Hog Wild: The 5 Best Hog Hunting Cartridges for 2022

Federal’s Nosler Partition line of hunting ammo is highly praised by our editor Rusty. While the ammunition is very popular in 270 Winchester and other 308 cartridge family members, Rusty says that with good shot placement the .223 variant can be extremely effective at closer ranges or on days when the wind isn’t wanting to toss your bullets aside. The ammo utilizes a copper-jacketed, dual lead-core Nosler Partition bullet that expands from the tip down to the copper partition to prevent over-expansion. The front half expands rapidly, creating wide wound channels, while the bottom section stays intact, ensuring deep penetration.

458 SOCOM is a somewhat controversial cartridge within the firearms community due to a number of factors. Many argue that the cartridge is obsolete and doesn’t do anything that other cartridges don’t do better or more economically but as a hand loader I absolutely love it for the wide variety of projectiles that can be found and loaded in various ways for specific tasks. The Lehigh Xtreme Penetrator bullet features progressive nose geometry, which allows for deep, straight penetration while creating a permanent wound cavity diameter exceeding that of most expanding bullets. To top it off, the bullet is solid copper and is able to overcome barriers to penetration; environmentally friendly, target unfriendly, very unfriendly, downright obnoxiously unfriendly. In simple terms, this offering is extremely effective at not only smashing through Hog’s shoulders but also creating deadly wound cavities.

270 is another popular choice for Hogs due to the extended range it offers you on packs of wild hogs that are often startled and scared off by a single shot. Hornady 270 Winchester American Whitetail uses a lead point and tapered jacket to consistently initiate and control expansion; and, a cannelure groove provides for a secure crimp for consistent velocities. American Whitetail Rifle Ammo gives you high-performance hunting ammunition at a great price point.

SIG SAUER® Elite Copper Hunting Ammo features the solid-copper HT^TM projectile, designed for penetration and predictable 1.8X expansion while remaining in one piece. And with slick nickel-plated brass cases and nose geometry optimized for feeding in AR-style rifles, SIG SAUER® Elite Copper Hunting Ammo is as reliable as it is effective. Made in the USA, 100% lead-free.  Editor’s note:  Extremely accurate, some of the best groups I’ve ever shot has been with Sig ammo.

While this cartridge was developed specifically for deer hunting, it works great on hogs too especially if you are intending to harvest one for food. Years in the making, Federal Fusion bonds the copper jacket to the lead core at the molecular level to totally eliminate component separation. The result is the superior downrange transfer of terminal energy and outstanding bullet weight retention. The optimized boattail profile ensures excellent flight characteristics and accuracy. A skived tip provides lethal long-range expansion potential without minimizing short-range tenacity.