensive and worst performer in my gun hence it never made it to the field. When i say worst performer basically 4moa in a patriot that easily shoots sub moa with what it likes. I believe its more to do with the "super" loading than the bullet itself in this case. Either way il never know about its lethality since i wont use it. Its simply in box until i run into someone who can use it.