What is the best crossbow for hogs?
- Thread starter JWBrahman
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M.Magis
Well-known member
Honestly, any of them work well. Just depends how much you want to spend. You can spend $300, or $3000.
The 1970's wooden crossbow I inherited is a slow reload, heavy, and kinda tears up the bolts. I also have an old Darton compound bow that doesn't cut it at only 55#'s.
If you're hunting hogs on the gulf coast there are humidity issues. Nutria and hogs here don't hang around with noise. One shot from a rifle is all you get. So a lightweight, easy reload and water resistant model is the criteria. My pups are too young to bay hogs so I'm going stealth.
In one post CB said his bolts cost $10 each. Don't want a model hard on bolts.
If you're hunting hogs on the gulf coast there are humidity issues. Nutria and hogs here don't hang around with noise. One shot from a rifle is all you get. So a lightweight, easy reload and water resistant model is the criteria. My pups are too young to bay hogs so I'm going stealth.
In one post CB said his bolts cost $10 each. Don't want a model hard on bolts.
M.Magis
Well-known member
Visit an archery shop and try a few. But I think you'll find they're all light and efficient compared to the old wooden one you have. As far as the bolts, they all launch them the same these days so you won't really find any that tear up fletchings these days, though fixing the fletchings is pretty simple and cheap, no need to replace the entire bolt. The bolts themselves are very durable. They're all made to be used in inclement weather, so they're all water resistant. It'll be the optics you'll need to choose properly, they're not all fog proof.
That may work for the average person but my super power is picking the wrong one.
Say you take two WW2 rifles that look alike, the Enfield and Mosin Nagant. If you've fired both of em you would know to go with a Mosin Nagant. If you saw both of em at a store you might get the Enfield. Never hurts to ask for some first hand experience. This is the first year we have had to deal with feral hogs around here.
Say you take two WW2 rifles that look alike, the Enfield and Mosin Nagant. If you've fired both of em you would know to go with a Mosin Nagant. If you saw both of em at a store you might get the Enfield. Never hurts to ask for some first hand experience. This is the first year we have had to deal with feral hogs around here.
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
I use a Bear Vanish and a Barnett Jackal. Both are 300 buck crossbows and do the job .
Main thing with crossbow to remember is to limit your shots to arrow travel in 4/10ths of a second.
Crossbows are noisy so rule of thumb is 10 yards for every 100 FPS. So if your crossbows shoot 350 FPS limit your shot to 35 yards to avoid jumping the string.
Hogs are tough beast and tear up arrows. Decent carbon arrow and broadhead combinations will cost 10-12 bucks.
I took out nearly 20 last season with a crossbow maybe a half dozen arrows survived to go to round two.
The sounder will get wise to crossbow noise as well.
Main thing with crossbow to remember is to limit your shots to arrow travel in 4/10ths of a second.
Crossbows are noisy so rule of thumb is 10 yards for every 100 FPS. So if your crossbows shoot 350 FPS limit your shot to 35 yards to avoid jumping the string.
Hogs are tough beast and tear up arrows. Decent carbon arrow and broadhead combinations will cost 10-12 bucks.
I took out nearly 20 last season with a crossbow maybe a half dozen arrows survived to go to round two.
The sounder will get wise to crossbow noise as well.
Caustic Burno said:
I was waiting for that. You can make zero noise at all but when one hog sees another hog go down, especially with squelling and what not from an arrow, they all run. The only benefit is if you continue to sit you haven't scared off any others on their way in also.
The same can be accomplished with a suppressor. You can shoot <100yds and get some pretty quiet rounds.
Brute you should hear the modified .22 rifles they use for the big nutria hunt in the canals of New Orleans. You don't hear much more than a click like a camera.
The hogs keep hitting the same area on my place. River bottom full of wild/green onions. I figured out how to get a new toy and an excuse to disappear from the occasional bout of marital bliss. If i get one every few weeks that's just fine. From the size of the holes I'd guess we got a 300 pound sob. He moves dirt like a big dozer.
Don't you mess this up for me, now what's my wife going to say if I show her cattle today as proof that I need a good crossbow? Lol
The hogs keep hitting the same area on my place. River bottom full of wild/green onions. I figured out how to get a new toy and an excuse to disappear from the occasional bout of marital bliss. If i get one every few weeks that's just fine. From the size of the holes I'd guess we got a 300 pound sob. He moves dirt like a big dozer.
Don't you mess this up for me, now what's my wife going to say if I show her cattle today as proof that I need a good crossbow? Lol
A crossbow is an excellent choice for what you are wanting to do. :tiphat:
One of my favorite things is baying and shooting hogs in the daylight. Ever one is putting the suppressors on lever guns now. I'm going to order another one here in the near future to cover my .308, 30-30, and a 350 Legend. Talk about the ultimate bay and shoot gun.
5S Cattle
Well-known member
I shoot a suppressed 300 blackout at pigs. Does the trick and I can get in a bunch of shots. I wouldn't consider archery a very efficient way to kill pigs, although I still break out my bow once a year or so
greggy
Well-known member
JWBrahman said:
One that brings home the Bacon......
Sorry, could not resist.
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
5S Cattle said:
Sometimes it's the best option available for the circumstances.
That's like an AR platform is great in a more open environment no more effective here than a single shot even suppressed.
We don't have hogs here (yet). What do you do with the carcass?
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
sstterry said:
Lot of the shoats get eaten at wild game supers.
The others buzzards has to make a living too.
Caustic Burno said:
How is the meat from the shoats?
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
sstterry said:
They are very good eating! Most are corn fed off deer feeders.
Update: Made a visit to check out the local hunting store's selection of crossbows. Not going to badmouth any specific brands but everything under $500 looked and felt like I wouldn't put my life in danger with it.
Probably going with a Darton 125.
Probably going with a Darton 125.
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
JWBrahman said:
If you are going to drop that kind of money might as well go all in and get the speed with a Raven or Crossman air bow. If it was hogs mainly air bow would be hard to beat. Make it much easier to get multiple shots till the sounder got wiser.
https://www.huntinggeardeals.com/portfolio/crosman-benjamin-pioneer-air-bow/
