What gun for carrying on ranch/farm?

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40 yrs ago on the homestead it was a single six 22mag and old well used
Marlin 30/30.Know a days it usually a 1911 and /or a mini14.
 
Ilive in the middle of 160ac and on the edge of 250,000 ac of NF land...mostly I'll slap a Gloc 22 on my hip, but my 10/22 is actually my go to gun for critters in the yard...yotes, fox, and ground hog...but there is a Marlin 336 30-30 handy for bears...they tend to get pretty brazen in the warmer months and I have to keep the dog in the house...mostly they just turn over the bird feeders...bt the Glock and the Marlin are both handy if any "bi-pedal" varmits find their way into the yard...but with 2 miles between me and the gate....and a clear 150 yard shot out the driveway....they tend to leave me pretty well alone.
 

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On horseback, back on the ranch, I always had a Winchester Model 94 in the saddle boot -- and shot many a deer, feral dog, etc., with it. Afoot, I'd usually carry either a .22 rifle or pistol. Nowadays, I either carry a .45 Colt revolver most times when I'm in the woods -- either a Ruger Blackhawk or a Colt New Service -- or a .22 pistol, usually my Colt Woodsman.
Gotta love that woodsman on the hip

I'd go for a CZ527 in .223 or 7.62x39 depending on your preference for velocity or heavier slugs.

ATB,

Scrummy
 
That be a glock 23 on my hips and a Mosin M 91/59 carbine loaded with Barnaul 203 gr SP in the truck.
 
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A Marlin 30-30
+1000 and a 45 on the hip.

In college, to make some money over the summer, I used to do fencing in south central Colorado for a friends dad. He had a great ranch. 3030 in the saddle and a 45 on the hip was a good combination. Never had to use them though.
 
Not on a farm or ranch, but am a desert rat who spends lot of time roaming the remote landscape here around home.

My wife and I carry handguns, but my favorite is a chopped 7.62x54 Tula MN I paid $25.00 for, which I scouted and did further work on. It won't win beauty contests, but has proven accurate, 100% dependable, and it just fits like an old pair of boots.

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I live on 250 acres of Central Texas turf in wildlife conservation and tour it daily in my Honda Big Red side by side UTV. The Big Red is always loaded with a 1911 and either a 12ga shotgun (most often) or a Winchester 94 in .30/30 if pigs or coyotes are about...

I am looking for a pre-Remington Marlin stainless 336, also in .30/30 and/or a stainless BLR in .270.

For ranch use, I consider the AR platform a waste of space...
 
Not on a farm or ranch, but am a desert rat who spends lot of time roaming the remote landscape here around home.

My wife and I carry handguns, but my favorite is a chopped 7.62x54 Tula MN I paid $25.00 for, which I scouted and did further work on. It won't win beauty contests, but has proven accurate, 100% dependable, and it just fits like an old pair of boots.

P1010629.jpg

3345.jpg
HF- I am liking your rifle! I too am a desert rat and have found my Ruger Gunsite just about perfect for my ramblings. I like to have the reach of a larger caliber with enough power to be able to disable vehicles if needed. The .308, .30-06, and the 7.62x54 type rounds go right through radiators and get into the engine pretty well.

Enjoy your travels,

Matt
 
My family has been ranching in West Texas since the 1860's. Unless it is deer season, it is usually a 22 lr or 22 WMR just for going around and checking the fences and water. If it has been one of those rare wet years and rattle snakes are about, I throw in a shotgun.

Two primary pests we have to deal with are jackrabbits and rattlesnakes. You have to seriously hunt bobcats and I don't consider that undertaking knocking around. We rarely have coyotes in our part of the Concho Valley.

For rattlers, my preferred tool is a 12 gauge with an ounce or more of 6 or 7 1/2. However, you can't always use one without collateral damage. After that is a 22 lr rifle or handgun with solids or HPs (doesn't make much difference. I DO NOT use ratshot in the 22's. That stuff will bounce off the limestone and you don't know where it will end up. Last time I shot a snake under a tree with it, I had little pellets bouncing off of my glasses.
 
HF- I am liking your rifle! I too am a desert rat and have found my Ruger Gunsite just about perfect for my ramblings. I like to have the reach of a larger caliber with enough power to be able to disable vehicles if needed. The .308, .30-06, and the 7.62x54 type rounds go right through radiators and get into the engine pretty well.

Enjoy your travels,

Matt
This is a scout rifle I made up about 25 years ago. FN K98, was rebarreled to 7.62x51 by the israelis. I really like it too, and not a thing would change as to how done and the end result suits me fine.

Here is link, scroll down once there: http://hstrial-rchambers.homestead.com/early.html#
 
Of everything I own, I'd choose my Marlin 1894 in .44mag. Though... I'd take any compact lever action in .357, .44, .45colt, .30-30, .444, .45-70, etc. Probably not those little Rand Hands that I've seen around, though... a little TOO compact.
 
I get to spend a weekend here and there on friends ranchs purely for fun/hunting/camping. I'm sure some of you like-minded folds do something similar either daily or on occasion like me. So what do you carry?

Rifle or pistol. I've got some ideas but I'd like to see what others do or ideas you might have. any input is appreciated.
The Glock 20 a panacea for just about all carry ailments. Proly should have bought Beretta M59? 'Tanker' that was offered locally years ago. Relatively compact 7,62x51 with large capacity magazine would be nice to have.
 
Have a place near Waco. Usually carry .22 mag rifle, lever-action. Sometimes Ruger Single Six revolver in same caliber. If hogs were possibility would carry something in bigger caliber, usually 6.5x55 cause its what I have.
 
Usually a 20" or 22" .308 or .30-06 or if in the mood a 24" .470NE.
 
Must be a thousand choices depending on type of terrain. For a rifle I'd choose either an M4 carbine or lever action if I didn't have long shots in open country.

For pistols you have the choice of revolvers or autos. I think I'd choose a revolver in .44 or .45, but I could be just as comfortable with a 1911. You can't go wrong with a .357 either.
 
There's just no such thing as the perfect rifle for every situation. If you're riding around in the truck all the time a rifle can't be beat. Any serious walking that isn't for hunting purposes and I'll want a handgun. I like the power and reliability of my .44 mag for dealing with those heavy coat wearing critters although it did feel pretty good knowing I could de-bar the top of the graveyard hill from 300 yards away with my Savage 110 in 30.06. I just happened to be getting ready to do some target shooting right the same direction the bar showed up. I could have had a nice rug to put in front of the cot in my cell (killing bears that aren't a threat is frowned on in KY). But if I was there to cut the grass on the graveyard I would be glad enough to be carrying the S&W .44 mag with me. But then again the gang from Troubleville really requires something more EBR in nature. The closest thing I have is my SKS (either one). I have about a 300 yard open field in most directions from the old house except toward the barn which is of course the direction they come from. It's not like it's an every day thing that those bozos shoot at the old house anyway. Besides my cousin lives there. Let him take a few pot shots at them. He's a big part of the problem too if you want the truth. He likes to threaten people when a simple warning would do better. And the chances of him actually hitting somebody are pretty slim since he can't shoot for squat. I could carry the Savage 12 around in the truck but that would be too, too easy from the distances I would have to shoot. Even from one end of the main field to the other it would only be about 600 yards. That distance is really no problem for that rifle. But there again you can't just shoot folks just because you "can" shoot them. ;)

And just in case there are any gun grabbers reading this I am of course joking about shooting people. Just the thought of that makes me sick to my stomach. I don't want to shoot any bears either until they make a hunting season for them. I have them all over my yard and I have had face to face stare downs with them. I didn't shoot any of those. It's terrible to have to explain such things but some people think the worst of us.
 
I farm 1700acres of row-crop here in Illinois. since we don't have a cc law yet, I always keep a 'truck gun' It changes often with the season. .Ruger MKII .22; .357 revolver; sks; .204 Handi-rifle. There isn't that many houses here, but I like the fact that the little .204 bullet will pretty much disintegrate when it hits anything. The .204 with a 3X9 works well for our flat, open country, and rides with me in the tractor and combine also.
 
A mini 14 ranch rifle with the stock 5 round mag in it is about as comfortable and well balanced ranch rifle as your going to find. IMO. If I lived on a farm/ranch there would be no doubt about it, either my 580 mini 14 ranch rifle or my Marlin 30/30 would be my constant companion.
 
gun with ranch in the name the ruger mini 14 ranch rifle .223 get a late model 2004 or newer fantastic gun light and reliable.

Did the accuracy get any better on the later model ones? Piss poor accuracy has kept me Mini 14 shy ever since I tried several of them back in the 80's.
 
Always-A Remington 121 The Fieldmaster 22lr with a Weaver scope. The only time it leaves the mule is the occasional cleaning. It is a 1951 and was bought new by a family member. But after 60 years and tens of thousands of rounds, it is starting to have some issues. It spent a good month in the gunshop with a screw issue. He fixed it but had to weld the little piece back on. Today it lost another screw on the pump. When it was in the shop it was replaced with another Fieldmaster I own. We took the screw out of it today to put in the other. Hopefully it is good to go. It is deadly accurate.

Almost always- Either a Winchester 70 in 30-06 or a Winchester 94 in 30-30. Both were bought in the mid seventies by older relatives. Keeping it on the mules is a fairly new deal though. We use them for hogs which showed up about ten years ago. I had a shot at a running boar last night with the 70 but I am pretty sure I missed. Bastard.

Occasionally- Ruger Mark 1(I think). 22lr. It is missing half of its back sight but is accurate once you get the hang of it. It is not really a conscious decision though to take it or leave it. One day we will take it with us and it will hang around for a few weeks. Then someone will think to take it out of the little compartment if they need that space for something else.

Other than deer season or bird season when we have our rifles and shotguns those are the only three. And they have been the same guns used since they were bought.
 
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