What Guns Do You Keep On Hand?

[Raptor Chicken]

Hopefully this site isn't overly liberal.

So the question for us folks that live more rural is what guns you keep on hand to thwart potential predators?

Me? I keep a cheap but accurate 22lr on standby and a 12g shotgun with slugs when our birds are free ranging. And of course I always have my EDC on my hip.

We get everything from feral cats to bears and everything in between around here. Although the only thing I've personally seen on our property was a bobcat that our dog almost got into a tangle with.

The dog is the deterrent/ first line of defense, I'm the final say.

So, what arms do you folks in various areas of the country keep on hand for predators?

 

[mowin]

Seeing I live in NY......
All of my firearms were lost in a canoeing accident.

 

[Isadora]

Seeing I live in NY......
All of my firearms were lost in a canoeing accident.

I had a similar incident when I was a New York resident.

 

[KreetchaKeepa]

Note to self: Never take boating lessons from NY'ers.

 

[Brooke_WI]

Lol I was a former NY resident as well! The boating is much safer out here in WI. No more accidents!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Double action Revolver. Reliable. Simple. Easy to maintain. Big enough to put down any local predator (except our boars and small black bears - but they can have the damned bird if that the case). Not so big that its a significant risk to my neighbors 1/4 - 1/2 mile distant through moderate forest, or the infrequently travelled roadway 400-600 foot distant (through more woods). Far more portable than a shotgun.

Also very practical for putting down goats for butchering.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

To have a reasonable chance at dropping a hog or one of our black bear in a single hit, I'd need to carry either a .44 or a long barrel .357. The .44 makes you walk with a limp, while a 6" barrel .357 isn't that much better - and has a greater chance the round will finish its trajectory on a neighbor's property if I should miss, owing to the higher muzzle velocities.

So I chose something that balances competing concerns.

Though I admit deer hunting with a ruger super redhawk has a lot to recommend it under local conditions.

 

[Captain13]

I keep a 410 pump, a 12 gauge double barrel and a 22 in the shop. The 410 with #6 shot is my go to, especially for foxes. Then I carry a 9mm semi on my belt due to a close encounter with two shady characters a couple of years ago. They were looking around my shop when I came out of the house and one of them was armed.

A good friend of mine who had an egg business had an attempted robbery on his farm and ended up shooting the robber.

My point is, you never know what you might be confronted with these days. So being retired military, I try to be prepared.

 

[KreetchaKeepa]

If, God forbid, a bear (we don't have those here) showed up, he's gonna get this treatment:

 

[Raptor Chicken]

Since this thread got brought back from the dead I feel it appropriate to share my latest purchase about 2 months ago.

I had been wanting a semi 12g for a while and I couldn't resist the deal I got on this.