Favorite Small Game Caliber

[linexrandy]

17 hmr gets used the most, but I really like shooting cottontails with the 22-250!

[Uncle Chan]

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.

[10fp]

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

[Heavvyduty]

22lr Remington nylon stock, got to be a lest35yrs old still shooting good

[Mitch]

Ruger 10/22 for close range, .204 ruger for longer range.

[tdnichols]

I love to shot 22 hornet with cast bullets w/gas checks..no problem with sots to 100 yds on tree rodents..

[Savage Shooter]

Squirrel hunting with the 17HM2!!

[ratgunner]

.17 HMR . :)

[duckcommanderfinstr]

.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!

[Riley Lake]

.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...

[Skunk]

Ruger, Single Six .22 w/Magnum chamber, 9" barrel.

[laportecharlie]

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

[BillPa]

Squirrel hunting with the 17HM2!!

+1 on the HM2.

[crzybowhntr]

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!

[tdnichols]

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.

[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!