what kind of gun do you use for small game
 

I use a 410 mossberge model 500. I have killed squirrles at 40 yards with it. Plus it is light, and it dosent tear up the meat, scare them, and i can shoot them on the run.

RE: what kind of gun do you use for small game
 

I use a Ruger MK 2 ,6 7/8" 22 pistol with a red dot .
I head shoot tree rats and don't tear up any meat.

Johnch

RE: what kind of gun do you use for small game
 

I use high-powered airguns. Not too many places to shoot a firearm out here in southern California, and our DFG allows us to take any resident small game with an air rifle (.20 caliber minimum for wild turkey), so we modify airguns for power and accuracy.It's cool becauseammo costs about a penny around, andyou can take rabbits out to 50 yards. I can't count the number of rabbits, squirrels, quail and pigeons I have dropped with my rigs. Anyways, here's a pic of my guns. AGamo S1K, and a heavily modified Crosman 1377c:

RE: what kind of gun do you use for small game
 

Charles Daly 20 ga. , full , modified , and Undertaker™ turkey chokes . - Birds , rabbits , squirrels , varmints .
Ruger 10-22 with 10 round magazine . Squirrels , rabbits , varmints .
.177 air rifle , spring piston , 1000 FPS . Squirrels , rabbits , varmints .

RE: what kind of gun do you use for small game
 

Cottontails, I shoot my Mossberg 500 12 Guage, also use it for all my bird hunting (which isn't too much usually). For varmints, I use my H&R .223, with my handloads.

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The only varmints/small game i hunt are squirrels (i've only shot one rabbit and that was with a slingshot). but for squirrels I used a .410 for 2 years but this i decided it wasn't enough because it was just wounding all the squirrels. so now im buying a brand spankin' new .22 the old one i have isn't good enough..

but i have a question for you Sifuskyler...

the two things i have against pellet gun hunting is that you have load each shot individually after firing and that you have to pump up the airguns. but it looks like the gun in the top photo has no pump which led me to wonder what makes the pellet go? also, wouldn't it just be more convient to buy a $140 .22 with a 10 round clip that buying a $100 airgun and modifying it? and finally, what caliber are the guns in your photos? sorry for all the questions but im a curious feller.

RE: what kind of gun do you use for small game
 

live2hunt743 - I believe that air rifle has a spring loaded mechanism for shooting. The barrel breaks open on a hinge, you place the pellet in the barrel, and when you close the barrel back, it cocks the rifle. Not sure about what caliber it is, but thats how those rifles work.

RE: what kind of gun do you use for small game
 

well for squirrels i use a ruger .22 or bow. Just because shot guns i have bad experiences of them when they are dead and torn up. for .22 bullet i use hollowpoint, i dont want to go on a scavager hunt for them

and for rabbits i use 12 in thick thick cover other wise my 20 or .410

for pheasants my 12

yotes and fox 12 or .223

my .177 pellet gun loves to take down small game and birds with its first shot and not wounding it.

Live 2 hunt: the pumps of air all push the pellet out it stores the pressure in a tube and the only out is behind the pellet. 1 shot makes everyone a better shooter just like muzzeloaders or them single shots.

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Traditions Crockett .32 cal blackpowder rifle. Great on the rabbits. Have yet to get a squirrel, but if I see any I will definitely take the shot.

RE: what kind of gun do you use for small game
 

Well, not all airguns are single shot. Some of the nicer PCP (pre-charged pnuematics) are repeaters. They run off of scuba air, and produce as much, if not more fpe than a .22 rimfire(they are available up to .50 caliber). As far as pumping, yeah, I have to pump my pistol, but not my rifle. The rifleuses a piston systemto push the pelletdown the barrel at 1000 fps. It is a .177 caliber rifle (the pistol is the same caliber). Works well on anything upto the size of a possum or coon.There are larger calibers available for larger game. As far as buying the rimfire, where would I shoot it at? This is socal (southern california). We have to drive for 2 hours just to get to a legal shooting area, and those areas aren't fit for hunting. They are more like a line of guys with shotguns and 9mm, blasting anything they want, lol. Plus the cops are there harrasing everyone the whole time and running their gun's papers. I like to avoid those areas if possible. As far as your ten shot clip...I thoughtthe industry standardwas "One shot, one kill." Besides, what is the point ofa ten shot clip if the sound of your powder-burner scares the target off after the first shot? I can get several shots in beforemy target even knows what's going on (it's the difference between a light "thwock" and a heavy "BOOM!")Anyways, I don't have any trouble with the law when I stick with my air rigs. And I don't have any trouble harvesting rabbits, squirrels, and game birds with 'em either, so I think I'll stick with air power. Dont' get me wrong, I have owned my share of powder guns, but they are all for home defense. For field use, I like air. Taking a rabbit down with a round a little bigger than a grain of sand is quite satisfying.

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Yes it is. I got 2 rabbits last year with my pellet gun. I loved it. I can't for this year to get here.

RE: what kind of gun do you use for small game
 

I can't count the number of rabbits I've had for lunch because of a .177 air rifle , and for short range small game hunting they are difficult to beat . I also have two different .22s , and they're fine for the longer range stuff , but they just can't match the feel of an air rifle . I have a new spring piston model on layaway right now , in fact . :)

RE: what kind of gun do you use for small game
 

Ruger 77/22 all weather. I can shoot a 1/2" group at 50 yards with it and CCI Velocitors. I also use a Browning BPS 20ga upland special (22" barrel and staight stock)

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I use a single shot New England Firearms .410 or my Ruger .22 for squirrels. Both are alot of fun to shoot and the only time I ever get out and use them is in early fall when I am messing around waiting for deer season to start.

RE: what kind of gun do you use for small game
 

I use a winchester 1300 , a savage automatic rifle , a smith and wesson auto pistol , and a winchester .177 air rifle . My favorite is the "Smith" , but the air rifleis a close second . Happy hunting .

RE: what kind of gun do you use for small game
 

for me i have a ruger .22. ive shot squirrel and birds with it.

my dad always told me if you cant hit it with 1 shot then you dont deserve to hit it, even tho i have a semi auto i still think there fun.

personally i cant see any advantages of a air rifle over a .22 except you can shoot then almost anywhere, including inside your house. As for scaring away the game with the .22, i havnt really noticed that, sure the birds fly away when i miss them, but thats from the bullet cracking the air right by their face.

RE: what kind of gun do you use for small game
 

But some airguns are much more powerful than a even a .22 magnum. They are available in 3000+ PSI .50 caliber recoil-free light weight carbine designs. I'm sure you see the advantages there?

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you can pump it to 3000psi!??. i doubt its more powerful than a .22magnum. I still think a .22lr outpreforms a air rifle.

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I use my 870 20 gauge.

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i use a ruger 10/22 or a 20 ga. for squirrels

RE: what kind of gun do you use for small game
 

You are thinking of crappy American airguns (crosman, daisy, and so on). Good hunting airguns don't need to be pumped. They are bulk filled off of 3000 psi SCUBA air. People use 'em to hunt elk and otherbig game. My friend just got back from safari in South Africa with his. Check it out: http://www.geocities.com/echochap/airgun_hunter.html He dropped so much big game with his DAQ out there. Anyways, as far asa DAQ Banditoutperfoming a .22 mag, here is a little ballistic calculation for you:

A .22LR fires a 40 grain slug at about 1000 fps creating 88 fpe of energy

A .22 magnum fires a 40 grain slug at 1500 fps for 199 fpe of energy.

A DAQ Bandit .50 caliber air rifle fires a 182 grain slug at 850 fps for 300 fpe of energy.

Not to mention the fact that the airgun is TOTALLY RECOIL FREE, can be modified for much more power, and can be fired almost anywhere legally. Add a bipod, and a 5-18x50 scope, and you can't miss.

So, Still wanna argue? Trust me. There are airguns that outperform a .22 mag. They may set you back $1000 bucks, but they're still out there. Hell, If you want to blow an extra 500 beans on top of that, you can get a rig that shoots 400-500 foot pounds. Peace out.

RE: what kind of gun do you use for small game
 

A lot of .22 LR shoots much faster than 1000 fps, in the 1200-1300 range. .22 magnums easily shoot 2000 fps. far cry from 1500

RE: what kind of gun do you use for small game
 

Around my house, I use my .117 spring piston pellet gun. Its plenty powerful enough to drop a rabbit at the ranges I can get close to them at. Yeah a .22 may be able to drop them from farther ranges, but I guarantee if you shot a .22 at the ranges I get the rabbits at, they would take off before you could blink an eye. With a pellet gun, they just sit there like "wtf was that?"

But for squirrel I use either a .22LR or a 20ga 6 shot.

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I do not do a lot of small game hunting, but when I do I just use my duck gun, 12 ga. browning bps

RE: what kind of gun do you use for small game
 

Yeah, and a lot of PCP (precharged pneumatic) airguns shoot supersonic speeds too. Even in .308.People justtune them back to below 1100 fps to prevent sonic cracks and pellet wobble caused by breaking the sound barrier. Either way, they both have theiradvantages. The airgun is quiet, light, recoil-free, safer, more accurate (why do you think the Olympic shooting teams use them for 10 meter comp? .10" ctc groupings at 20 yards, that's why), better for suburban use, and cheaper to shoot. The powder burner is faster, bigger, and comes in semi auto (semi-auto air rifles worth hunting with are very expensive). Personally, there is no where to shoot a powder burner here in Socal legally (except a few designated shooting areas that entail 50 guys in a line blasting with shotguns and 9 mm's), so I use air.

RE: what kind of gun do you use for small game
 

What about a 20 gauge for squirrels? And what kind of shot would you use?

RE: what kind of gun do you use for small game
 

sifuskyler: i used a crossman pellet gun for years shootin' pigeons outta my barn ! it didn't put holes in the roof like a 22 or larger

but

when i attempted to apply the same idea to squirels, the pellet was blown off course and i went hungry. . .although, this was a stock gun straight from the wal mart box.

but don't let em get to ya. . .i've got a friend who lives in colubus, ohio and city ordinance won't allow anything larger than a pellet gun to control rodent and varmint population.

keep shootin' wat u got. . .i agree. . .killin something with tiny pill is a true feat of skill

RE: what kind of gun do you use for small game
 

sifuskyler: ur rig is sweet. . .i would keep shootin'


personally, where i live, i can geta 200+yard shot a rabbit or a squirell. so, i use a .204 ruger. my rifle is a savage model 12 FV. with a 3-9x40 leopold vari x II scope.

http://www.savagearms.com/12fvsingleshot.htm

i can shoot a tree rat from 200 yds away and yea there is a boom, but the hornady vmax 32 or 40 grain bullet travels with a muzzle velocity of 4200 fps and a 1200+ foot pounds at 200 yds. basically, the tree rat doesn't even know he's dead, one minutes he's holding his nuts, the next minute they're laying on teh ground !!!

the same goes for rabbits, even though there is a boom, i shoot a single shot rifle and can get three shots PDQ !! so if there's more than one bunny in the bunch, i'll get three before the last one realizes his friend is missing its head !!!!!! 200+ yds

but. . . .to shoot factory ammo costs 75 cents a shot vs. ur F R E E A I R

cant beat an air rifle ! ! !

RE: what kind of gun do you use for small game
 

i will use my 410 3 inch #6 or 7shot during the early season and then go with my 10/22 during the later part of the season.

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I use an old 22 ive had since I was about 5-6 it was my first real gun its an old Remington Model 510 Target Master, bolt action, single sho,t iron sights, and its not even tapped for a scope. Does the trick just fine.

RE: what kind of gun do you use for small game
 

10/22

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yeah, my 10/22 has served me well as well as various shotguns

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before i got my .17 hmr i used my 30-06. heh-heh-heh

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I use either my 10/22 or my benelli 12 ga.

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i don't do much small game hunting, but every once in a while I'll take the winchester model 12 .410 out for a walk int he woods, incase i kick up a rabbit or squirrel. My father hads the mathcing .410 and 12 gauge(my turkey gun). I really wish we could get the 20 gauge, but im told thats a different model.
I shot my first turkey with a 20 gauge single shot, not sure about the model and all that. We have the matching .410 for that too.

Something nice about having matching guns in different gauges/caliber. I think he has 3 different matching pairs.

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I bought my son a Savage 94F in .17 mag. I steal it every chance I get!! Talk about accurate and fun to shoot. Hot round also.

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charles daly 12 ga or stevens .410 for birds
remington 597 .22lr semi auto 4x32 for rabbit, squirell
mossberg 800 ad .308 win. 2.5-7 for yote

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Going to give my AR a try on few coyotes someday.

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I went for a two hour walk on Friday afternoon (7 Oct) with my faithful Brno 22LR and nailedseventeen rabbits, mainly in the head, and put two positive hits into a fox just on dark near some blackberry. Wish I had my Ruger 223. This is the first of seventeen bunnies.





Back in July I did something a little different. I went after rabbits one windy afternoon with my Marlin 1895SS 45-70 with handloaded 405gn cast lead slugs doing 1300ft/s. Five shots, five drilled bunnies.





And finally I just love using my Ruger M77 223 with Speer 52gn HP on feral cats and foxes.

RE: what kind of gun do you use for small game
 

Remington 870 Express Magnum