# Never owned a weapon. . .



## CFarmerLady (Dec 1, 2011)

I'm thinking about gun ownership. I'm thinking about it because when I start homesteading, I'm going to need a rifle to kill coyotes, feral dogs, feral hogs, and possibly cats. I'm going to need a pistol to kill the goats before butchering them. I might try my hand at hunting, so the rifle should be good for that, and the pistol would also be for self-defense. I'm not a collector, and I'm not staring at the gun cabinets going "Ooo, shiny!" I just need an idea of what to buy for basic purposes. What would you all suggest for a beginner such as I?

(I plan to buy a Liberty safe to keep the guns in.)


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## Halfway (Nov 22, 2010)

Maybe a .32 caliber for the goat.

For hunting, probably a .223 or .243 would be solid all around for the animals you mention.

Do you have a Izaak Walton League or gun club nearby to meet some folks and share info?


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

If you go hunting what animals would you be looking at?


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

a 22lr is most commonly used for butchering 

cheap and useful you just put the barrel up to the ear or soft spot at the back of the head and rattle their brain most of the time the bullet stays in , a bigger gun the bullet will also exit this makes a mess

22lr is also a excellent gun to teach marksmanship 

most any center fire rifle will do for the rest 

a bolt gun is probably the easiest to understand clean maintain and use , yet still offer a magazine to hold a few extra cartridges for when you need a follow up shot 

a pump shotgun is a very good all around gun also but makes a mess butchering 


as for pistols , most will tell you a revolver is the easiest to maintain and use and they have many good points 


the first step however is you should find a state hunters education course and take it you should in this handle one of each type of fire arm and understand basics of how they work along with safety 

this will guide you in the correct direction , you will find what action feels right to you


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

Articles by author | author index | homesteading

some good reading to give you some ideas also follow the link to read many good articles about firearms and homesteading


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## houndlover (Feb 20, 2009)

Consider the price of ammo when you buy a gun. .22 rounds are cheap, .17 rounds are expensive, both are good varmit and put down an animal weapons. I don't use a handgun on my goats, but if I did, I'd probably for a .45, again, ammo price. For hunting, depends on what you hunt. Here in Oregon, you can hunt multiple species at a time, and a good rule of thumb is to hunt with the round that will bring down the biggest game you're hunting. I like a 30.06 for elk and deer, hubby has a 300 mag, but his shells are twice what mine cost!


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## CFarmerLady (Dec 1, 2011)

So, a .22 bolt rifle and a .45 revolver?

Okay. I can go to Panhandle Gunslingers at any time, as I actually live three blocks away from them. They really do serve the whole panhandles (Texas and Oklahoma) area.

Thanks!


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## SteveD(TX) (May 14, 2002)

A .45 is most common in a semi-auto pistol. A good caliber for a revolver would be .357. A .22 would be limited to small varmint killing only, like others have said, I'd step up at least to a .223 or .243. For deer, coyotes, and larger game you might consider going to a .30-.30 up to 75 yards or so. There is no better all around ranch gun IMHO.

PS. do NOT try to kill a feral hog with a .22; you'll only make him mad.


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## Silvercreek Farmer (Oct 13, 2005)

The beauty of guns is you always need another one! Your good to start out with the idea to have two, but depending, you might want to add a couple more as time goes on. I'll second the need for a hunter's safety course. Most are free or only a nominal fee, you'll get the basics and most importantly the safety part. Then go to a range that rents guns and give them a try see what you handle and shoot well. A .22 rifle, 20 gauge shotgun, and a 9mm pistol will get you quite aways and all three could be had for less than $600 total if you stick to the less expensive models.


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## wogglebug (May 22, 2004)

.22 Long Rifle cartridge. A rifle. Very versatile. Very cheap to feed. Only fair to use it on small game, as it's not powerful. It can't knock bigger stuff down if they move an inch after you've shot, but they may still die in agony a week later.

12 gauge or 20 gauge shatgun. The 20 gauge is less powerful but doesn't recoil as hard. Actually, its performance is surprisingly close to the 12 gauge. Conversely, the 12 gauge is more versatile, and you can use "reduced recoil" or "tactical" shells which will cut the recoil down to the 20 gauge level. Either will handle defensive loads in buckshot up to say 45 yards, or solid slugs up to 100 yards; as well as smaller shots that's good for pests or small game.

A pistol. Revolver is easy and foolproof, although capacity is limited (hence "six-shooter"). Still, there are a lot of self-loading handguns that don't hold many more rounds. a .357 Magnum is quite powerful for a handgun and hits hard - on both ends. However, it will also shoot .38 Special, and those aren't heavy thumpers. You can do a "Dutch load" - lighter cartridges to shoot first - say one snake-shot - 3 of .38 Special, 2 of .357 Magnum or .38+P or .38P+P.

.243 Winchester cartridge, probably in a Stevens (Savage's economy brand) or Savage rifle. This is a very versatile cartridge. Depending on your choice of cartridge, it can be everything from from a varminter to a long-range big game round. Only buy after a lot of practice with the .22 rimfire, when you feel that you're both competent and need it.


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## OH Boy (Dec 22, 2010)

get a 357 magnum revolver and a lever action marlin rifle, same caliber. Can use the same ammo for both. they will shoot 38 special ammo too.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

I'd get a 22 rifle, a 357 revolver to start with.
We need to know WHAT you want to hunt


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## oz in SC V2.0 (Dec 19, 2008)

The Holy Trinity.

A shotgun.
A rifle.
A pistol.

I would get a Mossberg 500 or Remington 870 for the shotgun.

Rifle is kind of up to you and the region.It seems most people go WAY overboard on caliber.Actually you might need two rifles,a .22 and a hunting caliber.

A pistol depends what you are comfortable with,revolver or semi auto.
I like semi auto,Mrs oz like the simplicity of a revolver.She has a 7 shot .357.


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## surmall18 (Nov 17, 2012)

You should have, but, when the coyotes come, how do you know? So , you should raise some dogs or install some detectors, hope it will help you


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

I was at gander mountain today stopped off on the way home from deer hunting , looked at a youth 870 20 ga with 21 inch barrel , keep in mind i just spent the weekend driving swamps carrying a very heavy 12 ga with a 28 inch barrel , if i had the 320 dollars i would have been comming home with it light short quick handling a person who was interested in making things dead and not so worried about having a bunch of guns could sure do a hole lot worse that a youth 870 

i am a big guy but add a extra thick recoil pad and it fit decent , but did i say light and convenient

I actually stopped to look a it for my son , now i am wondering if 2 are in order drilled and tapped with a 2 power scope sounds just about perfect


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> youth 870 20 ga with 21 inch barrel


It's a great gun no matter how big or small you are


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## CesumPec (May 20, 2011)

a revolver may be easier to clean but a semi-auto is easier to learn to shoot accurately. Especially the double action revolver can be difficult to shoot well with the first shot. I recommended 9mm because it will get the job done in most cases, low cost ammo, easy to be accurate on first and followup shots, and little in the way of recoil. I have a wrist injury and recoil can be a bit of an aggravating pain. Some smaller folks will also appreciate the lighter recoil of most 9mm pistols. 

I fired 40 and 45 revolvers and found both to be very uncomfortable due to the wrist shock. But I fired a Glock 21, 45 cal semi-auto pistol yesterday at the range and found that it had almost no more recoil than my 9mm.


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## Halfway (Nov 22, 2010)

Wifey preferred the .38 revolver over autos until she spent some time on the range with the XDM .40. 

Now she is a full convert.


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## CesumPec (May 20, 2011)

Halfway said:


> Wifey preferred the .38 revolver over autos until she spent some time on the range with the XDM .40.
> 
> Now she is a full convert.


I carry the XDM 9mm. It is a bit large as a full time concealed carry, but I like the feel, accuracy, 19 round mag, and grip safety. I am not a big fan of safeties because in competitions I have participated in, (with Joe Average type people, not pros, from the holster at single and multiple targets at ranges from 5 to 15 meters) I have never seen the guy with the thumb safety beat the no safety or grip safety. And if I am ever in the ultimate competition for life, when I have to worry about a thousand issues like all the innocents in the area and all the seen and unseen targets which I have to account for, I don't want to have the additional worry of correctly deactivating a safety. 

The grip safety, such as with my Springfield XDM, gives me a bit more security against a moment of temporary stupidity without slowing me down. That's my one complaint with the Glock.


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## PistolPackinMom (Oct 20, 2012)

I definitely recommend test firing several different types of guns before deciding; there are many choices available to you. Revolver or semi-auto, Glock or 1911 styles, comfort of caliber, recoil, and cost to feed, ease of learning and use, disassembling, cleaning and reassembling, how it fits your hands, (my hands are small, so I prefer single stack semi autos) brands, and of course, your budget. 

I can't stress enough how important it is to find a gun that is both comfortable for you to shoot as well as something you can be accurate with. If you don't like it, you likely won't practice or carry it. Shot placement also matters; a 9mm to the right spot is more effective than a .45 that strays.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

I find it interesting the differences in people's preferences... Seems 357 and 9mm are the popular hand guns for people here.. 

I vote a little different on them... I believe you need two for a farm or similar... one small, one big... I like a 22lr handgun for target practice, maybe some small game hunting, and for butchering... For a constant sidearm, a very reliable 1911 in 45acp... Big enough to stop something large if need be, but not an over powered load. Easy to operate, and not as heavy as some large frame revolvers.

For rifles I believe you should also have one small, one large... Of course a 22, and especially one that would fire LR, L and S... and then a larger caliber hunting rifle... I like 308, or in my case, I especially like something that will take a 7.62x39 because ammo for them is very easy to find, and also one of the cheapest sized rounds to fire... Also, I'm a huge fan of the 7x57mm round.. but those aren't so cheap... but it makes for a fantastic long range large animal hunting round... The ammo may not be so cheap, but you can get a Mauser that shoots them for a lot cheaper than you can get a lot of commercial made hunting rifles, and many times, that Mauser will be a lot more accurate.. .

Oh, and everyone needs a shotgun.. I prefer 12ga, but a 20ga is just as good in most cases..

To each their own on what they prefer and why, but no matter what you buy, be sure you are buying it because you like it, and not because someone else said it's the best...


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## unregistered168043 (Sep 9, 2011)

I would suggest a lever action 30-30. Probably will be the only gun you'll ever need, and will out last you. Leave it it to your grandkids.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> I find it interesting the differences in people's preferences... Seems* 357 and 9mm* are the popular hand guns for people here..


Those were in response to the "*self defense*" portion of the questions in the OP


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Ah.. missed that one little tidbit Bearfoot.. thanks.. but I still find that interesting.. 

9mm to me isn't a real good defense round... unless you want to keep on pulling the trigger... To me, if .45 was and at times still is the goto knockdown round for the military, it's good enough for me too. 

Cheaper than .357 rounds too, so practicing isn't as pricey.


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## floyd242 (Jun 11, 2012)

GREENCOUNTYPETE said:


> I was at gander mountain today stopped off on the way home from deer hunting , looked at a youth 870 20 ga with 21 inch barrel , keep in mind i just spent the weekend driving swamps carrying a very heavy 12 ga with a 28 inch barrel , if i had the 320 dollars i would have been comming home with it light short quick handling a person who was interested in making things dead and not so worried about having a bunch of guns could sure do a hole lot worse that a youth 870
> 
> i am a big guy but add a extra thick recoil pad and it fit decent , but did i say light and convenient
> 
> I actually stopped to look a it for my son , now i am wondering if 2 are in order drilled and tapped with a 2 power scope sounds just about perfect




I'm pretty sure I saw it in the black friday ad for Bass Pro.


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## oz in SC V2.0 (Dec 19, 2008)

simi-steading said:


> Ah.. missed that one little tidbit Bearfoot.. thanks.. but I still find that interesting..
> 
> 9mm to me isn't a real good defense round... unless you want to keep on pulling the trigger... To me, if .45 was and at times still is the goto knockdown round for the military, it's good enough for me too.
> 
> Cheaper than .357 rounds too, so practicing isn't as pricey.


9mm works fine as soon as you can use something other than FMJ,which the military is stuck with using.

People get all hung up on this round and that,funny thing is,the lowly .38 was perfectly capable of killing people for decades...


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

When you have to start thinking about P+ or +P+ to get the knockdown you're looking for, then you really have to wonder.... but even a fmj ball .45 has a lot more thump than a wad cutter 38... Now when you do start getting into the 357, you do start getting the knockdown, but you're also burning up a lot more powder to get what you're looking for..


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## Halfway (Nov 22, 2010)

She was a little concerned about the safety(less) of the XDM, but quickly became comfortable in knowing that when you are chambering a round it is because the situation warrants it....and either shooting or unloading are probably the only options at that point.

I do like the hammer drop on the Beretta and the ability to fire double-action though.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> 9mm to me isn't a real good defense round... unless you want to keep on pulling the trigger...


9mm got a bad reputation many years ago when ammo choices were more limited.

With improvments in bullet design, and stronger firearms capable of handling +P loads, it's not a "bad" choice. The pistols are normally small enough to fit a wide variety of hands and still have double stack magazines

The 357 will always be popular due to the *many* different loads it can handle


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## tyusclan (Jan 1, 2005)

oz in SC V2.0 said:


> The Holy Trinity.
> 
> A shotgun.
> A rifle.
> A pistol.


I would agree, except I always advise a minimum of 4 guns:


a shotgun, preferably 12, but 20 is fine
a .22 rifle
a centerfire handgun
a centerfire rifle


The specific choices for each type of firearm are nearly endless. Everyone needs to find the gauge, caliber, and action types that fit and feel comfortable to them.


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## BACOG (May 17, 2012)

CFarmerLady said:


> I'm thinking about gun ownership. I'm thinking about it because when I start homesteading, I'm going to need a rifle to kill coyotes, feral dogs, feral hogs, and possibly cats.


a .22 rf can handle that



> I'm going to need a pistol to kill the goats before butchering them. ....and the pistol would also be for self-defense.


I would recommend a revolver for a beginner in .357 mag. But it will also shoot .38 Special loads. When you have practised with .38's and are confident then you can move up to the more powerful .357 loads. A revolver will you a less chance of mechanical failure.



> I might try my hand at hunting


What does your state's game laws say for for the minimum? I would recommend trying a .270 Win. If you can handle the recoil well I don't think you can find a better round. It will take any game in the lower 48. I have taken elk with a single .270 shot.


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## tarbe (Apr 7, 2007)

CFarmerLady said:


> I'm thinking about gun ownership. I'm thinking about it because when I start homesteading, I'm going to need a rifle to kill coyotes, feral dogs, feral hogs, and possibly cats. I'm going to need a pistol to kill the goats before butchering them. I might try my hand at hunting, so the rifle should be good for that, and the pistol would also be for self-defense. I'm not a collector, and I'm not staring at the gun cabinets going "Ooo, shiny!" I just need an idea of what to buy for basic purposes. What would you all suggest for a beginner such as I?
> 
> (I plan to buy a Liberty safe to keep the guns in.)


You could consider a Savage 24F combination gun. 223 or 22 Hornet on the top and 12 or 20 gauge on the bottom.

Would probably cover 95% of your hunting opportunities and pest control needs.


Tim


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## wogglebug (May 22, 2004)

BACOG said:


> a .22 rf can handle that


A .22 Rimfire is NOT adequate for feral pigs. Okay, it will take quite a few of them, but in the large economy size they are killers. That's the one reservation I have about the .243 - it rarely may not be enough to knock down a charging wild boar before he gets those ivory gutting knives (tusks) into your femoral arteries or your belly. In this case, a self-loading rifle would be good for a quick second shot, or move up to the shorter-range, heavier bullet 30-30.


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## BACOG (May 17, 2012)

wogglebug said:


> A .22 Rimfire is NOT adequate for feral pigs. Okay, it will take quite a few of them, but in the large economy size they are killers. That's the one reservation I have about the .243 - it rarely may not be enough to knock down a charging wild boar before he gets those ivory gutting knives (tusks) into your femoral arteries or your belly. In this case, a self-loading rifle would be good for a quick second shot, or move up to the shorter-range, heavier bullet 30-30.


I should of edited out feral hogs. The rest stands.


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## JJ Grandits (Nov 10, 2002)

People always ask, "I'm going into homesteading and need a gun".
If you were going into homesteading would you only need one pair of shoes?
A .22, accurate, inexpensive, the gun you will use the most. A good long range rifle. .243, .308, 6.5 creedmoor.
Something very accurate that will reach out.
A handgun because sometime you need something while doing something else.
A shotgun.
Because its a friggin' shotgun.
" Hey, lets go hassle the guy with the shotgun".
Words that in all of history have never been said.
And for the record, its not a weapon. It's a firearm.
A tool like a hammer or a shovel.
It's only a weapon when it is used against another person.
Like a hammer or a shovel.


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## Fishindude (May 19, 2015)

2012 Thread


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## JJ Grandits (Nov 10, 2002)

Don't matter.
Home recovering from Covid
Very bored.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

JJ Grandits said:


> Don't matter.
> Home recovering from Covid
> Very bored.


I wondered it the weather was bad or you were laid up lame. you have been on a posting frenzy all day.

what would you like to talk about? start a thread we can try an keep it rolling.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

JJ Grandits said:


> Don't matter.
> Home recovering from Covid
> Very bored.


I'm sorry you are sick. I hope you feel better soon,


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