Favorite Small Game Caliber

[bigdave1121]

My favorite is the 17HMR out of my 93R17-GV. Devastating on squirrels. What about you guys, what's your fav?

[MrFurious]

I'll have to say the old reliable 22LR.  The HMR is a little too much for squirrels IMO, and I see no benefit to the 17 Mach 2 here in the east where you're usually hunting them in the woods.  Out west the 17's are probably better for ground squirrels, but here in the east the extra range the offer isn't necessary for tree rats.

[chunks7mm]

i dont eat squirrels so i like the 17.....

22 mag is also very fun on rabbits and other smallish game

[10fp]

wait till hammer sees this,i bet he uses a 505 gibbs on squirrels

[vermonter]

I wouldn't be without my 22LR. It gets more use than any other gun. Lots of red squirrels around here that need to be kept in check. Shot 68 of them one year right around the house. When I ran coon hounds I probably shot a couple hundred coons. Lots of woodchucks. Even got a coyote one day with a 22LR

[nova1194]

     I live out west and I still stick with the 22LR, plenty accurate and still the cheapest thing going to shoot and ammo in every corner store, just not enough advantages with the 17 to get me to switch.

      Mike 

[BigDog]

I too am a huge 17HMR fan. Regularly taking  out marauding ground squirrels out to 200 yards with authority. The 204 comes into play after that. The 22LR is for the herd of attacking ground squirrels at 50 yards and extra 25 round 10/22 magazines to hold them at bay. You need that specific rifle for that special target! :laugh:

[EFBell]

Is 12 gauge a caliber?  Pheasent is considered small game around here and it's pretty hard to take them from the sky with a 22. Otherwise I use a 22. 

[urbaneruralite]

.44, but don't tell anybody. I mostly use a 20 gauge.

[sinman]

i use my 17hmr alot and also 22lr. i have though taken a couple bull bunnies with a 7mm wsm and a 22-250.

[pdog06]

Is 12 gauge a caliber?  Pheasent is considered small game around here and it's pretty hard to take them from the sky with a 22. Otherwise I use a 22. 

I haven't seen a pheasant around here in over a year. There used to be lots of em, but not any more. Alot more fox though, that might be why.

I really like my 17hmr, but haven't used it for small game yet. I used to always use either a .410 or a 20 ga.. I dont have the 410 anymore, but my grandfather just gave me his dads 870 wingmaster 20 ga.( the same one I used to use when we hunted together). Its gotta be 50 yrs old and is in excellent shape. I'm probably the last one to shoot it, 20 or so years ago. I plan on buying my kids a 410 and then letting them use this 20 ga sometimes.Other than that, you can't beat the 22lr. Killed many squirrels(and crows ) with it too.

[Fjold]

Tree rats - 22lr in Ruger MkII pistol

Pasture rats - It depends on the range.  I like chunky red rain so my favorite is probably the 243 with a 58 grain Hornady at 3900 fps.   

[Hammer]

My most frequently used small game caliber is a 44 using 250-grain Keith bullets or my 500 Linebaugh with 440-grainers.  Mostly because any small game taken is done serendipously to riding horses around the ranch and those revolvers are what is hanging on my hip.  Occasionally use a 45.

Years ago took a fair amount of African plains game, e.g., impala, with a Colt 1911 using Black Talons.  Worked great.

In the rifle category have found that most rifles that will stop a Cape Buffalo will also do well on small game.  On one trip to Botswana carried a 375 H&H for my light gun, 460 Weatherby for my medium, and a 500 for the heavy.  Had no problems with small game.

On the other end of the spectrum, used a Marlin 1894CL in 218 Bee, 25-20, 32-20, and 32 H&R for small game.  They have worked.

Have used the 22 rimfire magnum on jackrabbits.  It works, but not up to the 220 Swift or 44 Magnum.

.

[JCalhoun]

20ga.

[Apache]

22lr.....anything small and edible......and standing still for the most part.

12 guage for small moving edibles.