Favorite "smaller than deer" cartridge?

RicinYakima

High Steppes of Eastern Washington
I was wondering what the group here used for their small game rifle cartridges. Do you have a universal favorite rifle, or a rifle for each caliber? For eatable stuff, I favor a Savage 23B in 25/20. For varmints a Remington 581 conversion to 32 H&R mangle-um. For vermin a Savage 23C in 32/20. Predators get the .357 Magnum Martini with a 200 grain sub-sonic load, but only because I am shooting around livestock, so it has to be quite. Yours?

23 i.jpg
 

KHornet

Well-Known Member
Have never owned a 25-20, but shot a few chucks with one as a kid that I borrowed. I am a pdog shooter, and often on a three day shoot, I take up to four center fire 22s. KHornet, 222, 223, and 22-250. This past year, I have been shooting the KHornet with cast HP's early in the day, and when I had shots out to 100-125 yds. Am working on cast HP loads for dogs that will get up to 2400 or so in 222, and 223. Strictly jacketed for the 22-250 at ranges much beyond 300.
 

williamwaco

Active Member
I would say .22 Hornet but I would not use that for cast bullets and this is a cast bullet site so I will say .25-20.
I used to have one in 92 Winchester and it was a pure delight.
 
F

freebullet

Guest
223 for varmints although I haven't settled on any cast load just yet.
Haven't done much small game hunting in recent years.
 

62chevy

Active Member
Would you use a 308 Win loaded with 3.5 grains of TiteGroup and a Lee TL314-90-SWC for small game.
 

RicinYakima

High Steppes of Eastern Washington
Well, I could, but my only 308 weighs 14 pounds with scope. Having more 30 calibers than I can shoot, my most common is a heavily reworked NEF Handy-Rifle in 7.62 - 39. Mostly with 4 grains of W231 and a modified #311316.
 

Missionary

Well-Known Member
Greetings
Another 32-20 shooter here. Did so for many years with a 73 Winchester stuffed with a 115 cast that drops from a "Lapped" mold at .315 which is the fattest bullet it will chamber. Interrupted rifling and pits but ground hog accurate to 35 yards. Some what retired until I get it re-lined. Maybe this time up north.
Then about 10 years back had the chance to buy a Savage 23 in 32-20 and did so. What a super shooting 32 WCF ! Ground hog accurate to as far as I ever see them. Works so well I decided I needed a 32 WCF revolver for the close shots so a Dan Wesson with a 4 inch tube comes along for those under 25 yard shots.
Mike in Peru
 

Ian

Notorious member
Winchester Model 37 in .410, truthfully. Best Squirrel gun ever because no worries about bullets coming down a mile or two away and hurting something. For bunnies, I'm still a fan of my Winchester Model 52 and target-velocity ammunition. For general bumming around a ranch and picking off a few critters for the pot or small varmints, an AR-15 in 300 AAC Blackout is currently filling the bill quite nicely using heavy cast subsonic loadings.
 

John

Active Member
Edible game gets thumped or shot at with the Ruger SSM in 32 H&R or the 92 in 357 using 38 specials and the Lee 125 gr fn. Predators get what ever I have with from 222 to 358.
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
Jeff, what are you feeding that Marlin 32-20? Mine likes an old Lee group buy for a 120 RNFP and 5 gr of Unique. Same bullet shoots well with 3 gr of Trailboss too. Trailboss load is very quiet, only 750 fps. Shooting steel at 100 yds is fun. Pop, wait, tink.
 

Jeff Michel

Member
Truthfully, I haven't a bullet that rifle doesn't like. 311008, 311316 and a couple Milhec 311-640 moulds in 100 and 115 grains. Those are the ones I use mostly because they shoot equally well in my Ruger Buckeye. I usually use Unique and Green Dot. I fell into a bunch of 231, I think I'll try that next.
 

Bill W

New Member
If I had to pick a favorite small caliber rifle shooting jacketed bullets I'd probably pick a Winchester model 43 in .22 Hornet. If cast...... probably a 7x57 as it shoots good at 25 or 50 yards. I also like a .38, .357 or .44 Mag with cast in a handgun. I have a Dan Wesson and a Super Redhawk in .44 Mag and they are very accurate hole punchers. My .357's can't compete with them.

The discussion on the CBA forum got me over here also.
 

L1A1Rocker

Active Member
Right now, it's just a S&W bodyguard in my back pocket. Last month while walking out to the shop (it was already dark) the dog caught sent of an armadillo. The Federal Hydroshocks did pretty good on that dillo.
 

waco

Springfield, Oregon
I have a beautiful little CZ527 in .221 Fireball ans a 1978 tang safety Ruger77 in .22-250. The Ruger has had the trigger worked on and the CZ has a wonderful single set trigger that breaks clean around a pound and a half.

These are use with J words for now hunting sage rats. Jackrabbits are hunted with a 10-22 or 12 Gauge.
 

RicinYakima

High Steppes of Eastern Washington
Truthfully, I haven't a bullet that rifle doesn't like. 311008, 311316 and a couple Milhec 311-640 moulds in 100 and 115 grains. Those are the ones I use mostly because they shoot equally well in my Ruger Buckeye. I usually use Unique and Green Dot. I fell into a bunch of 231, I think I'll try that next.
4.0 grains of WW231 seems to work about as well as 4.5 grains of Unique.
 

RicinYakima

High Steppes of Eastern Washington
Gentlemen,

Thank you all for your replies! I find I shoot my small game guns much more than my "big game stuff" as I get older. I see that there is a wide variety of cartridges and guns.

Thanks, Ric
 

RicinYakima

High Steppes of Eastern Washington
Having been shooting, reloading and writing about 32/20's for 30 some years, it is hard to find a powder faster than Alliant 2400 that doesn't work well. The hardest to deal with are the dense powders in the long thin case. AA#7 was a chore as it just floated around in the case and pressure limits below the minimum to burn consistently.