Hog hunting is my passion. For more than 20 years, I have filled my freezer with pork chops, ham steaks and breakfast sausage, and exhilaration of the hunt, whether big-game hunting style or eradication mode to mitigate the hundreds of millions of dollars in damage from this invasive species, never wanes. Those who know me understand my addiction. I’m ready to hunt day or night, weekdays or weekends, all year long. More importantly, with respect to the war we wage on feral hogs across the U.S., I’m not alone. 

Hog hunting, day and night, has exploded across the country, but so has the feral pig population. Wildlife biologists estimate the U.S. population at over 6 million. Here in Texas, total damage estimates are over $400 million annually, with over 50 million in crop damage. Feral hogs can breed up to twice per year with an average 1:1 boar to sow ratio and are now reported in at least 39 states and four Canadian provinces. Here in Texas, biologists suggest we must eliminate up to 70 percent of the pig population to simply keep numbers at bay. That’s a tall order, but one an increasing number of hunters are anxious to take up. 

What does this mean for retailers? It means quite an upward trend in the sale of rifles perfectly suited for hog hunting — pig rigs, as I call them — with enough horsepower to do the job efficiently. Leaning on countless kills over 20 years of pursuits, here are 10 hog hunting rifles worth their weight in bacon and worthy of your retail inventory. 

Brenton USA Scout 18 Fixed (.450 Bushmaster)

For those who know my work, I have long advocated for the AR platform as a rock-solid hunting platform, and Brenton USA agrees; in fact, their entire business model is centered upon ARs as hunting rifles. Founded in 2014, Brenton grew legs from frustration with tactical-inspired-only systems and homed in on premium hunting-specific design elements with the company’s Hunter-Spec components (as opposed to “low-bid” mil-spec). Every component of a Brenton USA AR modern sporting rifle is premised on the hunter’s lifestyle, and cartridge offerings have expanded to cover every big game species in North America. 

For hogs, the Brenton USA Scout 18 Fixed Rifle is a phenomenal setup. The Scout 18 is a popular offering within Brenton’s Pursuit line and, according to owner, Bartt Brenton, it “represents the heart and soul” of his company. The Scout 18 boasts 7075-T6 aluminum upper and lower receivers; Realfeel G10 PolyCore handguard; 1416R stainless-steel, boron-nitride coated, 18-inch barrel; NiB coated bolt carrier group; Magpul MOE fixed stock; proprietary BT1 adjustable trigger (3.5 to 6.5 pounds) and a Hogue all-weather grip. While my favorite Brenton USA Scout rifle is the .450 Bushmaster, other great hog-hunting calibers include 350 Legend, 300 HAM’R, 300 Blackout, 6.8 SPC II, 6.5 Grendel and 6mm ARC. All Brenton Scout rifles include a magazine, branded soft-sided case and premium 10G Marblekote finish in Harvest, Autumn, Foliage, Midnight or Snow pattern. www.brentonusa.com

Wilson Combat Tactical Hunter WC-15 (300 HAM’R)

With countless fallen feral hogs under my belt, I can honestly say the 300 HAM’R is one of my top caliber choices, and nobody builds them better than Wilson Combat; of course, the 300 HAM’R was developed by Bill Wilson, so the hat-tip certainly makes sense. Effectively a .223 Remington necked up to a .308 Winchester and definitely superior to the popular 300 Blackout, the 300 HAM’R is quite a bacon maker. My personal experiences with 130-grain Speer Hot-Cor resulted in over 2,500 fps muzzle velocity and a truck load of hogs. 

Wilson Combat’s Tactical Hunter WC-15 features lightweight billet receivers; 12.6-inch M-Lock Rail with rail covers; Wilson Combat/BCM Starburst Gunfighter grip; Rogers/Wilson Super-Stoc stock; Wilson Combat 4-pound, M2 Tactical Trigger; 18-inch fluted, threaded, match-grade barrel; nickel-boron coated bolt carrier group and an Armor-Tuff finish. Customers looking for a blistering fast, hard-hitting cartridge from a premium, tactical-inspired modern sporting rifle need not look further. www.wilsoncombat.com

LWRCI Six8-A5 Razorback II (6.8 SPC II)

The 6.8 SPC isn’t dead. I’ll say it louder for the people in the back — the 6.8 SPC isn’t dead! It remains one of my all-time favorite hog-hunting cartridges, and the LWRCI Six8-A5 Razorback II piston-driven semiautomatic modern sporting rifle, chambered in 6.8 SPC II, rests at the top of the pig rigs offered in that cartridge. 

Along with the Six8-A5 Razorback II’s smooth-running, ridiculously clean-operating piston system, the rifle boasts a two-position gas block for incredibly reliable suppressed and non-suppressed cycling. As the owner of a Razorback II, I have yet to experience a misfeed. The LWRCI Six8-A5 Razorback II features a cold-hammer-forged, NiCorr-treated, spiral fluted, heavy profile barrel; forged Type III hard-coat anodized receivers and handguard with Cerakote finish; ambidextrous charging handle and lower receiver controls; compact stock with QD sling mount; Magpul MOE+ Grip; 12-inch scalloped top rail and a specially designed Magpul P-Mag magazine. In our get-what-you-pay-for world, your discriminating hog hunters won’t be disappointed. www.lwrci.com

Primary Weapon Systems MK218 Mod 1-M (.308 Winchester)

What could be better than an affordably priced, perfectly reliable, premium-performing, long-stroke piston-driven pig rig? Nothing comes to mind, and Primary Weapon Systems (PWS) rules this niche roost. I own a MK218 Mod 1-M .308 Winchester and could sing its praises for as long as anybody cares to hear or read them. Like others, I have yet to experience a malfunction with the MK218. The combination of PWS’ easy-to-adjust three-position gas system and proprietary long-stroke piston cycling not only results in comfortable, reliable cycling, it’s incredibly clean running — meaning less cleanings, an enormous benefit when shooting suppressed. 

The Primary Weapon Systems MK218 Mod 1-M Rifle boasts forged T6 7075 aluminum upper and lower receivers, 18-inch match-grade barrel, PWS PRC 30 muzzle brake, PWS M-LOK 15.2-inch handguard, ambidextrous Radian Raptor charging handle, Bravo Company USA buttstock and pistol grip, and enhanced H2 buffer system. If your hog-hunting patrons are after an affordable, reliable, piston-driven AR that shoots like a top-dollar pig rig, I have yet to find a better option. PWS is well worth your inventory space. www.primaryweapons.com

F-1 Firearms UDR-15 (300 Blackout or 7.62x39)

When it comes to light weight, aggressive styling, premium gas-impingement performance, surgical accuracy and precision manufacturing, F-1 Firearms checks all the boxes. Of course, the company also is well known for its lengthy list of jaw-dropping, unapologetic matte and high-polish anodized and Cerakote finishes — easily the most robust finish offerings in the industry. The boon with F-1 looks, speaking from experience, is that they shoot as good as they look, and while F-1 shooters are used to paying a premium, the company’s UDR-15 is a perfect mid-grade option still delivering big on premium shooting experiences. Even better, with F-1’s reputation for reliability, combined the UDR-15’s cartridge offerings in popular 300 Blackout or 7.62x39 hog hunting calibers, the rifle is a perfect choice for demanding hunters. 

The F-1 Firearms UDR-15-3G Rifle features UDR Style 2 receivers, skeletonized M-LOK handguard, scalloped picatinny rail, match-grade 16-inch barrel, black-nitride bolt carrier group and proprietary F-1 Firearms muzzle brake. Of course, your customers also have customized stock, handguard, grip, trigger, bolt carrier group, compensator and finish options. While customized combinations seem endless, as a retailer, you can’t go wrong with offering hunters the standard UDR-15-3G system.

CBC Industries 618G (6.5 Grendel)

Several years ago I was asked to design a hog hunting rifle for CBD Industries — the result was the CY6 chambered in 6.5 Grendel. The most recent iteration, an update to the CY6, is CBC’s 618G, still chambered in 6.5 Grendel. A hog-hunting favorite, the 6.5 Grendel offers phenomenal ballistic performance and terminal energy at greater distances. In short, the cartridge is great for hog hunting as well as long-range shooting from the AR-15’s lighter-weight, more compact system. The combination also makes the rifle a perfect option for hog hunters faced with long stalks over open crop fields. 

The CBC 618G features forged receivers, 15-inch M-LOK handguard, Tanker muzzle brake, Ergo Grip, Adaptive buttstock and an 18-inch barrel. For the record, my previous testing of the CY6 resulted in ½-MOA grouping. Your customers are hard-pressed to find a more reliable, more accurate hog hunting rifle at CBC’s price point. www.cbcpfa.com

Marlin Model 1895 SBL Lever Action (.45-70 Government)

More than 20 years ago, my hog hunting adventures began with a Marlin lever-action rifle in my hands and a Ruger Vaquero .45LC on my hip. The times may have changed since then, but the effectiveness of lever-action rifles on feral hogs has not; it remains quite an efficient and popular tool of the trade and continues to warm a soft spot in my aging hunter’s heart. Of course, I have traded my red-dot sight in for a thermal riflescope so I can chase them when they are most active, but that is a topic for another day. 

A great lever-action choice for today’s hog hunter is the Ruger-made Marlin Model 1895 SBL chambered in the boar-anchoring .45-70 Government cartridge. The Marlin Model 1895 SBL Lever Action Rifle includes a richly finished, gray, wood-laminate, checkered stock and forend; nickel-plated, spiral-fluted bolt; 6+1 cartridge capacity; threaded 19.1-inch, cold hammer-forged, polished stainless-steel barrel; tritium fiber-optic front sight; adjustable ghost ring rear sight and picatinny scope base. While the Model 1895 SBL is a traditionally styled nod to the iconic original, it’s a quite an upgrade to the hog-hunting lever action I carried years ago. www.marlinfirearms.com

Henry Lever Action X (.30-30 Winchester)

If .45-70 is more than your hog hunters are looking for, the Henry Lever Action X .30-30 Winchester also is a top lever-action choice. No less impressive than the aforementioned .45-70, the Henry Lever Action X model’s chambering in .30-30 does mitigate recoil without sacrificing much in its capability of putting pork chops on the dinner table. Even better, the tactical-inspired lever action, complete with a black synthetic stock, is ready to handle the tough dirt work often facing hard-core hog hunters — synthetic stocks are built for scratches. 

The Henry Lever Action X features a 21.375-inch round blued steel barrel with 5/8-24 threading, tube magazine, adjustable fiber-optic rear sight, fixed fiber-optic front sight, transfer-bar safety, large loop lever, rubber recoil pad, sling swivel studs and Weaver 63B scope mount. www.henryusa.com

Bergara B-14 Wilderness Ridge Bolt Action (6.5 Creedmoor or .308 Winchester) 

America’s pigs tear up more than crop fields. The territory they cover can include high elevations and marshy bottomlands, and hunting conditions can be downright rugged. Even on flat ground, considering long stalks, the last thing I, or any hog hunter, wants to carry is a heavy rifle. At the same time, many hunters have an affinity for bolt-action hunting rifles. For those hard-core hunters, the Bergara B-14 Wilderness Ridge Rifle is a rock-solid choice. 

Bergara barrels are world-renowned. Hunters and recreational shooters alike know they are getting precision accuracy in any Bergara platform; however, the B-14 Wilderness Ridge Rifle offers hunters quite a bit more than just great grouping. The B-14 Wilderness Ridge Rifle features a synthetic stock with Soft-Touch finish, Bergara performance trigger, No. 5 Bergara barrel with Sniper Gray Cerakote finish and 5/8-24 threading, multi-ported Omni Muzzle Brake reportedly with 35% felt-recoil reduction, single-piece B-14 two-lug action and hand-painted camouflage stock. Great for hog hunters, the B-14 Wilderness Ridge is available in 6.5 Creedmoor and .308 Winchester in shorter 18-inch barrel configurations, as well as other calibers and longer barrels. www.bergara.online.us

Savage Impulse Hog Hunter (Multiple .30  Calibers)

Savage has a long, storied history of manufacturing quality firearms, 128 years to be exact; in fact, the Model 110 has the esteemed privilege of being the oldest consistently produced bolt-action system in the U.S., with nearly 65 years of quality Model 110 manufacturing under their belt. Yes, Savage knows how to build quality bolt-action rifles ,and the Savage Impulse Hog Hunter definitely ranks among my top choices. 

The Savage Impulse Hog Hunter is a straight-pull rifle boasting an olive-drab (OD) green AccuStock, with AccuFit adjustability; adjustable AccuTrigger; matte black aluminum receiver; 18-, 20- or 2-4-inch carbon-steel barrel (depending on caliber choice); detachable box magazine and an integral 20-MOA scope base. Caliber options are .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, .300 Winchester Magnum and 6.5 Creedmoor. For size and weight, I would opt for the .308 Winchester with an 18-inch barrel, but this can be subjective — I prefer compact pig rigs. Still, you have enough options to satisfy any bolt-gun hunter who crosses your retail threshold. www.savagearms.com