quote:

In my little .218 Bee, jacketed from time to time for ground hogs,fox, 'yotes - cast for everything edible.

Antie - I recently sold a .218 Bee Ruger #1 with 6,500 rounds through it. It still shoots 50gr. SP's into the same sub 1" groups, although the 40's have opened from 3/8" to 3/4".

The .218 in a Ruger is a tremendous little round using Lil'Gun powder. 16gr. gives me 3,650fps to 3,750fps with 40gr. Vmax or Ballistic Tips depending on temperature. Max in this rifle was 17.0gr. for 3,800fps. I've never lost a case to a loose primer pocket & only ever neck size 1/2 the neck - as I said, these loads are for the Ruger #1 only. The pressures are most likely in the 58,000PSI or less range. It has taken gophers to 430 yards.

When I'm getting ready for deer season I use my .22 LR to get trigger time with a rifle. But when I want to kill a limit of bushytails it's my 12 Gauge.

bought a 28 ga. pump for eastern shootin' 'o bunnys an' treerats,,but try that back home,on bunnys,, in MT. and they show you the gate!!,,thats when the OLD glenfield 20 comes out,,I make lots of gas money makin' 100 yd. shots with mini-mag solids!!,,on sittin' bunnys only,,I never shoot a rifle into trees,,so out come's the 28,,MAN!!!,,I LOVE THAT LITTLE 28!!!

I use TC Contenders . . . I have one in .22 WMR with a 22" barrell . . .



but these days I usually only break it out if I'm gonna be taking long shots at feeder raiding raccoons (at 125 yards)


I also have a 12" 17 HMR barrell, which has become my go-to set up for when I'm hunting squirrel, especially because it can be carried hands free



Its darn accurate, and I've accounted for quite a few squirrels since I've been using it.

Troy

It seems you have the more reasonable 10 squirrel daily limit in Texas.

quote:

Originally posted by Swamp_Fox:
It seems you have the more reasonable 10 squirrel daily limit in Texas.

yes, although I've only reached it a couple of times.

The first shot of me with the 22 WMR carbine barrel, I got 7 in the morning, and finished off the limit that afternoon.

The shot of me with the 17 HMR barrel I got 8 in the morning but couldn't hunt in the afternoon (had to go home).

I've never yet got a limit in a single morning's (or afternoon's) outing, but I often can get 6-7 in an outing with either of these barrels, and I usually make about 75-80% hits as well, so long as I keep my shots at a reasonable distance and use a rest.

Troy

Missouri goes to a 10/20 bag limit this year.
Might be time to dust off the .22 mag.

Swamp Fox--In Texas the bag limit etc is determined by the county you hunt in. Most counties no closed season and no bag limit.

I shoot lots of sparrows and starlings with air rifles. I have .177's and .22's as well as the one about the middle---the 5mm(.20 cal). I like the 5mm the best and consider it the best of both worlds between the .177 and the .22. For this reason I'd like to have a .204 Ruger to play with, but really can't justify buying one. I have shot tons of jackrabbits with my .22 centerfires. This was using the 58 grain cast bullet (RCBS mold). Velocity is around 2000-2200 fps and they work great. Report is fairly mild.

Nice Contender/Contender Carbine Troy. I use one too. I have a 22 hornet with the factory 21 inch barrel and a Bullberry 22lr match barrel that is 20 inches The Bullberry barrel is absolutely deadly with Federal 711b. That is the ammo Fred at Bullberry recommended. It shoots 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch anytime. It just depends on how much caffiene I have in me. I use the rimfire for ground squirrels and the hornet for rockchuks. They make great truck guns cause they are so short. DW

all my barrels/woodwork are from Bullberry . . . exceptional accuracy. Can literally shoot the tacks off paper (except I use staples instead of thumbtacks these days).

i use a mountain cur ,ruger 10/22 iron cites ,have a blast .

Here's another small game gun. I like.

This year, I'll be using this one for a walk-around, root-pile gun for gophers.(.32 cal.= .311" @ 42gr. ball, 1,650fps mv.)

I was dead set on owning one of these beauties until I learned that two-faced bastard Dan Cooper voted for Obama! Remember the fallout over at Cooper Arms from that fiasco??

The Jackson Squirrel Rifle is a real gem, but I'll opt for something else similar at this point:

quote:

I am interested to see what most people use to get small game. I am talking about the furry kind and not the feathered variety.

I use several...
1. A .177 cal RWS pellet gun
2. A Marlin 60 .22 LR
3. A Smith & Wessen M-17-3 .22 LR with red dot
4. A Winchester M-92 in .25-20
5. A Savage M-93 in .22 WMR

Every one of these has a time and place.

Remington 581 .22 with iron, TC classic .22 with 3x9, CZ 527 .22 hornet with 4x12.
Above these go my varmint gun, a .223 24" hvy barrel AR platform, and the cross-over gun, .260 remington.

I love that hornet, but, 22 rim is really the deal for most small game I hunt (brother squirrel and brother rabbit).

I use a marlin model 795 22lr, or my 28ga bps for most small game but for varmints I dont eat I like my marlin 17 hmr.

I use a Savage 22 over 410 a lot for squirrels. I bored the 22lr out to 22wmr, and load 410 CBC all brass hulls with 3/4 ounce of #6 shot and 9.5 grains of Universal. I , mounted a scope on my single six last week though, and plan on using it Sat when squirrel season opens here in WV.

I carry my Buckmark .22 while riding my horse for squirrels, rabbit hunting and pot shots around the house. Ruger 10/22 with a scope is my woods stomping and vermin gun.

I have lately become infatuated (agian) with blackpowder shotgun shells and am using them extensively while on foot in the woods this year. 1 1/4 oz. 12 ga. loads in NEF Pardner single shot.

.22 pistols, 204, 222, 223, 223 AI ar all my vemin guns, though lately I have been using my 300WSM for coyotes.

Lucas

I will use one of four guns depending on the game and the conditions:

1. Savage MKII .22LR
2. Handi-Rifle .17HMR
3. Handi-Rifle .22WMR
4. Stevens single shot .410

quote:

Originally posted by Farrier Matt:
I use a Savage 22 over 410 a lot for squirrels. .

My all time favorite small game rifle was my dads old Stevens .22/.410 over under. In fact that was the gun I learned to shoot with. Nothing like a good accurate single shot to teach you to make um count.. and its hard to beat a 410 for wabbits.

I usually carry my Buck Mark rifle with a Bushnell Holo Sight on it.

Peter