The “Chicken Coop” Defender. Another rifle debate.

[KansasTrapper77]

Lets say you had a chicken coop 50 yards or less from your backdoor. You wish to protect it from Coyotes > Fox > Racoon. There are two rifles that have got my interest lately and the chicken coop is simply what I tell myself and the S.O. the purpose of the rifle would be. The two rifles are, A Henry Small Game Carbine in .22 Mag and the Ruger PC Carbine in 9mm.

The way I see it both rifles are roughly the same cost in the $600 range, and ammo is roughly the same cost at around $0.40 a round. The Ruger Carbine because it is a carbine 9mm will have more energy, but the .22 mag out of a rifle is no slouch.

The way I see it the Henry is a classic and would probably do well with the peep sights and faster velocity at the longer shots. I’m a self admitted brass hound so it would be kinda nice to not be worried about scrounging brass after firing. I also have a SA revolver that has a .22 Mag cylinder although I don’t use it much other than euthanizing large critters.

The Ruger Carbine has piqued my interest for some time as a fun plinker and as I see it, an exquisite home defense carbine for someone not super familiar with firearms. The ability to take either Ruger or Glock mags is awesome. While I do posses a 9mm handgun (who doesn’t) it is neither a Ruger or Glock so the gun would get dedicated mags. And again, being a brass hound I would spend way too much time looking for my brass on the patio, in the field, on the gravel road etc.

Which would you choose and why? Just a simple fun gun debate because we can.

 

[C-grunt]

Id choose the 22mag as it would probably be more accurate than the 9mm carbine.

 

[Booger66]

I would go for the 9mm carbine (tho in personal preference the Beretta cx4 storm instead) I believe it would be more fun as a plinker and have the benefit of being able to be used for a few more applications as you noted earlier. Plus if you go with Beretta it will give you an excuse to buy the PX4 storm or 92fs for shared mags depending on the model.

 

[bannockburn]

Kansas Trapper

Well first I would ask what's the backstop for the area around the chicken coop and how close are your nearest neighbors.

Then I would consider the cost, the effectiveness of the rounds themselves, the availability of ammo, and whether or not it can it be reloaded. Point to Ruger.

How versatile are both guns? The Ruger would be very good for the role of home defense. The Henry not so much. Another Point to Ruger.

Both guns are comparable in price so which one is overall more enjoyable to use (fun factor)?

As much as I love lever action rifles I would go with the Ruger carbine. I have numerous Ruger and Glock magazines and lots of 9mm. ammo; though I have a Ruger Single Six with an extra .22 Mag. cylinder, I'm woefully short on .ammo for it.

Let us know which one you decide on.

 

[crestoncowboy]

I keep and AR with a 3x magnifier and light and an old supermatic 12 guage with a dial a duck on it beside my door looking toward my chickens. There is also a CZ 452 17HMR there. Mine is closer to 75 yards away though.

Of the choices I'd think it would make little difference at 50 yards

 

[Meeks36]

You could get a hipoint 9mm carbine and buy ammo with the left over cash. I throughly enjoy my Ruger and my hi point. Both are accurate. Although the Ruger does have better capacity.

 

[jmr40]

My grand pa kept a 20 ga shotgun behind the kitchen door. But since you're looking for an excuse to buy a rifle, I'd buy a 22. But not a 22 mag, and not a Henry. But that's just me.

 

[wiscoaster]

.22 mag without a doubt, based not on bullet weight or penetration / terminal energy, but on greater accuracy.

 

[Random 8]

Of those 2, it would be the .22 mag. Of all firearms available, it IS in my case a .22 long rifle with conventional 38 gr HPs and see through scope rings to co-witness the iron sights (tritium painted) for night work. Many varmints from opossum to coyote around the chicken coop as well as numerous ground squirrels and other such vermin have met their demise with this rifle. In my case it is a bolt action CZ 452 knock off by Norinco. It lives in the barn, I don't mind if it takes a patina. It is lights out accurate and reliable. A little light on coyotes, but the 38 HP does the job, especially with head shots. When I used to coon hunt, this was also my setup. Usually you could get enough reflection from a decent spotlight to use the scope (a cheapo 44mm objective centerfire scope) to slick a coon out of the tallest cottonwood or oak. It grabs enough light from my motion floodlight out by the barn to slick a possum or coon off the wood pile. I use CBs inside the barn.

Taking a varmint around your yard is more of a precision game than spray and pray. Grab a cheap but accurate bolt gun with an oversized objective to suck in the light. One shot, one kill.

The 9mm is simply a non-starter for me in this application due to accuracy potential and the potential for friendly fire danger to persons, livestock or property. But heck, life is short. If you want the 9 cabine to shoot, get both!

 

[Condor]

I’m a .22 magnum fan…I don’t have the Henry, but I’ve got a Marlin 25MN that I bought used from a friend who was upgrading to a Henry lever…he has good taste in rifles, so I’d say that is a solid option.

(This was one of the best deals I’ve ever made…We both walked away very happy with the agreed upon price, and the rifle has functioned flawlessly ever since).

 

[Barbaroja]

Of the two, for predators you listed I would go .22 mag

 

[gotboostvr]

On a small, possibly quickly moving target, the extra velocity of the 22Mag will greatly help place your shots.

I'd prefer a 22Hornet or 223 (loaded down a touch, and suppressed if possible), but the 22Mag will certainly do the job.

 

[crestoncowboy]

I keep the ar/12 guage and 17 i mentioned earlier... but I did buy a hi point 9mm carbine nearly 20 years ago cheap that will shoot one hole at 50 yards with cheap fmj ammo. I was actually very impressed with its accuracy

Then I stuck it in a safe and haven't seen it since. But the accuracy is plenty good for the 50 yard varmints. Lol

 

[tactikel]

The .22 Mag is ideal. Effective for your needs, quiet, affordable.

 

[Paul R Zartman]

22mag...

 

[Armored farmer]

I use an AR in that role. I really like a light on my "bump in the night gun".

 

[KYamateur]

If you want to double duty as home defense go 9mm. However, at that distance a 22mag is as good as it gets for small varmints. I have no experience with a lever action but I have a Savage 93 with a bull barrel and you can easily shoot a ragged hole at that distance. My advice - get both.

 

[3Crows]

A .22 Magnum but I will pass on a Zamak Henry. If faux Henry will ever make one with real brass or an aluminum forging or I have heard that Winchester and Marlin even use steel and stainless steel, maybe Henry could do the same.

No Zamak here:



3C

 

[Dibbs]

My grand pa kept a 20 ga shotgun behind the kitchen door. But since you're looking for an excuse to buy a rifle, I'd buy a 22. But not a 22 mag, and not a Henry. But that's just me.

Yeah, I gotta agree with JMR40. I use an old Nylon 66, for pest control, around the yard. Today you can get a Marlin 60, if you like tubies, or
a Ruger 10/22, if you prefer box mags.

 

[Ru4real]

45-70. Go big or go home.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Neither.... I'd go 17 HMR in a good bolt gun, preferably a CZ.

 

[Frulk]

.22 Mag….I’m a fan. It’s inherently accurate. Had a Marlin 25 on the farm in North Dakota for what you’re looking to do. I’m not as opinionated as some on the Henry’s and would get one of the price is right. .22 Mag ammo is a little steep as a plinker but sound signature should be lower then that of the 9mm Carbine.

 

[CraigC]

That is precisely the reason I put together this 10/22. If the crap goes down, it's gonna be at night so a red dot and a good light are a must. I've killed a double truckload of varmints with it, got two coons last week.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

Well, my dad's choice for dealing with the badgers that preyed on the family chickens back in the day was a .22 LR bolt action using solid bullets. I remember him telling me that a badger's coat would shrug off bird shot, but a .22 would kill humanely without much damage to the pelt.



One of my neighbors raises chickens and his chosen weapon is a pair of dogs. They keeps the neighborhood cats, foxes and possums out of his back yard!

 

[entropy]

I think @jmorris had a pic of his setup for that role. .22 Rifle with a can on a tripod stand pointing right where the vermin would go to.
I have a .22 Charger that might serve, and a can waiting for approval for it. SWMBO obeyed might like if I were to take out the squirrel that's been digging up her herb garden. My son used Colibiris and an old single shot to convince the woodchuck which had moved in under the She she'd to seek shelter elsewhere.