Guns for small game hunting

[EyeOfThePark]

Could you recommend me the best kind of guns for an unexperienced hunter who want to go and try shooting some rabbits?

It's rabbit season around here and some friends have asked me to go hunting with them. Of course, they said they'd teach me everything I need to know, but could you guys offer some pieces of advice about guns...?

 

[Newanderthal]

for an inexperienced hunter, I'd suggest a 20 gauge with 4 shot.

Once you get some practice, get a Ruger 10/22 with a 4x scope. Aim for the head and you won't have a single hole in the meat.

 

[GROUNDpounder]

Personally I use a .22LR with an adjustable scope or a bow.

I wouldn't hunt with a shotgun and pellets for the simple fact of you being an new hunter and the last thing you want to do is miss a pellet and start ingesting lead. I go for head\chest shots with the 22.

To each their own.!

 

[oldmangunner]

Rugars are probably the best brand of gun out there. I know there are some who might argue with that, but they are really reliable, you will get a long life out of a Rugar.

 

[GROUNDpounder]

Rugars are probably the best brand of gun out there. I know there are some who might argue with that, but they are really reliable, you will get a long life out of a Rugar.

Stop throwing that around. :tinysmile_hmm_t:
Savage is a great brand, smith N wesson is a great brand.
Henry is a great brand.


They are good brands, not just Rugars.

 

[CozInCowtown]

Rugars are probably the best brand of gun out there.....

Um.......not?
Ruger is okay for a Wal Mart gun but there are definately not any better than any other name brand firearm.
Try and headspace one and you will not be that big a Ruger fan. There is a reason Ruger M77 sells for $400 and a Winchester M70 sells for $850.....
Winchester, Browning, Remington, Marlin, Mossburg, Savage and the list is long and distinguished.
Any name brand firearm should last a lifetime.
I think for what you are asking about a 12 gague pump (or 20 for that matter) should be right up your alley, either that or a good .22 semi-auto rifle.
JMO,
DC

 

[dhoyle]

Let's get back on the subject here, I like using a 22 RF ( I use a Ruger 10/22 or an old Rem 511 ) for small game hunt. For someone just starting out I would sugest a good bolt action rimfire rifle, they are a touch safer to learn on than the self loaders.

 

[dinosaur]

Stop throwing that around. :tinysmile_hmm_t:
Savage is a great brand, smith N wesson is a great brand.
Henry is a great brand.


They are good brands, not just Rugars.

I don't even know what a RUGAR is. We have RUGERS where I'm from. You'd think someone that enamoured of a brand name would learn how to spell it.

I think the original suggestion here is the best. A 20 guage makes an excellent rabbit gun. Number 4 shot is heavy enough to cut through grass and some light brush. And if you learn the pattern of your gun, you can headshoot the rabbits very consistently.

 

[Kepper]

I will agree with the 20 or 12 gauge. It depends on how your friends hunt, if they are running the rabbit with dogs, then it will be some tough shooting with a rifle.

I, personally, am not that concerned with shot in the meat. It is not that difficult to find the holes in game and remove any shot that may be in the meat.

If your in an area with a lot of rabbits and you can find stationary targets to shoot, then by all means go with the .22lr. It is fun and will make you a better hunter.

 

[GROUNDpounder]

I don't even know what a RUGAR is. We have RUGERS where I'm from. You'd think someone that enamoured of a brand name would learn how to spell it.

I think the original suggestion here is the best. A 20 guage makes an excellent rabbit gun. Number 4 shot is heavy enough to cut through grass and some light brush. And if you learn the pattern of your gun, you can headshoot the rabbits very consistently.

Whoooow grammar Nazi dinosaur calm down.:tinysmile_tongue_t:

 

[Lamebeaver]

I agree with Newanderthal on the #4 shot. #6 will kill a rabbit, but with the #4 you'll have fewer pellets to dig out. You could also use a .410, but the 20 ga will be more versatile if you want to use it to hunt something else.

Personally, I use a Remington Speedmaster .22 with open sights. Good luck shooting a running rabbit with a scope.

 

[tomas]

I use either my 12 gauge (870 Express) or my 10/22 when I go for small game. It pretty much depends on what I plan on hunting and the terrain.

 

[Jim Fuller]

Most of what has been said sounds good to me. I have used 20, 12, and .22, but not a 10/22, except for friends', and they were OK. I seldom have tried to shoot a *running* rabbit with a rifle, and never successfully.

 

[wvbreamfisherman]

Pretty much what everyone else has said, although I like the 16 gage. I wouldn't mind getting one of the old .22/20 gage over-unders to keep in the truck, but they have been priced out of sight! My current knockaround gun is an old Savage 16 gage bolt action with a poly choke.

 

[FreeWilly]

My step-father always used a .22 caliber rifle or a shot gun for small game. I'm not sure all that he hunted, but I do know that he was fond of hunting squirls, because I was always upset when we had to eat it for dinner. I don't know the models of the guns he used, just those basic specs.

 

[RedJasper]

A good beginners rifle

Savage .17HMR(Hornady magnum round). The model 93's are fairly inexpensive; I paid $260 for mine, stainless with a synthetic stock( I take it backpacking),bolt action, 5 round magazine. Ammo costs around $12 for 50. I put a scope on mine, its accurate out to about 200 yards.

 

[Newanderthal]

I agree with Newanderthal on the #4 shot. #6 will kill a rabbit, but with the #4 you'll have fewer pellets to dig out. You could also use a .410, but the 20 ga will be more versatile if you want to use it to hunt something else.

Exactly why I suggested the 20 with #4. fewer pellets to dig out, more lethal at longer distances (good for beginners who can't get closer) and you can still drop a duck or pheasant (something difficult with a .410)

 

[dinosaur]

Whoooow grammar Nazi dinosaur calm down.:tinysmile_tongue_t:

I'm not a nazi. I'm draconian.

 

[beemerphill]

I'm a new guy on the board, so consider my "free" advice as worth exactly what you are paying for it.
There has been some good advice given here. Most of it is worth listening to. My advice would be to buy a 20 Gauge pump. You want to look for a name brand, plain jane, and on sale. Stay away from the Chinese-made guns. Some are OK, and some are junk. Screw-in chokes are common today, and ARE what you are looking for. Do NOT buy a top-line expensive gun. You will be hesitant to take it out for fear of scratching it, and you will always be aware that any harm to the gun will decrease it's value. You will need a sturdy case, a basic cleaning kit, and a few boxes of shells. #4 is a good choice for you to start with.
Don't let the gun store commandos talk you into anything else. What you got here will do almost everything you are looking for, and should last for a life-time, and then some.
Good Luck, and safe shooting!

:tinysmile_fatgrin_t:tinysmile_fatgrin_t

 

[Pathfinder1]

I usually don't trek very far,
when all around me black bears are.




Since you wanted a firearm for the INEXPERIENCED hunter, I'd go with the twenty gauge. Then, if you wish, when your hunting skills improve, you might want to try the good old 410/.22 over/under...one of my favorite weapons for small game, including birds. The .22 is especially good for squirrels.

The 20 gauge/.22 over/under would also be an excellent...in my opinion...gun for the amatuer OR experienced hunter, and the 20 gauge can also be used for deer and black bear...where allowed.

An experienced firearms dealer could also explain the differences in the myriad firearms out there.