M1A for Hog Hunting

Feral hogs are a year-round problem across much of the U.S. where they tear up pastures, destroy crops and multiplying faster than most landowners can keep up with. When I had my own land to protect, I needed a rifle that could handle them at close range in thick cover, day or night. I settled on the Springfield Armory M1A for hog hunting — specifically the SOCOM 16 CQB in .308 Win., paired with a Sightmark Wraith HD digital riflescope.

In 2017, I was fortunate enough to acquire 20 acres of land where both my folks and I would each have our own homes. My father loves this because now he has land enough to raise bees, and this also means that he has invested a great deal of time and money into the pastures to grow clover. For those who don’t know, clover is used by the bees to make very tasty honey. The plants can grow upwards of around four feet tall. Be sure to remember that as this will be important later in this story.

I was happy because this land gives me the opportunity to do some hunting, and thinning the local hog population would also help to protect dad’s clover field. The M1A SOCOM 16 CQB was the natural fit.

The M1A SOCOM 16 CQB Rifle

The fun part about being a reviewer of firearms is that I get the chance to try out all different kinds of firearms and calibers. Since I moved to the ranch, I have been looking for the right rifle to fit my hog hunting needs.

I have bounced around between an AR in .300 BLK, an AK, an AR in .308 and even a few bolt-actions, but nothing seemed to fit what I wanted. For years I have shot Springfield Armory M1A rifles at SHOT Show or ones that belonged to friends, but never had found just the right one for me. It wasn’t until I had the M1A SOCOM 16 CQB in .308 Win. with me at my range that I knew I had found my hog rifle.

I will say that the rifle is no lightweight, but at the end of the day, it matters more about what fits you when it comes to a firearm than just something like weight.

Scope for the M1A

I have been friends with Sightmark for many years and have reviewed a broad range of products from them. But it wasn’t until I had the Springfield M1A SOCOM 16 CQB in my hands that I knew what I needed to have mounted on this rifle. I went with the Sightmark Wraith HD 4-32×50 Digital Riflescope. It is a day/night scope with an MSRP of $599, which it makes it affordable but still a lot of bang for your buck. It has a built-in camera for recording, 8x digital and 4X optical zoom, and much more. I mounted it on the M1A with one of Springfield’s 4^th Generation Aluminum Scope Mounts (to see how to properly mount one of these, click here).

We’re Hog Hunting

I was walking outside to get some fresh air and make the ½ mile walk to the mailbox one day when I looked out in the clover and saw a tail and two ugly hog ears sticking out of the sea of clover. I ran back inside to grab my M1A. I was able to quickly switch to day mode as I ran back outside and took this hog down.

Final Thoughts on Using an M1A for Hog Hunting

After years of bouncing between platforms, I’ve finally found the setup that fits the way I hunt. The Springfield Armory M1A SOCOM 16 CQB gives me a short, handy .308 with plenty of punch for hogs at the close ranges a clover field demands, and the Sightmark Wraith HD means I’m never caught without a way to see what’s out there, whether the sun is up or long gone. If you’re weighing an M1A for hog hunting on your own property, this combo has earned its place by my back door — and I’m confident the next hog that wanders into that clover won’t be any luckier than the last one.

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Cover for The Armory Life Digital Magazine Volume 4: Hunting