Weapons of choice?

[CatWhisperer]

I use a 22 revolver.

 

[NHMountainMan]

I use a Sig .22 Lr 1911 pistol. As we are talking trapped animals, I'm talking have a heart style live trap. I've only dispatched porcupine - between vet bills and dead and damaged apple trees, they are my biggest issue.
I stand the trap end on end so there is less room for the varmint to move. Then aim above the ear, shooting down at an approx 45 angle. Instant and humane without risk of ricochet back at me.

 

[Trevorusn]

I use a Sig .22 Lr 1911 pistol. As we are talking trapped animals, I'm talking have a heart style live trap. I've only dispatched porcupine - between vet bills and dead and damaged apple trees, they are my biggest issue.
I stand the trap end on end so there is less room for the varmint to move. Then aim above the ear, shooting down at an approx 45 angle. Instant and humane without risk of ricochet back at me.

The Sig 1911 .22LRs are good...but finicky with ammo choice. You stick to CCI ammo???

 

[Trevorusn]

Sorry......intended target audience for this thread was folks with limited to no experience with guns. Know a guy who recently bought a really nice used 870 Remington pump in 12 gauge. I had to show him how to load it. That level of skill. Then AFTER I had it loaded, I cut down on a one gallon water jug with a load of #4 buckshot at about 20 feet. Focused blast at that range blew it into 4 pieces. Made sure he knew if that was somebody's head, it would have done the same thing. If folks are going to have em and try to use em, they need to have some respect for what it is they are holding. These are not toys.

Intent is to provide background information so would be varmint trappers will have some idea on what kind of guns they should be looking at to dispatch trapped predators. And a feel for what is involved if they decide to go that route.

BUT.......once such a gun is acquired...even if the original intent was only to dispatch a trapped varmint, knowing folks as we do, it may not be limited to such restricted use. The part about shooting fast moving varmints in the yard on in the distance is a likely scenario an inexperienced somebody might try....perhaps out of ignorance of the danger involved..... and the point to all that was to point out the risks and responsibilities a person assumes once any type of firearm is placed in their hands.

Ahh, gotcha. Then perhaps we should start here:
1. Assume every firearm is loaded
2. Only point a firearm at what you are willing to destroy
3. Finger off trigger until target is acquired in the sights
4. Be aware of your target and what is beyond/around it
These are the four cardinal rules of firearm use/handling. Many of the stories you and others have could easily be mitigated by following these four simple fundamentals.

 

[NHMountainMan]

The Sig 1911 .22LRs are good...but finicky with ammo choice. You stick to CCI ammo???

I've had no issues with it. I often but federal, but have done some reloading too. I got the 22 because it feels nearly identical to my Sig 1911 45 - my favorite sidearm. 22 is much cheaper to practice with then 45 ammo -far from identical but close enough in hand that I feel it improves my target accuracy.
Mostly - easy dispatch of those dang porcupine. Walking vet bills

 

[NHMountainMan]

Ahh, gotcha. Then perhaps we should start here:
1. Assume every firearm is loaded
2. Only point a firearm at what you are willing to destroy
3. Finger off trigger until target is acquired in the sights
4. Be aware of your target and what is beyond/around it
These are the four cardinal rules of firearm use/handling. Many of the stories you and others have could easily be mitigated by following these four simple fundamentals.

1000% agree. Well said

 

[Trevorusn]

Now, for a newbie to firearms looking for a varminter, outside a rifle, I recommend revolvers. Why?? Simplicity. In rimfire pistols, they jam often due to cheap ammo and the generally light nature of recoil operation in a .22 LR which can cause the slide to not fully cycle and thus jam on a fresh round. Revolvers do not have this issue. Unless you have a spring fail, revolvers will always fire.

 

[Trevorusn]

I've had no issues with it. I often but federal, but have done some reloading too. I got the 22 because it feels nearly identical to my Sig 1911 45 - my favorite sidearm. 22 is much cheaper to practice with then 45 ammo -far from identical but close enough in hand that I feel it improves my target accuracy.
Mostly - easy dispatch of those dang porcupine. Walking vet bills

Federal is decent, and I love my Sig 1911. One reason many rimfire Sig pistols jam is they run fairly tight tolerances that don't handle cheap ammo well and also have roughly finished feedramps from the factory, go figure lol.

 

[ShannonR]

Ahh, gotcha. Then perhaps we should start here:
1. Assume every firearm is loaded
2. Only point a firearm at what you are willing to destroy
3. Finger off trigger until target is acquired in the sights
4. Be aware of your target and what is beyond/around it
These are the four cardinal rules of firearm use/handling. Many of the stories you and others have could easily be mitigated by following these four simple fundamentals.

Thanks for the crash course in hunters safety for those who are uninitiated

 

[Gray Farms]

10/.22 here... I use the LR rounds

Same here