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talk about calibers you hunt with


Highwall

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I don't hunt anymore due to my age and failing eye sight but over the decades I did my fair share of hunting. Here are my calibers for hunting various game over the years ...

Remington 870 12 gauge in various shot loads for turkey, quail, dove, pheasant, prairie chicken.

6mm Remington in a Ruger No.1  and a Winchester lever action model 94 in 30/30 for deer.

.222 Remington in a 14" T/C Contender for hunting coyotes and prairie dogs.

.22 LR in a Savage model 72 single shot for squirrels and rabbits. 

I also killed a crazy bobcat with my Colt 45 Anaconda while hunting turkey in the Fall of 1994. I was covered in camouflage but it zeroed in on my eyes.

When it sprang towards me I had to draw my handgun or suffer it's attack. It's the only time anything came after me since Bob Griner kicked my ass in 7th grade.:angry:

 

 

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For Hunting

.22LR - California Ground Squirrels, 

.30-30 Win - deer, any aggressive bear, big cats, or coyotes

5.56mm/caliber .223 Remington - aggressive animals, self defense

12 Gauge - California Ground Squirrels, hawks & eagles (attacking my “kids“),

                          self defense

 

Cat Brules

 

 

 

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Birds - I have several shotguns, but my fave is a Beretta AL-2.  Bought it new almost fifty years ago; replaced the 30"  fixed choke (full) barrel with a shorter, multi-choked barrel back in the 80's.  Doves to geese!  ^_^

 

Deer - of the rifles I've hunted with several (including an Arisaka Type 99!), but my favorite is still my Marlin 336 .30-30 for most terrain; I have taken a couple of nice bucks with a Ruger 77 .300 WinMag at longer range.  I've even shot ground squirrels with it, just for fun.  But my favorite squirrel gun is my old MAS 45 .22 LR.  Even won a turkey with it once!  :lol:

 

 

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1 hour ago, Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 said:

Birds - I have several shotguns, but my fave is a Beretta AL-2.  Bought it new almost fifty years ago; replaced the 30"  fixed choke (full) barrel with a shorter, multi-choked barrel back in the 80's.  Doves to geese!  ^_^

 

Deer - of the rifles I've hunted with several (including an Arisaka Type 99!), but my favorite is still my Marlin 336 .30-30 for most terrain; I have taken a couple of nice bucks with a Ruger 77 .300 WinMag at longer range.  I've even shot ground squirrels with it, just for fun.  But my favorite squirrel gun is my old MAS 45 .22 LR.  Even won a turkey with it once!  :lol:

 

 

My Marlin 336 is batting 1000. 5 deer with 5 rounds.

JHC

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Birds, rabbits, turkeys, pat's I use an 1187 12 gauge or a Browning pump 28. 

Deer I use my Thompson Center Renegade in .50 cal, my Ruger 77 mkII in .270, a Winchester 94 in .44 mag or .30-30. 

Hunt everything above smaller than deer with a .22. 

Depends what I grab on the way to the door.

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20 gauge Ruger Red label for dove and quail in Arizona.

7mm-08 Winchester model 70 Compact for deer, antelope, elk and bison.

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.243 for prairie dogs up through deer.

 

12 gauge for flying critters.

 

Wouldn't mind trying handgun hunting on deer. Probably use .44 mag/45 Colt for that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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No name (Hatsan?)Turkish semi auto 12 for doves. Black plastic and lightweight handles any cheap Wally World shell. 
Ithaca 37 12 for ducks. Bottom ejects shells into boat or blind. No cleanup. 
Marlin 336 30-30 for deer, just got my high school dream rifle, an old un fired Winchester M70 Lightweight Carbine 30-06 eager to try this fall. 
Stevens SxS 20 old from 40’s with Tenite stock for bunnys. 
 

BTW got a few whitetail with the cowboy 92 and 73  45 colt. 

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A Browning Citori 12 gauge for duck and pheasant. 10 gauge SP10 remington for geese. T/C Encore 50 cal muzzle loader for deer. One of a few 22's...either handgun or rifle for small critters. 223 or 22/250 for varmints. Favorite 22/250 is an old 788 Remington. 222 is an old 722 Remington.

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Custom bolt action .220 Ackley Improved Swift for prairie dog & coyotes. Also a Marlin bolt action in .17 HMR for prairie dogs. Ruger M77 25-06 for deer/antelope/feral hogs, custom bolt action in .300 Wby for elk & moose.

 

For birds I use a Browning o/u 12 ga 3", upland game a Zephyr sidelock sxs in 20 ga 3".

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Started with 20 Ithaca 66 single shot then moved to a sweet sixteen Browning when I was growing up for dove and quail. Model 70 feather light in 30-06 was first deer rifle. 22 single shot I would use for frogs and other small critters. Got a 22 mag for Christmas one year one of my favorites. Now I use a 20 ga or 16 ga for most shotgun use. I haven’t been able to harvest in years but hope to use my Kimber in 257 Roberts this fall.

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Good Thread.

 

.22 rifle:  squirrel and rabbit

.22 rifle AND 12 gauge for starlings (I don't hunt them.....I annihilate them)

.44 mag in rifle for coyote

6mm BR and .22 Swift for coyote

6mm BR and .22 Swift for Southern 'Killer Monster' Ground Hog.    :lol:

6mm BR for Crow

.17 Hornet for Crow (this is my present day, medium range varmint rifle).

 

..........Widder

 

 

 

 

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Small game:   Marlin39A and my first gun ever a Stevens 410 single shot

 

Birds:  Red Label or Browning Citori 20 ga; Browning Sweet Sixteen; Rem 870 16

 

Small critters;   Ruger 77/22 .22 Hornet; Remington 700 222;  Remington 722 in 222 Mag

 

Medium Critters:  Winchester 70 22-250; Rem 700 6mm

 

Bigger Critters:  Remington 700 25-06

 

Deer/Hogs/etc:  Use to hunt with 25-06 but have shifted to  Ruger 270;,  Win 6.5 Swede;  Rem 700 35 Whelen and bought a few years ago what has become my all time favorite rifle and caliber.....a minty Remington 722 in .300 Savage.  If you ever shouldered a Rem 722 then you'll see what I mean.

 

Paper/Steel Critters are slaughtered with a Shiloh 44-77 and a Sporting Roller in 50-70

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Lawdy, this may take awhile.  When a gun nut and a hunting nut are combined in one body for 60 years...well, you get the idea.

 

Rimfires: .22 Short, Long Rifle and WMR - small game up thru wild turkeys.

Centerfire .22s: .218 Bee, .222 Rem, .223 Rem - turkeys and varmints primarily, but I killed my first whitetail with that Bee.

6mms: .6x45, 6 TCU, .243 Winchester (the 6x45 (6-.223) is my favorite do-all Central Texas cartridge)

.25s: .250 Savage, .25-06 Rem - deer and hogs 

.277: .270 Winchester - deer and hogs

.284: I was slow to the 7mm party, but a 7x57 is a new favorite deer and hog toy

.30 cal: .30 WCF, .30-06, .300 Win - deer and hogs, red stag

.338: .338-06 Ackley Improved - deer, hogs, elk

.357: .357 Mag (revolver and carbine) deer and hogs

.366: 9.3x74R - deer and hogs

.375: .38-55, .375 H&H - the .38-55 for deer and hogs, the 375 for deer and hogs, various African plains game and Cape Buffalo

.416: the .416 Rigby - deer and hogs, African plains game, Cape buffalo, elephant

.45 cal: .45 Colt and .45-70 - deer and hogs with the Colt, deer, hogs and Leopard with the .45-70

Shotguns: .410, 28 and 12

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Normally and if given the choice I will use a PSE bow.

But if I use a gun it will probably be....

Bigger than elk or can eat me in Alaska, .375 H&H

Elk is a .300 Win Mag

Mule deer, .30-06

AZ Cous deer or antelope, .243

Javalina, Ruger Old Army BP

 

 

I use calibers where if needed I can find ammo at any mom and pop store in small town rural USA.

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I don't do much birding or waterfowling - deer & elk mainly. I have a LOT of choices, but my main hunting rifle is an old Interarms Mark X Mauser in .270 Winchester topped with a 6x Leupold. It's taken dozens of mulies, whitetails, pronghorns, and elk over the past fifty years or so.

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Elk:  Remington 700 in .30-06, and a Ruger M77 in .270

Deer:  The two above, plus a Marlin 336 in .30-30, and another one in .35 Remington, or one of two muzzleloaders (one flint and one percussion), both in .50

Antelope:  Mostly the aforementioned Ruger M77 in .270

Pheasant and other birds:  Browning Citori O/U in 12 gauge

Rabbit:  The same shotgun as above

Squirrel:  Any of a number of .22s I own, all older bolt actions

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I shot my first deer with the .35 Remngton 336 Marlin I bought from Sears as a boy in the early 1950s. I also got a 2-3/8" barrelled 9 shot Sentinel High Standard .22 from Sears the same day.

 

My favourite elk rifle was a Browning Grade II semi automatic in .338 Winchester Magnum. I gave that to my youngest son.

 

I used an 8 gauge 4" double for turkeys. Now, I use a semiautomatic 10 gauge 3-1/2" for geese, turkeys and upland game.

 

I use Ruger .45 Colt revolvers, a .45 Colt Henry Big Boy and an AyA 10 gauge 3-1/2" for SASS.

 

My bullseye pistols are a .45 ACP Les Baer with 50 yard 1-1/2" modification barrel and a .22 LR Smith & Wesson Model 41.

 

About 40 years ago, I switched to handgun hunting for big game. I prefer Smith and Wesson revolvers in .44 Remington Magnum.

 

My buffalo rifle is a C. Sharps .50-140. It works well!  :)

 

The number and caliber of firearms that I have used over the decades is voluminous lke a true gun nut!!!  :wub:

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.22 pump gun (Rossi 52 SA) for small game and small varmints.  

 

.35 Remington M-08 for middle size game.

 

Browning M-95 in .30-40 U. S. Krag for big game.

 

Browning M-86 in .45-70 for really big game.

 

12 gauge(SKS 200E, custom from the factory when I was in Japan) for birds and some small game and for self defense.

 

1911 (RIA customized) for winter defense.

 

Colt Government Model .380 for warmer weather.

 

Charted Arms Undercover .38 Special (for back up and a good house gun) because it was my wife's piece

 

I generally have three or four of these at hand on most occassions.

 

If I can't get the job done with one of those,  it ain't gonna get done at all.

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.22 Rimfire in a Bolt action for Gophers to rabbits with the Odd Badger and Shunk thrown in ...

.204 Ruger Hawkeye , .222 Rem. in a heavy barrel 700 , .220 Swift Varmint 77 Ruger and sometimes the 6mm. M-77  Ruger for stuff up to Bobcats and Yotes ...

The Swift , .222 Rem. and the 6mm have taken Wolves ....

Wolf Guns ,,, I mostly use the 6mm or 25-06 Rem. ruger  M-77 Hawkeye  or in the bush my 1895 Marlin in .45-70 ... or a Winchester M-94 in .38-55 ...

Deer  Black Bears & Elk  starts with the .25-06, .270 Win. , 9.3 x 57 , .300 WSM, .45 Colt, .40-65 , .38-55 or .375 Ruger ....

Moose are all with the Bow , Recurve or Compound ....

Grizz ,,, We can't hunt them up here any more ,,, Stupid tree huggers ....

I have only Shot One Grizz for myself and I used a 24 inch barreled 6mm Rem. with a 105 gr. Speer Semi-spitzer  at 85 yards for a one shot clean kill ...

I had a fellow guide back me up with my .375 H&H ... The bear took 3 steps after the impact then fell over dead ....

The bullet broke a rib on the way in and slashed the shoulder ball on the way through and was found in the hide in the far shoulder ....

The lungs had 3 inch holes in them and were badly blood-shot ....

For angry Grizz , backing-up hunters I have used , .375 H&H ,.45-70, .416 Rigby, .375 Ruger and .460 Weatherby....

For Upland Birds i love my 101 Win in 28 ga. , My 20 ga Browning Citori, Winchester M-24 in 16 Ga. , My Husky under lever Hammered Double in 16 ga. I started with a 101 Winchester  with 26 in. barrels in 12 Ga...

For Ducks and Geese I use either a Browning Pump or Remington 870 Pump ....

 

Jabez Cowboy

 

 

 

 

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