The M1 Carbine: How Does it Perform on Feral Hogs?

What do you think about going hog hunting with an M1 Carbine? 

Commonly used by the US Military in World War II and Korea, the diminutive M1 Carbine developed a reputation for poor stopping power. That reputation was not always deserved, but the simple fact is that the .30 Carbine cartridge is nowhere near as powerful as cartridges like the .30-06 or .270 Winchester.

The M1 Carbine is a very handy and easy to carry rifle though, so it does have some appeal among hunters, especially for smaller framed individuals like children. You don't necessarily need a massive rifle to take down a big hog, but is the M1 Carbine up to the task?

Watch the video to see how it all went down for a guy using one on a hog hunt. 

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From the looks of things, it appears as though he hit a hog in that group, but it got back up and ran off with the others. In the video comments, the hunter says it wasn't able to find any blood afterwards and the hog got away.

It's too bad this hunter didn't take take a follow up shot on that hog. If he would have been on the ball, he probably could have gotten another round or two into it as they all milled around in confusion after his shot.

That's an area where the M1 Carbine really excels. Though you'll never confuse the small .30 Carbine cartridge with something like a .30-06 or a .50 BMG, it has a pretty mild recoil and the semi-automatic rifle really helps facilitate a rapid follow up shot.

If you're thinking about using an M1 Carbine on a hunt, keep that point in mind and if at all possible, try to take another shot or two, even if you think your first one was on the money.

Like what you see? You can read more great articles by John McAdams on the Big Game Hunting Blog. Subscribe to his show: the Big Game Hunting Podcast.

NEXT: WHEN HOG HUNTING GOES HORRIBLY, HORRIBLY WRONG

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