Gun Advice - Please.

[gawildlife]

I have copied the content of your posting and forwarded it to the gun dealer that I worked with when I bought this place. I will post back when he replies to me later in the day. I do know a couple of things, at least as they apply to feral hogs and smaller 4 legged varmints that we have to deal with here in West Texas. A .22 is going to be pretty much useless unless you are an incredibly good aim and concentrate on head shots. They might be o.k. for item #1 in your list but that would be about it. A shotgun may or may not be useful for item #2 but the last thing you want in those cases is to use a shotgun and only wound. First, you don't want an angry wounded bear coming after you. Second, in all cases you want to kill as instantly as possible. You don't want to wound and have the animal run away only to suffer. A shotgun using slugs as opposed to buckshot might work however. Hunting deer is obviously a really big thing here in West Texas and hunters take their choice of weapons very serious. I don't hunt so I can not answer that but my dealer will.

The 22 has been used to kill more farm critters than any other round in existence plus probably an equal number of large game not to mention squirrels and bunnies. I know have both witnessed and done in critters up to 1500 pound weight. Of course usually the dispatch of farm stock is usually in a confinement situation with the spot placed by muzzle contact usually immediately followed by sticking. Though my father much preferred to drop beeves from the side at some distance so the critter didn't land on him. Seriously there is a spot just behind the eye that is a direct route to the brain pan. I can still hear CRACK/WHUMP of the shot and a half ton of beef collapsing.

I also don't think you've garnered as much experience as I with the 12 gauge. Put this way I'll take my M37 Ithaca and breneke 1 1/8 oz slugs and take on all comers end zone to end zone. A well placed ounce plus chunk of lead at 1300fps is a DRT round. Doubt me, ask bear guides in the north woods what they like to tote.

 

[Primo]

Simple answer, lever action 30-30 with open sights. Forget the scope. Lightweight grab and go.

 

[CliffB]

AR with 223 is very multi purpose for those needs.

 

[thomasboyle]

You don't mention where you live, hopefully its some place that believes in the 2nd amendment. I live in CT, and even though our state motto is the Constitution State, we don't believe in it. So my choices are limited. AR would be nice, but our all knowing governor made those illegal. Hunting rifle would be nice, but its illegal to hunt with them, all hunting has to be done with a shotgun. Even BB guns were not allowed in the town I grew up in. You could give your child a shotgun, but no BB guns - they could hurt themselves! If the black SUV's show up and you don't hear from me anymore, you will know what happened!

 

[Toddrick]

Here are the facts. You will probably be best off getting multiple guns--preferably all of the below (plus the beloved 22LR). If your budget is the chief concern, then a shotgun will be your best bet. If you have plenty of money, get them all!

AR-15 (.223/5.56) is about the best one-gun-fits-all weapon today. But it probably isn't legal to deer hunt with, although heavier grain bullets would probably due the job well. I know wild hog hunters use AR-15's all the time. The biggest weakness is that the bullet is made to kill man, not large beasts.

12g shotgun is able to fit about any role besides long range work. The best advantage is the multitude of shells available through a smooth bore barrel. The 12g slug is essentially a .50 caliber bullet, which will kill just about anything within range, no matter how big.

30-30 rifles supposedly have the same ballistics as the 7.62x39 (AK-47 cartridge). It is the most common deer hunting gun. It has good knock down or kill power and better range than a 12g, but is not a "high powered" rifle.

If you truly want long range you need to step up to a 7.62x54, or .30-06, or larger, rifle. Of course, then you need a scope, which makes the gun less good for close up work, and costs a lot (for a good scope).

 

[KGreene]

I own 47 long guns and 20 pistols ... But if I were to have to choose one firearm to cover what you've listed, I'd have to agree with Primo... A .30-30 Marlin or Winchester can be purchased at a reasonable price. Maybe a touch big for dispatching farm hogs (dependent upon their size). But will be 'adequate' for bears and boars, for these I'd definitely stay away from anything less than a .28 caliber (7mm). Anything less will probably just make a mature boar angry. Although, I like the AR15's (.223/5.56) that many are so fond of these days, they're only .22 caliber without much knockdown power. If you really like the AR platform, I'd go with an AR-10 (.30 cal.)

Just my .02

 

[RichnSteph]

Greetings,

I need a gun.. And I need advice.

I am former military, so I know how to operate a gun safely. But in the army they issue you a gun, and teach you how to use it.. They don't teach you how to select one!

I will be using the gun for the following.

1) Harvesting my pigs with a shot to the head
2) Home protection against animals (boar and bear potentially, but hopefully will never have to)
3) Perhaps at some point using it for hunting deer.

I am looking for a safe, affordable, and reliable gun. What should I get, and where should I get it? New or Used? What should I avoid?

Thanks,
Austin

In looking at your requirements I can recommend the same route I'm going. .44mag Marlin lever gun with a matching .44mag single action Ruger six gun. The .44mag Marlin carries the same (close) velocity out of a 22" barrel as a 30.06. With those two weapons you carry one type of ammo. Military here also so I worry about ammo weight and which weapons I carry. The lever gun is good out to 100+yds for deer up to and including Mule Deer. It'll also stop a 400lb boar in his tracks if you know where and how to hit it. As far as bear goes a .44mag does some terrible damage out of the long gun and if it gets close the Ruger is accurate and reliable and just as damaging. Two weapons, one ammo, both of which are large caliber.

Just for reference I owned a .41mag Ruger Blackhawk years ago that my grandfather gave me (it was stolen in a house robbery after I'd been shooting it for 20+ years) and I could draw that thing and hip fire it and hit a soup can at 10yds 8 out of 10 times. The one time I fired at a charging pig with that pistol (I was 100% surprised when it came out of the brush!!) I hip shot it in the snout at 15 feet and the top of its head came off. No matter what you buy make sure and practice practice practice. A great gun in the hands of the unskilled is just a piece of iron and wood. In the hands of the skilled it's a precise instrument.

 

[Aust1227]

Thank you all for your replies!!

I was hoping to meet all requirements with one gun. But, based on many of your replies it looks like I would be better suited with a handgun and a rifle.. I think that is the path I will take.

Most likely a .22 hand gun and a 30.30 rifle.

OR the .44 combo

Please keep the comments coming.

 

[gawildlife]

I really hate to say this but the day of the 30-30 is passing. The winchester is basically gone from production save for specialty runs at high dollar from japan. Marlin has been bought up by the freedom group and cobbled together to meet a price point. Of there are a few knock abouts and rough copies made but the classic american lever actions are all older and not getting any younger.

 

[duluthralphie]

Interesting reading with all the opinions and all seem very logical.

I would agree with whomever said a 30-30 if you are limited to one gun.

I agree more with those saying you need more than one gun. If money is question, I would agree with a 22lr and a 12 gauge. Both are cheap and you could probably by both of them for less than some of the others listed alone.


A 12 gauge with a slug, bird shot and buckshot is like having 3 guns in one. BUT Way over kill for a pig to butcher. The other advantage to a 12 gauge is the shells are easy to reload incase shells become as scarce as 22 bullets are now. Of course, by then the government will probably find a way to limit or remove gun powder from the market.

so much for the 2nd amendment.