For us that can shoot whenever you want or need to What is your go to Rifle

[PowerG]

I have large dogs in the yard, not many critters come around. The middle of the night gun is an 870. We're on a low swing on the coyote population right now, I'm not seeing any and rarely getting pics on my cameras. If I have to go do something in the truck I'll have an AR with me but on foot or on the tractor it's a GP100.

 

[Llama Bob]

When I had the need I had an Ithaca model 37 12ga with a butt cuff with half rifled slugs, and half #6 shot. Tube was 3x 00 buck, 1 open, chamber empty. IC or LM choke (can't remember).

Lots of options. Not enough land to need a centerfire at the ready. Maybe some day

 

[Dr T]

In a rifle I will grab, a 22 LR or 22 WRM, what ever is closest to hand when I go out to the ranch. Lately it has been a 10/22 takedown. Growing up, I always thought that centerfires were expensive to shoot and should not be used for casual plinking. They were reserved for the serious (read "put food on the table") business of hunting. The 22 LR was for practice, rattlesnakes, ringtails, and jackrabbits. It was also fine for the occasional quail or dove (If you could get one to be still). If raccoons, foxes, bobcats or coyotes were expected, then it was the 22 magnum.

I will almost always take a 22 LR or 22 WRM handgun when I go out as snake insurance.

Old habits are hard to break. Now that I am sort of grown up, I do prefer a shotgun for the birds (because I can hit them if they are moving), and may use the centerfire du jour for one of the bigger varmints. IF it is not deer season, it will be one of the 6 mm or 22 centerfires. During deer season, it will be 6 mm or larger.

 

[Art Eatman]

For 30 years I had plenty of room. Bench rest on the front porch; 100-yard backstop. "Go to" was mostly a Mini-14 with a K-4 or an old Model 12 12-gauge, full choke. (Xtra-full with plastic hulls. High-brass Winchester 7-1/2 was good for a bobcat bang/whop/drop at 25 yards.) The Mini was fine for coyotes and jackrabbits. After the Mini, bolt-action .223 or .243.

 

[Jackal]

Same rifle for recreation and coyotes/cougar, AR15 with a silencer.

 

[GBExpat]

The "quick grabs" in my gunsafes consist of SVT-40s, M14 Variants, M1s and M1 Carbines ... all of the other flavors are either deeper than the first row or stored outside with the bolts removed.

Quite frankly, most critters that appear in my backyard from the surrounding forest come to my house to get a meal. I have been feeding them for decades. It would take a major exhibition of Bad Behavior or illness for me to consider shooting one.

 

[Deaf Smith]

National Postal Meter M1 Carbine and Remington 110 gr soft points.

Deaf

 

[Hastings]

Ruger Gunsite Scout 308 with my reloads, and a Rossi 92 stainless 45colt with hardcast lead. 308 is good for groundhogs and coyotes out to 300 yards and for anything closer than 75 yards it's the 45colt.

 

[jmorris]

It's me the OP , when I say back yard, I just mean out the back door quick shot at usually running varmints.

I try not to shoot at running animals but my chicken coop happens to be in sight of my balcony and you don't know how many predators you have until you have a good food source for them.

I have motion sensors outside that radio back to me inside when anything moves. A rifle ready to go keeps fumbling to a minimum and a soft whistle stops anything in its tracks just long enough for it to figure out where the sound came from and by then it's too late.

 

[DRYHUMOR]

I keep a 22 mag Tbolt in the kitchen. Neighbors are a bit close to fire off much more than that. Though a DO test fire once and awhile off the back porch then everyone is at work....

 

[lobo9er]

.308, 22 mag, 22 lr

 

[alientrainwreck]

Jmorris, I sure do like that tripod I can see it took a little southern engineering Im gonna do something like that, cause I have to open my door enough to get the shot and also use the door as a prop to swing with the movement of the animal. Your tripod looks much easier.

 

[ridgerunner1965]

i keep a ruger american 22 with scope,a 20 ga mossberg pump,loaded with no 4 shot and a browning 223 scoped bolt gun by the back door. so i just grab whichever one i need.

i used to shoot a lot of coyotes off my back porch. but after 30 yrs of shooting the dumb ones, they now seem genetically predisposed to avoid being within 300 yrds of my house.

nowadays i shoot a few armodillas and ground hogs every year in the yard. last kill was a ground hog at 125 yrds with the 223.

 

[alientrainwreck]

I notice people using the 20gauge as the choice shotgun. Well me to, I'm not a big shotgun person but I do prefer the 20gauge. I got an old Smith & wesson home defender style short barrel and long tube that stays loaded beside my door also.

 

[jmorris]

Jmorris, I sure do like that tripod I can see it took a little southern engineering Im gonna do something like that

Not much to it really, just a pair of ATV gun mounts mounted to some aluminum stock attached to a decent tripod.

It shows usual Government stupidity that I can't use this in my State for the job.



I can poison them to die slowly or catch them in a trap to suffer until I get there to kill them but can't do it remotely.

 

[md7]

My choice is dictated by types of game/varmint in the area and distance. Also personal preference that fits within those parameters.

The rolling hills and pine forests in my area mean the majority of my shots will be inside 100 yards. There are only a select few places that are longer and they're inside 200 yards.

Targets include coyote, boar, and deer (when in season and with the right load and shot placement). Of course there are also timber rattlers and cotton mouth snakes, too.

My choice for an "out the door, general purpose" rifle is an AR15, topped with an aimpoint and equipped with a light. A sling, too.

Works within my ranges and on the targets im likely to encounter. It's also nice to not worry about it getting beat up in the back of an rtv. It's just a tool so nicks and scrapes don't matter.

It's also used for HD, so I'm familiar with it and it's always within arms reach and ready.

 

[Chuck R.]

I normally use my REM XCR Tactical Compact in .223 with Luepold MK4 4.5-20X Illuminated reticle. With handloaded Nosler 55grn BTs it's devastating on aquatic mammals.

I put it together when we 1st bought our 80 acres as we had one heck of a beaver problem on our 9 acre pond. Beavers are now extinct here and their cousins the muskrats have gone on the local endangered species list. I keep it loaded in the bedroom, with the bolt locked up in one of my quick access pistol boxes.



Chuck

 

[alientrainwreck]

Technology is getttin crazy. Remote guns, Drones with capabilities to fire on a person. Where will it end

 

[md7]

I normally use my REM XCR Tactical Compact in .223 with Luepold MK4 4.5-20X Illuminated reticle. With handloaded Nosler 55grn BTs it's devastating on aquatic mammals.

I put it together when we 1st bought our 80 acres as we had one heck of a beaver problem on our 9 acre pond. Beavers are now extinct here and their cousins the muskrats have gone on the local endangered species list. I keep it loaded in the bedroom, with the bolt locked up in one of my quick access pistol boxes.



Chuck

Quite a view, Chuck. Looks great!

 

[jmorris]

Where will it end

Right where your imagination does.

 

[md7]

Right where your imagination does.

I was gonna say robot apocalypse

 

[jmorris]

Yeah, I actually contacted this fellow years ago as I figured paint balls would be almost as good as real bullets at getting rid of unwanted guests and I wouldn't have to dispose of anything.

Then I wondered how many times I would be hit by them before I decided it wasn't such a good idea.

 

[Steel Horse Rider]

Marlin 1894C in .357 Mag. Reloads using Accurate #9 for powder.

 

[Joe Meyer]

Rossi 92 in .45 Colt. 255gr hard cast at 1,500 feet per second. The shorter stock and the 16" barrel make it really handy getting in and out of a truck or house door. I dropped this critter at 225 yards...... on the third shot. Sighted in at 100 yards, it's "only" about 2 feet low at 200 yards.

 

[kudu]

I keep a .17HMR in a Ruger 77-17 All Weather bolt rifle with a Leopold 2.5x8 power scope. It has taken coyotes out to 250 yards as well as the other occasional varmint. Also keep a 20 gauge 1100 handy. I can get to an AR pretty quickly also if needed, or something bigger.