What .22 for a backpacking hunting gun?

[Macchina]

This is not a thread about a packed-away kit-gun. I'm looking for a lightweight hunting .22.

We do a backpacking trip once a year where we bring no food for 3 days and fish, hunt, gather all our food. I always bring a break-down fishing pole so I'm good there. Gathering food in the fall can be difficult but I'm reading up on edibles. As for hunting, I bring either my bull barreled Roger Mark III (42oz.) Or my Henry .22 carbine (72 oz.). I would love to get an accurate .22 handgun that weighs around a pound, but don't know what to look for. A lightweight revolver would be ideal, but they're either very expensive (S&W kit-gun) or very heavy (Heritage Rough Rider). Absolute ideal would be a Ruger LCR in .22 with a 4" barrel. If a very light single-shot .22 handgun existed, I may even be interested in that...

I'm looking for a sub $400, sub 2 pound, .22 handgun that its accurate enough to hit a squirrel at 20 yards.

 

[Coop45]

Have you considered a Ruger 22/45 Lite? They run about 23 oz.

 

[MedWheeler]

The Charter Arms Target Pathfinder supposedly runs about 18 ounces. I've never shot one, but was impressed with the fit, finish, and feel of one I handled recently in a Gander Mountain store. Tag price was around $300, and the gun is in stainless.

A secondhand Ruger Bearcat should fill the bill, too.

 

[itsa pain]

I know you said a pistol but I have a charter arms AR7 that is very light packs great and is easier to hit with then any pistol

 

[Outlaw Man]

For a semi-auto, I'd go with a Browning Buckmark Camper. A little heavier than that 22/45, but more accurate in my hands. It's a little finicky on ammo, so bring good stuff like CCI.

For a revolver, I second the used Bearcat idea. Good shooting, lightweight gun.

 

[murf]

there are a ton of bearcats for less than 400 bucks on gunbroker. get the older model with the aluminium frame to keep weight at one pound.

i keep my bearcat and a hundred rounds of ammo (in a plastic baggie) in my camelpack when i am out riding in the back country. don't even know it's there.

murf

 

[Certaindeaf]

S&W 422. I don't know what they go for.. they discontinued them some time ago.

 

[Pilot]

I woods carry a Ruger 22/45 (MK II era) with four inch bull barrel. The polymer frame makes it pretty light, and it is accurate enough for target shooting, and small game hunting.

 

[Furncliff]

 

[phonesysphonesys]

Get a Ruger Single Six with the extra cylinder in .22 magnum. You can use .22 long rifle ammo or the .22 magnum. Very versital and rugged.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Why would he want to carry a lunk of a pistol when he already carries a lunk of a pistol and said he doesn't want to carry a lunk of a pistol?
Me, if I don't carry food on a trip, I really don't mind packing a lunk of a pistol.

 

[danez71]

there are a ton of bearcats for less than 400 bucks on gunbroker.

I got kind of excited when I saw this so I looked.... but most all of them are $400+ and none with a buy now price of under $400

 

[Vern Humphrey]

As for hunting, I bring either my bull barreled Roger Mark III (42oz.) Or my Henry .22 carbine (72 oz.).

As an old Infantryman and a long-time backpacker, let me point out that hunting and backpacking aren't a good mix. If you're backpacking, your emphasis is on covering ground, reaching your next day's campsite, and so on. A backpacker wants to hold weight down.

A hunter, on the other hand, has no schedule and no destination (and the same is true for a fisherman.) Once you arrive at your planned campground, you leave your gear there and hunt out from it. So weight isn't nearly such a problem.

Your thread indicates your emphasis is on hunting. So I would recommend you choose the best hunting gun you can find, and put up with a little extra weight. Either of the guns you have would be fine, if you can shoot them accurately. A lighter gun, while easier to carry, may not be as shootable as what you have.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

Carry the Henry .

 

[pintler]

I know some folks who have been happy with putting 'Pac-Lite' upper/barrels on Ruger polymer 22/45 bottoms. I'm not sure about the weight, but with a poly bottom and mostly aluminum top it ought to be light.

I know zilch about them, but my google search turned up a one pound rifle: http://www.packrifle.com/

 

[Certaindeaf]

Packing eighty pounds fifty miles a day ain't nothing. lolz.

 

[Coop45]

Packing eighty pounds fifty miles a day ain't nothing. lolz.

Huh?

 

[Ken70]

Huh?

They have different measurements in Oregon. That's 80oz, over 50 yards, in a week....

 

[MCgunner]

Have you considered a Ruger 22/45 Lite? They run about 23 oz.

More accurate and therefore more suitable than my SR22, for sure. I do have a fave kit gun, though, an old (no longer made) Rossi M511 sportsman. That thing is 1" at 25 yards accurate with Federal Automatch. I'm hording my automatch as I can't (as most are well aware) get it right now, but this little Rossi is the only .22 I have that really likes it. The gun weighs about 24 ounces, stainless construction with a Pachmayr Compac grip.

 

[murf]

danez71,

my bad. was looking at bid prices, not reserve prices. most are north of $400.

murf

 

[wild cat mccane]

You didn't ask, but my goodness that is pointless.

But you didn't ask.

 

[slidemuzik]

X2 on the 422 or 622. Probably better with fixed sights for durability. 6" barrel. Alloy frame, but about 21 oz.

 

[CajunBass]

Look around for an old High Standard, 101 Sentinel. It's a K-frame sized, 9 shot, fixed sight, aluminum frame, DA/SA, 22 revolver. The one I had had a 4" barrel, but they probably made longer back in the day. Plenty accurate to hit a rabbit or a squirrel. Light as a feather, and in an Uncle Mikes nylon holster, you won't even know it's there.

 

[Macchina]

Look around for an old High Standard, 101 Sentinel. It's a K-frame sized, 9 shot, fixed sight, aluminum frame, DA/SA, 22 revolver. The one I had had a 4" barrel, but they probably made longer back in the day. Plenty accurate to hit a rabbit or a squirrel. Light as a feather, and in an Uncle Mikes nylon holster, you won't even know it's there.

That sounds perfect. But it also sounds like something that would be very difficult to find...

 

[Fiv3r]

I briefly had a Taurus 84. My dad took a liking to it, so its his now. It was a little picky about what ammo it liked, but it was a nice shooter.

I have a 4" Ruger 22/45 MkIII that I usually take camping. It eat most anything, is very reliable, and doesn't weigh a ton. I don't worry too much about the weight of the gun as packing ammo is what takes up so much extra weight/space. A pill bottle holds 50 rounds, and the Ruger packs nicely on my hip.

I've thought about giving the SR22 a try. Its probably not as accurate or robust as the MKIII, but it would pack a little smaller. I've also been on the lookout for a Bearcat as well.