Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Pond Boss Need advice on utility rifle for farm

Hey all;

Need some guidance on what type and brand of rifle that would serve me well on a 44 acre farm.

I would like something:

More on the quiet side as I'm surrounded by acreages

Something that could take care of beavers and muskrats

Something fun to shoot, ideally semi automatic

I was told 17 Mach 2 is the gun that best fits this description, but I have no idea what make is reliable and what price I should consider investing.

Thanks in advance for your opinions...

The 17's are OK but I prefer a 22 mag.

However, if you are going semi auto, look at a Ruger 10/22. They will do a number or rats and beavers. And, they won't break the bank when you pull the trigger.

TJ, I'd (also) recommend a Ruger 10/22. They are very easy to find, quite reliable, and have an excellent reputation for reliability. Mine is simple the best .22 lr autoloader I have ever fired wrt digesting different brands/types of ammo - it has fed and fired everything I have ever tried in it (OTOH I have a Winchester Model 190 that will only reliably feed 2 or 3 kinds of .22 lr ammo).

10/22's are probably the most easily modified/customized/accurized .22 ever made. If you are so inclined your can readily change barrels, stocks, the works. .17 Mach 2 conversion kits are available (on the order of $200 or so) for them. You can even turn them into a bullpup or dress them up as a 2/3 scale model of an MG42.

I have had mine for some time (10+ years), so I am not sure what a good used price for a 10/22 is nowI. I beleive I paid $150 for mine.

I also think the Ruger 10/22 best suits your needs. It is Ruger's signature rifle and outsells any other rimfire rifle on the market. I've owned two in my life, trading once so I could get the birch stock.

On another note, I also own a Marlin 17 HMR bolt action with scope. Great rifle, but a longer range varmint gun than the Ruger.

For what you're seeking, the Ruger is a great value. Good luck!

Sorry so in the dark, guys...but what about the tip that the 17 is more quiet than the 22? Any truth in your experience behind that statement?

Thanks for your input thus far...very helpful!

Although I feel .22lr is a little light for a big beaver, the quiet part is filled by the 10/22..The only other rifle I could recommend would be a Henry lever or pump .22, you can shoot a wider range of ammo through them, s/l/lr Also there is the Marlin 39A but its about $500....The .17 is louder than the .22 its got a pretty good crack.

I agree with Sgt911, my 17 is much louder than the 10/22. In the right areas (little to no echo), my 10/22 sounds like a loud BB gun.

The 17 is a very fast, straight firing caliber rifle, though.

.22 is a sub-sonic round, IIRC. The "Crack" is the .17 is the projectile breaking the sound barrier. A mini sonic boom.

Great feedback - thanks!

Ruger 10/22

For the .17 Mach 2 - sounds like Marlin is the make?

There are 22 cartridges that are supersonic; slightly lighter, hollow point...remington yellow jacket and a couple others. They will be louder. Most 22s are right at speed of sound. Actually if yo buy a true, labeled subsonic, it will cost you a good bit more. Savage has some very reasonably priced semi-auto. I would say, if you are shooting at 75 yds. or so, get a 22. The .17 HMR goes at twice the speed as the 22, and more accurate. A beaver is a pretty big target. But weapons are a lot higher priced. I only know this due to a lot of research before going with the savage 22. Nothing but good feedback seen from the Ruger.

For beaver, I could use my Winchester model 92 32-20 WCF.

I also vote Ruger 10/22 for the job. 17s are one of the quieter varmint gun compared to 22-250,223 and 204. Still much louder the 22lr.

Great advice given so far. I hear .17 are alot of fun to shoot but the ammo costs more than a .22 The .17 is much faster but also the bullet is much lighter and in wind is much more hap to move left or right. I feel both guns could take the animals you wish. I bought a 10/22 last week for $220 not sure if that is overpriced but I didnt mind. They are VERY customizable. But for only 44acres I think the 10/22 is what I would get, it gets the job done and is cheaper all around espically to shoot.

The hook is being set. You will start with the 22, add a .17, then a 22-250. Next, you will start thinking about snakes and get a shotgun. Well heck, what if a mountain lion or bear travels to your neck of the woods. Better get a .30 caliber, probably a 30-06. That would also suffice for deer hunting. Hey, how about maybe wanting to go elk or moose hunting someday? You don't want to be under gunned for that so maybe a 300 WSM. Man, those .50 BMG's are cool. Pistols seem to multiply in the closet.

Ammo is expensive so reloading is in the cards.

Sucker!! Ask me how I know.

LOL, Dave.

After I bought my property I just knew I needed a ranch rifle. Who knows when walking the woods of my property when I might encounter a bear, a mountain lion or a really angry squirrel. So I began researching ranch rifles. I decided upon a pre 1964 Winchester Model 94 in 30-30. I found a beautiful deluxe model (checkering on the stock). It's so beautiful I haven't fired it yet. I covet it, and dust it off, and admire it's beauty. Perhaps someday DIED will come over and we'll put some rounds through it.

It will be more fun but less sporting it DIED is hopping around one legged.

Perhaps I should have clarified. I don't intend to use DIED as target practice.

Man you Texans are tough hombres.

I don't own a rifle but thought that if I ever did, I'd get some kind of Marlin Guide rifle.

They take up so little room compared to the long guns you might as well get some more.

Teehjaeh57:

This started out being short, but kept on growing, so please bear with me!

There is a big difference between the 17's and the .22LR. It all depends on what your target will be, and at what distance. The .22 has a vastly larger variety of ammunition available for it, anywhere from CB Caps (29 grain prijectile powered by just the primer compound and not strong enough for 99% of the hunting/pest control that you will see) up to the supersonic CCI Stingers (1400+ fps) that would be strong enought to take out a coyote at <50 Yds, to the 60 grain Aguila Sniper SubSonic rounds. IIRC, the 17 MachII is a CCI stinger case necked down to .17 and fitted with a 17 grain bullet. The other .17 rimfire that is available is the .17 HMR. That is a .22 magnum case fitted with a .17 caliber 17 or 20 grain bullet. In the noise department, the .22LR is the quietest, followed by the .17 MachII, then closely followed by the .17 HMR.

Aside from the cost of the rifle, which will be roughly $200-$300, you might need to look into a scope for it, and the cost of ammo.

You can use iron sights, but I've found out that I'm more accurate in the field with a scope. There are cheap scopes, and there are expensive scopes. (Tasco vs. Schmidt & Bender) You DO get what you pay for, but you don't need an expensive piece of glass, just something that you can use during low light conditions, something that is clear, and something that has an adjustable objective. Most scopes are set for a parallax distance of 100 Yds, and you'll rarely shoot at that distance.

An AO can also help you judge distance. My recommendation is something in the 3-9x40 range. Before you buy a scope (if you decide to go that route) go to a Cabelas, Bass Pro or a large gun shop and look thru a few scopes to see the difference between them. On a centerfire rifle, the general rule of thumb is to spend the same $$ or more on the scope as the rifle cost, but on a ranch "knock-about" rifle that isn't necessary. I would plan on spending $150.00 or so, but that's just me.

Ammo costs: This is another can of worms. .22lr is the least expensive, and most easily available. It also gives you the largest variety, and is the hardest to find really accurate ammo for your particular gun. Yes, guns are a fickle bunch, and each gun likes something a bit different if you are looking for accuracy. My 10/22 will shoot a 6" dia. group at 50 Yds with "X" ammo, and <1" dia. groups with "Y" ammo. So, if you want really good accuracy, you probably should buy a bunch of different .22 LR ammo, see what the gun likes and then stock up on that. .22Lr ammo can run from $2.89 to over $17.00/box of 50. You can cut some of these prices a bit if your gun likes the ammo that is available in bulk boxes of 500 or so rounds.

.17 MachII has the least amount of choices to pick from, IIRC, there are 3 manufacturers, and only one projectile weight. Prices run from $5.49 to $7.99/box of 50

.17 HMR has a slightly bigger variety to pick from, but unless you are counting the high target grade .22lr ammo, it is the most expensive, running from approx. $13 to $15/box of 50.

If you are new to shooting, the more accurate the gun is, and the flatter the trajectory is, the easier it will be to hit your target at unknown distances.

Here's my choices and why:

For volume shooting (you won't get good unless you shoot a lot) and distances < 50 Yds, I'd go with the .22lr. The ammo is cheap, it's the quietest of the bunch and if you go with a 10/22 you have your semi-auto and further down the road you can customize it any way you want. My box stock 10/22 shot almost just as well with the CCI Blazer ammo as it did with Eley Tenex. I thought I could do better, so I customized it with a Volksquarten trigger kit, titanium firing pin, Volksquarten carbon fiber tensioned barrel and a Fajen laminate thumbhole stock. I shrunk the group sized by 1/4" - 3/8". Was it worth it from a $$ vs. performance gain standpoint? No. But I had fun doing it!

For distances up to 100 Yds, I'd look into the .17 MachII, although it would be a little light for beaver unless you stick to head shots. I've found that it's more accurate than the .22lr, and it's easier to shoot accurately and has a flatter trajectory. I have a Kimber in Mach II (bolt action) that shoots great. There are conversion kits that will convert the 10/22 to Mach II as well. Of the 3 different cartridges, the Mach II has the smallest amount of guns chambered for it.

For distances up to 150 Yds and on calm days to 200 Yds, I'd go with the .17 HMR. It is the most accurate of the 3 rounds, and it shoots laser flat so you don't have to be as critical in your distance judging ability. It will have enough oomph to take coyotes out slightly past 100 Yds if the shooter does his part. For a rifle, I'd look at one of the Savage Accutrigger models. They are really accurate, and the trigger can be adjusted to your liking. IMO, the Marlin rifles in .17HMR are a very, very close 2nd pick. The Ruger 10/22 can also be converted to shoot this round.

There has been some talk that the .17 MachII will die out because it's more of a niche cartridge. The .22LR has been around for over 100 years, and it's consisently been the most produced and purchased cartridge for years. The .17HMR came out to compete against the .22 Magnum, and it's been giving it a run for it's money.

For the best bang for the buck, i'd hit the local stores to get a hands on feel/look at the different equipment,and the local prices, then browse e-bay for the scope (if you go that route) and GunBroker.com for the rifle to get a feel for the going prices (check "completed auctions"). By all means, stop at your local gun shops and talk to them after you've done your research. If possible, I'd shop with them. They are a dying bunch because they can't compete price wise with the big box stores. BUT, they work on guns, which is something that the big stores usually don't, and as a gun owner you'll need a gunsmith's services once in a while.

Enough already. Yeah, I do play with firearms once in a while.

For you gun nuts out there, anybody care to take a guess as to what this is?

In 45-70??

Umm about $1500 woth of add ons?



I should have known pondbosses would be gunbosses too.

Wow essup - I feel like I owe you for that feedback - very generous of you - thanks!

Just when I thought I was overthinking things, I get that post! Humbling..I have much to learn.

esshup wrote: "In 45-70??"

What do you mean? This whole rifle thing is above my pay-grade!

tj, just a quick utility rifle input from el dorado,
for small stuff and plinking i have a remington 597 .22LR, its been great. lots of folks love there ruger 10/22s but the remington compares really well in my book. cant go wrong w/ that gun.

for larger stuff and target practice i have a ruger 96/44. its a 44mag lever action carbine and a real treat to shoot.

TJ this all really good info on light firearms. I have a Ruger 10/22 with a Redfield 3X9 scope (a great gun) and a Remington Semi 22cal(I don't like it). But, what do you think I carry on the 4 wheeler all the time? A 1950's model 22cal/.410g over and under that my Grandpa let me use to hunt with when I was a kid. It's a great snake / light varmit gun...du