What gun for carrying on ranch/farm?

I'm liable to carry anything on the farm from a 22 on up. One of my favorites is an old Savage 24 22mag over a 20g.

While wandering around in my area, it depends on the time of year.

WINTER SNOW SHOEING or CROSS COUNTRY SKIING.


DURING THE SUMMER BROWN BEAR SEASON.. IN THE TRUCK, ON ATVs, HORSEBACK OR IN THE PLANE

The Ruger mini 14 "ranch rifle" is the perfect ranch rifle.

Since this is the rifle forum I'll limit my response to rifles. My choice would be a Rossi 92 in 357 magnum. I'd keep a handful each of 38s and 357s in my pocket.

Depends on the season. When I go down to the ranch, the toy chest comes open and I will either take an old favorite or something I have been neglecting. It depends on my mood and what I am planning to do.

During the summer, a 22 for snakes (A 3" S&W 617 works as well as a Ruger Mk 1, 2, or 3). If there are a lot a jack rabbits, a 22 or 22 Mag. In the fall and spring, a 223 for varmints. During deer season, one of my hunting guns. If we are seeing mountain lion sign, a 44 RM Super Blackhawk or a 45 Colt Blackhawk.

In the 13 years since I've had my 1881 Ranch we've had a LOT of guests. Mostly they bring everything you could imagine, but I encourage 22s for lots of plinkin' fun.





I have a 1000 yard (plus) range set up so that's available for folks that want to avail themselves of that opportunity.



I also have a "Cowboy Town" and a full set of targets set up for them that want to shoot a cowboy match.








Or whatever else takes your fancy.




Graboids are a bit of a problem around the place

I am an active farmer and spend most of my time out and about. I always have a truck gun of some sort. I have carried 12ga, sks. .357, .204, .30-30, and .22.
I like the .204 for long range varmits...but the .22 gets to see the most action.

A Ruger GSR and a S&W 625.

Back in the day I grew up on a small beef farm. We used to have an oiled leather scabbard mounted on one fender of the tractor and it held a somewhat beat-up but reliable Sears and Roebuck Lever Action 30-30. If we felt the need for a pistol it was my dad's old 1911 in an old military flap holster.

If I were working the same turf today it'd probably still be a 30-30 levergun of some sort but the pistol would most likely be some variety of .357 Magnum revolver (probably a Ruger)

M61 Vulcan 20 mm. With 12,000 rounds in the bed of the F-250 so you can shoot for a full two minutes.

For roaming around on my place



I carry a hacked up, bubba'd up $75 Mosin Nagant I found in a pawn shop.



Bad for "Wiley o'yote" out to a couple football fields, cheap ammo, doesn't mind being tied on the ATV for weeks at a time, rugged as tank and if it gets lost or broken ...it ain't no big deal.

just my choice..others will vary.

loosenock

I am partial to a 357 magnum on a ranch. I have a S&W 627 that has eight in the cylinder. Two rounds of snake shot, three magnum, and three. 38 wadcutters. Like having three guns in one.

For a rifle, it depends. If you have to carry it all day, I'd go with a polymer framed AR with a light short barrel. If you don't have to carry it with you, there are a lot of great options but I'd stick with barrels 18 inches or less.

Mark

I carry a number of different pistols but a 1911 or Glock is more likely than anything else.

As for rifle, if I am hunting, it would be something specific for what I am after.

just roaming around generally a suppressed SBR, it's handy and you can make a shot faster than you can put on hearing protection.

I have a 160 acre farm in the North GA mountains. My carry gun(s) vary according season and situation. If I am hiking around, on a tractor or in a farm truck it presents different opportunities. If walking in the woods generally I have a 1911 Government Model or 6" .357 to 10" .454 Casull. On the long gun side choices can be 12 gauge, medium size autoloader to turn bolt rifle. There are so many variables by season an location hard to say. Are you in bear country, rattle snake land, ground hogs, grouse, coyote, or mutant turtles. What are the critters, terrain and weather?

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned the Ruger Gunsight Scout in .308. That one just seems like a great jack-of-all-trade firearm. If I hadn't just purchased a different .308 bolt rifle, I would own one already. It's at the top of my list.
I actually wish that they also made 'em in .223/5.56.
Someone needs to give Ruger a call though I hear that they have a one-year backlog.
B

My In laws have about 80 acres of mesquite wild land here in central TX and I really love to take a weekend and get out of the big city.

I am going to go a bit unconventional but I really like my Taurus Judge out there. I keep it loaded with 230 gr .45c rounds for when (not if) you run into a hog. I also have 2 or 3 410 birdshot shells in my pocket for the occasional snake.

The Marlin 30-30 hangs out in the truck when I am close by, if I am going walking then it usually comes with too. Mostly for the two legged critters, but every once in a while she'll get a hog down by the pond or rooting up my coastal field.

ID

Also not all of us here in Austin are all that bad. Sure there are a bunch of pot smoking hippies here but there are a few of us keeping the faith here in town. ...And we all wish we were out of town.

Ruger GP100 on a shoulder holster works for me. Out of the way and .357 with some snake shot handles most anything I'm likely to come across on my 50 acres.

Ruger .44 mag on the hip and a Marlin .44 lever action in the saddle scabbard.

I carry my old Wards Western Field .22 bolt action in the UTV, but would like to have had a 22-250 to reach out and touch coyotes during deer and elk rifle seasons. Otherwise, it's the .308, because I have no use for the hide or fur of the coyotes anyway.

I live on a farm and carry always where legal if I have clothes on.

Click to expand...

Where is it illegal to carry on your farm!

The carry part of that equation is what you find odd?

I have a fave if I don't know what I'm gonna need. It's a Rossi 92 lever carbine in .357 magnum. I handload a 105 SWC over 2.3 grains bullseye in .38 brass for 900 fps, very accurate, 1.5" at 50 yards, good small game load. I just have to jack up my sight elevation. I have a click adjust ghost ring aperture sight off an old .22 I put on the gun years ago. It's very repeatable.

My other load is 16.8 grains Lil Gun under a 165 grain cast, gas checked SWC in .357 magnum brass. It clocks just under 1900 fps. I just take one gun and two loads and I'm ready for hogs to rabbits.

What I carry around my place a lot when working if I am thinking hogs, though, is an SKS rifle, Norinco. I have a 5 round magazine on it fits flat, easy to carry, yet I can dump that mag and jack the round out a lot easier than the lever gun when I get back to the truck. Then there's my 10/22 I tote a lot. Heck, I guess it depends on my mood.

Is it just a 'messing around' gun, or for more serious defensive use?
If it's for fun, it would be hard to beat a .22 of some kind.
I agree with the above posters that a lever action carbine/revolver chambered for the same round would be great.
Caliber depends on intended use.

Carry at my place is usually a 1911 in 38 Super or a 686P/6", AR in the house, but if I see large boar tracks I break out the Marlin in 45-70. I live in active mountain lion country, so far I haven't needed to use firearms during night time encounters.

I usually tote my Win. 94 in .375 if I'm in the woods for any length of time, the two footed varmints don't stay around much if they see you toting .