Ideas for an all weather farm gun

[Legionnaire]

Took me a long time, but I finally found an H&R Handi-Rifle in .357. That's a cheap Millett SP1 on it. I haven't shot it a lot yet, but it's a hoot.

I also like the idea of the Ruger 77/22 in .22WMR. I have a wood-stocked specimen that would be too nice to throw in a truck. I'm thinking a 10/22 in .22WMR with a synthetic stock would be a good option, too.

 

[BSA1]

It is just amazing how so many people think the AR is the perfect tool for every job....hate to tell you this it is pretty far from it.

I think this is the first time I have seen someone say the AR is "From a maintenance & repair standpoint, the AR is far simpler. " then say over a bolt rifle....or lever gun....wow....just wow.

Fanboi's

Amazing just how perfect the ar is to some people. good grief their fan club is the worst thing about that average rifle.

You're just funning us aren't you?

Either that or you are very ignorant of the capabilities of the AR.

I am not a "fanboi's". I own other long guns and my favorite is a Uberti 1873 carbine in 32-20. In fact up to a couple of years ago I had never even shot a AR-15 and my experience with the .223 cartridge was with the Ruger Mini-14 which left me very unimpressed with it's accuracy.

Largely as a political protest against HRH in 2016 I brought some AR-15 stripped lowers. In other words no real interest, more of just in case she wins. Then at the urging a co-worker that owns a dozen or so AR's and shoots them a lot including prairie dogs at several hundred yards I built my first one. It was not difficult to build and I learned a lot about the AR rifle design.

Last year I built a second AR using budget parts from PSA. I wanted to see how good of a gun I could get on the cheap. An Anderson lower and a PSA complete rifle kit cost me $395.00. I splurged and added a Magpul ASAP swivel end plate for $30.00 so I can use a sling. All I can say is this gun has far exceeded my expectations with it's accuracy. In addition my low investment in it makes it my go-to-gun that I will not cry over it getting dinged up and worn from being used a lot.

As a for the AR being a "average rifle" I guess that is true if you consider Camp Perry to be just a average shooting match.

 

[MachIVshooter]

Fanboi's

Amazing just how perfect the ar is to some people. good grief their fan club is the worst thing about that average rifle.

You clearly just don't like them and have an axe to grind, but nothing substantive to justify your position. Are you even going to attempt to make a case for another firearm as an economical & accurate short to medium range farm & ranch gun for dispatching <100 lb pest animals, or just continue to be dismissive and insult people who like them?

 

[Nature Boy]

I’m kind of tripped up on the OPs requiremnt for a rifle that won’t ring his bell if he shoots it in a pinch sans ear protection.

I keep thinking the 17 HMR. I’d like to recommend the Savage A17 because it’s a semiauto but I can’t in good faith as I have one and it has several functionality issues.

If most shots are inside 200 yards I still think a 17 HMR would be a good choice

 

[Hokie_PhD]

Fanboi's

Amazing just how perfect the ar is to some people. good grief their fan club is the worst thing about that average rifle.

I’ll admit I’m a big AR fan. At one point I was considering a bolt gun, but really don’t see it doing anything I need that an AR can do.

As for being perfect, I’d never say that. And I’d be the first to say there are other options for those crazy enough not to have one. (That worded that way to poke a bit of good natured fun at those who don’t want an AR)

I’m also not in the school of not cleaning them. I personally like to clean my guns after shooting them. But that doesn’t matters if it’s an AR, a pistol or a shotgun, to me it’s a way to make sure all is ok as while a proven design ARs aren’t perfect, parts wear like anything and you never know when a screw will come loose or something weird happened.

 

[fireman 9731]

Legionnair, that’s exactly what I need! I might swap out the furniture for the straight gripped wood and just paint it. I have seen a few models with iron sights too. I think they were a Talo special. If you haven’t shot it yet, you better not because then you might get attached and wouldn’t be able to sell it to me!

To put the AR argument to bed, I have one, and it doesn’t work for what I want. Mainly it’s too loud. And it doesn’t carry nearly as well as a straight stocked rifle. I have ear plugs with me most of the time, but putting them on just costs a couple more seconds in an already very short shooting window.

I have thought about trying to piece a handi rifle together from parts. I have a few 12 gauges already, there are receivers on GB for about $65. All I would really need to do is find a barrel. But that’s about like finding a needle in a haystack.

 

[Hokie_PhD]

To put the AR argument to bed, I have one, and it doesn’t work for what I want. Mainly it’s too loud. And it doesn’t carry nearly as well as a straight stocked rifle.

What you have being too loud has no bearing on other configurations. I suggested 300 Blackout as you could load subsonic and add a suppressor if you decided to get a tax stamp (or if Congress would do the right thing and eliminate them from the NFA)

How they carry is subjective, and to a degree a function of the sling, the furniture, magazine, etc.
It’s also subjective.

All that aside, it seems that you don’t want to go the AR route and that’s your choice. Several of us have given you opinions on why it could be a good option. So good luck in finding that needle in a haystack. And I’d love to hear what you finally decide as while I think the AR makes sense I do like hearing what others do and other options they come up with. So it’ll be nice to hear what you ultimately decide.

 

[fpgt72]

You clearly just don't like them and have an axe to grind, but nothing substantive to justify your position. Are you even going to attempt to make a case for another firearm as an economical & accurate short to medium range farm & ranch gun for dispatching <100 lb pest animals, or just continue to be dismissive and insult people who like them?

I own one, bought it in the 80's when they said they would take them away from us the first time....even has a pony on it. It will shoot every rot gut ammo I have ever feed it, I don't think it has ever not run....runs on ammo and mags that others are going to be kicking the gun to get it running again. Last time it was shot was....thinking....kid was 16 he is 21 now....almost 22.....so a few years ago at a CMP match. It has not seen the light of day in that long.

I shot the living fool out of it in the beginning....now we have people that think it is the end all and be all of everything....it is the answer to every question....need a can opener....use an AR.

So the "new" users to this platform ruined it for me, I never thought it was all that and a bag of chips. It was just another gun.

This guy wants to leave it on a porch IIRC, and to have someone say care and feeding is more simple over a bolt gun is at best uninformed.

So yea, some of the statements on here are pure fanboi statements, based in their clear bias that it is what that mexican would use.

 

[SamT1]

To put the AR argument to bed, I have one, and it doesn’t work for what I want. Mainly it’s too loud. And it doesn’t carry nearly as well as a straight stocked rifle. I have ear plugs with me most of the time, but putting them on just costs a couple more seconds in an already very short shooting window.
.

You could try a thread protector or one of the flash hiders that divert the blast foreward. They are way too loud with most flash hiders or brakes for sure. I wish they came with a protector and you bought a “muzzle device” of your choosing.
Blackout is a lot quieter than 223. Subs would be hearing safe for sure from a 16”. 220 or so grain at 1050, pretty similar to a pistol carbine but 30 round semi auto. Pistol caliber carbines are fun too though, mine are dusty though.

 

[someguy2800]

Try a krink brake, you will be amazed. Probably a 30% reduction from a bare muzzle and easily 50% reduction compared to a flash hider. They are like $25.

 

[fpgt72]

To put the AR argument to bed, I have one, and it doesn’t work for what I want. Mainly it’s too loud. And it doesn’t carry nearly as well as a straight stocked rifle. I have ear plugs with me most of the time, but putting them on just costs a couple more seconds in an already very short shooting window.

Then sell that modern marvel and get yourself a real weapon of iron and wood

Really however, snag yourself a long barrel....that in and of itself will quiet the plastic fantastic down some. I would say my full length is no louder then my CZ 527 in 223....those shorter barreled things are just for the tacticool putzes out there that want to play army and do mag dumps to show how great they are.

 

[SamT1]

I own one, bought it in the 80's when they said they would take them away from us the first time....even has a pony on it. It will shoot every rot gut ammo I have ever feed it, I don't think it has ever not run....runs on ammo and mags that others are going to be kicking the gun to get it running again. Last time it was shot was....thinking....kid was 16 he is 21 now....almost 22.....so a few years ago at a CMP match. It has not seen the light of day in that long.

I shot the living fool out of it in the beginning....now we have people that think it is the end all and be all of everything....it is the answer to every question....need a can opener....use an AR.

So the "new" users to this platform ruined it for me, I never thought it was all that and a bag of chips. It was just another gun.

This guy wants to leave it on a porch IIRC, and to have someone say care and feeding is more simple over a bolt gun is at best uninformed.

So yea, some of the statements on here are pure fanboi statements, based in their clear bias that it is what that mexican would use.

You need one made in the last 10 years to give it a fair shake, add a trigger too most of them still suck for some reason.
When you carry one on the farm or some other dusty place you can have input on if statements are true or false. They (AR15/10) pass all my real world dust dirt, shoot in the rain, never clean the thing tests. Bolt guns simply have not, they let dust and rain in the action and under the stock. They also get super beat up even the Tupperware stock guns. So close your dust cover and keep a mag in it and almost no dust can even get in the action.

AK and SKS passed also, but the accuracy difference with the AK and lack of reliable detach magazine on sks lead me to sell all mine.

Below is the locking lugs on a howa1500. Carried in my truck for about a year and half. Cleaned about once a month 100 rounds a month or so. Galling on the lugs from shooting it with grit in the action/dirt in the chamber, etc. Dirty conditions, not cleaned often,

 

[fpgt72]

I am not sure what a new one would give me past the old one....IIRC the trigger is not that bad....at least I don't remember it being nagant revolver horrid....it also shot real well...put holes where you wanted them. I am not sure what a new one would give me past being able to do the barbie thing and stick all kinds of useless tacticool garbage on it that serves no real world use what so ever for 99.9% of the idjitos that use the things.

I also would reject your never clean the thing....unless chrome lined, it is going to suffer the same fate as any other machine in those conditions....a gun is just a machine....the AR is a good machine, never said it was not, what I do say is it is not the best machine for the stated application.

 

[SamT1]

I also would reject your never clean the thing....unless chrome lined, it is going to suffer the same fate as any other machine in those conditions....a gun is just a machine....the AR is a good machine, never said it was not, what I do say is it is not the best machine for the stated application.

The mechanism is closed so it doesn’t fall victum to dust unless you leave the mag out and dust cover open. So I can run several hundred through it without it getting nasty. Even then it’s not a nasty that ruins parts.

 

[someguy2800]

I think if chocolate chip cookies were in favor you would be telling us all how terrible they actually are and how peanut butter cookies are what we really need. Obviously the chocolate chip fanbois don't know whats good for them, they've been brainwashed by the cookie industry.

 

[fpgt72]

The mechanism is closed so it doesn’t fall victum to dust unless you leave the mag out and dust cover open. So I can run several hundred through it without it getting nasty. Even then it’s not a nasty that ruins parts.

and the bolt gun is also closed? On some designs not even a hole for a magazine for gook to get in.

All I am saying here is there are tools for every job, yes you can use a ratchet for a hammer, and it can work, but it is not the best tool for the job...if you want to pound a nail, and looking for a tool to do it, the ratchet is not the best for it.

Now some people are just thinking the ratchet is the only thing you need for every job, and it can do so many things....and you can get it in many different sizes....but sometimes that hammer is the tool you need.

 

[Bottom Gun]

My choice for a rifle shooting a low noise round would be a Remington 597 in .22 magnum. Mine has been accurate and reliable and you can shoot it without ear protection or worrying about the noise freaking your neighbors out

 

[somethingbenign]

Thread is about helping a guys find a rifle and he already said an AR doesn't fit his needs. If you want to keep arguing the merits of platforms start a new thread instead of getting this one locked down. No reason we can't help fireman, I was told this place was the high road.

 

[BSA1]

All I am saying here is there are tools for every job, yes you can use a ratchet for a hammer, and it can work, but it is not the best tool for the job...if you want to pound a nail, and looking for a tool to do it, the ratchet is not the best for it.

Now some people are just thinking the ratchet is the only thing you need for every job, and it can do so many things....and you can get it in many different sizes....but sometimes that hammer is the tool you need.

At first I thought you were just funning us.

Then I thought that you are ignorant of the AR capabilities but your posts suggest otherwise.

Then you made a off-color racist remark about Mexicans and threw out some remarks about playing Army..

What you have not done is recommend a specific gun and cartridge for the O.P.

 

[fpgt72]

We can help the hose dragger....but first we need to get him on the correct path and bow down to the all mighty AR and its do all, do it anywhere, anytime, any caliber....he just need help to see the light and be a good follower of the black rifle cult.

I crack myself up.

But for real....I think he needs to look at the Ruger 77/357 Plastic stock, stainless....even ruger says all weather. Shooting 38's in the thing would do a number on coyote at the distances he is talking about.....I think it is the perfect fit....it is just a little spendy and I doubt you will find one used...people tend to hold on to them

 

[fpgt72]

At first I thought you were just funning us.

Then I thought that you are ignorant of the AR capabilities but your posts suggest otherwise.

What you have not done is recommend a specific gun and cartridge for the O.P.

go back to page 2 Post 27 And I guess when you started typing I suggested it again.

 

[Armored farmer]

A .22lr conversion kit in an AR is quiet.

 

[SamT1]

and the bolt gun is also closed? On some designs not even a hole for a magazine for gook to get in.
.

But the bolt is exposed to the elements and sweeps them in when you cycle it.
I’m for real if you carry a bolt in the truck on a farm you better clean it every few days.

Sorry to hyjack. But I’m an expert on dusty farm gun use. I may need more range in my environment than the OP and like multiple shots since we have hogs and lots of totes. I get guys not needing an ar, but the hate isn’t justified.

 

[BSA1]

go back to page 2 Post 27 And I guess when you started typing I suggested it again.

Then why do you keep bashing the AR, AR owners and Mexicans?

Your message is being lost in your hate and off-color remarks.

 

[Blue Brick]

Hi Point 995 9mm