Weapons Survey...

[Poison Ivy]

We own a variety of guns and both my husband & myself have concealed weapons permits. My 13 year old son has a .22. We have used them on raccoons etc... I feel everyone should at least have a rifle or shotgun for that purpose. I also have a pellet gun for stay dogs that come to close for comfort. I've been trapped in my car by a pack of stray dogs. So I don't feel bad if it comes down to them or me protect yourself & your property.

 

[Sunny Day]

Just a reminder...the second ammendment has nothing to do with hunting.

 

[CarriBrown]

Well said, Chicken-mama. I'm a firm believer in the Second Ammendment as long as you take the time to educate yourself.
ThunderKitty- Maybe you should contact your police department and see if there is a gun safety class you and your family can take. I would think they'd know of a shooting range, etc that can do that for you. There may even be someone in the department that would be willing to talk to you and your kids about guns.

 

[robbobbin]

ONE? we own several. and I don't hesitate to grab the one sitting just inside the back door, when ever the need arises. Country living here with no law against shooting on our own property.

 

[Chicken_Addict]

everyone should have gun of some sort...not just for wild critters but what if someone broke in ur house? take a safety course and keep it locked up

be safe

 

[thunderkitty]

Carribrown- Just wanted to add that I found a womens outdoors conference coming up this summer that I'll probably take. It's like a vacation for women wanting to learn the ins and outs on guns, fishing, hunting, kayaking, and tons of other fun stuff, and I have the option of taking the entire gun safety course required in our state in a 3 day weekend instead of over a one month period (which is all sold out for the entire year anywhere within a 2 hour range of where I live!)! I think I'm going to do it and have my mom come with who's land I'm raising chicks on. I do have a 3 year old daughter with hyperactivity which I hadn't mentioned before, but if and when I do buy a gun I plan to take her to a children's class if there is one available and as said before I have no intention of leaving anything loaded, unlocked, or near bullets. My mother had a sister a mere 5 years old that was killed by a home rifle in an accident that should have never happened in her own home. The gun was left loaded. So I should be able to say I know the importance of gun safety, or at least knowing what can happen causes a level of caution in me about this issue.

 

[Davaroo]

I've been thinking about this and many people made mention of it - we should add something in here about the family of cartridges known as the .22RF's (rimfires).

While not the end all by any means, they are cheap and easy to both tame and control, especially for new shooters. The low cost should not be underestimated when we're talking about farm use, either. Last time I looked, a box of fifty Federal Champions could be had at WalMart for $1. I like to shoot and reload, but that is not for everyone - the .22RF's will give a lot of shooting for little money without resorting to such efforts.

There are two classes of RF's; the Long Rifle (LR) and it's kin, the short and CB and the Magnums or WMR's (Winchester Magnum Rimfire).

For vermin and the smallest of game the LR's are de riguer and have been so for a very long time. In my day, no boy was complete without a .22 rifle. These guns are available in single shot, bolt action repeaters and auto-loading models and they are low cost, to boot. The Marlin Model 60 is one of my favorites, for example, and holds 15-20 rounds of .22LR and can still be had for 75-100$ used. As accurate as you'll ever need, it will last forever and take care of many a pest in the process. With the right ammo, rabbit and squirrel are on the menu anytime.

For close in vermin like rats, Starlings and so on, the shorts and CB's are perfect. Really just reduced power versions of the .22 LR RF, they offer another wrinkle to the shooting of these little guns and are best out to about 30 yds. They make about as much noise as a capgun and so wont disturb the neighbors - and no rat in town can withstand them. Their main drawback is that they wont cycle a guns action, so have to be manually loaded and extracted. This is the bolt action rifle's territory.

The .22 WMR Magnums are a serious step up in power over the other .22RF's. With the right ammo, they can handle larger game like racoons and smallish dogs, such as coyotes and foxes. This is taxing their ballistics a bit, but in a cool hand this is more than possible. The downside is that the guns for them cost more to buy and they cost more per shot than the .22LR's.

But anyway you look at it, no battery should be without at least one .22RF.

Many have made mention also of the gunbearing rights we as Americans enjoy. Whether you hunt or not, own a gun for protection or shooting enjoyment or choose not to own one at all, the privilege to do so should not be one you lightly sell away in the name of security or "safety" entrusted to a government or police force.

The founders of this nation felt it was everymans duty to be both a soldier and a citizen, and made provision for you to arm yourself as you see fit. It is only in a nation where that right is abriged or forfeited that the leaders can do as they please to their subjects. Our forefathers knew that, too.

Do not be willing to vote away your right to own a personal firearm, when that agenda is sold as a deterrrent to crime or as a way to preserve the peace. Neither will be ultimately satisifed by the effort and you will live a life of servility for doing so. Here's a tidbit for you ....

+ Guatemala established gun control in 1964. From 1964 to
1981, 100,000 MAYAN INDIANS, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

Mayan indians? You've got to be kidding...

+ Uganda established gun control in 1970. From 1971 to 1979, 300,000 CHRISTIANS, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
+ Cambodia established gun control in 1956. From 1975 to 1977, one million 'EDUCATED PEOPLE', unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

In the 20th Century, the TOTAL number of defenseless, unarmed people rounded up and exterminated where gun ownership had been taken away is something like 56 MILLION.

We all know that our country is not perfect and has problems, but Im sure you get the point.

Okay, so much for soapboxing. We now return you to your regularly programmed topic.....

 

[Sherry]

Also in the 22 family is my personal favorite the 22hornet. My favorite varmint rifle. Great for coyotes and foxes. I also keep a shotgun for home personal protection and my .40 semiauto handgun. These are just 3 of many I own. The rest are locked in the gun safe.

 

[missouridave]

7 acres, surrounded by thousands of acres

.22 cal long Rifle - rabbits that eat my beans, squirrels for frying, cans for fun

12 ga. - over and under, full and improved choke. 20 ga. semiauto screw-in chokes, 28 ga single shot. for tasty birds and other edible critters and fun

.308 cal - deer

8 shot .22 lr revolver - was my grandpa's

.50 Cal muzzleloader - shooting flies off the tin cans across the pond on the compost pile from the back porch for practice. (fun) Oh and deer

9mm semi-auto pistol (loaded with hollow points always) - protection against cougars, home defence, and self defence for my wife when I work nights

Oh, I also have several thousand rounds of ammo, too. Afterall, an empty gun is just a fancy rock.

 

[cookinmom]

Great thread! Very informative!

We have several rifles and pistols (I couldn't begin to tell you the calibers of them though), for when the guys go hunting, and in case we need one here at the house. We live in a little teeny redneck town, surrounded by woods and swamp, so now we would have more trouble with 4-footed varmints than when we lived in Jacksonville. There you have lots of the 2-footed kind.

People need to be able to protect their stuff. Amen to elderoo!