Best caliber for small game hunting?

[ApacheCoTodd]

I think you're casting too broad a net starting with tree-rats and ending with coyotes.

One end speaks almost exclusively to .22.

At the other end you also need to tell us what ranges.

Over the past 20 years, I've found an AR or other carbine in 9mm to be OUTSTANDING for critters; trash-panda to coyote as far as intermediate range is concerned.

Not a big fan of .223 - often regardless the projectile - as it often merely puts .22 diameter holes in a critter unless the shot is well placed on a relatively immobile quarry.

Todd.

 

[Gordon]

View attachment 894772
.22wmr is my answer to your question.
Coyotes are a bit of a stretch.

The classic savage 24 is an option. ..222 or .223/20ga would be your perfect solution.
View attachment 894773

Check out the .223/20 gauge I have advertised in rifle Shot gun forum ! It was my answer 30 yesrs ago !
Today I have a beautiful and accurate Model 25 Remington in 25-20 I am keeping for my short range needs as did the generation before me thought was ideal for the purpose. It can hit well to 150 yards with the Lyman peep and the iris type insert I have on it

 

[jmr40]

Everyone needs a 22 LR. It will do 95% of what you want to do for the smaller end of the spectrum. The rifles and ammo is cheap and they are great for practice. You can take coyote or medium size game with a 22, but there are better options.

With 125 gr varmint loads your 308 will pick up where the 22 leaves off. Ideally a 22 centerfire would be a good option between 22 and 308 and I'd add another rifle at some point. I like 223, but there are other options. Until you can justify a 3rd rifle you can do everything you need to do with a 22 LR and your 308.

 

[Picher]

I really enjoy my .17 HMR and shot coyotes (2) at 60 and 120 yards (that one was running away from me). It also works fine on squirrels, woodchucks, skunks, and other small game/varmints. One of the best things about it is that it's within 1" of zero from 20 to 140 yards because it has great velocity. I shoot both 17 and 20 grain bullets, but the 20s seem to be the best for hunting larger varmints/game.

My rifle is a CZ 452 with a pretty nice, older 3-9x Bushnell Elite scope. I often throw a handful of rounds in my pocket when I go on a walkabout on my son's woods and fields. The rifle has a fluted heavy barrel that has enough weight to keep it steady for fairly long offhand or sitting shots.

I also have a .22 WMR standard barrel for that rifle, but haven't used it since getting the .17 HMR barrel. That's how much I like the rifle as now configured.

 

[jmorris]

I wonder how many people have shot a rabbit or squirrel with a 223, or any other 22 centerfire cartridge.....In my experience there is not much left, if you are just killing the pests who cares, but if you want to eat the animal you are going to turn it into a just flat out mess

A 35 grain vmax will turn a tree rat into a bag of goo even out of a 22 hornet.

That said, I have likely killed more squirrels and rabbits with my Benjamin pellet gun before I ever had anything else, than all I have killed in the decades since then. I was my Grandfather’s goto, to keep critters out of his garden.

Its been a number of years since I have eaten either and I have other critters on my list of pests that must go. Armadillos tearing up the yard for example are the largest “small” stuff I have shot a lot of in the last decade, 5-15lb range, ranges are generally well inside 25 yards and the 33 grain/740fps CBee rounds work fine on them and you won’t even wake up the others inside the house when you are shooting them in the yard.

 

[jmorris]

Obviously because if I try to shoot small game with it, it would obliterate the animal. I’m looking for the best round for all small game such as squirrels, rabbits, up to groundhogs, coyotes and other animals around there. I was looking at 22LR but I see they kinda fall off when trying to hunt anything a tiny bit close to medium game.

What are your goals? Are you wanting to eat them? If you don’t make groundhog soup or coyote jerky, just obliterate them and get something suitable for the ones you don’t just want dead.

 

[BigBL87]

If you absolutely have to have one rifle, 22 Mag or 17 HMR would probably be your best option but I feel like those are a little underpowered for coyote sized game and a bit overpowered for the smaller animals. I've heard of people using them for coyote but I'd definitely go for headshots if you do.

A better idea, IMO, would be to get a 22lr for the smaller game and a .223 for the woodchuck and coyote sized game. They really are in 2 different size classes IMO.

I guess if you just want to kill the squirrels and rabbits, you could use a .223 for all of them, but a .223 will pretty much destroy squirrels and rabbits and there won't be much usable meat left. Even a 17 HMR can do excessive damage to squirels.

 

[Jason_W]

Next time I have done gun money, I’m picking up a Henry in .327 federal as a companion piece to my SP-101 in the same chambering.

.327 federal guns will chamber anything in that cartridge family, including .32 s&w and .32 H&R mag.

I figure I can load light, non expanding.32 h&r loads for meat hunting rabbits etc. while full .327 fed loads (which are ballistically similar to the .30 carbine out of a long gun) would work for larger game at somewhat longer ranges.

 

[BigBL87]

One other thought would be a .357 Magnum rifle, and use 38 Special in it for squirrels and rabbits. Still overpowered, but if you use flat nose or round nose instead of HPs in 38, you may cut down on the meat damage. The thing is, though, if you use a scope it will only be zeroed for one or the other at a time. And if you're using irons, you'll have to remember what your drops are between the two. You also won't have the range of .223 or other similar calibers for the larger game.

 

[Huntolive]

243. Nuf said.

 

[mshootnit]

Hey all, I have a Ruger American in .308 and that is my dedicated medium - large game rifle. Obviously because if I try to shoot small game with it, it would obliterate the animal. I’m looking for the best round for all small game such as squirrels, rabbits, up to groundhogs, coyotes and other animals around there. I was looking at 22LR but I see they kinda fall off when trying to hunt anything a tiny bit close to medium game. I’m looking for a dedicated rifle and caliber for small game. Any suggestions? Was eyeing 22 hornet.

Yes absolutely 22 Hornet. Great little round. The mid-late 1990's grey barrel Ruger 22 Hornets are absolute tack drivers. The Hornet is reloadable as well.
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/858050129

 

[Aim1]

243. Nuf said.

Shooting .243s at a squirrel in a tree could be dangerous.

 

[illinoisburt]

Not a big fan of .223 - often regardless the projectile - as it often merely puts .22 diameter holes in a critter unless the shot is well placed on a relatively immobile quarry.

Try a box of 32 to 45 grain varmint bullets like vmax, tnt, or similar 223 loads. At under 400 yards the results will not be little pencil holes (don't try on anything you might want to eat).

For the OP's question, would stick with a 22LR and keeping ranges a little shorter for anything over 15 pounds. I think people get a poor impression of 22LR because they hunt with solids or truncated cone bullets which tend to do poorly. There is a substantial difference in performance compared to high velocity hollow points on animals. My go-to had been 40 grain winchester super-x plated hollow points for 30 years now. They have always killed better than any other rimfire bullets I tried.

** Edit for clarification: these are the 1435 fps 40 grain hollow points

 

[fpgt72]

Shooting .243s at a squirrel in a tree could be dangerous.

No more so then any other center fire cartridge.....unless you have MILES around with nothing this is just flat stupid.

 

[fpgt72]

One other thought would be a .357 Magnum rifle, and use 38 Special in it for squirrels and rabbits. Still overpowered, but if you use flat nose or round nose instead of HPs in 38, you may cut down on the meat damage. The thing is, though, if you use a scope it will only be zeroed for one or the other at a time. And if you're using irons, you'll have to remember what your drops are between the two. You also won't have the range of .223 or other similar calibers for the larger game.

This is a good suggestion if inside of 100 yards.

I actually suggested this to a neighbor in a general round table bullsh... session with a bunch of other guys over some very good bourbon. He was having issues in losing chickens to everything from coyote to skunks and raccoons. This guy was not a gun guy and at the WELL inside of football distances we talked about the 22LR seemed to be what came up most. I had issues handing someone that had VERY little shooting experience a 22lr and telling him to kill coyote with it.....in the dark.

I am very firm in the camp that I don't care what it is no animal deserves to go off with a bullet in its hind hip to be in pain for the rest of its days.....or to be gut shot and go off into a hole to die a slow death coughing up blood. I don't care if it is mice on up, everything deserves to be taken in an ethical manner.

I suggested a 357 lever rifle.....Oh the recoil will just scare him.....what?!?!? you ever shot a winchester or marlin lever....they weigh like 7lbs, the recoil is nothing.....there are some very good bullets out there for this, it is not going to go really any farther then a 22lr will, and will be stopped by trees and such just like the 22 will. It will be much more likely to get the animal to quit moving if a bad shot is taken.

I don't think the OP is in the same group as this guy was.....and I doubt I will find a coyote with at least 2 bullet wounds dead in my 3 sided shed.....the OP said he has a 308 and hunts with it.

We really need to think of the experience of the shooter when they are asking questions like this....it comes up in the air gun world all the time....when the experience goes down the size of the hole needs to go up for things like pesting.

 

[Robbins290]

I use a shotgun, in 20 gauge. incase the animals are in in a tree. I do not want a stray bullet into someone a mile or so away.

 

[BigBL87]

This is a good suggestion if inside of 100 yards.

I actually suggested this to a neighbor in a general round table bullsh... session with a bunch of other guys over some very good bourbon. He was having issues in losing chickens to everything from coyote to skunks and raccoons. This guy was not a gun guy and at the WELL inside of football distances we talked about the 22LR seemed to be what came up most. I had issues handing someone that had VERY little shooting experience a 22lr and telling him to kill coyote with it.....in the dark.

The reason it came to me was actually something similar. Supervisor at work wanted something because SHE was losing chickens. Came to me as the token gun guy and we talked about it. She didn't want something like .223 because she was concerned about how far the bullet would carry, and any shooting would be within 100 yards on their property. The 357 made the most sense, they ended up getting a Henry Big Boy in 357. I recommended going with one with a side loading gate for expediency when they needed to put it into action quick, but they preferred the reputation of the Henry.

 

[mshootnit]

A 22 Hornet bolt action rifle is a step up in performance from a 17 HMR, and 22 WMR. It is also a centerfire cartridge.

 

[red rick]

I wish there were more choices of 22 hornets . I would like to see a Ruger American in 22 hornet .

 

[.308 Norma]

Hey all, I have a Ruger American in .308 and that is my dedicated medium - large game rifle. Obviously because if I try to shoot small game with it, it would obliterate the animal.

Was eyeing 22 hornet.

A 22 Hornet with factory loads would also "obliterate" small game (squirrels and rabbits), although it would work well on large varmints (groundhogs and coyotes) at any reasonable ranges. I myself have always had a 22 LR or three for rabbits, fool hens and such (not much squirrel hunting in this part of the country) but I used to use a 223 for rockchucks and coyotes. Nowadays I use a heavy barreled 22-250.
You don't sound like someone who would really get into it Jacob, but I have a buddy that loves his 22 Hornet for everything from rabbits to coyotes. Here's the thing though -- when my buddy hunts rabbits he's planning on eating, his 22 Hornet is loaded with his own cast lead bullets over small charges of powder that kick the bullets out at something less than 1,400fps. That load doesn't make a heck of a lot of noise (something like a .22 Magnum rifle) and it doesn't explode even the little pigmy rabbits we have around here.
Then, when my buddy goes coyote or rockchuck hunting, he has his 22 Hornet loaded with 45 grain jacket bullets over charges of powder that kicks the bullets out at around 2,800 fps. That load is a little noisier (not quite as loud as a 223) and back when there were a lot of jack rabbits around, that load would explode them.

 

[cdb1]

I think two rifles is a good idea too. For me a .22 WMR is too much for rabbits and not quite enough for coyotes if you want to shoot coyotes without restrictions. By without restrictions on coyotes I mean keep shots at 75 yards or less with a .22 Mag.

As a child growing up in the 60’s I wanted a .22 Mag so bad it almost hurt. Never got one. So why I waited until I was in my 50’s to get one is beyond me. The first animal I shot with it was a rabbit in my back yard at around 30 yards. No eating that rabbit. Shot another rabbit and it was pretty much blown up too. So IMO .22 Mag is too much for rabbit. The 75 yard max on coyotes is arbitrary and based on a small amount of research. After shooting a couple it reinforced the idea that 75 yards is a good number. So again if one rifle-.22 Mag. A .22 LR and a .223 would be better I believe.

.222 has been suggested. If you roll your own great. If not I wouldn’t get one because of ammunition availability, even online.

 

[Marko J.]

I see that the focus is on rifle caliber but i grew up eating squirrel and jack rabbit everyday that i harvested with my little 410. Even though there weren't many neighbors nearby, I didn't have to worry too much about stray bullets. It wasn't a decision i made, just what my father set me up with.

 

[mshootnit]

I think two rifles is a good idea too. For me a .22 WMR is too much for rabbits and not quite enough for coyotes if you want to shoot coyotes without restrictions. By without restrictions on coyotes I mean keep shots at 75 yards or less with a .22 Mag.

As a child growing up in the 60’s I wanted a .22 Mag so bad it almost hurt. Never got one. So why I waited until I was in my 50’s to get one is beyond me. The first animal I shot with it was a rabbit in my back yard at around 30 yards. No eating that rabbit. Shot another rabbit and it was pretty much blown up too. So IMO .22 Mag is too much for rabbit. The 75 yard max on coyotes is arbitrary and based on a small amount of research. After shooting a couple it reinforced the idea that 75 yards is a good number. So again if one rifle-.22 Mag. A .22 LR and a .223 would be better I believe.

.222 has been suggested. If you roll your own great. If not I wouldn’t get one because of ammunition availability, even online.
View attachment 895044

22LR pokes a hole in a rabbit 22Mag rips them open

 

[TexasPatriot.308]

Savage .17hmr

 

[scotjute]

.22 magnum for under 100 yds. Past that would look at some of other more powerfull .22 calibers like those mentioned by others.
That said, I normally carry a 20 gage full choke in woods these days.