My friend has a rabbit problem, what's a good rifle to help remedy it?

Question

I want something that is a bit more powerful than a .22 that I can put a scope on. And are there any websites that can help me research this topic?

My friend has a potato farm and the rabbits ruin his crops.

Answer 1

I'm not sure why you want or think you need something "more" powerful than a .22(LR)

I had the same problem with rabbits in my garden when I lived in a rural area. The best solution is a high quality precision air rifle.

If you have 1/2 a dozen rabbits in your garden one shot with a .22 LR and they scatter, you get one "maybe". With the air rifle you can drop them one at a time, there is no report to scare the rabbits off.

I would highly recommend the RWS Model 34 .177 "Panther"
There is a dealer on Gunbroker that sells the combo package(Rifle and RWS 4x32 scope) for $184.
http://www.gunbroker.com

This rifle will easily take a rabbit at 50 yards.

For your airgun research
http://www.beeman.com

Other airgun sites
http://www.pyramidair.com
http://www.airgunwarehouseinc.com
http://www.airgundepot.com

Answer 2

If you are wanting something to put a scope on then obviously shotguns are out. A .22 is a really good, accurate and affordable rifle for rabbit but it sounds like you want to beef it up a little. This move will cost you more than a .22 but a .223 is an excellent varmint gun. Just FYI, this will damage the meat much more than a .22 if you were planning on eating them. Check out this site for more information:

www.reloadbench.com/cartridges/223.html

Good luck.

Answer 3

My cousin shoots varmints on his farm with a rifle chambered for .45-70 Govt. so technically, you could use anything.

To be honest, a rifle firing .22LR is plenty powerful enough. We used to kill the rabbits in our garden with one, until more kids moved into the neighborhood, so now we do it with a cheap pellet gun, and that works just fine as well.

Honestly, anything more than a .22LR is serious overkill. You could go for .22-250 Remington, but I'd go with a .22 Hornet if you aren't happy with .22LR, but those are two options. Going any bigger gets you into low end deer rifles, like a .243 Winchester, 6mm Remington, .240 Weatherby Magnum, and so on.

A 20 gauge would work fine too, so long as you don't want to eat it.

Answer 4

if you want a sensible rabbit gun then a 22 mag or .17 HMR rifle or even a shotgun would do the trick.

if you wanna get stupid and want to have some fun, I've shot rabbits with a .270 and a 223. makes a lot of mess though.

It all depends on your situation, like are there any neighbours that might get upset if you are shooting off a gun, what livestock is about etc.

Answer 5

Get a Ruger model 77 chambered for .22 long rifle and put a Bushnell 4-12x40 scope on it. It will be good for at least 100 yards, and maybe a little more of you are good. That's all you need, and it is quiet enough that most of the time rabbits over 50 yards away won't spook.

Answer 6

Unless you want to make some really long range shots, 200+ yards, a .22 LR or WMR would be perfect.

If you want to make AT&T shots, you need a centerfire. .223's are cheapest and do well with small game, a .22-250 has more zip, and great long-range accuracy, but they will wear out a barrel faster.

I'd probably look for a Marlin Model 336 chambered for either .218 Bee, or .219 Zipper and call it good.

Doc

Answer 7

Well, a .22 mag is a good rabbit gun. A 17 might be a decent one. If i were you and werent eating the rabbit, get a shotgun, it works alot better. Its easier to hit them, and a little more fun. I dont know why you dont want a .22 LR, they are oerfect for rabbit and will kill it easily. It is pretty much useless putting a scope on for rabbits, it too up close and they move way too fast.

Answer 8

If the .22 isn't doing it for you, (I can't imagine why it wouldn't) I'd suggest a .17 HMR. It move a LOT fast than the .22, and provides DEVASTATING performance when it gets there. It's the smallest I'd use on coyotes.The Savage arms company makes an outstanding bolt action in .17 with a pretty decent price tag. I've considered getting a Ruger 10/22 rechambered for .17 HMR.

Answer 9

I have a .22-250 with 12X target telescope for long distance varmint hunting. It is quite accurate, but the light bullets are sensitive to wind, so I also use a .243 with 8X scope.

Answer 10

In my opinion a .22lr would be perfect for the job. But something bigger like a .410 shotgun or even a .223 rifle like an AR-15 or Mini-14 would do as well. Anything larger is severe overkill and a little inhumane.