Whats a Good Small Game Rifle?

Question

im looking for a good hunting rifle... i want an accurate rifle, i wont be hunting anything big so im not looking for all out power. mostly for birds or small mammals...

im not gonna go for an air rifle coz the range really sux... i have a summer home up in the mountains and near it is a clearing with a couple of fruit trees. ive tried air rifles but they lose power 2 quickly, the birds always survive the shot n im forced 2 break their necks (really unpleasant)...

in short, im looking 4 smthn thats accurate n has good range, i want some power 2 but not enough 2 blow the animal up! i also dont want 2 spend 2 much cash on it.

i wont be going after anything bigger than the size of a cat...

Answer 1

I like Second Amendment Defenders answer of a combo .22/.410 combo that does give you the best of both a small shotgun for the birds and a .22 long rifle for the other game.  I have seen them under $200.  I would personally go with two fire arms a Ruger 10/22 and a Remington 788 chambered in 12 guage, use light loads, later if you deside to hunt anything else the 12 guage has a number of different rounds you can get for it.

Answer 2

The general consensus is that the first firearm a beginner should start with would be a .22 rifle, preferably a bolt action. You can probably find a good used one for less than $100. That's a great gun for learning the handling and safety of a firearm, but the ammo is cheap and there's no recoil. The .22 will handle small animals like rodents, raccoons, rabbits, etc. If you throw birds into the mix, you should be looking at a shotgun, probably a 20 gauge pump for a beginner.  

Answer 3

Ruger 10/22 is a good first choice.... About $180...

http://www.ruger-firearms.com/Firearms/F...

http://www.ruger1022.com/

If you want a rifle with a little more long range accuracy then consider the Savage 93BTVS ---- about $375

http://www.savagearms.com/93btvs.htm

Answer 4

a henry .22  rifle with a good nikon scope

Answer 5

17 Remington

,, it's economical to shoot ... and with a scope on it - it's very accurate .. has a very fast bullet ...  

Answer 6

The other answers were pretty good, but I hunt small game, squirrels, rabbits ect.  The .22 LR and the .22 Magnum just don't really get out there for some of the game that you are going to encounter at range.

The rifle of choice that I have is chambered for .22 Hornet.  

Its more than a .22 Magnum, and gives you some extra range without the overwhelming power of a .223 Remington, (5.56 NATO).

The .22 Hornet is a very accurate caliber, though if you are going to handload them, the cases don't tolerate too many resizings before they split, so that is their only real drawback.

But I like them, because they make the kill quick and clean.  They have enough down range energy to even pull down the occasional Rock Chuck, so they can deal with some fairly sizeable game before having to trade up to the .223.

I believe Marlin makes a little Bolt Action for the caliber, mine is a Ruger 77/22 Hornet, that I have had for a few years, I don't know if these are still available, but I have simple 6x Simmons Scope on it, and it does just fine.

I have taken game as large as a Coyote with a well placed shot, so you can see that it will deliver a little more than the standard .22 LR or the .22 Magnum.

The really nice feature, is the fact that like shooting a .22 LR, there is almost no recoil.

Anyhow, I hope that helps.

Happy Shooting.

Answer 7

A 22lr or a 22Mag will do what you need. You are taking these "critters" during season and with a valid hunters license I assume?

Answer 8

I would go with a 22/410 break over

This will give you the best of both worlds

go to www.gunbroker.com and serach for

22 410

There are quite a few to choose from

Answer 9

Rifles:

.22lr

22-250

22 / 410

.223

.243?

10/22

17 hmr

.22 mag

.22 hornet

Airguns- VERY POWERFUL:

Gamo hunter extreme .177 1600fps

Sam yang Big Bore guns

Shotguns:

.410

20 gauge

28 gauge...?

12 gauge if you wanna upgrade.. lol

Answer 10

You'll want to go with an inexpensive rifle chambered in .22lr. In addition to being excellent small game rifles, the .22 rifle is generally the recommended starter gun for shooters due to its mild report, lack of recoil, and inexpensive (or maybe cheap would be a better descriptor) ammunition.

If you get a bolt action in .22lr, like Savage's MarkII/Stevens 300 you can shoot a variety of loads ranging from nearly silent CB caps and .22 shorts, up to hot loads like the CCI Stinger. If you opt for a semi-automatic rifle, like the Savage 64f, Marlin model 60, or Ruger 10/22, your ammunition choices will be a bit more limited since semi-automatics tend to function better with high-velocity ammunition.

Regardless of what you pick, you should be able to find a new rifle chambered in .22lr for under $200 (under $150 if you do some shopping around and don't go with Ruger's 10/22). If you check the used racks of your local gun shop you could probably find a used .22 rifle cheaper than that.

Answer 11

I guess you have all the answers you need. The .22 is an economical gun that has long served the small game hunter.

I love my 10/22. It is not the fancy shmancy kind, but it shoots as well as any bolt gun.

I also own 2 Henry rifles. I think these are a bit on the pricy side, but shoot well and look good.

I own several other guns in .22, and it is hard to say which one is best because they all have a different appeal.

If budget is the concern, I would say that you can get the most out of a break open, single shot H&R 1871, in .22mag. You will be able to shoot .22 Long rifle as well as magnum. This puts your range out to 200 yards with a scope. The H&R will cost less than 200, and sve you enough cash for a decent scope, and some bulk ammo.

Good luck, and have fun. If you never shoot an animal, shooting paper and tin cans is also a blast.

Answer 12

The Ruger 10/22 is a great gun and shoots very well.  I sighted on in just yesterday for a customer and the shot groups were very good.  He bought a heavy barrel with a laminate stock.

Remington, Savage and Marlin all make good shooting 22 LR's.

I'd probably lean towards a 22 LR because of how much cheaper the ammon is for that gun and how many companies are making ammo for it.

With the .22LR, you can buy ammo (made by Aguilla) that loads a very light bullet with no gun powder in the case...only a primer that sets the shell off.  Minimal distance without the worry of a bullet traveling a long ways after a deflection.  There is also ammo available by CCI called the CB Long or CB short that is quiet and has a muzzle velocity of 710 fps, for both.

If you can find a gun that will shoot all three, Short, Long and Long Rifle, you'll have a lot of choices depending on your needs.

I am not aware of Ruger 10/22's shooting anything but the LR.

Good luck,

Kevin

Answer 13

AK-74 and AK-102.

Answer 14

The best choice is the 22 Magnum caliber.* Use hollow point bullets.*