Good farm rifle?

[GIO]

We'll I am a city boy but i may be moving to a 5 acre farmhouse property surrounded by other farmland. I may have some chickens, rabbits and maybe a Goat or a Cow someday along with a big garden. I assume i will be needing to dispatch a few unwelcome critters at some point and I'm thinking my JP AR or Benny m1 would be a bit much.

What Rifle or Rifles would you keep handy? Thanks in advance for your advice.

PS. Any other advice from our rural members would be much appreciated unless it is "don't move to the country" ...my wife already fell in love with this old farmhouse....(you never stop paying for it i guess :-)

Edited March 29, 2010 by GIO

[Vlad]

I dunno, I'd think the AR would be perfect for small predators, and maybe a .22?

[bbbean]

What Rifle or Rifles would you keep handy? Thanks in advance for your advice.

If you already have guns you are comfortable with, all you need to do is keep them handy. Depending on how close the nearest neighbor is, you might consider a shotgun in lieu of the AR, but beyond that, there's not a lot of difference between shooting a coyote out back and shooting targets at the range.

[Jim Rusert]

I've always been a fan of the .22 Hornet, the .222 and the 20 ga. but I agree: Shoot what you got.

[open17]

5 acres isn't a big chunk of land. Heck, my family has 70 acres and I can shoot safely

ONE direction, and have to be careful then. Kind of depends on the terrain. Hilly, good backstops and you can't see your neighbors? The AR is fine, or an old lever action 30-30, whatever. Even a good 22 would work, or get a MP15-22 and get a practice rifle for your AR

in the bargain.

Flat as a fritter and the neighbors are line of sight in all directions? Shotgun.

[dsmw5142]

Spent many a year living on and working on farms. There wasn't anything I couldn't do with 20ga. pump and a .22LR

If I had room for a couple more, I would add a 30-30 and maybe a .22 pistol. But I'm in agreement that 5 acres isn't really squat. If it's surrounded by 800 acres of soybeans like my 9 acres used to be, then you're probably ok with any of the above. Otherwise, stick with the 20ga. or a 12ga.

Edited March 29, 2010 by dsmw5142

[Nik Habicht]

Single-shot 20 gauge shotgun.......

[bbbean]

Single-shot 20 gauge shotgun.......

When you're dealing with feral hogs, coyotes, or other nuisance animals, single shot anything wouldn't be my first choice. The point isn't to be sporting - the point is to eliminate a pest.

[GIO]

Thanks everyone. The property is hilly (for Nebraska) the north side backs up to a wildlife refuge (1,000s of acres) I have a neighbor 1/2 mile to the south and one 2 miles to the west, open to the east for as far as i can see. I plan on building a bermed area to do a little plinking on the north side.

[North]

I think that I envy/dislike you a little. Sounds like a great find, good luck to you.

[Nik Habicht]

Single-shot 20 gauge shotgun.......

....single shot anything wouldn't be my first choice. The point isn't to be sporting - the point is to eliminate a pest.

That's not why I suggested it. The OP mentioned a five acre property -- a size I'm familiar with because one of my aunts lives on a property that size. Shot over rifle, to keep ammo contained to the property. Single-shot because it's easy to load and unload -- and safety matters. You could always go double barrel -- and retain the ease of clearing, or switch to anything else if you're comfortable with hot long guns....

There are safety considerations. I'm hoping to add to the conversation -- and to stimulate thought, so that whatever one ends up with, one has thought through all the implications/considerations....

[Duane Thomas]

If you've already got the JP AR, I really couldn't think of anything better for your purposes. The .223 is an outstanding varmint cartridge, and the JP could definitely give you all he accuracy you'd ever need.

[CocoBolo]

Funny you should ask. I find my FN SLP MK II 12ga most useful. I just got back in from circling the property with it and my trusty LED flashlight. The wife stuck her head out the door the dogs were barking and she heard voices, so at 3!!! I'm out with my 9 shooter dooing guard duty. I think the voices were in her head, anyway she was on her way to work. Wasn't her CZ Compact enough, I guess not.

Seriously a chicken snatchin opossium or racoon on the run is no match for the SLP, and I don't have to worry about killing my neighbors in their sleep a mile away, of course I wake them up but they are still alive.

The other yard gun is a Marlin 702 plinkster with a 3X9 Lighted recticle scope and a laser. The 3X9 with the red recticle for those precision shots at fair distance and the laser is good for that running preditor, just put the dot on em and they are history. 9 mm SIG226 with night sights accompanies the lighter 22 cal, just in case its one of those top predators, man. We have had a couple of those in the past year, fortunately they were smart enough to drop into a front leaning rest when instructed to do so, without making an unexpected moves. A little uncomfortable when it takes 30 minutes for the Sheriff to come and rescue them. Well what the heck was that idiot going to do with a tractor he didn't own any land.

While a bit of overkill the SLP MK II is very effective on Rattle snakes, copper heads and other elongated vermin.

Mostly I use #2 shot, it does the most tissue damage and will cut a opossium in half. We have chickens, ducks, guiena, and Rio Grande Wild Turkey's, running lose about the place. Our old Gobbler keeps strangers at bay in the yard a 30 pound gobbler being very aggressive keeps most folks trapped in their car, a least the smart ones, cause that is one bad bird. The most common poultry preditor is stray dogs and Chapter 11 Texas health code spells out the procedure for animals that attack livestock, its not pleasant but its them or the birds.

I've lived out in the country most of my life and I like it, problem is town always seems to move out next to you and mess things up.

[Punkin Chunker]

We'll I am a city boy but i may be moving to a 5 acre farmhouse property surrounded by other farmland. I may have some chickens, rabbits and maybe a Goat or a Cow someday along with a big garden. I assume i will be needing to dispatch a few unwelcome critters at some point and I'm thinking my JP AR or Benny m1 would be a bit much.

What Rifle or Rifles would you keep handy? Thanks in advance for your advice.

PS. Any other advice from our rural members would be much appreciated unless it is "don't move to the country" ...my wife already fell in love with this old farmhouse....(you never stop paying for it i guess :-)

+1 on the shotgun. I live on 52 acres in FL, surrounded by more uncleared land and next to a state forest.

I've got 12 & 20 gauge in the safe, but I pull out an old SXS .410 for most pest control, and a .22 pump every now and then.

[Aglifter]

Really depends, but I've usually used either a 12 ga or a 22 LR - -22 Mag or 17 HMR might be useful as well

[sirveyr]

Marlin .22LR Model 60 or a Model 925 with a flashlight taped to the barrel with electrical tape. A .22 should handle even the meanest of bird seed stealing squirrels and vegatable theiving rabbits. Keep one in every out building.

[DocMcG]

I grew up on a working farm and the two most active firearms were a 12 gauge shotgun of some format and a .22 LR that would allow you to reach out a bit farther. So a +1 for all comments above that have recommended the same.

On another note, I notice that not many have mentioned matching a chosen firearm/ammunition to the application. For example, one of our largest nocturnal problems in central Texas is the turf terrorist known as the armadillo! When you are stalking one of these critters sporting pajamas in the middle of the night as they retrench your bermuda grass it is wise to have 8 shot in a 12 gauge because you know you have a quick moving target and a limited range. It is never safe to send a 22LR off into the night when you can't see what is out there! ( Skunks are the opposite and I am sure you know why! Dispatch them with as much range as possible!) You may also may want to shoot something without killing it. Rock salt was always a "Less Than Lethal" option for all of those stray dogs that would show up at the farm to kill or chase livestock, although they might inadvertently receive a "lead pill" if the offense was particularly heinous! (I have even heard of a guy from Colorado shooting bears with a blunt tip rubber arrow from his hunting bow when they get too friendly with his pad. I say, "whatever works for you!" But be somewhere that bear can't get to you or where the game warden can't see it happening! - YIKES!)

As with anything else, choose the tool to best fit the job. It sounds as if there is plenty of sage advice here.

Good luck with it!

Kyle

Edited March 29, 2010 by DocMcG

[JAngell]

Living on ~600 acres in Kentucky I have found that for most critters the 12 gauge and .22 are all that is NEEDED. But, if she gets the house this is a perfect opportunity to NEED a new toy of some sort....say a 50BMG?

My favorite though is still my AR. It has fallen off the four wheeler, been dropped in the mud and I don't worry a bit

BTW, if you have a .22 rifle, CBs are perfect for small yard pests

Good luck and enjoy the piece and quiet!!

Jason

[GIO]

Thanks again everyone. I am sure it will be a learning curve our first year or so but I really believe the open spaces are calling.

I have my eyes on one of those new Savage TRRs .22. Hey....if she gets her big old farm house the least I can hope for is an ATV and a few new toys that go Bang.

Edited March 30, 2010 by GIO

[Wild Gene]

+1 on the .22 rimfire (I have a Henry lever that is the one I use the most), and the 12gu., I also use the .410 a lot, and a good quality pellet gun for stuff that is in places I don't want to shoot the other two in. In addition, we raise cattle, it seems like anytime I ever need to shoot a cow, which has happened more than I care to admit,I pull out my old Henry Rifle, clone, in .45 Colt.

Enjoy the 2nd job!

Your Pal,

WG

[Front Man]

I still like the idea of a 30-30 lever action. Nice and compact!

FM