I'm going to say 350.
I would never have gone after something that big and nasty with such small calibers. Even the 5.56 is a little on the low end for a beast that big.
That's a job for my 308 win rifle. 1 well placed shot and the deed is done.
Discussion
I agree. We are talking about a headshot, in the sweet spot, from a few inches away so a 308 might be overkill. But an ethical killing does require enough gun to get the job done. Most farmers use a 22lr. I’ve personally put a lot of beef on the ground with a 22. However, a pigs skull is much thicker than a beef. I’ve had to do a follow up shot using a 22 on pigs in the 250-300 lbs range in the past. I started using a 9mm and it drops them, first shot, every time. I’m guessing this one was close to 600lbs. Afterwards we had a good discussion about how good hunters always use enough gun for the job but farmers think you are unskilled if you can’t get the job done with a 22. I won’t make this mistake again.
I am not going to argue with experience. I've always fished a lot more than I have hunted, because what I have learned has been on my own self-education. I never had any men in my family to teach me, because that was something they were never interested in doing.
A 22lr can do a lot of things. I just never took that caliber seriously for anything but plinking and small pest control. To think about purposely going boar hunting with a 22lr....
Let the farmers think I am unskilled lol.
When those things charge at you they are like a fucking small tank.
As long as you aren't hunting something like a rabbit, turkey, pheasant, or something like that where you go boom and there is not much left of the animal afterwards with bigger calibers. I just like the reassurance of a good upper mid range rifle caliber on me, or my 45 acp pistol. Better overkill than underkill in my book. Which I know sounds stupid. That mostly stems from living up here in the mountains where the bolder bears tend to sneak up on me. I've had to deal with them a lot just walking out the door, because I live in the woods. Which has made me more than a little paranoid over the years lol.
Used to go gator hunting in my youth with just a hunting knife, duct tape, and a fishing pole. I've never been boar hunting though. It is on my to-do list. I'd like to go down south 1-2 times a year. Get me a couple boars. Couple gators. Go deep sea fishing. Just a solid week, or two and get most of my meat for the chest freezer for the entire year.
I think if that ever happens though. I want to sign up for experienced hunting expeditions. There are serious gaps in my knowledge that I know only come from those who hunt on a regular basis. That has never been me, but I want that to change soon. I want to start eating more naturally and stop buying my meat from the grocery store altogether eventually.