Favorite Small Game Caliber

[Pappy]

My 22 LR for P-Dogs or the 22-250 for longer distances, my 300 mag for Bigger stuff. Seeing as how We are talking small cal..does anybody know where I can get some mags for a Model 64 22 LR ?? Can't find them anywhere.

Thanks,

[Hot Brass]

I am kind of partial to my AirArms .177 TX200. At 50 yards and under it is deadly.

[bangflop]

Hunting elk I came upon a song dog about 150 yrds out and the 210 grain Nosler Partition from a 338 win mag sent parts flying about. I decide I would do all my hunting with the 338 after that. But then I shot the 17 hmr and now the 338 is just a memory.

[ghost]

my favorite tree rat gun has to be my t/c fire hawk 32 cal. its a flat shooting toy of a muzzel loader.
light and a lot of fun to shoot. but if i want serious meat i have a .22 ithica saddle rifle i got at a garage sale 20 + years ago and i seem to be able to hit any thing i point it at.grew up with .22's on the farm but i'm getting old and crawling to get within 75 yd of whisle pig has gotten a bit harder so now i have a 22-250 and sit on the breather cap on top of the stall barn and cap em from 200-500 yd. this has proved to be quite entertaining. made sence of the phrase ( happiness is a red vapor) damn things literally explode.
just got 2 new stevens 06 and 223 so looking forward to some more fun this year. and yes they both qualify as small game rifles as the woods are my range and chipmonks and reds are targets. equivilent of a post it note on a string with a slight brease at the traditional range.

[badgerrr]

Not long ago I would have said the favorite small game caliber was 22mag. Use the Winchester 40gr HP out of a Savage 24S-E. Always been real accurate for me and the mag gives extra range and power over the Long Rifle.

But about a year back, I found a Savage Model 23-B in 25-20 at a gun show for a good price. Loading it with a pinch of 2400 and topping it with a 65gr Lyman GC bullet makes for cheap shooting. It's a load that outclasses the 22mag handily. I'd still have to give my 22mag the credit for greater accuracy but now I'll have to say my favorite Small Game Caliber is the 25-20.

[Centex Bill]

My favorite by far is a Savage 23B rifle in 25/20 using cast bullets.

Centex Bill

[Centex Bill]

The 25/20 is just a 22 mag on steroids.

Centex Bill

[efm77]

For me it's the 22lr and 22mag for things on the ground. I like using a 12 gauge for squirrels in the trees because it makes me nervous to fire a rifle into the air in the event that the treet didn't catch the bullet.

[crowkiller2]

5mm mag. would be my choice.

[ScopeEye]

22-250 for sure, Can't use them for big game in CO so it's my varmint slayer!

[Three44s]

My wants and my gots are two different things:

My want is a .25-20 ...... but ........

My gots are the following:

17HMR in a Savage with an accutrigger.

.22 mag in a Marlin 882 SSV ........

An Ithaca model 37 in 20 ga.

A Marlin '94 in .357

S&W K22 in .22 lr.

S&W model 48 ....... .22 mag.

Several large bore round shooters prefaced with a Ruger Super Redhawk with a 9 1/2 inch barrel.

Various varmint centerfire rifles for longer distances.

You might tease Hammer, but I am also a rancher ...... and you can only pack so much iron around the farm or ranch. When you dress yourself (firearm wise) for the day ....... you pick the weapon you want if things "go to heck" ...... and if a small target presents itself ........ you don't have time to run to the house and get the RIGHT GUN! ...............

.............. "now hold still little bunny" ......... I'll be right back ........... LOL!

NO .... you make do ...... or without!

*************************************************

Now I don't consider myself very needy ....... but I have been smitten ever since I played with a neighbor's Savage 23 B in .25-20 ........ maybe someday I will intersect with one that's priced out of the insane range.


Three 44s

[dlebeck]

22lr for my first choice for kinda close shots, then my 22 hornet or my 218bee. never seen a critter that could escape the hornet.

[jeffersonv]

Old thread I know but fun is fun.

Small game = 17 HMR or .204 Ruger for ground squirrels and Jack rabbits. 22 lr for cottontail stew.
That 17 HMR sure is fun. I think a lot of anti gunners should try it. They'd be hooked!

I would like to try some of the small calibers suggested above like the 22 hornet, 218 bee and the like. I've got a project 22 K-hornet on a H&R in mind but it is not first in line.

[craig]

308, 170gr cast at 800fps not much noise at all. It is a real hard hitter.
Gregg

[452b300]

The 22lr hands down for anything small and edible, a good 22mag is very useful, if it weren't for the lack of ammo a 17HM2 would make a nice edible game getter, and a shotgun.

[ShawneeB]

22lr been feeding me small game decades. I prefer bolt action, single shot or magazine fed doesn't matter to me.

Now you asked calibers and many replied with "gauges" and that's a passion! Mostly I use now, 20ga SxS. I have a single barrel blackpowder 28ga shotgun I am VERY fond of too. 3# 11 oz loaded! Takes any small game with authority, a BP shotgun is a shotgun you can custom load in the field:p And it's not completely off topic either cause 28ga is aka .54 cal and can fire a round ball too. Here's a pic of my baby.

http://i1264.photobucket.com/albums/jj493/Hermit54/gun%20stuff/DSCN2217.jpg

[outback andy]

Yea, one more for the .22 Mag because I also enjoy eating the small game I shoot..no waste here.

[scope eye]

My favorite SGC is actually between two, an Air Force Condor 22 cal pellet gun I modified it, "of course" it shoot a 20gr pellet @
1200 FPS, and a BSA Lone Star 25 cal also modified it shoot a 25gr pellet @ 1000 FPS, cool stuff.

Dean

[Hotolds442]

Savage four-tenner in a Winchester model 37 20ga.

[Savage6x284]

I agree with many here who stated that the .22LR is the finest SGC available.
Although, .22LR hasn't been too available lately has it??