My favorite is the 17HMR out of my 93R17-GV. Devastating on squirrels. What about you guys, what's your fav?
Printable View
My favorite is the 17HMR out of my 93R17-GV. Devastating on squirrels. What about you guys, what's your fav?
I'll have to say the old reliable 22LR. The HMR is a little too much for squirrels IMO, and I see no benefit to the 17 Mach 2 here in the east where you're usually hunting them in the woods. Out west the 17's are probably better for ground squirrels, but here in the east the extra range the offer isn't necessary for tree rats.
i dont eat squirrels so i like the 17.....
22 mag is also very fun on rabbits and other smallish game
wait till hammer sees this,i bet he uses a 505 gibbs on squirrels
I wouldn't be without my 22LR. It gets more use than any other gun. Lots of red squirrels around here that need to be kept in check. Shot 68 of them one year right around the house. When I ran coon hounds I probably shot a couple hundred coons. Lots of woodchucks. Even got a coyote one day with a 22LR
I live out west and I still stick with the 22LR, plenty accurate and still the cheapest thing going to shoot and ammo in every corner store, just not enough advantages with the 17 to get me to switch.
Mike
I too am a huge 17HMR fan. Regularly taking out marauding ground squirrels out to 200 yards with authority. The 204 comes into play after that. The 22LR is for the herd of attacking ground squirrels at 50 yards and extra 25 round 10/22 magazines to hold them at bay. You need that specific rifle for that special target! :laugh:
Is 12 gauge a caliber? Pheasent is considered small game around here and it's pretty hard to take them from the sky with a 22. Otherwise I use a 22.
.44, but don't tell anybody. I mostly use a 20 gauge.
i use my 17hmr alot and also 22lr. i have though taken a couple bull bunnies with a 7mm wsm and a 22-250.
I haven't seen a pheasant around here in over a year. There used to be lots of em, but not any more. Alot more fox though, that might be why.Quote:
Originally Posted by EFBell
I really like my 17hmr, but haven't used it for small game yet. I used to always use either a .410 or a 20 ga.. I dont have the 410 anymore, but my grandfather just gave me his dads 870 wingmaster 20 ga.( the same one I used to use when we hunted together). Its gotta be 50 yrs old and is in excellent shape. I'm probably the last one to shoot it, 20 or so years ago. I plan on buying my kids a 410 and then letting them use this 20 ga sometimes.Other than that, you can't beat the 22lr. Killed many squirrels(and crows ;)) with it too.
Tree rats - 22lr in Ruger MkII pistol
Pasture rats - It depends on the range. I like chunky red rain so my favorite is probably the 243 with a 58 grain Hornady at 3900 fps.
My most frequently used small game caliber is a 44 using 250-grain Keith bullets or my 500 Linebaugh with 440-grainers. Mostly because any small game taken is done serendipously to riding horses around the ranch and those revolvers are what is hanging on my hip. Occasionally use a 45.
Years ago took a fair amount of African plains game, e.g., impala, with a Colt 1911 using Black Talons. Worked great.
In the rifle category have found that most rifles that will stop a Cape Buffalo will also do well on small game. On one trip to Botswana carried a 375 H&H for my light gun, 460 Weatherby for my medium, and a 500 for the heavy. Had no problems with small game.
On the other end of the spectrum, used a Marlin 1894CL in 218 Bee, 25-20, 32-20, and 32 H&R for small game. They have worked.
Have used the 22 rimfire magnum on jackrabbits. It works, but not up to the 220 Swift or 44 Magnum.
.
20ga.
22lr.....anything small and edible......and standing still for the most part.
12 guage for small moving edibles. ;)
.22/.410 Savage 24 was my favorite back in the 60's. Lot of squirrels and rabbits taken with it. Also a few pheasent and quail with an occassional crow. I kept it shotgun till I had sitting shot then switched to the cheap .22 ammo and take the head shot on rabbits and squirrels. never had a scope for it, strictly iron sights.
for me it is crows and a .220 swift
good 20 gauge auto
Is there such a thing? :PQuote:
Originally Posted by chunks7mm
do that to one and badged with it the rest of your life :-[
:laugh:
Whatever I'm carrying, usually a 10mm Kimber, but might be a Ruger SS, 22 lr or 22 mag. Or a Marlin 917 HMR, (I think this may be the most fun gun I own), or my Excelarms 22 Mag semi-auto, with the new plastic tipped Remmys it's amazing how accurate and hard this thing hits. My Savage 12 FV with either it's 223,22-243 Midd., or 260 AI barrel in it makes a fine small game gun. Heck, I guess all my guns are my favorite small game guns! ;) lp
I really like my .17 HMR and my .22 Mag..very rarely use a shotgun..
Since small game around here is rabbits, squirrel, woodchucks, crows & coon..the .22 LR is the obvious leader.
I wouldn't normally take the .22 LR out for fox or coyote..but would take one within range if I saw it.
One reason I like clip fed autos, I can carry 2-3 clips with Mini-Mags, Subs and Stingers or Velociters and
use as needed.
Since i bought 17HMR i cant ever use a 22lr again.
I use it on every small game up to fox. Here in Australia.
With pure happiness..... wait a 17FB, could it be more fun ???
22lr, 22 hornet, 32 h&r mag, 221 fireball
17 hmr gets used the most, but I really like shooting cottontails with the 22-250!
Honestly? Marlin 1895 Cowboy in 45-70. Load it up with black powder blast away. Might not ever hit anything, but I sure have fun.
well iguess if you dont hit it with the bullet youve got a good chance of it dying from shock from the report....or from choking on the black powder smoke. :P
22lr Remington nylon stock, got to be a lest35yrs old still shooting good
Ruger 10/22 for close range, .204 ruger for longer range.
I love to shot 22 hornet with cast bullets w/gas checks..no problem with sots to 100 yds on tree rodents..
Squirrel hunting with the 17HM2!! ;)
.17 HMR . :)
.22LR CCI Stingers for rabbits & squirrels for the freezer
20 ga #7-1/2 for grouse,#5 for pheasant
.243 Win 55 grain ballistic silvertip for dirtpigs,'yotes,foxes,lynx,bobcat,'coons,s kunks & squirrels not for the freezer
They're all my favorites. Love the power of the .243,though! ;)
.22LR.
My .50 caliber TC Hawken is a hoot for tree rats also... 30gr of Triple 7 and a patched roundball... not much louder than a .22, no kick... and it knocks 'em right out of the tree...
In fact, I might just take it out the next time... :) Might have to re-zero it for the squirrel load though...
Ruger, Single Six .22 w/Magnum chamber, 9" barrel.
I've shot small game with pretty much everything from a 22LR to a 375JDJ but my all time favorite is the 221 Fireball. If you reload, it's cheaper than the 17HMR, can almost reach 223 Rem velocities and the barrel stays a lot cooler. A lot to like.
Charlie
+1 on the HM2.Quote:
Originally Posted by Savage Shooter
I hunt in WV and I am loving the HMR as well. My wife has new .22mag, but I haven`t had a chance to get her out and try it out on anything quite yet - Although it is VERY accurate but the barrel gets super dirty really fast at the range!
I use different rimfires...22 .22 mag..I have older rifles...sav-anschutz in .22 mag...browning a-bolt in 22 LR anschutz 1416 and sav MK II in 17m2. All are very accurate and head shots makes eating no problem and stops them quickly.
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,
I am kind of partial to my AirArms .177 TX200. At 50 yards and under it is deadly.
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.
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.
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.
My favorite by far is a Savage 23B rifle in 25/20 using cast bullets.
Centex Bill
The 25/20 is just a 22 mag on steroids.
Centex Bill
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.
5mm mag. would be my choice.
22-250 for sure, Can't use them for big game in CO so it's my varmint slayer!