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Best gun for farm use

cert said:
Does no one shoot a Henry rifle? We favor the Remington .243 for varmit control here but I sure like the looks of those little lever action .357 Henry's. They have a .44 mag rifle too. Looks like something you could carry in the scabbard pretty easy.

I'm open to opinions on the Henry Rifles. Why you shoot them, why you wouldn't own one, anything. I'm not looking to rid myself of any of my remingtons...just like the lever actions.
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I have one of those little Marlin "trappers" in .357 Mag-- really a nice little gun...Has a 16" barrel so about disappears in a scabbard- is really handy for handling in a pickup...Only good for a couple hundred yards -but thats about all my eyes are good for with iron sights anymore anyway :wink: :lol: Good gopher gun-- can shoot cheaper 38 specials for plinking.......

The only drawback I've found with the Marlin is the stock right at the grip is awful weak-- I've cracked two now...Need to almost do an old Indian rawhide wrap trick with them right from the start....
 
If we were allowed to use rifles to hunt deer in this state I would probably own one of those trapper type guns but since we aren't, it is kind of hard for to justify another gun that won't be used.. Nope, the only gun I can justify at all rght now buying would be a 22-25- or a 223 for varmits.
 
hey nonothing, thanks for the tip! I'm lucky the bugs dont like my blood :) I can stand just about anywhere and the bugs will land on the other guy. In Alberta, my dad will streak past, racing for the house with a million critters hot on his tail. ( they zone in for the male pattern balding :) The moral of the story is take your dad on camping trips :)
 
I hear it makes fantastic moisturizer though :) Probably keep those pesky boys away too :)
 
Judith said:
I'm definately not a um er the petite type :) I'm a solid 150 and built like a sherman tank (OK a lady type sherman tank with boobs :)....) Not really worried about recoil and I'm not a flinchy type. But I'm a one shot girl, I don't want to have to put 40 rounds into anything to kill it. I know it sounds totally morbid to need a gun around to dispatch a horse or? but reality is that it could happen and I would rather have something that I can do the job with. I'm not the type to wait 4 hours for the vet while a critter suffers. Just thinking ahead as to what type of situations could arise. Can a 22 down a cow? I'll be on my own so I won't be able to ask a feller to help out :)
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Judith,just get you a 458 winchester magnum,you wont even hafta hit what you are aiming at,when you light it off what ever you are shooting at will be blinded or maimed from the muzzle blast................good luck
PS I am told they dont kick much either :D
 
HAY MAKER said:
Judith said:
I'm definately not a um er the petite type :) I'm a solid 150 and built like a sherman tank (OK a lady type sherman tank with boobs :)....) Not really worried about recoil and I'm not a flinchy type. But I'm a one shot girl, I don't want to have to put 40 rounds into anything to kill it. I know it sounds totally morbid to need a gun around to dispatch a horse or? but reality is that it could happen and I would rather have something that I can do the job with. I'm not the type to wait 4 hours for the vet while a critter suffers. Just thinking ahead as to what type of situations could arise. Can a 22 down a cow? I'll be on my own so I won't be able to ask a feller to help out :)
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Judith,just get you a 458 winchester magnum,you wont even hafta hit what you are aiming at,when you light it off what ever you are shooting at will be blinded or maimed from the muzzle blast................good luck
PS I am told they dont kick much either :D
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Haymaker-- as long as she's going to get knocked on her butt she might as well be shooting a 12 gauge-- Might even pull a Cheney and hit something good like a lawyer :wink: :lol:

Judith--If I was going to have just one gun I'd look at getting one of those over under double barrels-- rifle barrel on top, shotgun on bottom...You can get the rifle in 22 magnum, 22-250, 223 or several other calibers up to 30-30-- and for the shotgun I'd stick with the 410 or 20 gauge...

A 22 will work on a cow if you hit them right-- but a little light...Local butcher uses a 22 magnum-- but on bulls you have to have something heavier.... I saw a bull take 6 .357 Magnum rounds right between the eyes and all it did was make him madder....But he didn't move any when we hit him with the 30-30...The old butchers used a sawed off 30-30 on bulls....
 
OT, I shot a steer at 6 feet 6 times with a 22 and he still looked at me, walked back to my pickup and got a Smith 44mag and he dropped like a rock in 1 shot. I get flinchy if I shoot my 44mag pistol alot - my big brother sez thats the sure sign of a weiner.

I like your 357mag rifle idea - I use a 44mag rifle and it does about everything I want. I use 44cal because I can get cop brass for free.

Ain't nothing wrong with packing a 12 gage loaded wilh 2 or 4 buck high brass
 
All right you cheeky buggers :D Why don't I just take a bazooka out in the feild an let er rip :) Here mr. coyote !!! I think that a 458 winchester magnum might just be a little too much gun for a rookie :) I really dont want to be laying there minus a breast, looking at the sky after a shot :) I DEFINATELY want to be able to down an animal with one shot, the idea of putting 6 slugs in a cow and have it still looking at me is not really that appealing.
 
Judith said:
All right you cheeky buggers :D Why don't I just take a bazooka out in the feild an let er rip :) Here mr. coyote !!! I think that a 458 winchester magnum might just be a little too much gun for a rookie :) I really dont want to be laying there minus a breast, looking at the sky after a shot :) I DEFINATELY want to be able to down an animal with one shot, the idea of putting 6 slugs in a cow and have it still looking at me is not really that appealing.
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Well Judy, today i had a porcupine in the stack yard.once I got my dog called off with out getting any quills I came in the house to grab a gun to shoot it. I have a 22, 222,223, 243, 30-30, 12 guage.
i grabbed the old lever action marlin 30-30. Figured for stopping power up close i couldn't do much better. You should be able to find one cheap and unless your shooting lots of smaller varmits they are fairly cheap to shoot.
By the way by the time I got back to the stackyard he had gone between a couple of rows of bales. But I'll be Back.
 
Right here is what I'd try to find Judith-- 20 gauge shotgun barrel on the bottom--either the 22 Hornet or 223 Rem on the top (223 ammo can be found lots cheaper)....Handle any varmint from skunk to man- and darn sure down a cow.....

Used to be a lot of used ones like this floating around-especially at the gun shows... But a lot of folks were picking them up as survival guns for when the economy crashes and the country falls in to pandemonium......

http://www.savagearms.com/24f20.htm

You can also get 12 gauge which also has the rifle offered in 30-30...

http://www.savagearms.com/24f12.htm
 
Brad S said:
OT, I shot a steer at 6 feet 6 times with a 22 and he still looked at me, walked back to my pickup and got a Smith 44mag and he dropped like a rock in 1 shot. I get flinchy if I shoot my 44mag pistol alot - my big brother sez thats the sure sign of a weiner.

I like your 357mag rifle idea - I use a 44mag rifle and it does about everything I want. I use 44cal because I can get cop brass for free.

Ain't nothing wrong with packing a 12 gage loaded wilh 2 or 4 buck high brass
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Brad-- I've shot a 44 Mag several times-- and a 41 Mag...Actually liked the 41 Mag the best-- but they didn't have a light load like the 44 Spec and they never caught on....Anyway-- I have too small of hands and can't handle the big frames...

So I've stuck with the .357 and it sure is nice to have a rifle paired to the pistol bullet....I was inititially trained and qualified on a wheelgun so still like the old 357 revolvers best---But for downright serious work I like my 45 auto since it packs 10 rounds and with 2 extra 9 round clips you got 28 rounds to be put into action pretty fast-- with a lot of punch...

Never was one of the top shooters-- never shot a 100-- shot many 98's-99's on the combat course so qualified for the marksmen pins....Had to qualify thru the combat course the other day and was a little nervous as I haven't been shooting as much as I did- and have many more aches and pains--but I pulled out the old 45 auto and shot a 90-- no medals-- but at least it was above 80 which I need to qualify....Just have to remember if I get in a gunfight to tap off 3 now instead of just 2 :wink: :lol:
 
OT that's damn fine shooting, I shoot like a farmer so I'm easily impressed.

I'm just not sharp at all with a 45acp - I struggle enough with a long barrel wheel gun. My brother gave me a matched pair of Smith 357 and 44, and I know what you mean about the large frame.
 
Judith said:
All right you cheeky buggers :D Why don't I just take a bazooka out in the feild an let er rip :) Here mr. coyote !!! I think that a 458 winchester magnum might just be a little too much gun for a rookie :) I really dont want to be laying there minus a breast, looking at the sky after a shot :) I DEFINATELY want to be able to down an animal with one shot, the idea of putting 6 slugs in a cow and have it still looking at me is not really that appealing.
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alright good looking ........... get you a Ruger Ranch Rifle in 223,I have toted one for years,got me outa a scrape or two,enough punch and no kick.................good luck
 
I was debating between .45 ACP and .40 s&w. My father has a govt issued 1911 from his father and it shoots pretty good. I did a little research and found that the ballistics of the .45 and .40 are very similar, if anything the .40 is a touch more accurate. The stopping power is quite sufficient. The big difference between the two is that the slightly smaller size gives you one more round in the mag. The .40 is 13+1. I bought a H&K USP .40 plus a insight tactical light for the rail. I can get something called a Jet Funnel kit if I choose that will extend the grip a little bit and allow the use of 16 round mags.

The most recent issue of Soldier of Fortune had an article that SOCOM (Special Operations Copmmand) has officially booted the 9mm, they were goling to go back to the .45 but at the last minute they decided on the .40 s&w. Now they have to figure out who's they will use. Let the bidding war begin.

The rest of the Army will still use the M92 9mm.
 
I am not a 9mm fan---not for military or law enforcement where when you use it- you need it to knock something on its butt now to keep them from getting you...Saw a lot of bullets tested and demonstrated - and the 9mm didn't have that knockdown power- the 45 Auto did...I'm not that familiar with 10's and 40's....When some came out they were too hot and fast and shooting barrels out after a couple thousand rounds....I know the FBI and some federal law enforcement went to the 10mm's first and then to the 40's...
 
FBI's HRT (Hostage Rescue Team), the guys who were called in to Ruby Ridge, have MP-10's. That's an MP-5 chambered in 10mm. It is also modified to have a 2 round burst instead of 3. 2 gives you a tighter group. When dealing with Domestic scenarios you don't want the 3rd round to miss and hit some kid in the head.
 
Wow did this ever turn into a coffee shop debate! Judith, I've put down many cows and a few horses, and I've used everything from a 30-06 to a .22. When euthanizing livestock, it's not about the power of the gun, it's about the placement of the bullet. You can kill pretty much any downed critter seen on a farm - including bison/buffalo, if you do it right. For buffalo you shoot down through the top of the skull, in behind that massive plate on the forehead. It's a better way to kill cows, too.

I would recommend starting smaller, and work your way up once you're comfortable with the gun. A .22, .17, .222 or .223 are all fine choices. I have a .22 and a .222, and I shoot everything from gophers and barn cats to coyotes and crows. Larger game like deer and such is where my 30-06 comes into play.
 
I did a summer internship at a large dairy between my Jr and Sr year of college. The Herd Manager did not have a gun, and I did not have one up there. He used a sledge hammer to euthanize downers. I never witnessed it, but I did hear one that wasn't a direct hit. I emailed my Herd Health teacher from school for a "better way". He recommended that I IV a saturated solution of Epsom salts. It wasn't a few weeks and we had another downer. I asked if I could try my new method. I put about 2000 ml into a bucket and stirred in as much epsom salt as I could get into solution then poured it into two saline bottles I had saved. At this point I didn't really care if it's sterile, I was trying to kill the cow. After the first bottle she twitched a little and by the end of the second...Dead. I found it to be a little easier, mentally, then a gun.
Although, Michael Pollan's new book The Omnivore's Dilemma brought up a good point when he was working at Joel Salatin's killing chickens. After you kill enough of them you no longer think about it as "killing", you don't really think about it.
 
I scored this afternoon. I was checking cows and ran across an armadillo. I gathered up my 22-250 and scoped her. Shot her right in the tail and she exploded baby armadillos all over a 3 or 4 ft circle. She busted open across the back from flank to flank. That's 1. Counting babies it was more than 3.
 

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