Weapon suggestion

[moetrout]

+1 more for a .22 magnum. The .17hmrs are nice litle guns, flat shooting, but they don't pack the same punch a .22 mag does. The .22 mag has a much heavier bullet, so a lot more kinetic energy being transfered into the target. The .17 is so small and fast they go right through things and the energy is not tranfered into the target, less punch. If you were only after small varmint then sure. Middle of the road here is the plain ole .22 lr. This might be the way to go. I cringe everytime I buy ammo for my .22 mag. It's like 12.99 for 50 rounds, for good bullet (V-Max) that I would use for varmint shooting. It's 10 bucks just for the el cheapo target stuff. The .22lr ammo, good stuff for varmints (CCI Maxi's), are about 6 buck per hundred. Cheap .22 lr target ammo is 18 bucks for 550 rounds. A .22 magnum rifle will be a little bit more too. I paid $295 for my Marlin bolt action rifle whereas a cheaper, yet good rifle, say a marlin model 60 is half that price.

So.....if it were my first gun and I had never owned one before I'd probably go with the .22 lr. I absolutely love my .22 mag, but price of ammo keeps me from shooting it all day long. A .22lr is cheap to shoot and thus you will shoot more because of that, more shooting hopefully equals a better shot. If you get a .22 lr in semi auto you can make up for the lack of punch through the fast quantity of shots you can deliver in a semi auto.

Go get 'em!

 

[kinsey228]

I agree with a .22 I have also heard of people on here using paintball guns to deter predators.

 

[The Lazy L]

Henry AR-7 Leave it assembled and add a small scope. 8 shot semi-auto, 22 Long Rifle. Careful with a 22 LR, bullet can travel a good mile.

A bit more recoil would be a 410 shotgun (loaded with slugs) with more knock down power. A shorter range weapon compared to the 22 LR.

Is there a local gun club that gives firearm taking? There is more responsibility to owning a gun then just knowing how to shoot it.







edited to correct typos...

 

[florida lee]

I'm a competitive shooter and reload all my own rounds (except .22 of course), been around guns my whole life. I agree with most of the replies here. I have a Ruger 10/22 that is my flock protector. I would recommend a bolt action rifle, Savage makes a reasonably priced one, in .22 or .22 mag. Ammo for a .22 is fairly cheap at around $4/box, .22 mag at about $11/bx.,.17 is about $17/bx. I use match ammo for my .22 at about $8/bx. then I weight all my cartridges. The .308, while a fine cartridge, is way overkill for the task at hand and probably too heavy for you as a beginner. You will need to spend some range time with your rifle shooting many boxes of ammo, .308 is a bit expensive , so .22 or .22 mag is the way to go. soft recoil and can be fun to shoot, not punishing. Starting out with a .22, you can become a good shot fairly quickly.
Please get some training, safety is paramount. Be aware of your backstop before shooting. Even a .22 can carry a long way. Once the trigger is pulled the bullet cannot be recalled.
A nice little rifle and shovel should do the trick.
A pawn may be a good place to find a deal, just have someone who is knowledgeable about rifles check it out, making sure it is safe and in good condition.

Good luck, be safe.

 

[kefiren]

A builder fixed over a farm house and put two houses behind, so we are 3 houses in close proximity, but with large lots. 2 of us are chicken enthusiasts, and one likes guns and little terriers, and we are all friends.

About a half mile away through the woods a big dog lives and I know that my kids have petted him and he is a friendly "nice" dog. In the last few years the dog's family added another dog.

My neighbor's chickens like to fly over her fence and free range. Well, the two dogs came through one day and killed two of my neighbor's ranging hens and were chewing up her roo as well.

Our neighbor who likes guns figured out what was going on in the midst of the tussle and shot the dogs with his BB gun.

He stopped the carnage, they ran home. They haven't been back.

So, I guess what I'm saying is you might not HAVE to use lethal force with dogs. As many have stated here, even the family dog can sometimes kill a chicken before they are trained. A few BBs seemed to have trained these two.

I've got a large area fenced in with sturdy 4 foot horse fence and the dogs didn't get in and bother my chickens, though they were seen walking my fence. I think electric would be cheaper and also good. My chickens mostly die when they fly over the fence. Wing clipping is necessary for young chickens except for earth-bound heavies like my new marans.

 

[Ole rooster]

I see most of us are of the same opinion. .22 or .22 mag would fit your needs well. If a little more power is needed, the .22 hornet will get it done. None of these have recoil to concern yourself with. Very smooth shooting rifles.

 

[deerman]

Quote:
The Ruger 10/22 is a great gun. The 10/22 Magnum is a greater gun. If I were defending against dogs or bobcats, the magnum is the gun of choice. I own both and the extra edge of the magnum is a natural. The magnum is slightly heavier, slightly more money, slightly more expensive to shoot, but worth every penney. Recoil is negligeable.

Now, having said that, most predators will come at night, or when you aren`t home. A trap is something that everyone that keeps chickens must have and along with a trap, a gun. Animal control is not your friend. Trap them, shoot them, and either bury them or bag them for the garbage man. Never relocate a predator, or turn them over to animal control. Chances are they will be released at the end of your driveway.

Good luck finding your Ruger 10/22 Magnum and a good trap. Merry Christmas.......Pop

dogs will hit during the day...most others at night. 22 magnum

 

[OldGuy43]

All fine weapons in the right hands. However, we must take into account the OP who, by his/her own admission has "basically have no experience with them." I have a suggestion; Buy yourself a BB gun. Take it out and practice. If you can consistently hit the target, and I recommend using real targets, not empty cans, than a .22 will probably work for you. I suggest this since some people never learn to hit what they aim at. If that turns out to be the case you aren't out a lot of money, either for the gun or the ammo to learn with. The finest gun in the world is useless if you can't hit what you aim at.

The next thing that we need to allow for is the OP's disability. Depending on how bad your arthritis is, you may find handling the small .22 cartridges difficult, particularly in cold weather. If that's the case, I suggest that a .410 shotgun may better suit your needs. I'd recommend the New England Firearms Pardner.

Made by H&R it is lightweight, has a low recoil and is inexpensive, to buy and shoot.

 

[Bill A]

Quote:
I disagree with some of this. The little .17 is extremely lethal on raccoon sized predators at up to about 100 yards: The bullet just explodes, with considerable damage and very humane instant kills. Now, on bigger stuff, coyotes, bobcats, it's probably not enough gun, and the very good .22 mag would do ya better. The .22 lr is a wonderful little cartridge, and very cheap to shoot, but IMO you have to really place your shots well to kill cleanly. I hate to see an animal suffer, even a g****** predator.

Bill

 

[greenSearcher]

Thank you everyone for the suggestions and experiences. After discussing this w/ DH we will get the BB gun to start, giving me time to learn shooting skills. I'm the only one in the house w/o any military training. (Also get an updated eyeglasses prescription Getting better glucose control has improved my vision, though not enough to toss the glasses, so after the New Year I will do the eye exam routine and get new glasses.) Once I am confident w/the BB I can look at the 22 Magnum. The dogs that run are big dogs, so I think the magnum will prove more effective.

Will look at secure storage, if a single gun case will work or if a vault is necessary. Our home isn't child proofed, so the grandkids aren't unsupervised when they visit but just because they are getting big doesn't mean they can't cause problems.