Best gun for varmints

[Buster52]

Two days ago, I lost a duck to turtles (yes, TURTLES!!) in my pond. Last night, I found a 6 foot snake in the hen house, which I dispatched with an axe (although not before it struck at me twice).

So, I'm finally ready to buy a varmint gun like my wife has been begging me for the past 5 years.

I'm an ex-Marine weapons platoon sgt who fired high expert with his M-14 or M-16 at the rifle range four years straight, so I know about guns and how to handle them. However, I've never owned a weapon as a civilian so know little about civilian weaponry, and I doubt they will let me rustle up and M-14.

So here I am for advice. What's a good all-purpose rifle for varmints? I need one for snakes, coons, possums, and turtles, maybe a coyote. We have bobcats around here but they don't tend to come up close enough to the house to worry about.

I don't need one for home protection, since that is not something I tend to worry about. Just a good, all 'round varmint killer.

Types of guns would be good (22, shotgun, etc), but brands would be nice to know about as well. I figure some may be more reliable or accurate than others.

So, what's your choice of weapons when it comes to killing critters?

 

[DTchickens]

We always used a AK ( i believe that's what dad's gun is..) but grandpa uses a 22 mag for deer hunting and loads of other stuff. And i've been thinking about one for varmints as well, hear they work great.

 

[pats4lsu]

.410 single shot shot gun for snakes and opossums. 12 gauge for fox coyotes or stray dogs. I like semi-auto remington 11-87. I also bird, squirrel and deer hunt.

 

[Country4ever]

Hi Buster,
I'm glad you asked this.
I want to ask: which gun would be the least likely a person would accidentally shoot themselves with?
What are shotguns good for?

 

[Jenlyn9483]

I absolutely love my Marlin .22 riffle with scope. It was my xmas present and it has served to dispatch chickens, rabbits and ducks for my own freezer and I have also killed squirrels and doves. I have not had any predators to dispatch yet. To date no predators have come knocking but if they do, i have my marlin, a 12 gauge shot gun and two muzzle loaders waiting for them.

 

[Mikeeeeeeeeee]

Single shot shotgun.
easiest to handle.
Wide variety of shotshells.

#6 shot for birds, coons and possums.
000 buck for coyotes and dogs that you want to kill.
Dogs you want to scare away - 8 or 9 shot.
Bear........stay in the house.

 

[DTchickens]

Quote:
Have to say, made me laugh..

 

[Country4ever]

LOL about the bear Mikeeeeeee.

So...a shotgun is loaded with shot, and the severity of the injury to the recipient is (besides where it hits them on their body) the amount of shot in the "bullet" (sorry! I don't know the lingo). And the shot spreads out when it hits the recipient? Do they many times just get injured and go off and take awhile to die??

 

[DTchickens]

Quote:
Edit, i'll just delete my comment since i don't know enough

 

[cmjust0]

Edited for trolling