What gun to you use for small game hunting like rabbits, squirrels?

[Wildone]

What gun to you use for small game hunting like rabbits, squirrels?
For shotguns do you like the shorter barrels for rabbits and longer for squirrels? It seems that the 12 Gauge with a 28 in barrel just makes a mess out of the rabbits. .22's are pretty fun less lead pellets to eat.

[PiercedOne]

Yea 12 gauge with 28" barrel is all I have ever used for rabbits, usually don't have dogs so gotta hit them quick and hard. Squirrels yea 12 gauge, 22lr, 22mag, 17hmr, just about anything for them.

[WMUAngler]

I love my new savage 22 mag, it's quickly becoming my favorite gun to shoot. However, if you're going to use it for squirrel, make sure that you aim for the head, and DO NOT use the "TNT" ammo. I went out with it yesterday and after 3 hours, I still hadn't seen a squirrel. Finally, I spotted a fatty sitting in the crook of a tall oak with his back 3/4's facing me. I decided to take the shot and when I walked up to the kill, I noticed that only pieces had come down.

[BJA]

I use a scoped heavy barrel .17 hmr and a 20ga with a 26" barrel and mod. choke.... when there's a lot of leaves and cover like right now, your best bet is a shotgun.

[Quack Wacker]

I use a 22 for later in the season when there are on leaves and a 410 for the early season for squirrel. Rabit I carry a 410 or 12, with my 22 handgun on my side.

[Matt V]

For squirrel's I either use my Henry Golden Boy .22 or my old Steven's double barrel .410. For partridge / woodcock I have been using my son's 20 gauge 870 wingmaster youth (I love this gun).

[pike_mazter]

.22


When I was younger I used a .410

[WMUAngler]

For squirrel's I either use my Henry Golden Boy .22 or my old Steven's double barrel .410. For partridge / woodcock I have been using my son's 20 gauge 870 wingmaster youth (I love this gun).

I love my Remington 870 Express Youth Combo. I got it when I was 11 and it has killed a lot of game over the last 15 years. It looks like hell, but that gun is phenomenal. I've killed 3 bucks between 75-140 yards with the rifled slug barrel, and I've killed plenty of small game with the "bird" barrell. If I ever decide to have kids, I will definitely pass this gun down as their first "real" gun.

Right now though, I still love the 22 mag. I haven't missed a squirrel with it yet. (1 for 1) :) I think it was all the practicing on Starlings this summer.

[Wildone]

I enjoy handgun hunting with small game with a .22. It is just getting in the woods is a great time. What is the range of the .410's? That seems like a neat little gun for rabbits and squirrels.

[welcometomyworld]

My gun of choice for small game is my Ithaca 12 GA.O/U. I don't have that many squirrel's on my land, alot of Pat's and some rabbit's so my gun can cover just about any thing that come's up.

[ridgewalker]

My all around small game shotgun when I was younger and could walk all day was a 12 guage Ithaca pump with a 28 inch mod barrel. Now I use a single shot .410 for the lack of recoil and still have the ability to use 3 inch loads. Went 3 for 3 opening day and that just short distance hobbling around with a lot of resting. If I really want to lighten up I use a Savage .22 lever or my Ruger .22/.22mag revolver. I never get as much with them anymore but it can be fun anyway.

[Masterblaster1]

12 gauge Mossberg 500. On squirrels I use #5 shot and sometimes even 5's do not even exit. They are tough little critters. Rabbits and birds anything #6-8's work fine

[Mich. Buck Wacker]

My Marlin .22 Mag or my Ruger Single Six in .22 Mag.:)

[FishBelly]

I like my ruger 10/22 for squirrels and I have a winchester youth 20ga that i have used for grouse, woodcock, rabbits, turkey, and whitetails. My mom used it with a rifled barrel/scope and dropped a big doe in its tracks at 75yds. To me a 20ga can do it all pretty well.

[ESOX]

Savage model 24. .22LR on top, 3" 20ga on bottom.

[GIDEON]

The old faithfuls, In mich. its the winchester model 42, down south I go with a model 12
20ga, 16ga, and 12ga. For grouse its the model 50, 12ga., and 20ga.

[tallyho]

I use my 20 gauge o/u with size 8 shot for rabbits. It's quickly becoming my favorite all around gun.

[fishnpbr]

I use a Ted Williams full choked, long barreled pump 410. I use 3" #6's. That gun has been around a while and has accounted for lots of game.

[Cpt.Chaos]

For squirrels I like to use my single shot .410 with 26" full choke barrel. I prefer my 870 in 20 gauge for rabbits, but have used my old Wingmaster in 12 too, tears them up a bit tho. For a bit more of challenge, I will use anyopne of my .22's or .17's.

[Line-Loc]

5 or 6 shot for Rabbit.....also Imp. Cyl. choke.

Wider chokes provide less meat damage.

[cgritzy]

I use a.22 for squirrels more of a challenge in the early season and for rabbits a 870 wingmaster 410 ga..My son uses his grampa's 870 express 28 ga.for both rabbits and squirrels.

[SimplisticStyle]

I use my remington 870 12 gage for all hunts. Has never let me down yet :)

[Big Reds]

22 for squirrel and bow for rabbits.

[FREEPOP]

I've never found a 410 to be good for squirrels. I've killed a few but upon skinning I found that no pellets penetrated, I've also had them run off after shooting them. I prefer to snipe them with my 10/22 and a 3-9x32 scope, head shots only. For rabbits I like a 870 20 gauge if I'm on a killing mission, but for the most of the time, I use the 410 single.

[AnointedArcher]

I mainly use a 55lb Shrew Classic Hunter Longbow with fllu flu arrows and game grabber heads. However on ocaasion I use my .54 caliber Thompson Renagade with run balls and about 50/60 grains of powder. I also have poped a few with my New England 17hmr varmit rifle, but mainly I use my longbow.

[michigandeerslayer]

Is there such a thing as squirrels and rabbits other then in my back yard? Every time I go I dont see a thing....

I used to use a 870 good all around gun in 12 gauge, but they can make a mess out of squirrels

I would use my 22 now just for the challenge

[jcurtis]

17 hmr for squirrel sniping.

20 or 410 for Rabbits.

20 for birds, I would like to get a nice 12 gauge as well but the 20 handles everything I currently do.

[BwHunter85]

Use eithier the .410 or the 20 Ga. Sometimes head out with the .22 if I feel like the challenge.

[Selectiveharvest]

I go w/ the .22 every time now that I've got a beagle. Before it was 12ga, but I've found the dog to be pretty good at running them close enough to me that a shotgun is an overkill. I don't hit nearly as many, but there's something to be said for sitting back and watching the dog hunt!

[FREEPOP]

I may use a 22 with my dogs but when anyone else comes with me it's 410 or 20 gauge only, because 22s will ricochet.

[williewater99]

:coolgleam I use a 12 guage Mossberg for rabbits and grouse, but I like a .22 or my Gamo air rifle with Predator pellets for squirrels. :fish:

[sigman]

CZ 452 22 long rifle with a Leupold scope for bushytails and a Browning Gold Hunter 12ga for bunnies.

[turkeytamer41]

22/410 o/u.

[OSXer]

Usually I use a Remington 20 GA with 2.75" #6s for all my small game needs (aside from woodchucks - they get #4s). I've also used my bow or .22 with good success as well though.

[john warren]

my favorite all round gun for everything from squirrel to pat, coon to deer, is a 20ga, pump winchester.
this gun was a great uncles gun and is a pre ww2 gun.
but you can find lots of 20ga. pumps used and very inexpensive.
they are light and easy to carry all day. have a variety of loads to fit what you want to hunt.
with a slug will shorten a deers life span conciderably.
so,,,, cheap,light,economical to shoot, and deadly....whats not to love?

[FishBelly]

my favorite all round gun for everything from squirrel to pat, coon to deer, is a 20ga, pump winchester.
this gun was a great uncles gun and is a pre ww2 gun.
but you can find lots of 20ga. pumps used and very inexpensive.
they are light and easy to carry all day. have a variety of loads to fit what you want to hunt.
with a slug will shorten a deers life span conciderably.
so,,,, cheap,light,economical to shoot, and deadly....whats not to love?
I'm with you 100%. I have a winchester 20ga and it has done it all for me. 3 deer, rabbits, squirrels, and most recently a woodchuck with a sabot (saw it on the way out this weekend for early antlerless firearm season.) :D

[GIDEON]

TRIED OUT A NEWLY AQUIRED MODEL 41, the other day.. Thats a sweet little gun

[freshwater drum]

before deer season i use 12 or 20 gaug, with full choke , and #5 shot. after deer season i use the 22lr.

[Wishin_Fish]

I have always used my Rem. Wingmaster 20 for squirrels or my 597 .22. Since I got a beagle about 2 years ago and got in to rabbit hunting I have been using a single shot .410 with 3 inch loads. It has become my go to gun, Its light, doesn't have a super nice finish, less recoil, and its alot shorter then the 20. I like the challenge of only one shot when the rabbit comes along. The wingmaster really is too long and nice to beat around in the brush.

20 guage, squirrels, birds, rabbits
.410 single Rabbits, maybe birds and squirrels
.22 scoped squirrels only

[Blk Bear]

When it comes to 22's you can't beat the ruger 10/22. In my opinion absolutley the best for the money.

[Tru-N-Sea]

For squirrels I use my scoped Marlin 795. For rabbits and birds I use my trusty Remington 870 Express 12 ga. with an improved cylinder choke and #8 shot. Gets em every time!

Captn---

[bmd1023]

20 ga. o/u for rabbits 22 for squirrels

[jmlaport]

I use a TC Encore .410 Pistol with number 6's. Works great! Also adds a little challenge to the hunt.:D

[kristie]

Remmington 121 Fieldmaster long rifle... was my grampa's gun...... I really like it...... plus it's my first rifle, so I don't have much to compare it too

:gaga:

[Chipmunk Terminator #1]

I use my Mossberg 500 20 gauge with #5 or 6 shot. Works great for squirrel and rabbit. Shoot whatever you see first. I like hi velocity shells because it has more kill power. (squirrels have very tough hides) It will probably make a mess no matter what type of shell you use. (on a rabbit even more)