Best general purpose farm gun?

What I've used a gun for around the homestead?

Stray dogs and cats as a general pest and coyotes, foxes, possums, raccoons going after my chickens and such.

Rabbits, squirrels, groundhogs going after my garden. Starlings, sparrows, pigeons for infesting my buildings and starlings in particular I would love to see wiped off the American continent. Dang those NYC idiots in central park anyway. What were they thinking? Anyway, I shoot rats on sight and shoot mice in the woodpile for target practice although I know I'm not making a dent in the mouse population. I usually will let snakes be unless they are a threat of some sort. I've had to kill a few though.

I usually have either an M-4 clone or a AK clone in the truck and on the ATV. I carry a 45 caliber Glock or a Sig Sauer on a daily basis as my carry gun.

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Respect The Cactus!

Pam;

You are in central Texas, not Baghdad. You do not need a cannon.

I live in a fairly out-of-the-way place; varmints are going to be the same as yours--coon, possum, skunk, the occasional bobcat, coyotes, now and then a crow, owl or hawk plus a variety of snakes.

The .22 rifle will handle any of this--don't think you are going to have to use it every day or to defend yourself.

A small guage shotgun would also be nice--I keep a .22/.410 over/under in the barn for quick use and another .410 in the garage where it is handy. The heavy stuff I keep closer to my bed. Remember that working a bolt gives the same information to a trespasser as working the slide on a pump.

Don't think your first gun has to be pricey. Go down to the pawn shops and see what is available--guns are their big items but remember that they will ask new prices. If you are not good at haggling buy retail, and before you make an offer go find out what the item costs new.

All in all I agree with the idea that a .22 should be your starting point. If you think you have to have a self defense weapon start with the shotgun. They are about the ultimate in both intimidation factor and effectiveness.
Ox

i forgot about pawn shops...

good idea!

In re-reading this, I noticed one safety point that hasn't been raised but is well worth it. You have a fair area of water. DON'T EVER shoot bullets towards water. It acts pretty well like a metal plate. Also remember skimming pebbles off water? You can AND WILL get a ricochet off that water that could have the bullet an unpredictable distance - maybe miles - off in a not-entirely-defined direction. THIS IS IMPORTANT!

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ô¿ô Don Armstrong,Terra Australis

Grandad, tell us a story about the olden days, when you were young and men could walk on the moon.

A single women liveing in the stix(or the city for that matter)Should have a defensive handgun in a serious caliber! Rimfires are OK for plinking and dispatching small game,But will it be accessible when TSHTF,not if its up in the barn or in the bedroom closet.I think there are quite a few people in texas that are just as dangerous as the most determined insurgent!

Lots of opinions many which I kinda agree with.

It would be hard to not have a 0/U in 22 rimfire/20 ga. I supose I could get by with a 22/410 O/U. But such a gun is great for keeping the farm well protected from pest and address things that go bump in the night.

Lot to be said though for getting a CCW permit and getting an approprate pistol/revolver and keeping it within easy arms reach 24/7.

How often have I used my fire arms on the homestead...quiet a bit actually. Dispatched a number of feral Dogs/Cats, numerous Yoddle Dawgs, foxes, skunks and racoons. In addition to dispatching pest around the homestead dont discount the posibility of two legged pest either. While you might not be in the big city where this type of pest is a continuous problem they can occasionally be found in rual areas too, and Local Law Enforcemnt usually has some miles to cover before they can show up.

Just somethings to think about while you decide what best suits your needs...

donsgal about 40 years of practice. As a child I hunted for food, as a young adult I hunted because I got to spend time with dad. As a adult it became a hobby. As a father I get to pass on the family tradition. My wife's father taught her to shoot when she was 6. She's been shooting ever since.

Hope you pick a firearm that does the job and gives you the "fun factor" as well.

Kenneth in NC

My vote would be a .20 gauge or .12 with pratice. Mossberg and Remmington both make good ones. If you are concerned about length and weight have it cut dow by a good gun smith to fit you. Then get a varity of shot and load it accordingly. Bird shot for birds and snakes and buck shot for bigger 4 legged and 2 legged critters.

That or lighting stick matches hehe.

Handgun and a rifle are two different things! Just because one is good with a rifle, doesn't mean they are good with a handgun!
As in the case of you getting good with a rifle, you have to practice, practice and the practice some more with a handgun to get good at using one!
You should be able to pull one and fire without aiming and hit your target. Its a trick that you point where you look at. If you do a line from your finger to what you are pointing at it should match a line drawn from your eye to what you are looking at!

I've been shooting handguns, rifles & shotguns for 50 yrs, & I would reccomend a hunter safety course or a beginer shooter's course of some kind before you even try to decide what kind of firearm that you might need or want.

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Freedom isn't Free

bgak47 that was I believe a part of her plan.



Kenneth in NC

Yep!

And the post about living in Central Texas and not Bahgdad cracked me up - thanks again to everyone for their very informative discussion!

On an upnote, I had an old car ('62 Bel Air) that came with the property removed yesterday, and to my surprise nothing but red wasps were living in it! Last tag was in 1984, and I figure it hadn't moved from that spot since then....

Pam <------- is sticking with her plan, but doesn't seem to be being run over with varmits...

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My Dad always told me, "Honey, you can do anything you put your mind to." He was right.

eeeek .... i would have given you a gun for a 62 bel air !!!!

44 caliber Canine - guardian obedience dog. Seriously. I read and hear about people spending a lot of time and money trying to keep down the coyote and other predator populations. Our dogs kill and eat coyotes and any other pests they can catch. Even the bear and mountain lion stay out of their way.

The dogs work 24/7 and love their job. I don't cotton to sit out in the rain matching wits and senses in the dark with Wiley Coyote. I'm a dead shot with a rifle but I won't even notice him, even if I managed to stay awake. I would much rather be in bed at night with my wife and let the dogs do their job - which they do with a vengeance.

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SugarMtnFarm.com -- Pastured Pigs, Poultry, Sheep, Dogs and Kids

The best advice you've gotten here is to get training first. The worst advice you've gotten is to buy a shotgun. As someone said, that's a great way to learn to flinch.

May I suggest you ask some more knowledgeable people? Especially pay heed to the moderators. They are The Real Deal, not a bunch of *GSCs.








*Gun Store Commandos

LOL!! Not this one! It wasn't very pretty, I assure you. I think the guy that bought it is sending it to salvage. I'm just glad it's gone!

Pam <---- ridding the property of eyesores...

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My Dad always told me, "Honey, you can do anything you put your mind to." He was right.

The idea that anybody can hit with a shotgun is Hollywood myth. The reality is, at distances inside a house, a shot pattern won't spread more than a couple of inches. IOW, you have to aim well to hit anything. Outside, it's not much good past about 20 yards, and that only in the hands of an expert. Again, aiming well is required. It's a very effective weapon if the shooter does his (or her) part, but using one well requires much more training & practice than using a .22 well. To depend on a shotgun as a substitute for training & practice is folly.

get a stick cost free

I ordered my farm gun and as soon as the paperwork clears, I will be taking it to the range for some target practice. I went with an old classic, Winchester Trapper model 94, .44 mag. lever action. The reviews on the firearm web sites are very good and it has been a popular choice on farms and ranches for over 100 years. It only weighs 6 lbs. and is about 34" total length. I can put it on a sling and carry it around all day. With shot shells, I have the same effective firepower as a .410 shotgun. I will keep a combination of bullets and shot shells in the magazine so that it can handle almost any task.