what gun to buy for "varmints"

[WVBill]

OK - I've never owned a gun before - never felt I needed one.

I live in a rural area - small cluster of 10 houses on 3-6 acre lots - none closer than 400'. corn field on one side of my property.

Wife has decided that the damage the local woodchucks are doing to her vegetable garden and house plantings needs to stop - and she's none too happy with the rabbits either.

Please give me some advice on what gun to purchase for dispatching woodchucks and rabbits.

Thanks

WVBill

 

[jimmyj]

There are a lot of gun experts on this site WVBill so compared to them I am pretty ignorant. But, I throw my two cents in because we have a .22 and it's fine for varmints. Quiet, easy to aim and shoot (even for the wife), good enough range and kills varmints no problem. Raccoons, skunks - 1 shot usually is all it takes. I'm sure I could kill a coyote too with it if I had to.

We have also used it to humanely kill animals in distress. I'm not a real gun guy but I would not want to be without at least the .22 on the farm.

Jim

 

[wolc123]

I would go with a Ruger, Savage, or Remington Bolt action in .22/250 caliber and a variable power scope aprox 4x-16x. In my opinion this is the best caliber for woodchucks. Chucks dont even twitch after they get hit with these making it easy to collect and dispose of the carcass. Some may suggest a .22 rimfire, but most chucks struck with those will get away creating a stink problem later. The .22/250 will work for close or far shots unlike some others like .17 calibers and .223 which are handicapped at long range (150-300 yards). I shoot a dozen or so chucks from my bedroom window each year plus many more out in the fields and my Ruger, M77, .22/250 never fails me. This caliber is very light recoiling but has a rather loud report which is its only shortcoming in my opinion. I also use a .22 rimfire on occasion (Ruger 10-22) when noise is an issue and also prefer that caliber for rabbits which are far easier to kill. I have killed coyotes at night when the kids are sleeping, shooting out of my bedroom window with the .22 rimfire. Coyotes are thin skinned and very easy to kill if you hit them behind the shoulder with even the smallest, slowest bullets. Racoons, like chucks, are also tough and a .22 rimfire will take them out instantly only with a properly located head shot.

 

[wvpolekat]

the 22/250 is a good choice for the reasons outlined above. I don't agree that the .223 is crippled at long range. It may not be as good as other rounds at longer range, but at reasonable ranges against whistlepigs and rabbits it will be fine.

Something to remember, is that rifle calibers are like tractor brands, everyone has their favorite.

A 22/250 will work for deer if you ever decide you want to do that. It may be worth considering a heavier cartridge like a .270 Winchester on the off chance you may want to do more actual hunting instead of varmit dispatching. It would be overkill for what you are doing, but would give you room to grow.

Ask some friends what rifles they have and see about going shooting. Find out how much recoil bothers you (if at all) and how you feel about the different rounds.

Is this a gun that you intend to keep in the house and get out when needed or do you want it to be more "handy" to carry when out on your property?

 

[3gun]

Go to Wal-Mart and buy a .410 single-shot shotgun, and some 3 inch # 4 shells, Cost about $100 total.

A .22LR rifle would work, but .22s will travel long way, you don稚 have much room.

My favorite varmint gun is a .17HMR, IMHO its safer then a .22 and kills (small animals) much quicker,

For big varmints (coyotes), I really like the .223 REM.

 

[3gun]

.22-250 is an outstanding rifle for varmint hunting, but for shooting varmints around the homestead its overkill IMO.

 

[MossRoad]

OK - I've never owned a gun before

I, too, am battling woodchucks. They have dug under my electric fence. So, I put a live trap inside the fence where they enter. I got one the other night. I took it out to our tree farm and let it go because I live near other houses and it is illegal to shoot within X feet of other residences here.

My woodchucks never let me get closer than about 75 feet. They always see me before I see them and bolt for the holes. I found that a railroad flair, a few scraps of plywood and a shovel work well. I clean out the entrance of the hole and soak it down with a hose. Then I toss in a lit railroad flair, cover the hole with plywood and dirt. If I see smoke coming from a second opening, I repeat with more wood and dirt. Even if it doesn't kill the groundhog, they do not use the hole again.

You should check your local laws first, to see if it is legal to shoot there. If it is, you should take a gun safety class. Wouldn't hurt to take one anyway. Be aware of the range of the bullet and how far it can go. Even a little .22 can go over a mile (we have a family friend that was shot from over a mile away by accident. He lived). We have a Ruger 10/22. I think a well placed shot would put down a woodchuck. If not, I have 49 shots left... 50 shot clip! However, if I were going to get a new small varmint gun, I would look at the .17s. They look pretty good for that task.

 

[Egon]

Ruger 10/22 and use hollow points.

Try and shoot in the direction of the empty field.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

I would stay with a .22 if you have very many neighbors and are on a small lot. I have used a .22 to hunt varmits all my life till this year when I finally had a reliable .17. I have never noticed a stink problem with woodchucks that die in their burrows from being shot by a .22 so I don't think that is as much of a concern as making your neighbors nervous with a loud rifle.

My dad uses nothing but .22 shorts for shooting varmits around his house just so he doesn't bother the neighbors across the street. They are the only neighbors that we really have to worry about complaining about us shooting as the rest are too far away. The .22 short is a very quiet round and is very effective if you practice so you can shoot accurately every time.

 

[vic4news]

I have a .22 cal. air rifle I use for woodchucks. It is a break barrel spring-piston model, so you only need to "pump" it once.
I like it because it is quiet, but still powerful enough for small game.

Vic