In light of the large (and growing) hog problem in the United States, there are plenty of hog-hunting opportunities all over the country. Though they are indeed tough animals, they are by no means bulletproof, and an appropriately armed hunter should have no trouble bringing down even the largest hog.

Since the hog population is increasing and expanding into different areas, the conditions under which they may be encountered are changing as well. Additionally, there are many different ways to hunt hogs. You can shoot them out of a blind overlooking a bait site, stalk them on foot, hunt with hounds, shoot them at night using thermal sights, or even shoot them from a helicopter.

For these reasons, it's important to choose a firearm appropriate to the conditions and method you plan on using to hunt hogs. Fortunately, there are plenty of great guns for hunting hogs out there to choose from.

Marlin Model 1895

If you're hunting hogs in a heavily wooded area, then the Marlin Model 1895 is an ideal rifle. Like any good lever-action rifle, the Model 1895 is easy to carry and fast pointing. Plus, those big .45-70 bullets also pack a heck of a wallop, making it an ideal choice for hunting hogs on foot in close quarters conditions.

Mount a low-powered scope or use a ghost ring rear sight on the rifle for quick shots on moving hogs at short range.

Remington R-25

Image: Remington

Since hogs are often encountered in large groups, modern sporting rifles like the Remington R-25 are popular rifles for hog hunters.

In addition to facilitating the rapid follow-up shots that are necessary to shoot multiple hogs out of a sounder, these rifles are accurate, reliable and easy to use, and they accept a wide variety of accessories and optics. This makes them especially popular among hog-control experts who shoot hogs at night with thermal optics.

Chambered in .308 Winchester, the Remington R-25 is a great firearm for hunters looking to do some serious hog control.

Ruger American Rifle

Image: Ruger

Need a little bit of reach for the hog hunting in your area? Well, the Ruger American rifle might just be the right choice for you then. With a reasonable price, good reliability and minute of angle accuracy, the Ruger American is just a good all-around hunting rifle.

Get one in a flat shooting caliber like .270 Winchester or .30-06 Springfield, mount a good quality scope on it, and the hogs will never know what hit them.

Glock 40 Gen4

Image: Glock

In addition to all of the other features that Glock added to their fourth generation of handguns, the Glock 40 also incorporates a 6-inch barrel, making it an ideal firearm for the hunter who wants to pursue hogs with a handgun.

It has all the great characteristics that made the Glock 20 such a great handgun for hunting hogs: It's chambered in 10mm Auto, it's lightweight, has a 15-round magazine, and is reliable. At the same time, it also has an inch-and-a-half longer barrel at the price of less than an ounce of additional weight.

In the right hands, the Glock 40 is an absolutely deadly hog-hunting handgun, especially for hunters pursuing hogs using hounds.