First, I do prefer a semi for the .223, which I know limits my options.

Pauly, I was looking over the laws again recently and I saw that. What a bummer. Is there really any private land to hunt on in CT anyway? I grew up there and I thought that all the non-industrialized areas were pretty much state parks or some such. As I am sure you know more about CT hunting laws than myself, do you know the laws about rabbit? Most of my rabbit hunting I was planning to have take place in my grandmother' s garden. She gets some really nasty rabbits with attitude tearing it up so I figured I' d kill two birds with one stone and handle the problem with the .22. This way, she gets rid of her pests, and I get rabbit.

So I need to get a shotgun instead? That' s a bummer too. Most of my target shooting was with pistols. I don' t know much about, or have too much experience with, rifles (except the AR-15 and a .22), but I have no experience at all with shotguns. What is a t/c encore and who makes it? Some combo deal with different barrels sounds like a (financially) reasonable idea.

Also, I' m not back in Connecticut yet. I will be in May. I' ll be somewhere in Windham/Tolland county (not totally sure where yet) for at least the first couple months. I' ll be working to get my teaching certification, so eventually I' ll be living wherever the job is. Though I hope to god it' s not Bridgeport or New Haven.