Weapon suggestion

[Tracydr]

You could consider another option. My concern is being a newby with a gun and shooting something lightweight, that you will hit and only wound the dog, causing a long and protracted illness, suffering and hopefully, finally death.
How about a shotgun with what we foxhunters call "ratshot". We use it to train the dogs. You pelt their butts with it and it will seriously sting, cause a permanent impression in their brains but not cause damage.
I worry since you are new to guns. A .22 will require a very accurate shot, especially if the dog is at AA distance or moving. It won't be anything like target practice.

 

[Tracydr]

Quote:
Excellent advice!
I also have a disability and often forget how it will effect me until I'm in the midst of trying something new. Or, the next day.

 

[6RandomBrownLayers]

.22 LR would do. If you want something a little more powerful a .17 hmr is super accurate and goes twice as fast as a .22 causing more damage to organs and a faster death. But a .22 will work just fine.

 

[bigstack]

I love animals, ALL animals. That being said if my dog or any dog kills a chicken..... It's dead!
22LR get one at a Pawn shop for less than $100

I currently have 3 dogs. 2 are mastiff mix and the 3rd is a true mutt. all of my dogs were tought early what a gun is and what it does.
I would have then near me when pups. then I would start target practice. (rapid fire) They would run off and I would stop shooting when they got several yards away. then wait a while and repeat this a few times. Then when I did need to kill something I would show it to them after dead. and show them the gun. and say "DEAD!!"
It sounds silly but now when I walk out with the gun they run to the bottom of the porch and stay there until i return. The first time I got chickens I showed them to the dogs and let them sniff. Then I would pull the gun out of a blind spot and shout NO!!! and show them the gun. and say "DEAD!!" they flinch and move away.
It may sound mean but my dogs DO NOT even go within 30 yards of my chicken pen or even give a second look when they are loose in the yard. I have seen my chickens even eating out of the dog bowl and they (the dogs) just looked up... saw the chickens... then got up and went farther away and laid back down.

I've had my dogs for 7 years and love them! BUT..... If they ever kill a chicken........."DEAD!!!"


Good Luck and God Bless!

 

[Ole rooster]

One thing to consider with the larger caliber rifles and shotguns is the noise. They are not just small firecrakers.

If I had my choice of the best all around rifle it would be a custom built bolt .223 with a Shepherd scope. Good to 600 yards and will kill anything I would ever need to concern myself with, and quickly. But if you want to be a little quite, it won't be the one.

 

[JD4570]

I would seriously consider a Saiga .410. They are semi-automatic, have low recoil, and are very versatile far as ammo. You can use birdshot up close, buckshot at medium distances and rifled slug out to 100 yds. It is based on the ultra reliable AK47 action, easy to learn and operate. Also with a red dot scope it is very easy to hit your target. Once sighted in you just put the dot where you want it and shoot. Depending where you get it, the price varies from $300 to $500.

 

[zzGypsy]

lots of advice on here about which gun, which caliber. so let me just say this...

the right gun is the one *you* can shoot accurately and comfortably under the conditions where you will be using it... and that can still get the job done.

I teach shooting, and most of my clients are women, and most of them are like you, no real experience with guns. often they've got physical limitations, or are tiny people, or have some anxiety about shooting.

what you need before buying a gun is to know what gun fits you, what you like to shoot, what you feel comfortable shooting, and what you're most naturally accurate with.

with training, you can become accurate and comfortable with most any gun, however, if you start with one that fits you and you feel comfortable with, one that you can naturally aim easily, you'll be able to shoot better, sooner, and considerably more accurately under stress (like when an animal is attacking your chickens). in general, stress reduces our accuracy and speed, so the more naturally a gun fits and aims for you, the better off you are.

so, how to find out? I recomend a basic class with an instructor... there are some "intro to gun/shooting" classes, they take an afternoon or an evening, and you'll learn all the safety stuff, all the basics of how a gun works, and basics of how to shoot. if you feel comfortable with the instructor, hire them for a couple of hours (maybe 2 or 3 45 minute lessons) to help you choose the right gun for you. if there's a local range or gun shop that rents firearms, go rent some of the ones you're looking at. try them, see which seems most natural to you. then go back and shoot that gun a few more times and see if you still like it. if not, if you don't feel like you're improving when you shoot it, maybe try one of the others again.

I really *don't* recommend having a family member teach you ... first, while they may be excellent shooters, they're probably not trained in teaching. and probably not experienced in teaching first-time shooters. and then there's the family dynamics... well, generally that doesn't make it easier to learn or teach. not that some folks can't do it, but the experience and learning is generally better with someone you're not related to. once you've got your basics down, then you might get some coaching from experienced shooters in your family.

one of the hardest things about shooting for new shooters is just getting in enough practice to really feel comfortable with their gun. once you *do* get one, you need to go practice. you need to be able to load it by feel (because your eyes will be on your chickens and their attacker) and know how to shoot it in the daylight, the dusk, the dark. you need to know how far your bullets might travel, and what's within that distance in any direction from your yard... you want to know where your bullets are going should you miss. of course, if you get in lots of practice, the chance of missing is much lower.

visualizing in advance will help you a lot too... with your UNloaded gun, stand on your porch and sight where you might need to shoot. towards the pen, towards the barn, etc... gun in position on your sholder, looking down the sights. some guns can be dry-fired (pull the trigger with no rounds in it) safely, others shouldn't be, but if you can dry fire, do that too... pick the gun up, shoulder it, sight, squeeze the trigger. do that enough so that you can get some situational memory built up. that way, should you need to actually shoot a predator, everything about the action will be familiar. do this exercise from your porch, the barn, beside the chicken house... you know, practice where you might need to act.

a word on "fit" - in order to shoot accurately and consistently, the gun needs to fit you. that means the grips work for your hand size, the trigger pull fits your finger strength, the trigger is in a good position for your hand size, the sights are positioned and stock shape and length are right so you can naturally position the gun and see your sight picture. a really skilled shooter can still shoot well with a gun that doesn't fit them. but for novice shooters, and for those who won't spend a lot of time practicing, proper gun fit improves your accuracy from the start, and means you'll be more accurate with less practice. a *good* instructor will make sure whatever gun you get, that it fits. sometimes things like changing the recoil pad or adjusting the rake of the stock will make all the difference between frustration and poor consistency, and accurate tight groups of shots. this is another reason to get an instructor instead of a family member to work with you... most shooters know what fits them, they don't necessarily know how to judge if a gun fits you.

shooting is a really excellent skill to have, and can be great fun. welcome to the club!

 

[deerman]

if getting a 22...get one that shoots mag. mag for large dogs or predator.


Good point has been made , make sure were the shot will go , even going thru a animal still could hit ,another object.

 

[KrisH]

Quote:
Do you have a particular firearm in mind? unless you are referring to a revolver with interchangable cylindars, 22lr and 22 mag are mutually exclusive in a long gun, but i would like one too, that's why I ask.

RobertH

 

[deerman]

Quote:
Do you have a particular firearm in mind? unless you are referring to a revolver with interchangable cylindars, 22lr and 22 mag are mutually exclusive in a long gun, but i would like one too, that's why I ask.

RobertH

wow glad you caught that......my mistake it was shorts ,long ,and LR.......not the mag....mag are little larger in dia, also . My one that shoots mag .is mag only.