22 RifleA 22 rifle is the tool of choice for the taking of most small game. The guns are reasonably priced, the ammo is cheap and readily available, it has a relatively soft report when being fired, and it is possible, if you have the right gun, to achieve remarkable accuracy at distances out to about two hundred feet.
Ammo for the 22 comes in short, long, long rifle and magnum (magnum requires its own chambering, meaning that a 22 magnum must use the magnum ammo). The most common round for the 22 is the 22 long rifle. The ammo of choice for hunting when you don’t mind being heard is a high-quality long rifle hollow-point like the CCI Mini-mag or most any Federal round.
Any 22 bullet configuration will do for practice but the hollow point should be used for the taking of game. It is most effective because it expands on contact causing many times more damage than ball (solid point) ammo. It is also therefore the more humane choice. It is not difficult to mortally wound a small animal with ball ammo but many will be able to escape to a den where they die out of reach.
Most of the sound that is generally heard from the firing of a 22 is the crack of the bullet as it breaks the sound barrier. If you desire to be covert in the taking of game you can use sub-sonic ammo. Sub-sonic ammo is loaded with as much powder as possible without propelling the bullet fast enough to generate the crack that results from exceeding the speed of sound. A 22 with available sub-sonic ammo fired from one side of a house will sound like someone clapping their hands to a person standing at the other side of the house.
A 22 can be used to take birds, squirrels, rabbits, snakes and even whitetail deer if you know where to shoot them. A deer will likely die if you hit it in the vitals with a 22, but it will be halfway to the next county when it does. If you ever shoot a deer with a 22, shoot it between the eyes looking face on; in or just behind the ear if shooting from the side. But, be advised that shooting deer with a 22 is illegal everywhere; this information assumes a survival-mode operation.
12 gauge shotgunA 12 gauge shotgun is the next most useful choice after the 22 for the acquisition of game. The advantage of a 12 gauge is the ability to kill without a perfect aim and the possibility of knocking down flushed birds that would be impossible to hit (except by the most expert shooter) with a 22 or other rifle.
The disadvantages are that the gun will kick vigorously (every action has an equal and opposite reaction), the shot will be heard at great distances, each shot is relatively expensive, and it will do more massive damage to otherwise usable meat.
One advantage of a 12 gauge is that it doubles as one of the most effective home defense weapons available at short distances.
Shot sizes (the little pellets inside the shotgun shell) vary widely. The larger the number designation on the shell the smaller the shot size.
• 00 is good for home defense
• 2 to 4 is for larger game animals and larger birds like turkey and geese
• 6 is a good squirrel and rabbit load
• 7 or higher for clays or most smaller birds
