Best general purpose farm gun?

I was just wondering where you got that figure? Most of the deer I kill in Texas are between 150 and 200 yards, unless you count the ones I kill with my bow.

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American by birth, TEXAN BY THE GRACE OF GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Rockin B Farm
Boer & % Boer goats for the family farm

I was quoting a TP&W (Texas Parks and Wildlife) study done some 20 years ago. I might reasonably assume that marksmanship has gone DOWN since then. LOL... If you think about it, few hunters take on 100 yard shots. They are sitting in a blind with an 'attractant' crop or feeder sitting within spitting distance. No one, except us old hardcore hunters actually walk/stalk anymore. Of course if you and I listen to the averag city boy talking about hitting his deer at 400 yards with his .30-30, well...we know that fish and shooting distances tend to grow. LOL...

BTW, I bowhunted for many years. My first bow was a lemonwood longbow, barely adequate for deer or coyotes. But I practiced a LOT...sometimes hours each day after school and work. Later I moved up to a Bear 65# recurve. My best shot was at 70 yards...struck a doe that turned just as I released. The broadhead struck her on the rump and seemed to bounce right off! I was initially bitterly disappointed. I figured I would be tracking her for hours. But I sat tight and waited a full hour, then went out into the pasture where I had hit her. To my surprise, I found a blood spray and a blood trail. She didn't go more than 50 yards before she lay down and bled out.

I never did get used to the cam bows. I bought one for my brother-in-law, due to my whole sale access, and taught him the basics. I was able to put one shaft into a 1" target at 25 yards on my first shot. With my worn out shoulders, that was the LAST bow I've ever drawn. I figured that I might as well quit while I was ahead. That shot impressed the heck out of him, though! LOL...

When I was a kid, that old lemonwood longbow was a real meat getter. I brought home a lot of rabbits and squirrels with it. I even made some specialized arrows. Squirrel hunting always irked me, because often an arrow would wind up stuck in a tree trunk or limb, far overhead. An uncle showed me how to crimp a 30-30 or 30-06 round over the tip of a cheap field point shaft. The blunt tip never got stuck, but it would knock a squirrel down quite handily. I also cross drilled the base of the same brass case and looped old guitar strings through it to create a clover leaf arrow head for birds. I took a number of quail, dove, and 'close-in' ducks with that arrangement.

I do still enjoy shooting long distances. It is hard to find anyone that shoots rifles at more than 100 yards these days. So I tend to play a game with my pistolero buddies. We start out at about 20 yards, shoot a round, then move back 10 yards. We shoot at 6" hanging steel plates. Generally, everyone throws $10 into the hat for this 'event'. If you miss your shot, you are eliminated and out of the money. Now I fancy myself a far better than average pistol shot. With my Government Model Ruger MKII .22, I can bang those 6" plates with 90-100% accuracy at fifty yards. I'm real close to that with my Ruger .44 magnum. But, even with that ability, I seldom collect the money. One of my buddies embarassed me badly one Saturday afternoon. We had moved out to well past 100 yards. I was shooting my Ruger MK II, he was shooting a dinky 2" barrel S&W .32. He and I were the last two remaining shooters, as we paced it off to 100 yards. I took my shot and missed. He took forever to line up the sights on that little wheelgun, then struck dead center! Just to show us how effective a snubnose can be, he backed up to 200 yards and took a couple of shots at an empty Gatorade bottle. He did miss his first shot, but not by much. The second shot shattered the glass jar. He earned several free beers as we shut the range down!

Rick, I don't want to burst your bubble, but the commercial .44 Special shot shells won't have nearly the performance of a .410 out of a rifled barrel. The shot capsule is going to be spun down the rifled barrel. That rotational torque, as the Speer capsule exits the barrel and disintegrates, will result in an extremely wide pattern at very short distances.

I might also point out that the .44 Magnum has only been around for about fifty years, not 100. The most popular chambering in the Winchester 94 has been the .30-30, which is significantly more powerful than the .44 Magnum, and has been around for about 100 years. The .30-30 bullet, with its longer length and lower frontal area, is much more stable than the rather short, 'fat', .44 magnum bullet. Of course you can handload the .44 Magnum to velocities that might not be appropriate for handguns, though you want to stay well within the current limitations provided by powder and bullet manufacturers. You also MUST avoid, at all costs, using POINTED bullets in a tubular magazine! The recoil a tubular magazine firearm produces can cause a pointed bullet to strike the primer of the round before it with enough force to cause it to ignite.

But, as you say you are going to pattern the gun at the gun range, I would respectfully suggest that you start your patterns for the shotshells at no more than 25 yards. Then work out to determine your maximum effective pattern. When you hit less than 50% of your shot on a 30% paper, you've reached maximum effective range for the #9 shot ammo.

However, you can also load up to #7 1/2 shot in the Speer capsules. I've found this to produce better patterns at greater distances. You can also opt to load 3 .32 caliber lead balls in the Speer capsule, which gives you 3 holes in the X-ring at about 25 yards.

If you try handloading, PLEASE restrict your upper loads to the maximum suggested by the powder and/or bullet manufacturer. A Winchester, while a beautiful rifle, cannot handle the chamber pressures of a Marlin, Ruger revolver, Thompson Contender, or a bolt action.

I hope this information helps you get the most fun and effectiveness out of your new rifle! Those 94's are BEAUTIFUL rifles, and can last for many generations if properly loaded and maintained.

Yep, it IS a 'country boy thang'. I remember 'hammering' nails with my little Remington single shot .22. If you hit the nail just slightly off center, you bent the nail over to the side. It was a matter of pride to be able to hammer a framing nail full depth into a board.

When I was a kid, there was a trick shooter that came around giving a demonstration with a pump .22. He would turn his rifle to the port arms position and pump the action to send the empty casing flying out in front of him, then snap the barrel around and SHOOT the empty casing out of the sky! I always wanted a pump .22 so I could practice that trick, but never could afford it at that age. Later, as an adult, I went to semiautos, which made the trick impossible.

Well, I've not purchased a gun yet, but a huge thanks to everyone who has weighed in on this question. The perimeter fence has been up for a couple of weeks now, and this weekend I let two new geese loose in the pond. To my delight nothing has eaten and/or carried them off yet (they are not particularly tame and won't let me re-catch 'em to put them up at night), so I'm hoping my anticipated predator problems won't actually develop? I've only seen two snakes thus far, one was a tiny grass snake and the other a bull snake (or rat snake - not sure which but it was one of those good kind you let be), and I've not seen any around the pond, although I'm being really careful while I'm clearing the weeds out from around it. Should I encounter one, I think that at this point I'd be more inclined to simply mind my own business as long as it minded it's own. Otherwise I have a long handled pair of loppers with me - I can always use that to dispatch one if I have to.

I'm sure I'll get one eventually - sounds like I should meet up with some of the posters here and go shopping!!

Thanks again for everyone's input and suggestions...

Pam <------ proud owner of the newly christened 2Horse Ranch!

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

Hmm, I guess all those close shots in the East Texas Piney woods must lower the distance considerably. I have never seen a deer under 100 yards where I rifle hunt. The buck I shot last year was at 160 yards. My feeder is 157 yards from my tower blind and my dad's feeder is 167 yards from his tower blind. But theese distances are relatively short for the rifles that we shoot. I use either a 300 win mag or a 338 win mag and dad shoots a 30/06. I don't bowhunt over a feeder, I hunt 3 trails, at 10, 17, and 30 yards. Don't really see a need for a feeder there since 95%of all the deer I see walks down one of theese trails.

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American by birth, TEXAN BY THE GRACE OF GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Rockin B Farm
Boer & % Boer goats for the family farm

That was a superb post, arborethic! Good advice.

I got a lot out of reading it. It's so nice to have an *expert* explain stuff to you when you need it.

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If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then giving your dog only two of them. -- P. Pastoret

Pam... after having read all of this, do you still want a firearm? If you do,take the safety course & make your choice based on what you learn from it.

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Freedom isn't Free

I dunno if you can still get them new, but I used to have a little remington 22 410 over an under, its a good all purpose piece, light and easy to load. only issue I had with it was one round per barrel. but if you learn to shoot straight one is all it usually takes. =)

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"Nothing so needs reforming as other peoples habits." Mark Twain

yep, try the Springfield Armory website. i think they call it the M7.

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Where some fear to tread I call home. A good cabin, a good rifle, a good fishing rig and a few great books is all I need.

I was only referring to the lever action model, not the caliber.


Actually, I was planning on using the shot shell at ranges less than 20 yards. It would be used if I was surprised by something like a snake or racoon at clise range. Even the slugs I would want to get within 100 yards before trying a shot. If I find that I am having a problem with an animal that I can't get closer than 100 yards, I will need a scope. This particular model doesn't scope well so I have a few other rifles that would consider buying if the problem arises. First I would try a few traps to hold the animal so that I could get close enough. But for a general purpose farm gun that is easy to use and carry with a sling and has very good reviews, this is the rifle that I choose to start with.

I've browsed through the posts in this thread with interest. I've been an advanced weapons instructor in the Brit and Canadian militaries for (now) a quarter of a century (and counting). I shoot almost daily, study ballistics, make my own ammo, design ranges, tach marksmanship, implement weapons programs, advise commanding offciers on programs, etc., and get paid for the privilege (and it is).

Probably you toughest decision is the idea of having only one gun. I have a few, all for different purposes. My bush gun is a Marlin 45/70 - great for large game in close country and it also always comes with me on hikes in the mountains (grizzly insurance). I have a .243 than can quickly shift from deer to coyotes. My savage .17 magnum is an outstanding small varmint gun (taking gophers out to 300 metres, no probs) and my trusty little Ruger 10/22 is the best workhorse of the lot. I've taken more gophers than I care to recall, as well as beaver, muskrat, porcupine, and coyote. It gets cleaned once a year whether it likes it or not and in 15 years, I have never had a problem or replaced a part. The list goes on.

I didn't see any mention of budget. If that is an issue, there are some great deals out there. I woulnd't buy a second-hand gun except from a reputable dealer with some sort of warranty attached.

Anyway, the old saying, "beware the man with only one rifle - he likely knows how to use it!", is very true. The trick is, "which rifle?" Well, if it were me, I would never have just one gun. In may trade, I always have primary long gun and a back-up pistol. That's just the way it is. For you, though I would suggest a 20 guage shotgun. It can do pretty much whatever a 12 guage can and is easier on the body of either a novice shooter or someone with a smaller frame (no assumptions being made). My Charles Daley tactical pump is used regularly by my nine year-old who fires buckshot and slugs. If you insist on going with a rifle, though, I'd suggest a Stevens model 200 in .223 Remington. The rifle is cheap like borscht and very well made for the price. The .223 will serve you well. Having said that I do feel that the previous comments about safety/neighbouring property/livestock, etc. are very valid. If you have never taken a firearms safety course, now might be the time.

In any case, good luck with your choice and let us all know what you decide upon and why.

Postscript: Keep in mind as well that all varmints who come calling may not be on four legs. Hence consideration of personal protection might also be a fcator. In Canada, it is absolutley illegal to carry a handgun anywhere but a registered range while engaged in shooting. Tough. My CZ 9mm will accompany me at all times on my new place. I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by six.

remmington 870 wingmaster AR AR AR AR AR. ug.

Just what I was thinking....Spartan arms has one for msrp of $237
Savage is a bill or two higher. Can't go wrong. .22 is great for some shots but is not for others with the .410 you have all bases covered. I would suggest taking a firearms safety or hunter safety course to all folks who are new to firearms (and alot who aren't new to them)

MR. 45/70 MARLIN OWNER...i respect your choice of weapons. i have a marlin 35 rem caliber for brush hunting and love it. i used a 30/30 for many years and love it too. the 35 rem definately helps in the brush. i had two or three nice bucks get away because i hit a six inch log or tree right in front of them using the 30/30. if you do not have a totally clean shot you need a brush gun, lol.

if i could only have one gun it would most likely be a 410. maybe an old 410/22 over under. a 410 slug is plenty big enough to take a deer and shoots fairly decent. as a shotgun it is big enough to work but small enough not to pulverize your game. it is small enough for the most petite of folk to use.