Looking to buy a new rifle/shotgun. I have a 870 Remington 12 gauge shotgun and a savage 30-06 rifle. Use the shotgun for rabbi

[Pureshooter]

Looking to buy a new rifle/shotgun. I have a 870 Remington 12 gauge shotgun and a savage 30-06 rifle. Use the shotgun for rabbit and turkey, rifle only for deer. Looking to hunt small game birds (duck, pheasent, doves etc.) or looking to hunt squirrels and other small game. Any suggestions as far as rifles/shotguns?

[Pureshooter]

And i know that the range can be very wide on this topic. just looking for ideas.

[coffeecupmike]

I recently picked up a .22 rifle for squirrel (and found ammo that was at a decent price). I sited it in last weekend and hope to do some hunting this weekend if I don't work.

[FirstBubba]

Your 870 will work just fine for ducks, squirrel, doves, etc.
You'll find a nice .22LR should fill the blank spot nicely.
You don't have to purchase an expensive .22, an inexpensive single shot will work nicely, teach you marksmanship and is thrifty on ammo. (no spray and pray!)

[nehunter92]

If you were to buy a .22 LR, then you would have the three guns I recommend everybody own. A 22 will work quite nicely for hunting small game such as rabbits and squirrels, and I know of no better (and more cost-effective) way to practice marksmanship than to buy a box of.22 LR and spend a day at the range. The only exception is that I do not know how well a .22 will work on doves. My first gun was a Rossi 22 breech-loader that converted to a .410; perhaps something of that nature might work? I know Savage made an O/U like for awhile. Either way, you could hardly go wrong with an inexpensive .22 and a likewise inexpensive 20 gauge or .410 shotgun.

[Pathfinder1]

Hi...


My favorite weapon for smaller game has always been the .22/.410 over/under.


Good for squirrels, rabbits, partridge, ducks (mostly Woodies), etc. Can't comment on doves...I don't think they're shot around here.

Also good on some varments.

[bayouwoof]

Ah love guns!

Have owned over 50 of 'em.

Ah have become very partial to Weatherby rifles and Miroku shotguns.

Mirokus have been sold under the brands Browning Citori, Charles Daly, and Miroku.

They are flawless.

Ah have owned a Charles Daly O/U 20 gauge and a Browning Citori XS Sporting .410 O/U.

Them guns don't miss.

[ozarkghost]

Your shotgun is versatile enough to use for all of the bird hunting you want to do. I would suggest a good .22 to round out your hunting. There are many inexpensive models out there for you to choose from but don't just look at price. A cheap rifle may not last as long as one that is a little more expensive.

[habben97]

your 870 should work fine for all the birds you want to hunt. just match shot size and choke tubes to the bird you will hunt. for small game, you cant beat a bolt action .22lr. put a 4x32 scope on it and you can shoot squirrels out to 50 - 75 yards.

[Pureshooter]

Thanks guys. Looks like i will be looking into a .22 lr rifle. My friend was telling me to look for a semi-auto shotgun, but i feel my pump will work just fine. Thanks for the opinions.

[Pureshooter]

Thanks guys. Looks like i will be looking into a .22 lr rifle. My friend was telling me to look for a semi-auto shotgun, but i feel my pump will work just fine. Thanks for the opinions.

[Guest]

The praises of the .22 LR have been sung enough, here and elsewhere. No battery of firearms is complete without one. All that being said, I would consider either a Savage, or Kimber. The Savage is a more economical rifle, and probably offers more options. The Kimber is a miniature big game rifle, with a precision action, and will shoot as true as you can hold it. Either would be a perfect addition to your arsenal.

[jhjimbo]

Looks like a .22LR will round out your firearm compliment.
I have a J.C. Higgins .22 bolt action bought in 1956 for about $36. It is my squirrel gun, also shot rats in the dump while we were sitting on the fender of the car with the lights on. It is so accurate, I get looks when a squirrel does not have a head shot. Probably has had over 50 or 60,000 rounds through it and nothing has broke. Sports a Tasco World Class 4X scope.

[DEER30]

.22lr is a good choice for small game rifles as already mentioned.

There is nothing wrong with a 12 ga for the game birds you mentioned. Just vary your shot load accordingly

[Treestand]

I think you need a Dual Perpose Gun like the New Savage Mod 42 in 22Lr/410 Bore or 22Mag/20Ga, I would like to see you shot a Squirrels up in a tree with a shotgun and not with a 22Lr a miss is as good as a "mile"