Those with shot guns who are allowed to discharge them.. question

[TxChiknRanchers]

1- For animal pest problems we have a single shot .410

2- Bird shot

3- No hearing protection (only during practice)

4- Not locked up. It's loaded by the door, requires a hammer pull-back to shoot and everybody around here knows it's loaded, and not to touch it unless they need it. (We have no small children around as all of our grown children have flown the coop)

*btw - for 2 legged pests we have a 12 gauge, sawed off (legal) pump, loaded with bird shot, by the bed. Due to the fact that heavy loads (like slugs or buckshot) can penetrate walls and doors and travel long distances endangering those we are trying to protect.

an edit to say- wouldn't go buy a 410 because the ammo is more expensive than say 20 gauge and 20 gauge is not that much more gun ballistically or price wise. A gas operated auto loader is preferable due to the fact that recoil is decreased by the gas operated action substantial less than say a single shot or pump. Remington 1100 in 20 gauge would be my choice if it is a animal pest problem. However that being said the New-England single shot in the picture in the previous post in 20 gauge is the best buy.

Also a shot gun for all practical purposes is the option for inexperienced shooters due to the fact that you dont aim a shotgun you just point it and a close miss is as good as a direct hit. and in the heat of the moment or the dark, only the most experienced can be deadly with a rifle

.

RCG

 

[LoneCowboy]

I have to agree with the .410 folks. It's a pretty small shell. I wouldn't go with .22 unless there are no houses or people any where close to you. The beauty of a shotgun is that the shot doesn't go that far (depending on what size shot you are using) so you don't have to be as concerned about what's out there in the path of you bullet that you can't see.

I keep all but my home defence guns locked up.

And if you can wear hearing protection and eye protection you should use it. If there isn't time, there just isn't time, but it won't be confortable.

 

[rooster-red]

My gun safe is in my little office, locked with the key hidden nearby.

For 4 legged preditors I prefer my .44 magnum pistol, always loaded with semi jacketed hollow points.
Will stop a grizzly bear in mid charge. You don't have to worry about having to hunt down a wounded animal to finish the job, actually pretty humane. I used to deer hunt with this pistol.

I bagged 3 out of 4 coyotes that were trying to get in my run one night last year, haven't had a coyote problem since.

For 2 legged preditors I have a colt .45 with one clip in it and a spare one in the night stand.

My kids are teens and have been taught since age 5 to respect guns and treat every gun as if it were loaded. They don't touch them.

I wear glasses, so eye protection isn't an issue.
I wear hearing protection only if target shooting.
Yes, your ears do ring for a little while...

 

[panner123]

I use a Remington model 870, with 3" mags loaded with 000 buckshot. This gun is only unloaded when I am cleaning it. It stands in the next to my bed at all times. No eye or ear protection use with this weapon. It will take care of any big predator 2 or 4 legged that comes around at night. In the daylight hours I prefer to use a bow and arrow. For small predators in the day I use a single shot 410, with 3" shells #4 shot. Every weapon I own is loaded at all times, be it in the gun safe or not.

I was told story as a boy which I believe holds true. The only gun that will kill someone, the one someone believes is empty. So handle every gun as a loaded gun.

Mind you I am not against using a load of rock salt when needed. But I have to unload a shotgun and re-load it with rock salt.

What good is a gun going to do if you have to take it from a safe and load it. By that time the predator has had his dinner and is probably taking a nap.

 

[Yonaton]

Quote:
1) .22 is what I use, pistol or rifle (but it's because I'm a sharpshooter and don't need a shotgun).

3) No, only when I'm target practicing with my other (bigger caliber) weapons, do I use hearing protection. It's a good habit to get into, but if you're just going to use a gun for occasionally shooting at a critter, I wouldn't worry about it...takes that extra few seconds to put on, and in that time you can lose the window of opportunity to get the critter.

4) I personally do not lock up my weapons. I tell anyone who doesn't know me who is in my home (a friend brought them over with them or whatever), that if they touch anything they're not supposed to, they'll get their a$$ stomped with my axe handle...and my friends let them know it's the truth too! My nephew (whom I trust as far as I can throw a pallet of bricks!), even knew better than to even *look* at my weapons hanging on the wall or on my desk.

When I was little, my dad *made* us learn to clean *all* his rifles and pistols, at least twice a week. We almost got so sick of handling them we didn't have the curiosity to even want to hold them, unless dad was going target practicing, heh.

I think locking them up is a personal thing. If one knows, truly in their heart, that their kids can't be trusted, yeah, lock the guns up. If the kids *can* be trusted, take them out often enough shooting/plinking to satisfy their want to just 'out of the blue' decide they want to handle a gun for whatever reason.

 

[MandyH]

We own every caliber of gun from a .22 to a .500. We also have a two year old so most are in the gun safe. I have a few well placed weapons throughout the house for protection but mainly use my turkey shotgun for critters. It has a turkey choke in it that will stay tight at 50+ yards. Whatever I aim at will die. For close range pests I use a .22 pistol with rat shot in it.

 

[okiechick57]

We use a .22 around here.......I loath guns.....but they are most needed sometimes.........no kids in house.but I still don't like one laying or set around.....mine is kept unloaded with shells nearby up high...........don't think I will ever get used to shooting one..........

 

[Royicus]

Well, I don't have a shotgun but...

For light work, I'd probably get a little 16ga deal.

If I were living out in bear country or an area with larger animals, 12ga. It is hard to beat a 12ga slug.

For little critters and stuff, I think a .22LR is hard to beat. Not too much noise, cheap cartridges, fairly accurate.

Do own a pistol. Springfield XD 45 Compact with Speer Gold Dot bullets for two legged creatures. It is on me at all times, except at work were they force me to disarm... And in the shower. Still haven't figured out a solution for that...

I would recommend, if you shoot at critters with any sort of frequency, that you put hearing protection by the firearm. If you have the opportunity to put it on, do it. They have electronic muffs that will allow normal noise to come in, but will block out the noise of the firearm. Therefore you will still hear people talk and whatnot, but will have attenuation for a noise over 85dB. At least give your ears a chance!

A single exposure to a gunshot can and often does damage hearing. Just go to a gun forum and ask about it. You'll have all the old timers begging you to wear your ears.

 

[ozark hen]

I keep a .410 with the ammo close to the front door, plus a .22 rifle (clip near by) in the back of the house. No time for ear protection if there is a predator in the yard! I prefer using shotgun as I am not a good shot. No other guns are in view at our house. No small children but we do live in the boonies.

 

[candy37]

We have a .22 that is always loaded and ready to go.
We also have a 30-06, a 12 ga shotgun, and a few others. Those are usually unloaded. We had handguns (sold those a few months ago) and those were always loaded.

All our guns are kept in our bedroom. They aren't locked up. We have a son, who has his own gun in his room, and he doesn't touch ours. The respect goes both ways; we don't mess with his gun, and doesn't mess with ours. Our handguns were kept bedside when at home, and usually taken with us when we went somewhere.
We are looking into getting a gun safe in the near future, but our problem is we don't have the space for one (a very small house!). The ammo for all guns is in a drawer in our bedroom.

We don't use any eye/ear protection with the .22, but do for the others.