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Essential Gear

by Darrin Glenn :: Featured: August, 2002

Every rabbit hunting season I try to invite someone along that has never been on a rabbit hunt, or someone that has not been on a rabbit hunt in a long time. I have always figured there is really no better way to get a new person into rabbit hunting and beagling than to get them out on a good actual rabbit hunt! You can sit and attempt to describe the pure, clean fun of bawling beagles, shotguns and rabbits to a potential hunt partner, but there is no substitute for experiencing the real deal first hand. I have read in numerous publications how the number of hunters is declining in the U.S. each and every year, and it grips me that sooner than one thinks we hunters could be so outnumbered by the liberal, ANTI-Hunting whackos that our seasons “could” be in jeopardy. I realize that the majority of the public is made up of non-hunters (those who are neither anti-hunters nor hunters), and if the figures I have read are indeed correct, the declining number of hunters and their positive influence on the non-hunting public could have drastic consequences on our hunting future! We as hunters need positive, responsible newcomers, young and old, to join our ranks every day to keep our tradition alive and well.

When I invite someone along on a rabbit hunt and they accept, one of the first topics to surface is of course safety and the principles of a successful rabbit hunt. This is and always should be “priority #1”. For everyone to return safe and sound, hunters and dogs, is top priority. Usually the next thing most newcomers want to know about is the proper gear to hunt rabbits. The proper gear for a successful rabbit hunt often is minimal, which is good for young folks. Rabbit hunting does not require an expensive, elaborate firearm or piles of varying camo and clothing. Usually the first topic of gear centers around a firearm. What style of action, chokes, shot size and gauge or caliber? Many may disagree with me, but as a general rule, my regular hunting partners and myself discourage the use of rifles for rabbit hunting with beagles. Why? I feel that using rifles could pose a threat to the hounds as well as others in the hunting party due to the nature of hunting rabbits behind beagles. Usually the rabbits stay in heavy cover when pursued by hounds and usually are on the move, often at a quick pace. This equals shots at fleeing game in cover, where a hound could be unseen in heavy cover some distance from the bunny. A rifle bullet retains much more energy at greater distances than the shot discharged from a shotgun, and with beagles in the brush and hunters spread out to cut off the fleeing rabbit, I feel the rifle is not the best choice for this type of hunting. So that leaves us with a shotgun.

Any type of shotgun will take rabbits successfully. From low-end single shots to top-end fancy doubles, they will all do the job. It boils down to personal preference. I myself prefer either a semi-auto or a pump action, as often my shooting leaves a little to be desired and the second or third shot comes in handy! However, there have probably been more bunnies taken with a trusty ole single shot smoothbore than any other. Most all the gauges of shotguns are suitable for rabbit hunting as well, with the exception of the big-bore 10 gauges, which would be over-kill. 12 gauges are a tad on the heavy side, especially for cottontails, but can be used successfully with minimal meat damage utilizing less restrictive chokes and smaller shot sizes. I have used my trusty Remington 870 12 gauge for years to take rabbits and have found with an Improved Cylinder choke tube and light field loads of 7’s or 7 ½’s that meat damage is minimal for the larger bore shotgun. 16, 20, 28 and 410 gauges are all good rabbit getters when matched with appropriate shot shells. Over the years I have noticed that the majority of cottontail chasers prefer a 20 gauge to the other gauges, and they are probably right! The versatile 20 gauge, matched with the proper choke and shot shell, is an extremely good rabbit hunting gun and can humanely and quickly dispatch a rabbit at about all normal shooting distances with minimal meat damage. Also remember that most rabbit hunts take place in nasty, briar and thorn choked cover, so don’t expect to bring your new, prized expensive shotgun from the cabinet and return home without a scratch on the stock!

Proper clothing is also important for a successful rabbit hunt. Wading through tangles of briars and mean thorns is not pleasant while wearing a pair of your leisure blue jeans and a t-shirt! If a newcomer has visions of a rabbit hunt taking place on the likes of a dove field, he/she will be in for a rude awakening. It is important that proper protective clothing be worn while rabbit hunting. “Briar pants” are a must for the rabbit hunter to be comfortable and to enjoy the hunt. Briar resistant clothing comes in many styles and in a wide array of prices. Many rabbit hunters prefer to wear bib overalls, chaps or pants with the protective leg covers sewn on. All seem to work well if made with quality materials and it is just a matter of personal preference. A briar-resistant jacket is also a must. Scratched and bleeding arms are just as painful as scratched and bleeding legs! I prefer a jacket with several deep pockets and an attached game bag in the rear, and I like the bag to zip off to be cleaned. I also like to wear a good pair of tough gloves, as I don’t enjoy picking briars out of my hands either. Always remember that fluorescent/blaze orange is required in most states while hunting with the use of firearms. Even if not required, wear it! Safety should be first and foremost, and blaze orange on all in the hunting party is a must. The orange material should be plentiful and visible from all sides. I personally like an orange cap and my favorite hunting jacket has an orange game bag on the rear and orange shoulder patches and orange pockets on the front. When in the thickets, there is no such thing as wearing too much blaze orange!

I carry a variety of items with me while rabbit hunting. My hunting jacket pockets are usually stuffed with goodies, such as a whistle for calling in the dogs, a sharp pocket knife, rubber gloves, a small section of parachute cord, a bottle of water, a few snacks and a couple of band-aids for that rebel briar that usually smacks me in the face. I also usually carry a cell phone for instant contact for aid in any emergency.

Any time you have a novice or first-time rabbit hunter accompanying you to the field, be sure to stop and explain the “basics” of rabbit hunting with beagles to them. Be sure to try and place them in the prime spots to take a rabbit and to enjoy the hunt. As the hunt goes along, take the time to explain what is going on, what the hounds are doing and what to expect from “Mr. Unpredictable”, the rabbit. An enjoyable rabbit hunt with friends can mean the difference in having a future beagler join our ranks, another hunter on our side. While in the field, also take the time to show your guest that hunting is not always about the taking of game, but just about being out in God’s great creation, enjoying what He has so graciously given us to use and enjoy!

Hunting requires considerable self-control, perseverance, and a firm foundation. Beginners should therefore understand that hunting is complex and that they must learn skills and techniques from experienced hunters. It is far better to begin your hunting adventures with a solid grasp of hunting fundamentals, which will unquestionably improve your hunting abilities and success rate.

Therefore, we have compiled the best hunting information in one article to help hunters. Laying a solid foundation with the knowledge you learn from this will enable you to go on to more challenging hunts and techniques. With each hunt, you will sharpen your focus and gain more knowledge of the natural world.

Hunting Licenses

It is Illegal to hunt without a valid license. Depending on the animal or bird you plan to pursue, there are some situations where you require more than one license. It is imperative to purchase a hunting license to hunt wisely, morally, and responsibly.

Get your tags for hunting: This is true while hunting for a large animal like an elk, a deer, a buck, etc. Each species has a tag that allows you to pursue a particular animal for a set amount of time.

Hunting Regulations 

The majority of seasoned hunters keep themselves informed of state regulations pertaining to hunting rules. Remember that these laws are updated annually because hunting regulations vary from state to state. You can learn about forthcoming hunting season dates, licensing requirements, fees, and other restrictions by studying various state regulations. When reading the rules, you should pay more attention to the region and the species you can hunt.

Hunter Traits

There are certain practices that hunters still do today that have been handed down through the years. We have known for a very long time that animals rely on their senses of hearing and smell. As a result, we have adapted particular features to obscure those senses:

First, conceal your body odor with light, simple soaps while keeping your clothes stuffed with pine needles and leaves. Learn how to lure animals with the best bait or other attractants. Second, refrain from making quick, loud movements if you produce loud noises when pursuing close to an animal habitat; learn to stay calm and pause for a while.

Choosing the Right Ammo

An often overlooked but vital aspect of preparing for a hunt is the selection of appropriate ammunition. The ammo you choose can significantly influence the success of your hunt. It’s not just about the caliber; you need to consider the bullet type and weight as well, which can vary depending on the animal you’re targeting. For example, you might need a 150-grain .308 bullet for deer hunting, but a larger caliber for elk or bear. One should conduct a thorough research on the ammo needed for specific hunts, taking into account factors such as the range you’ll be shooting from, and the size and behavior of the animal.

A cost-effective and practical way to ensure you have enough ammunition for practice and the real hunt is to buy in bulk. Bulk ammo not only saves money in the long run, but it also guarantees consistency in your shots, since all the rounds come from the same manufacturing lot. For instance, purchasing bulk 308 ammo will assure you have a consistent supply for your hunting trips and target practices. Another example is the 223 bulk ammo, which is commonly used in varmint hunting due to its accuracy and effectiveness. Remember, it’s essential to familiarize yourself with your chosen ammunition by spending ample time at the shooting range before your hunt. This familiarity will enhance your confidence, accuracy, and overall hunting experience.

Weapon Handling

Bow hunting and firearm hunting are the two types of weapons available to hunters. Both have particular benefits and drawbacks. However, you should learn to approach both weapons with caution, and you should only ever point your weapon at your intended target. Lastly, continue to wear your safety until you are ready to fire. 

Nowadays, we can see the increasing number of crossbow hunting as it requires more experience and skill set. Also, in most places, bow hunting lasts longer than rifle hunting. So if you are looking for your new hunting crossbow, you can check out our list of the best and fastest crossbows available today.

Knowing how to handle your weapon prevents encounters where your hunting abilities let you down. A perfect shot from a secure position is necessary for a hunt to be successful. You must dedicate time to practicing months before the opening day: By practicing diligently, you can immediately determine how excellent you are at them and what areas of your rehearsal need work.

Research About Animals

The various animal species in your area are one of the first things you learn and comprehend. You can hunt a wide variety of animals, but with the appropriate approach, you can identify and take down the particular animal you want. Researching their strengths, weaknesses, behavior, where they eat and sleep, what they consume, the form of their footprints, and other factors will be necessary.

Maps and Layouts

Your precise, applicable hunting plans should begin during the map session. The geography, terrain, distance, closest roads, etc., may all be found on a good map or Google Maps. This knowledge can improve your chances of having a successful hunt. Maps also give information about the vegetation, which can help you focus your search.

In dense terrain, using an offline map can be a smart move. You can utilize saved maps on your phone instead of the GPS when using offline mapping.

Conclusion

You can prevent making careless errors by paying attention to these suggestions. To guarantee safety and a successful hunt, always abide by the above advice.

At Air Gun Maniac, we provide the best reviews and tips about guns and accessories. If you want to learn about the different types of air rifles available, check out 5 Types of Air Guns You Need to Know Before Buying, which can save you time and money in searching for the best air gun on the market.

So many online ammo websites, right?

Find out the best places to buy ammunition online from our own positive experiences and fails.

We’ll also cover recommended brands, types of bullets to buy, what is a “good” price, and unfortunately…restrictions based on your state.

And the current best deals for popular calibers.

October 2024 Update: Ammo prices are pretty stabilized for popular cartridges such as 9mm, .22LR, and 5.56/.223. However the Israel/Palestine conflict has added some extra demand. Also added Ammunition Depot into the mix.

AAC, Blazer, & PMC seem to be the most in-stock varieties.

THE QUICK LIST

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Best Places to Buy Ammo Online

1. Palmetto State Armory (PSA)

My go-to online place for buying BULK ammo is Palmetto State Armory.

They will usually be one of the best prices for cases (1,000) rounds of popular calibers…like .223/5.56, 9mm, and .45 ACP.

And they usually do a good job of keeping the essentials in stock…especially with AAC 9mm.

And sometimes you’ll even find free shipping for cases…otherwise, it may be about $20 to 30 bucks.

Their shipping used to be excruciating slow about ~5 years ago, but now with their in-house firearms selling like hotcakes…they’ve got their ammo shipping down as well.

• AR-15 Ammo (.223/5.56)
• 9mm Ammo
• All Ammo
• Daily Deals

What’s your take on PSA for ammo and guns?

2. Ammunition Depot

New on the list starting Summer 2024 is Ammunition Depot due to their free shipping over $149.

And just $5.99 for orders under.

You know when you’re buying ammo it’s pretty easy to go over $149.

And I know what you’re thinking…their prices must be higher to justify it. But amazingly they aren’t and can rival PSA prices for popular calibers.

My most recent order with them as been for 6 cent per round .22LR and as of right now their 9mm is 27 cents per round shipped.

They’ve been quick to ship and actual shipping time will depend on how far you are from Florida.

So if you’re buying a few boxes and love free shipping of popular calibers…check them out.

3. LuckyGunner

My go-to place to buy ammo online is Lucky Gunner for their selection, real-time inventory, and fast shipping, and shipping estimator. I’ve been a customer of theirs for over 6 years.

I find a lot of other retailers skimp in website tech or their shipping departments. There have been too many times where the following has happened:

• I find a great price, order, my credit card is charged, and then I get an email a couple days later that they are out of stock. Now I can either wait for a backorder or get a refund which ties up my credit card for a week.
• I order and it takes a week or two to ship out my order.
• I try to see my shipping costs and I have to create a login and enter all my details first.

LuckyGunner is great since they take care of the three problems above. You get to see their live inventory next to each product, they have a 110% guarantee that your stuff will be shipped the next business day, and you can easily calculate shipping without creating a login.

4. Bereli

My go-to for 9mm for the past few months. Bereli has some GREAT deals for some items such as their Blazer Brass 9mm with free shipping and tax only if you’re from Florida.

They’ve shipped out within 24 hours for all my orders but then it’s down to whatever ground transportation does.

Check out all their ammo deals.

5. True Shot Gun Club

A relative newcomer to the list…but in the most recent dark times of ammo (2020 onwards), True Shot Gun Club has been steadily stocking 9mm and more.

Their claim to fame is being the largest ammo dealer in Arizona and top 10 in the entire US. I’ve been ordering from them steadily this past year and it always arrives.

And often at the best price too.

6. Optics Planet

Optics Planet is one of my go-to optics and accessories shops. They now have a decent selection of popular ammo calibers.

They have all the major calibers in plinking ammo plus more speciality selections like self-defense hollow points and hunting loads.

Be sure to double-check that the ammo you’re looking at is in stock!

7. Brownells

Brownells is where I get most of my specialty tools and gun parts. They also have unparalleled customer service, reasonable shipping, and some good ammo deals.

They are caught up in all the website technology which I love, so you can add all the ammo to your cart, input your zip code, and see the shipping. Makes it much easier to compare across websites.

They stand behind their products and I’ve found it really easy to return stuff. However, I’m pretty sure you can’t return ammo for safety reasons. But for parts and tools, they are the best!

See their All Ammo In Stock section.

8. Cabela’s

Hunters and fishermen know and love their local Cabela’s and since their acquisition by Bass Pro, Cabela’s ammo prices have dropped even further!

Best of all, they almost always have the best hunting ammo you can find in almost every caliber you can think of.

Don’t forget to look at the Cabela’s branded gear also, everything from optics to rifle bags to jackets can be found with their brand name on it and so far I’ve never been disappointed with the quality or price!

9. Sportsman’s Guide

From power tools to guns and ammo, Sportsman’s Guide has almost everything under their roof – kind of like a Cabela’s and Harbor freight mixed into one!

While their standard deals are good, their deals with a Sportsmen’s Guide membership are even better! 10% off of gear and 5% off of guns and ammo, those savings can add up huge in a year of shooting.

Plus they offer ammo back-ordering.

Other Suggestions

These didn’t make our regular list but desperate times call for desperate measures and they might have some stuff left…

• Gorilla Ammunition (niche manufacturer with subsonic loads and 8.6 BLK)
• Sportsman’s Warehouse
• Kentucky Gun Company
• Cheaper Than Dirt (Extreme Price Gouging)

Why Buy Ammo Online?

A survey of gun owners conducted by the NSSF found that 53% of gun owners bought ammo online and that 86% of those cited lower prices and quantity discounts.

I’ve only bought ammo a couple of times at gun stores or the range because I forgot to bring my online bought ammo.

But every time I go, it’s not surprising to see prices 50% higher than what you’ll find online…even after factoring in shipping!

I’d like to also add in variety and tax savings.

Without the restraint of a physical location, online sellers can have tons of selection.

Some guns just like different ammo better than others. I like to order a couple of types to see what shoots best in a new gun, and then later put in a bulk order. Plus, our suggestions will likely be out of state for you…so no sales tax!

Recommended Ammo Brands

These are just my recommended ammo brands based on price, availability, and what worked in my guns.

I shoot a decent amount so I usually go for the budget brands. I haven’t had a problem with any of the below.

• AAC: Currently the most affordable (and available) for 9mm and 5.56. Good stuff that has always gone bang.
• PMC: Cheap and plentiful rounds that I have used in almost all my calibers. Made in South Korea.
• Federal/American Eagle: Also cheap and plentiful rounds made in the USA. I use them interchangeably but word on the street is that AE is Federal’s line that is sold online and in gunshops. Federal Champion is their budget line usually found at Walmart.
• Blazer: Another budget brand that sometimes seems too good to be true. Be aware that the super cheap one might be aluminum cased instead of regular brass. I’ve never tried aluminum casings in pistols since I wanted to keep my brass for eventual reloading, but my buddies and I have had no problems in handguns running Blazer Brass.
• Tula: My go-to AK round brand. Super cheap with polymer coated steel cases. Who cares…it’s an AK!
• Lake City: While US government-owned, Lake City also sells surplus ammo and brass through a lot of vendors. They also sell parts and supplies to other brands so it’s not uncommon to find ammo from Federal with brass or bullets made by Lake City. All of it is quality stuff!
• Others: I’ve also had good success with Sellier & Bellot, and Fiocchi, but they are normally a little higher in price. And if in doubt, just Google the brand and caliber to see if there’s any complains in online gun forums.

Recommended Ammo for Common Calibers

A quick overview of the different calibers and types of bullets out there so you’ll know all the useful acronyms such as FMJ for full metal jacket or JHP for jacket hollow point.

We’ll also have some suggestions for choosing a self-defense gun as well.

Even though we go through 18 calibers in the article above, you’ll probably only see/need a handful of the most common ones. So we’ll start with those first.

223/5.56 Ammo

The round of the super-popular AR-15.

Haven’t gotten one yet? Check out our Definitive Guide to the AR-15.

You can shoot .223 ammo in a 5.56 barrel, but since 5.56 may have higher pressures, you should not shoot them in a .223 barrel.

I always get my barrels in 5.56 so there is no problem. Ammo is around 25-40 cents each at the most standard 55 gr bullet.

You’ll also see some designations of XM and M followed by 193 or 855 for Federal & American Eagle.

XM means it was rejected from military use for some reason but still meets commercial specifications. M means it meets mil-spec. 193 means it is a 55-grain FMJ-BT (boat tail) while 855 is 62-grain FMJ-BT with a steel penetrator for added penetration against hardened targets.

We cover everything in even more detail in Best AR-15 Ammo for Self-Defense & Range. But here are some of our picks.

Our favorite XM193 and XM855 ammo!

And our favorite range plinking round goes to PMC Bronze since the brass is great for reloading and it’s a little softer shooting than the others (perfect for competition).

If you don’t care about reloading…Wolf Gold is the best bang-for-the-buck .223 ammo.

9mm Ammo

I’ve shot over 10,000 rounds of 9mm before I started reloading for competitions.

Price is around 30 cents a round. I prefer 124-grain instead of 115-grain which seems snappier in recoil, but I recommend trying out both to see which one you like better.

I also recommend sticking with brass cartridges instead of cheaper aluminum/steel.

We cover everything in Best 9mm Ammo for Self-Defense & Range. But here’s a couple of our favorites…

For general purpose self-defense…we like the 124-grain Federal HST.

And for those who like heavier bullets…

For plinking…go with AAC 9mm in either 115gr or 124gr.

I also really like CCI Blazer 9mm that is brass cased.

.45 ACP Ammo

I’ve shot over 2,500 rounds of 45 ACP and also go with my standard budget list of manufacturers. Price is around 40-50 cents a round.

There’s not too much variation in weight so I stick with the standard 230-grain.

The extensive list is at Best .45 ACP Ammo for Home Defense & Target Practice but here is our main pick.

For self-defense, the HST passed the FBI ballistics gelatin test with flying colors…dominating in penetration and expansion.

.22 LR Ammo

Reasonably priced .22 LR ammo is getting easier to find at <8 cents a round.

So what is out there (and in stock) is much more expensive.

We’ve compiled an extensive list in Best .22 LR Ammo for Accuracy, Plinking, & Hunting.

But…the CCI at 40-grain is my go-to for .22 LR in my Ruger 10/22.

• CCI – 40 gr (Likely in stock but expensive)
• Federal Automatch Target – 325 Rounds – 40 gr
• Sellier & Bellot – 500 Rounds – 38 gr

7.62×39 Ammo

The good ole AK-47 rounds. My rule is to go with ammo from countries that used the AK but to watch out for corrosive ammunition (which is pretty good shooting stuff, you just need to put more effort in cleaning afterward).

You also need to check with your shooting range rules to see if they allow magnetic (bi-metal) or non-brass ammunition such as Wolf/Tula.

If they don’t, you will have to go with more expensive brands or corrosive ammunition. The general weight is around 122-grain and costs from 25 to 35 cents each. Brass cartridges will be more.

• Tula – Assorted – 122 gr FMJ (Magnetic + Steel, my favorite if the range doesn’t care)
• Wolf – Assorted – 123gr FMJ (Magnetic + Steel, WPA Polyformance is the cheapest)
• PMC – 20 Rounds – 123 gr FMJ (Non-Magnetic + Brass, if the range cares)

7.62×39 Self Defense Ammo

• Sellier & Bellot – 20 Rounds – 123 gr SP
• Hornady SST – 50 Rounds – 123 gr SST

.308/7.62x51mm Ammo

Another of those rounds that are almost identical but with some differences in pressure and dimensions.

Unless you really know what you are doing, keep using the round intended for your rifle.

Since most 308/7.62x51mm ammo will be in long-range (sniper) rifles, we’ll also include some Match ammo.

Most commercial ammo will be around 147-grains and around 60 to 70 cents each while match ammo is around 168-grains and $1.50 per round. I went almost straight into reloading to get the max accuracy out of my guns so take my suggestions with a grain of salt.

All .308/7.62 ammo (Lucky, Brownells).

.308 Ammo

• PMC – 20 Rounds – 147 gr FMJ-BT (Shot my first hundred with this)
• Fiocchi – 20 Rounds – 150 gr FMJ-BT
• Federal Match King – 20 Rounds – 168 HP-BT (For precision shooting)

7.62x51mm Ammo

• Federal – 20 Rounds – 149 gr FMJ XM80C
• Federal – 20 Rounds – 168 gr Open Tip Match (For precision shooting)

308/7.62x51mm Self Defense

• Federal Power Shok – 20 Rounds – 150 gr SP

Shotgun Ammo

The shotgun is unique since there are so many different types of ammunition.

We’ll cover basic target birdshot (#8-#9 is great for clay shooting), buckshot, and slugs. Remember for birdshot, the larger the #, the smaller the pellets. And that 00 (double-aught) buckshot is great for self-defense while slugs are one solid piece of lead.

2-3/4 inch refers to the length of the shell which will fit almost all 12ga shotguns. The problem arises from 3 inch magnum shells.

Prices will vary from 25 cents for target shots to around 50 cents — $1 for buckshot and slugs. I’ve shot tons of Fiocchi and Estate birdshot, and love the Winchester Military Buckshot.

Check out the full list at Best Shotgun Ammo for Home Defense & Range Shooting. But here are some of our picks:

Want to see more of our favorite ammo, guns, and gear? Check out Editor’s Picks.

Introduction

While bow hunting is still deeply rooted in older hunters’ spirits, the industry has seen incredible innovations to ensure its sustenance. The introduction of broadheads has gone a long way in ensuring this hunting tradition remains a favorite hobby for a lot of us. Although a good bow and arrow are critical to a successful hunt, broadheads offer excellent penetration to ensure that you kill the animal with just one arrow.

The Ulmer Edge broadhead is not a stranger to broadhead fans; this amazing piece comes from the trophy taker manufacturers. The broadhead sets a high bar for broadheads willing to compete with this piece of art. Make sure you check out our review of the Iron Will Broadheads.

Why this Broadhead is Unbeatable: Features of the Ulmer Edge Broadhead

Chisel Shaped Tip

The Ulmer Edge broadhead is chisel tipped, providing your arrow with incredible field tip accuracy. This design is what enables the broadhead to maintain a shallow in-flight profile.

Having a chisel-shaped tip means that the arrow reduces its wind drag by a significant percentage, as it cuts through the air swiftly. Your arrow can achieve fascinating velocity because of recessed groove retaining.

No adjustments are required when it comes to the Ulmer Edge broadhead; immediately after purchase, you can head to the ranges to get a feel of this beauty.

Razor Sharp Blades.

This trophy taker manufactured broadhead comes with 1.5-inch diameter blades. These blades ensure maximum penetration, whichever direction the head takes. They create a 1.5-inch entry wound, and the exit wound depends on the structure of your target. However, keep in mind that this is a powerful broadhead and can cause massive damage, even on sturdy materials.

Upon impact, the broadhead deploys rear blades. The blades enable the arrow to navigate through dense bone settings. This piece is a non-barbed, two-sided Edge broadhead so that it will cause some damage even on its way out.

Once the rear blades are released, they are locked into place and can only be put at ease using a particular tool. Luckily, the tool is in the Ulmer Edge broadhead pack on purchase.

Blade Retention System

The blades that come with this broadhead are pretty sharp, installed to prevent any accidents is the blade retention system. The primary goal of this system is to lock the blades in place while in flight. The leaves are to be deployed upon impact and not while the arrow is in mid-air.

A set screw locks the blades in position, also known as a practice mode. In practice mode, you can take shots at targets without damaging the broadhead. To deactivate practice mode, disengage the set screw from the broadhead. It is effortless to understand how this broadhead works.

Performance When Practice Mode is Engaged

While in practice mode, I achieved consistent, accurate shots from 20 to 30 yards. It offers an excellent arrow flight, giving your arrow perfect mid-air balance. The quality of shots delivered in practice mode is very accurate and pleasing.

The essence of a practice mode is to lock the rear deploying blades when shooting to secure the knives. The set screws provided hold the Edges entirely even after impact.

The broadhead is very straightforward, engages the set screw for practice mode, and disengages to switch back.

Performance When Practice Mode is Not Engaged

Practice mode only locks the rear deploying blades, and this does not affect the accuracy of your arrow. When practice is not engaged, the broadhead has higher damaging power.

When in flight, the blades are locked into place and deployed immediately after the first impact. The Edges create a massive wound, creating a 1.5-inch entry wound. The exit wound will depend on the speed attained by the arrow and the composition of the target.

The sharp blades enable the arrow to find its way through robust bones. Much damage is inflicted on your target with an impressive damage ratio.

How Does it Compare to a Close Competitor?

Ulmer Edge Broadhead Vs Swhacker

There are several high-quality broadheads in the current market. However, when it comes to searching for the best, it all comes down to the Ulmer Edge and Schwacker. These two broadheads are quality pieces that offer world-class archery precision.

Blades Diameter

The Swhacker offers a larger cutting diameter than the Ulmer Edge. On the other hand, the Ulmer Edge comes equipped with 1.5 inches, razor-sharp blades, which are slightly smaller compared to Schwacker blades. Schwacker creates a more significant entry wound inflicting more damage than its competitor.

Practice Mode

Despite the blade diameter, the Ulmer Edge is still superior to the Schwacker broadhead. The rear deploying can be locked, switching your broadhead to practice mode. This feature is only available in the Ulmer Edge.

Accuracy

The Ulmer Edge is more accurate as compared to Swhacker broadheads. Unlike the Swhacker, which gradually drift to the right upon firing, the Ulmer Edge promises astonishing field tip accuracy. This piece from the trophy taker company can achieve a shallow flight profile due to its design.

Swinging Blades

Ulmer Edge broadheads rear blades can swing while cutting through your target. The modules that come with this broadhead rotate on a pivot after being deployed. In case the right Edge encounters a hard surface to penetrate, the blades will swing to the side that will inflict less damage to the leaves. This feature is not available when it comes to the Swhacker broadhead.

Great Penetration

The Ulmer Edge broadheads will give you excellent performance. If not killed, they will make sure they hit the target with high power that it leaves behind a very reliable blood trail to track it. Some Schwacker broadheads raised complaints of their target fleeing, leaving behind an unreliable trail. Even if the animal can remove the arrow with the Ulmer, much damage will be inflicted with its two-sided blade.

Why the Ulmer Edge Broadhead is Going to Impress You

• The rubber bands are very efficient in holding the rear deployed blades in the broadhead. You will find several rubber bands on the purchase of this broadhead. After deployment of the back leaves, they stay locked in their position. They are sharp on both sides and will cut their way out when removing the arrow from your target.
• It achieves excellent penetration with the help of its razor-sharp designed blades. The arrow goes deep into the target, causing maximum damage as it enters and exits the wound. The product is very durable and gives a long service life.
• The stainless steel broadheads receive minimum damage due to their modern design. When in practice mode, your broadheads blade is safe from any exterior damage that may result from impact. The set screw, though small, is made from the same material as the Ulmer Edge broadhead, making it as durable as the piece itself.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is the Ulmer Edge Broadhead Suitable For High Powered Crossbows?

When it comes to high powered crossbows, the Ulmer Edge is as efficient as some top-notch pieces. Most of the individuals who prefer this broadhead use high powered crossbows.

The blades stay shut until impact. This provides you with great flight and mid-air balance to accurately hit your target at a massive velocity. The takedown power that this broadhead gives is incredible.

It is a very great product to grace your high powered crossbow.

Is There Any Damage to the Blades If I Use My Ulmer Edge Mainly For Practice?

The ferrules in the Ulmer Edge broadhead have a small diameter, due to this, the blades tend to stick out slightly. So when taking shot practices, the leaves may come into slight contact with your target. The effect this has on your broadhead is minimal. However, after multiple target shots, I recommend you check your blade’s sharpness before going for hunting.

Why is the Ulmer Edge Broadhead out of Stock at Most Retailers?

It seems that the Ulmer Edge broadhead had some patent infringement concerns. Other brands seemed to have very similar features as this trophy taker piece. Examples of these same features are the rear deployment blade system and set screws. These issues led to the discontinuing of this piece from most stores.

If you are lucky, you may find some stores with this magnificent piece on their shelves.

Why is the Ulmer Edge Broadhead Best for You?

The Ulmer Edge broadhead is among the high-class broadheads available in the market at the moment. Its ability to maintain a low profile providing awe-inspiring accurate shots to your arrows is very heartwarming. This broadhead has no kickback when firing, making it very friendly, even to the older hunters.

The fact that this broadhead offers a practice mode is something that will influence you to go with this piece. I believe that the trophy taker gave us a very great product.

Time to cut through all of the chatter.

The .300 Blackout (BLK) has been called everything from the 5.56 killer to the black mamba.

Designed by Advanced Armament Company as a replacement for the MP5SD, a 9mm sub-machine gun favored by special ops, it had to have more power, same sound level, and compatibility with the M4/AR-15.

The .300 BLK did exactly that…and gave civilians a serious upgrade for the AR-15.

But should you consider an AR or upper chambered for .300 BLK? What are the pros/cons?

We’ll walk you through the ballistics, cost, and real-world power of the .300 BLK vs 5.56/.223. And then if you want more…we have our standalone articles on the best uppers, ammo, & even optics.

So, if you’ve ever caught yourself pondering the .300 BLK…keep reading.

.300 BLK History

The .300 BLK has its origins in the .300 Whisper, a round designed…as the name suggests…to be shot suppressed.

The case is formed by stretching out the case of a 5.56mm NATO and trimming it down slightly.

It is then stuffed with fast-burning powders and any number of bullets weighing from 110 to 220-grain.

Voila!

What you have now is the ultimate short-range thumper that will feed both supersonic and subsonic ammunition and get its full ballistic potential (complete burn of the powder) from a 9-inch barrel.

The .300 BLK is really what two long protracted wars in the Middle East have taught us about the modern gunfight.

You need a hard-hitting, short, light, and quiet, gun that will own 0 to 300 yards.

The AR-15/.300 BLK combo does this markedly better than the 5.56 NATO.

Why You May Want a .300 BLK Upper/Rifle

The .300 BLK has easily been the most successful new caliber in the last 20 years.

Besides the easy conversion between 5.56 and .300 BLK, the .300 BLK does a lot the 5.56 can’t.

First off, it’s a very versatile load with projectiles weights ranging from 110 grains to 220 grains.

The 110-grain rounds are supersonic, and the 220 subsonic.

A subsonic round is much easier to suppress, and much quieter when suppressed. The .300 BLK also reaches peak ballistic potential from a 9-inch barrel.

The 5.56 requires a 20-inch barrel to reach peak ballistic performance.

.300 Blackout vs. 5.56 NATO

Strengths & Weaknesses

Both .300 BLK and 5.56 NATO are intermediate-class rifle cartridges for target shooting, hunting, home defense, and plinking.

The 5.56 is half the cost of 300 BLK and is available in more high-end loading suitable for precision rifle fire.

It also shoots flatter, experiences less recoil, and ammunition weighs about 40% less.

The .300 BLK offers a wider range of projectile choices, thanks to the .30 caliber bore, burns its full potential in a 9-inch barrel, and is a much better choice for hunting.

It also has the ability to cycle both super and subsonic ammunition without modification.

The .300 BLK also shows its strengths when short-barreled rifles and silencers are involved.

For a duty rifle that will conduct CQB work, this cartridge is a godsend.

Exterior & Terminal Ballistics

In the table above you can see the compared ballistics of both the .300 BLK and the 5.56 NATO.

It shows the barrels that the cartridges were designed around…20-inches for the 5.56, 9-inches for the .300 BLK, and the most popular civilian barrel length of 16-inches.

Exterior Ballistics

Exterior ballistics are the qualities associated with how a projectile flies through the air — wind drift, bullet drop, and zero range all fall into this category.

You can see above that the 5.56 is significantly flatter than the .300 BLK in flight. This is due to a faster velocity.

The .300 BLK uses bullets with a higher ballistic coefficient but isn’t moving fast enough to take advantage of its sleeker projectiles.

This is why the 5.56 shoots flatter and with less wind drift despite having almost half as much energy.

Terminal Ballistics

Terminal ballistics of a round are the qualities it has when it hits the target.

The round’s sectional density, the relationship of its mass and its weight, its ability to penetrate rather than fragment, and the wound channel it creates due to its bore size are all the study of terminal ballistics.

It’s important to note that while energy numbers can give you an idea of power, it’s only a single data point.

To the untrained observer, the .300 BLK seems to have the edge in terminal ballistics.

The stouter bullets, with more mass of a larger caliber, seem to be the more effective round.

While the .300 BLK does have slight obstacle defeating capabilities it isn’t markedly better in performance than the 5.56 with the correct loading.

Modern bullet design is closing the gap between calibers and making the smaller bores more and more effective.

Additionally, the 5.56mm NATO was designed to break up, tumble and flip end over end when it encounters a target.

This is called high-velocity projectile fragmentation and deformation.

As far as a clear-cut winner goes…it entirely depends on what you want from the round.

General Shooting

Target shooting, training, or informal plinking, shooting is just plain fun.

It can get expensive so go with 5.56 NATO.

The .300 BLK’s benefits just aren’t needed when all you’re doing is punching paper.

Look for bulk cheap 5.56mm and use it. You can always switch to .300 BLK when the time comes.

Home Defense

Your home is your castle and for keeping the peace you should walk softly and carry a rifle.

.300 BLK and 5.56 both have their pros and cons and what’s best for one person, may not be the best for another.

The best selling point for .300 BLK is that it can be used with a suppressor and a short barrel — both of which are great for home defense.

A short barrel makes it easier to move around your home and a suppressor protects you and your loved ones’ hearing.

That said, a major downside to .300 BLK in home defense is they have a lot of barrier penetration. Meaning that if you miss (or even if you do hit your target) there is a very good chance those rounds will carry through the wall.

Over penetration makes .300 BLK a very poor choice for anyone living in an apartment.

On the other hand, 5.56 has poor barrier penetration (it will still go through several layers of drywall, but loses effectiveness much faster than .300 BLK).

So it might be a better fit for apartment living.

Hunting

With modern bullet designs, the gaps between the power of calibers are shrinking.

But what you’re hunting and the range are the primary factors when choosing a hunting round.

If your quarry will include only small game, predators, or mid-sized deer at ranges inside 100 to 150-yards then go for the 5.56.

If you plan on hunting medium or large game — such as deer, hogs, or smaller bears — the .300 BLK is far superior.

The extra mass gives more reliable penetration than the 5.56. And the typical hunting ranges of these animals mean that the slight disadvantage of the trajectory is negligible.

However, if you’re looking to hunt any game at distances greater than 150-yards or game larger than an above-average whitetail — you should look at cartridges with a little more oomph to ensure ethical kills.

SHTF

Shoot both!

Uppers available for cheap online can make your weapons much more versatile.

Because the .300 BLK is derived from the case of the 5.56, all you have to do to switch caliber is change the barrel. In an AR-15 the best way to do this is to get a second upper receiver.

Keep all your mags, high-quality bolt, lower receiver, and take advantage of both cartridges.

.300 Blackout Safety

I do want to note one thing before you run out and get a new .300 BLK upper…you NEED to be careful when switching between uppers or even when you have a dedicated .300 BLK rifle and a 5.56 rifle.

.300 BLK can chamber in most 5.56 barrels, however, if you try to shoot it – your barrel (and sometimes more) will literally burst. Explosively.

Make sure you keep ammo and mags separate.

Personally, I keep them organized by using different color mags — FDE and black for 5.56 and Olive Drab for .300 BLK. I also double and triple-check things before loading a mag into the rifle.

Conclusion

The .300 BLK won’t ever supplant the 5.56 for the most ubiquitous AR-15 cartridge but it does have some key areas where it really shines.

Most notably, it does great in CQB environments or alongside suppressors and can run on your existing AR-15 — so long as you get a .300 BLK upper.

In short, we love the versatility of this cartridge.

Does a .300 BLK make sense for you? We’ve got a lot more where this came from!

• Best .300 BLK Uppers
• Best .300 BLK Ammo
• Best .300 BLK Optics

Depending upon your viewpoint, the wild hog ranks as high as a “beast of venery” … which equaled pursuit of the esteemed red stag by Medieval royalty … to loathed, destructive, costly vermin to be shot on sight and killed by any means possible.

The wild boar remains revered as a top game animal in its original range in Europe and western Asia. It was even imported as a game animal to Australia and to the British Isles. In places like Germany, Hungary, and Poland, hunts for wild boar are conducted by highly respected outfitters with tradition and pageantry to this day. Yet, in much of their North American range, what we know as wild hogs are destructive, prolific nuisance animals. Texas is the epicenter of wild hog overpopulation with increasing tremors widening out across much of the United States and California. The agricultural damage from feral hogs in Texas alone is estimated at more than $50 million each year, with another $7 million spent annually by private landowners in the Lone Star State attempting to control hogs and fix the damage they cause. Across the United States it’s estimated that feral hogs cause more than $1 billion in negative economic impact. Feral hog populations are rapidly increasing and causing problems as far north as Pennsylvania and New York.

This diversity of views of the boar or hog creates an even larger variety of hunting opportunities that are rapidly moving hog hunting up many hunters’ … and outfitters’ … hit parade. The fact that the meat from wild hogs is bountiful and delicious when properly cared for is a bonus that further escalates the popularity of hog hunting wherever they are found.

As more hunters take an interest in pursuing wild boar, more quality outfitters are ramping up their operations to meet the hunting need. OutfittersRating.com is the place to search out highly-rated wild boar and feral hog hunting outfitters and guides.

Wild Boar / Feral Hog Facts

The big question is, “What is the difference between a wild boar and a feral hog?”

The right answer is, “Very little.”

The real Eurasian Pig, often called a “Russian Boar,” is the original hog. It was from these wild lines that pigs were domesticated some 10,000 years ago. The first hogs in North America were brought to Florida in 1539 with the Spaniards. There were no hogs of any kind in North America prior to that introduction. (The javelina or collared peccary of the U.S. desert southwest and Mexico is not a true swine. It is a species unto itself.) Naturally, it wasn’t long until some of these domestic pigs escaped and established themselves as the original wild boar populations in the Americas.

Over the following centuries, especially the 19th and 20th, some true Eurasian Wild Boar were brought into the U.S. at various times by hunting preserves and private landowners to offer for hunting and to revive the “look” of Eurasian boar in their huntable feral hog herds. However, in North America today, all free ranging wild hogs are either generations of domestic pigs reverted to the wild or at most feral hogs hybridized with escaped Eurasian boar.

After only a generation or two in the wild, domestic hogs regain many traits of their ancestors including longer hair and protruding tusks. This is why it is possible to see wild boar in North America in nearly any color and spot pattern common to domestic hogs as well as animals that look very “Russian.” The true Eurasian Wild Boar has longer straight hair and is uniformly colored in dark brown trending toward black.

In feral hogs in North America, average weights vary between 75 and 250 pounds at maturity. Hunters and trappers occasionally take 300 pounders or slightly bigger pigs in optimal habitat conditions. Feral hogs of 500 pounds or more sometimes make the front page of local newspapers, but they are exceedingly rare.

Eurasian boar in their home ranges average between 100-200 pounds at maturity, though seem to vary nearly as widely in size as their North American cousins. Generally speaking, they are larger-bodied the farther they are from the equator in either direction. This is a common trait among animals that live over a great north/south range. Consider the white-tailed deer. In the northern hemisphere southern subspecies are smaller-bodied and northern subspecies are larger. Among zoologists it’s called Bergmann’s Rule.

Hog populations can grow so rapidly that there’s an urban legend type belief among some that “they are born pregnant.” That’s not the case, but they are among the most prolific animals on the face of the earth. Sows average 1.5 litters per year … and since that’s an average it means some have even more! Average litter size is six piglets. Sows generally have their first litter at just over a year of age, but they can be sexually mature at six to eight months of age or even less. Because of their proclivity for proliferation, some studies in Texas have shown that the huge population there (estimated at nearly 3 million feral hogs) could double in just more than five years!

Eurasian Wild Boar populations are also growing in much of their original and reestablished range. In Germany, for example, there are reports that average litters are getting bigger and that the animals are far more common in suburban and even urban environments. Large and growing populations are also found in Australia, New Zealand, and South America.

Wild boar and feral hogs are opportunistic omnivores which is a fancy way of saying they’ll eat about anything they can find when they can find it, including carrion. It’s estimated that, in general, about 80 percent of their diet is plant material and 20 percent is animal matter. The animal matter can be anything they can catch, corner or find dead.

Feral hogs and wild boar have a superbly developed sense of smell which can detect preferred food sources even several feet below the ground. Their sense of smell is also their Number One defense against predators including human hunters. They can also hear and interpret sound well, so quiet stalking is essential. Their least developed sense is sight, so it’s possible to get away with some movement in stalking hogs … sometimes.

Wild Boar and Feral Hog Hunting

Particularly in Europe, the wild boar remains highly regarded as a game animal. A large boar is considered a top trophy among traditional hunters. Hunts in countries like Germany, France, Hungary, and more are conducted with great pomp, circumstance, and reverence to the game. Most of the hunting is done in large, communal driven hunts in which beaters are employed in the effort to push the boar past the waiting guns. Hunters are encouraged to shoot as many boar as possible as the harvest is shared or sold in the community. In this type of hunting, shots are commonly taken at animals on the move.

The other traditional European type of boar hunting is to wait in elevated stands for the animals to travel established trails to feeding areas. Much of this hunting is done on properties managed to maximize production of game, especially boar. Frequently these are multi-species hunts in which the hunter may also have the opportunity to take anything from boar, stags, and roe deer to European hare. It was this type of hunting that spawned the drilling style of combination rifles/shotguns.

Hunting hogs in North America these days is a comparative free-for-all! Hogs are hunted by baiting, chasing with hounds, stand-sitting, spot-and-stalk, incidental to other game, spot-lighting, and, now, even by gunning from helicopters. Most states have liberalized or even eliminated seasons and bag limits on feral hogs. A great benefit of this is freedom to hunt hogs when other game seasons are closed and to pursue them with hunting tools of your choice including rifles, handguns, muzzleloaders, shotgun slugs, bows, crossbows, etc. … even air guns, which are gaining popularity as a challenging, close-range, one-shot, hog hunting tool.

Pursued as much as they are by humans these days, feral hogs have adapted by becoming extremely wary and nocturnal. Combined with their incredible sense of smell, this wariness makes the lowly feral hog a highly challenging and rewarding game animal.

Additionally, hogs are tough, tenacious animals. Both original wild boar and boars from feral lines of a couple generations or older have a thick, cartilaginous shield beneath their hide covering approximately the front third of their bodies. This is an evolutionary defense developed to shield the boar’s vitals from the vicious tusks of other boars during their frequent fights for mates. Yet it works pretty well against bullets and arrows, too. Most rifle bullets will easily penetrate the shield on one side and reach the vitals, but frequently will not exit through the offside shield. This can be a problem if the boar does not drop on the spot, because there will be little to no blood trail to aid in recovery. It’s essential that bow hunters wait for a proper quartering away shot to slip the arrow behind the back edge of the shield and forward into the vitals. A classic broadside shot will usually see the arrow stopped short of the vitals by the thick shield.

Though wild boar and feral hogs are conditioned to avoid humans, they will fight when cornered and their tusks are razor sharp. They can inflict serious injuries to dogs that have them bayed and/or human hunters who get too close. However, for some hunters that danger is part of the rush of hunting feral hogs. One increasingly common hunting method is for a dog or dogs to bay the hog. When the human hunters arrive one gets into position behind the hog waiting for the opportunity to grab the boar’s hind legs while the dogs keep the tusks trained on themselves. By getting the hogs’ hind legs off the ground – wheel barrow style – the hunter can safely control the animal. Then a hunting partner either finishes off the hog with a large knife or, sometimes, castrates the animal for release. This, obviously, prevents the boar from reproducing and allows it to grow larger than an intact boar and with much finer quality meat for harvest later.

Another hunting method recently legalized in Texas is called heli-hogging. It is locating and shooting hogs from an open-door helicopter. Combined with the exponentially growing interest in AR platform types of rifles, heli-hogging’s introduction has seen an explosion of interest with well-equipped outfitters enjoying waiting lists for hunts that are months, even years long.

Although not as instantaneously synonymous with American culture as Coca-Cola, but the .22 Long Rifle is up there and is an even older symbol of this great country.

From teaching kids how to shoot to clearing the forest of small game, and to ringing steel targets at 200+ yards, we now live in a golden age for the often-overlooked .22 LR cartridge. No matter what your goal or budget, we have the best of the best here for you to choose your next best .22 LR rifles.

The .22 LR Caliber

Starting in 1884, the .22 LR cartridge began as a black powder cartridge designed for basically the same thing we use it for today. Training, plinking, and small game.

With dozens of manufacturers making hundreds of types of .22 LR there is a round that can do it all. From rat shot to solid copper slugs, there is a .22 LR for it. The far most common is a simple lead bullet that is a tiny 40-grains heavy.

Basically, rimfire cartridges are ones that are struck on the rim of the casing to activate the primer compound that is in the base of the casing.

Unlike centerfire cartridges that use a primer as a separate part, rimfire cartridges keep everything contained in one case. Sometimes the bullet will be washed in copper, sometimes it will be smaller to boost muzzle velocity, there are just so many options when it comes to what .22 LR you feed your rifle.

With modern manufacturers and huge growth in .22 LR competition sports in the last 10 years, there have never been more accurate, more reliable, or more expensive .22 LR options on the market.

And yet, you can still get a bucket of bullets for next to nothing.

Best .22 LR Rifles: Practical Applications

Teaching New Shooters

Because of the ultra-low recoil, quiet nature, and zero muzzle flash — .22 LR makes for a great cartridge to help new shooters learn about firearms and the fundaments that go along with them.

Safety, handling, basic marksmanship, all these are so much easier to teach someone when they don’t need to be worried about the sound and “scariness” of what they are shooting. Be they adults or kids, .22 LR is the most common caliber to start with as a new shooter.

Training

Some .22 LR ammo is crazy cheap, and some of it isn’t. Either way, though, it’s almost always cheaper than whatever centerfire caliber you’re also shooting. For long-range shooters, pistol shooters, or tactical AR shooters, .22 LR is cheaper and more accessible than anything else.

Spending less on your ammo means getting to shoot more and shooting more makes you better at it.

It isn’t a cure-all that will solve your problems, but .22 LR is a great way to test new gear, train transitions, and weapons handling, and have a great time doing it.

Small Game

Rabbits, squirrels, rats, and more — .22 LR is a humane and ethical cartridge for anything on the extra small side. While perfectly deadly to large animals (including you) .22 LR is really suited for the small stuff and at fairly close ranges. If you have pests or want to try some fried squirrel leg, .22 LR can get it done.

Competition

We’ve seen a huge growth in .22 LR competitions at a national and local level — so it’s a great time to be in the shooting sports.

Two major ones are Steel Challenge and NRL22. Steel Challenge is an excellent starter competition game that puts the shooter in a fixed static area and tasks you with shooting a set of steel targets as fast as possible. If you’ve never shot in front of people at a competition before, this is a no-stress way of getting a toe wet.

At the same time, it has lots of room for growth since it isn’t just shot with .22 LR but with other pistol calibers also.

NRL22 is the art of shooting small targets at long distances in the least-worst optimal shooting position possible. If you’re familiar with PRS, it’s that — but with .22 LR. Weird barricades, from the prone, bracing yourself on a rooftop with bags while shooting five known distances — these are everyday things you can expect at an NRL22 match. And it’s crazy good fun.

What is the Effective Range of a .22 Rifle?

Although effective at ranges of up to 150 yards (140 meters), the. 22 LR’s effective range is typically much less. If you fire a high-velocity 22-caliber rifle at 100 yards, the bullet will fall 5-6 inches below your line of sight on average. At 150 yards, it’s 20″. After 150 yards, it’s impossible to compensate for the round’s considerable “drop.”

Maximum effective range for squirrels and rabbits is 75 to 100 yards, with a more realistic range of 25–50 yards depending on the rifle and shooter. Bullet drop is negligible at such range.

The Best .22 LR Rifles

Ruger 10/22

The classic, the OG, the GOAT — the Ruger 10/22. Since 1964, the Ruger 10/22 hit the market, and over 6 million have been sold. And that doesn’t count all of the clones that have been made and sold also.

Coming in a dozen or so different flavors, the 10/22 is one gun everyone should own at least once in their lifetimes. It’s inexpensive, a simple blow-back rifle that runs and runs. Great for teaching kids, small game hunting, or just putting holes in soda cans — the 10/22 is an old faithful that will never let you down.

A huge plus to you is that because the Ruger 10/22 has been around forever and with so many units sold, there is a massive aftermarket for it. Stocks, chassis, barrels, bolts, triggers — if you want to change it or upgrade it, you can.

Personally, I like the 10/22 Takedown model the best. Able to break in half with just the pull of a lug, this is the ultimate in quick and easy.

2. CZ 457

Like the 10/22, CZ’s line of rimfire rifles is a super classic option that comes in a huge range of flavors and models.

From beautiful wooden stocks to competition-ready chassis, there is a CZ 457 for you. Something you can always count on is that the CZ 457 will be reliable, have great shooting, and have smooth action. It might not be the fanciest design, but it has iteratively improved every time CZ comes out with new versions.

Expansive aftermarket support guarantees you have room to upgrade anything you want, but even a base-level CZ 457 is a great rifle out of the box. If you want a true classic — the CZ 457 American is my recommendation. My favorite though is the CZ 457 Varmint MTR. With a big, bold wooden stock and a flat forend perfectly styled for long-range shooting — the Varmint MTR is one badass rifle.

3. Bergara BXR

Bergara isn’t very well known for the BXR, and I think it’s a shame because it’s a great rifle that really flies under the radar.

Coming standard with a 30 MOA 1913 rail for mounting a scope and a super crisp 3.5-pound trigger, this little semi-auto shooter is built for small groups at long ranges. But with the standard model weighing only 5.2-pounds and the carbon fiber model weighing in at 4.2-pounds, this is a rifle that can stay with you in the field all day.

And thankfully, Bergara didn’t reinvent the wheel regarding the magazines — standard Ruger 10/22 mags work with the BXR. You might look at this as a modernized and very high-quality 10/22. And basically, it is. But for the price point and the features Bergara gives you, this is a very compelling option.

4. Bergara B-14r

Another rifle that I’ve used in competition to great effect — I flat out love my Bergara. Period.

Bergara is a major supporter of the NRL22 sport and their B-14r rifle is a great option for anyone wanting to shoot open class with an R700 footprint rifle.

Coming standard in a Bergara HMR stock/chassis this is a great start for anyone needing an upper-class .22 LR. The HMR B-14 in centerfire cartridges is one of the best factory rifles on the market and Bergara has done a great job bringing that quality and design to the rimfire rifle.

An adjustable trigger and an outstanding barrel combine to make this simply a great rifle. And, if you want to shave some pounds off of it, you can get the B-14r in a carbon fiber wrapped option that feels wonderful in your hands.

It’s also an amazing option for anyone of smaller stature. Taking a couple of pounds off of the B-14r turns it into a super lightweight and well-balanced rifle for hunting or shooting off barricades.

5. Tikka T1x

My first upper-tier .22 LR rifle, I love my Tikka T1x. Designed on the T3x footprint the T1x will fit most stocks and chassis that the T3x fits. It also takes the same triggers, so that’s extra nice. Coming standard with an adjustable 2-stage Tikka trigger the T1x is a great little rifle for all sorts of things.

Personally, I used it as my competition rifle for a while before I upgrade. Now I keep my Tikka in the factory stock as my squirrel rifle. It’s lightweight, handy, and deadly accurate. I shot my Tikka in NRL22X matches out to 400 yards — that’s crazy far for .22 LR.

At 100 yards I found a number of ammo types that were well within sub-MOA groupings. If you want a simple small bore hunting rifle, Tikka T1x is there for you. If you want to get started in NRL22, Tikka is there for you.

Really — you won’t be disappointed no matter what you get your Tikka for!

6. Zermatt Arms RimX

I’ll admit I’m biased, I love to shoot NRL22 competitions and a Zermatt Arms RimX is my current open match rifle.

While I could write half a book on why I love this rifle, I’ll try to just give you the highlight reel. If you want a rifle that is treated with the same respect and care that a master gunsmith puts into a centerfire match rifle — Zermatt Arms RimX is for you.

Zermatt Arms has been making outstanding centerfire rifles for years and the RimX is their venture into the rimfire world. Build for people wanting a top-tier training rifle or shooting in rimfire competitions, the RimX is excellent. From the all-metal magazines with adjustable seating to the wide range of bolt handles to pick from, the RimX is as customizable as it gets.

And of course, it’s build using the Remington 700 footprint so there is a huge aftermarket selection of stocks and chassis to choose from. Right now you can only find the RimX as a bare action directly from Zermatt Arms, but some gunsmiths and retailers are offering custom rifles using the RimX action. If you’re ready to build yourself a baller NRL22 or .22 LR training rifle, I highly recommend the RimX.

7. Vudoo Gun Works V-22

One of the absolute top dogs in the high-end .22 LR game, Vudoo Gun Works is the standard that others are judged against. Always at the forefront of .22 LR bolt rifle technology, these are rifles that win national championships regularly.

Built using the Remington 700 footprint, the V-22 fits any stock and chassis that the R700 does. Frankly, you just can’t go wrong with a V-22. But you’ll have to break a piggy bank or two to cover the payments, perfection doesn’t come cheap.

While most people will think it’s madness to spend this kind of money on “just a .22 LR rifle” keep in mind that these are really designed and marketed for the competition world. If that isn’t you, there’s nothing wrong with that!

8. Smith & Wesson M&P MP 15-22

An AR-15 format that is designed and chambered to shoot .22 LR — awesome.

Using a real .22 LR barrel and a system that is actually built for .22 LR, this is the best AR-15 platform .22 LR you can get off the shelf. And it doesn’t cost too much either.

Great as a training rifle, small game rifle, or as a stepping stone before getting into the AR-15 platform completely — the MP 15-22 is a great rifle in every respect. However, while the MP 15-22 is a solid enough rifle, it does have two major weak points.

First, the lower is made of polymer instead of metal like on a real AR-15. This is fine for .22 LR, but don’t go door-kicking with it. Second, the lower is designed to not fit other AR-15 uppers. So if you have a dream of getting this cheap and throwing on a 5.56 NATO upper, you can’t.

Wrapping Up

From popping pop cans to bringing home the squirrels for the squirrel stew to slapping steel at long distances, these .22 LR rifles can do it all. It’s just a matter of finding the perfect one for you.

I have my favorites, and I’m sure you have yours, so tell me about them down in the comments. If you’d like to see more .22 LR content, let us know.

For now, take a look at these great articles:

• Best Ruger 10/22 Scopes
• Best .22 LR Handguns
• The 4 Best .22 LR Rifle Scopes
• Best Budget Hunting Rifles

Going Small for Snows

No trailer (or three) jam packed with snow goose decoys? S’no problem! Here’s how to make a smaller spread work this spring.

By M.D. Johnson

Eighteen hundred. Two thousand. I’m not sure what the exact number was … hell, I don’t even know if the young man who orchestrated the menagerie of plastic knew the exact number. What I did know was it was a lot of decoys. And battery-driven spinning things. And speakers to rival a Rolling Stones concert. A lot of stuff.

The young man—now much better known—was Tony Vandemore, co-owner of the Missouri-based Habitat Flats and an authority on white goose hunting. I’d joined Vandemore for early-season teal, wood duck, and mallard hunts, but this was my first experience with snows. So when the young man instructed us to get down and flicked the power switch, bringing to life eight speakers and a pair of rotary decoy machines, I listened. But when I finally saw the geese he was looking at—so far away they looked a lot like flecks of pepper on a paper plate—I wondered to myself, “What the hell is this kid doing?”

Moments later, and after taking my inaugural ride in the eye of a white goose hurricane, I realized he knew exactly what he was doing.

And so it was with my further experiences with snows in Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and South Dakota—concert hall sound systems and a virtual sea of plastic. Fifteen hundred. Twenty-five hundred. But it wasn’t just me, for it seemed to most hunters that massive spreads and big numbers were the only way to go when it came to fooling spring snows.

“Either go big,” I was told time and time again by those foolish enough to chase white geese, “or don’t go at all.”

And that’s just the way it is … or is it?

Defining ‘Small’

Let’s begin by addressing perhaps the most challenging part of the small spreads for snows equation, that being the definition of the word “small.” For a group accustomed to setting 4,500 decoys, a mere thousand might be small; for those rigging 1,000, then 400 to 500 may fit the bill. Much of it, then, lies in what one’s used to. It’s an eye of the beholder sort of thing, I reckon.

“Downsizing for me is 300 to 500 full-bodies,” said Vandemore “We’ve done this quite a bit in Arkansas, and 300 full-bodies is what we typically run in Saskatchewan in the fall.”

Eleven hundred miles east of Vandemore’s digs in north-central Missouri lies Easton, Maryland, home to some of the nation’s deepest goose hunting traditions, as well as to legendary callmaker, Sean Mann. No stranger to geese, be they darks or lights, Mann is the mastermind behind the Eastern Shoreman goose call, one of the most recognizable hunting instruments ever to be crafted. But while the World Champion and Champion of Champions built his reputation on Canadas, he’s certainly no stranger to the ins and outs of spring snows.

“To me a small spring snow spread would be 300 decoys or fewer,” Mann said, “If I’m hunting a water hole, I may use as few decoys as three dozen floaters.”

That’s not to suggest committing the sin of shooting a roost, Mann continued, but rather, strategically targeting water where the birds are going to hydrate. In Maryland, says Mann, that means avoiding setups on alkali ponds, which birds will use to roost but won’t drink from. Dry-feeding snows must drink afterward to digest their food. Find their watering hole, and it won’t take a massive spread to find success.

Coming back around to the word “small,” Nick Costas, who owns Split Reed (splitreed.com) and Thunderbird Outfitters in Saskatchewan, is quick to admit he’s not a “spring snow grinder” like some folks, but he does his fair share of chasing the white fowl.

“For years, 100- to 150-dozen socks, rotary machines, clone decoys, fliers … the monster set-ups were the big thing,” Costas said. “And people still do it. They’re hunting a 10,000-bird feed. They’re laying in the decoys under the socks. A huge spread with a lot of motion: That’s their play.”

Costas was convinced to rethink this mindset during the spring 2018 season.

“That was a tough year for snows in Arkansas, the year I guided down there,” he explained. “There weren’t a lot of juvies. We came out running 100 dozen socks with rotaries, and didn’t have a lot of success. So, we started packing in layout blinds, with 300 full-bodies and no motion, and had success—forty- to 80-bird shoots. To me 300 full-bodies is a small spread.”

As importantly, it’s enough to work.

Dynamic Decoys

Now don’t get me wrong: I’m not saying there’s not a lot of thought that goes into setting out a 2,000 mixed rig of full-bodies, silhouettes, socks, rotary machines, fliers, layouts, A-frames, and anything else worthy of inclusion in these so-called “monster spreads.” There is! But I will say there’s a great deal more margin for error when setting 2,000 fakes as opposed to artistically arranging Mann’s 36 floaters or Costas’ 300 full-bodies, e.g. preparing for a wind shift, selecting blind locations, and most significantly, concealment to the point of invisibility.

“When I say ‘300 full-bodies,’ I would likewise run a small sock or silhouette spread, if that’s what I had,” Costas clarified. “Not everyone can afford 300 full-bodies … and if there was a consistent snow goose feed, I would have confidence running 300 silhouettes or socks, especially depending on the wind. I’m not the guy who’s going to say you need highly expensive decoys to kill snow geese. I don’t believe that.”

So is there a right way and a wrong way to set those 300 decoys, be they full-bodies, socks, or silhouettes?

“More thought definitely goes into setting a small snow spread than when I’m rigging 1,500 or more,” Vandemore said. “But it’s still a fairly routine configuration, with more on the upwind side and fewer downwind.”

Perhaps not surprisingly, Mann’s thoughts on the subject are similar to Vandemore’s, but with an added element which, to those who’ve spent time peering through a windshield, is quite understandable.

“I try to duplicate or set the exact picture of what I’d seen during my scouting,” Mann said. “The birds know where they want to be, and more importantly, why they want to be there. I don’t need to know why, but I do need to know where, how, and of course, when.”

Costas breaks a bit from the traditional “tight is better” theory of setting a snow goose spread, especially when he’s working with but a handful of decoys.

“I’m running my spread looser than most,” he said. “I’m creating a lot of little pockets, and giving the birds options where they can land.”

What the young man said next truly hit home.

“I know it’s not spring, but this works in the fall in Canada: I’ll run 10 dozen silhouettes, hide out of the spread, and kill tons of snow geese like that,” Costas said. “I’d say that’s a very small snow goose spread, but mind you, I’m running that when they’re coming to that exact field. My philosophy is that the more crap I put out there, the more opportunity I have to mess the situation up.”

Visibility and Acoustics

Sooner or later, be the rig large enough to cover several football fields or as small as the average driveway, a conversation surrounding spring snows will turn to the topics of sound and motion. Monster spreads often combine the motion and movement akin to a Mardi Gras parade. Constant sound. Spinning. Flapping. Flying. Flipping. Shaking. It’s like hunting geese in an enormous snow globe—with speakers blaring.

A small spread though, and the variables of sound and motion, change a touch.

“I’ll still use rotary machines in a small spread,” said Vandemore. “But I’ll put them on short posts close to the ground.”

In the East, Mann believes in the back and forth of his socks as it pertains to motion and is a firm believer in an old school motion tool.

“If I can be in the spread, I’ll use a square black and white flag for attraction and attention,” he said. “I’m not using it for constant motion, but to refocus birds when they’re headed my way. If they start to get bored, as evidenced by birds starting to fall out of the flock or even the entire bunch beginning to slide off, I’ll flip the flag and try to get them refocused.”

Sound is, of course, another variable in the small snow spread; however, here the question is whether to use electronics (e-callers) or to return to the tried-and-true mouth calls … or, both?

“You definitely still need the tunes (e-callers), but you really need to think about volume and lowering that when the birds get closer,” Vandemore said. “Often, I’ll still run two e-callers, but I can get away with one situationally. Don’t overlook the fact that 300 decoys cover a lot less real estate than do 1,000, so it matters where your sound is coming from and how much sound you’re putting out.”

Costas is on the same page with Vandemore when it comes to sound production.

“I adjust my e-caller volume, depending on the birds,” he said. “It’s just like (mouth) calling for ducks and geese—you’re going to be a little louder when you’re trying to get their attention versus when they’re finishing.”

Mann’s theory on the audible is different.

“Volume is often overdone with white geese,” he said. “Snows have great hearing, and they know what they want to hear. Sound quality is the most important aspect. You have to sound like them and know what they’re trying to say. It’s not just creating noise. It’s being a good family group of great-sounding birds.”

Further, Mann walks both sides of the e-call/mouth call fence in the spring.

“I like e-callers when allowed, with a very small group sound and four speakers,” he said. “I’m looking for the sound to ‘move’ around the speakers, as if the birds were talking across the flock on the ground. And I use a White Out (mouth call) to produce specific sounds that complement the electronics.”

However, Mann has hunted snows for decades minus the battery-powered devices.

“I still do more hunts without the e-caller than with,” he said, “I’m okay combining the e-caller with a good call, as long as I have a remote for the electronics. No remote? No e-caller.”

Top Priority: Concealment

Back and forth. This and that. Pros and cons. Ask 100 snow goose wizards the same question, and there’s an awfully good chance you’ll get 100 different responses; however, one common denominator they’ll all agree is the need for total concealment. It’s a fact for snow geese, a young ’fowler once told me, that, “If you ain’t hidden, you ain’t shooting.”

“Concealment is always a top priority for snows,” Vandemore said. “But even more so when you’re working with a small spread and you don’t have 1,000 decoys to help take some of the birds’ attention off your hides.”

Mann agreed, noting, “Concealment is without question the primary element. You can’t beat these birds if you’re exposed.”

Costas summarized the matter especially well.

“With a small spread, you need to be hunting the right, consistently behaving birds, and you have to have a great hide,” he said. “Concealment is my ‘thing’ when it comes to snows.”

“Consider that snow geese get shot from the inside of spreads for months on end. So when snows slowly fly up to a spread, they’re looking down. They’re looking for those people they’re accustomed to in the usual spots. That’s the theory behind using 100 dozen decoys: You can hide yourself in the spread, and by the time the birds get to the head, they’re low enough to shoot. You can’t do that with 300 decoys. That’s a small, realistic spread that’s not packed super tight. It doesn’t look like a strip of toothpaste. It says to the birds that this is calm, natural feed, and they need to be there.”

And if you effectively communicate that magic combination to a massive flock of snows, it doesn’t really matter if you’ve put out 300 socks or 5,000 full-bodies—your shotgun barrel is about to get hot!

M.D. Johnson’s decoy trailer is ready for spring in Cathlamet, Washington.

Most of the time deer seem like ghosts walking through the woods. For the hunter it might sound like the forest is filled with everything but deer. In reality, though, deer are quite vocal animals, and they express themselves with a variety of noises that all mean different things, from warnings to sweet talk.

Knowing these sounds is essential to the effective hunter. Not only can they let him know where deer are and what they’re doing, but certain sounds may repel or attract certain types of deer at certain times. It might sound complicated, but there are definitely harder languages to learn.

In the end learning the vocabulary of deer speak is a lot of fun.

You might also like:

If you’re looking to imitate a deer you should checkout how that’s possible by reading our roundup of the best deer calls. Or maybe you’d like an article outlining the characteristics and locations of all the different types of deer that make up the deer family?

We’ve also another similar article that covers the sounds that Elk make.

What sounds does a deer make when scared or nervous?

One of the things that have helped deer survive for so long is their herd mentality. They take care of each other. One way they do that is by warning each other when there’s danger. Specifically, there a few sounds you should be aware of because if you hear them, it probably means a deer knows you’re around and has just alerted the rest of the herd.

Sniffs

If a deer begins to sense something is off, they may start making sniffing sounds. Not only are they trying to get a better smell, one of the easiest ways they can find you out, but they’re also putting the rest of the herd on edge. The sniff doesn’t sound much different than a human sniff, only stronger and deeper. Imagine air being sucked in through a deer’s large nose.

Stomps

Along with sniffing, suspicious deer may begin lightly stomping their hooves. This happens when they first suspect danger but aren’t quite sure where or what it is yet.

The noise sounds just like a wood block striking the ground and is usually noticeable since the deer are otherwise as silent as mice. The stomping puts the rest of the herd on alert so that they can more easily pinpoint the threat.

Snorts

The snort happens when a deer is positive there’s danger around. It means whatever methods you’ve employed to camouflage your body, noises and scents haven’t been enough. The snort sounds similar to a human sneeze, and nothing is more disheartening than hearing it off in the distance just when you’ve given up for the day and decided to start making your way out of the woods. The deer will snort, raise its tail and run away. The sound will alert other deer, and they’ll all do the same.

What sounds does a deer make when angry?

When they’re in the rut, male deer shed some of their usual cautiousness in order to chase the does. This certainly applies to their sounds as well, and a buck in the rut will be a lot louder than usual. In fact, he’ll make a variety of sounds to intimidate other bucks or warn them of his presence, and he’ll respond to sounds that make him think there’s another male around. He’ll make sounds to try to seduce the does as well.

Buck Grunt

Bucks make a loud grunting sound to show their dominance. While all deer make soft, long grunts to call to one another, the deep, short grunt of the buck is the male claiming the territory and does in it as his own. He’ll usually make it when he’s decided on a specific doe to chase, and he’ll continue making the grunts as he chases her. The sounds are also attractive to the females.

A buck grunt is one of the sounds that can be mimicked to attract a deer. Some examples are listed here in our roundup of the best deer calls.

Rattling Antlers / The Buck Rattle

The buck rattle isn’t a vocalization of the deer. It’s the sound of two bucks fighting. When they spar, they clang their antlers together making a rattling sound. Before the rut begins, this can be light sparring just to size each other up, but when the does are in estrus, this becomes serious fighting to determine dominance.

If other bucks hear the sounds of antlers rattling, they know two males are fighting and will usually come to watch, especially the dominant buck of the area because he’ll want to know who’s fighting in his territory. This is why imitating this sound can attract them.

Hunters or naturalists looking to lure deer often use man made materials to mimic these sounds, there are some great examples in this roundup of the best rattling antlers.

Snort-Wheeze

The snort-wheeze is an especially aggressive sound used to intimidate rivals. It sounds just like the name implies: a snort followed by a raspy wheeze. Two bucks vying for territory and does may make these sounds at each other to display their dominance. If one buck is smaller or more timid, the noise might send him running, but the more aggressive males usually make this sound just before they spar. This noise combined with the rattling antlers really gives the impression of a fight and will attract curious and dominant bucks to the area.

There are some example products that allow you to make rattling antler and snort wheeze sounds in our roundup of the best deer calls.

Other deer sounds

Being herd animals, deer need some way to communicate, and one of those ways is sound. They don’t just make noises to show fear or anger, but they also make different sounds when they’re excited, happy or even bored. Does especially have a wide range of vocalizations they use with each other and their fawns.

Doe Grunt

The grunt of a doe is much higher than that of a buck because the females have smaller bodies, and just like in humans, this results in a shorter airway. The does don’t grunt to show dominance, though. Basically, they just do it to talk to one another. Deer are highly social, and they try to gather together when they can, so a grunt is the deer’s way of telling others it’s around and ready to mingle, so to speak. The mothers also grunt to call the fawns if it’s feeding time or if they’re moving to a new location.

Doe Bleat

Does also bleat in social situations. The bleat is a higher-pitched vibrating sound, similar to that of a goat. They mostly do it when they are gathered together or with their fawns, and it signals contentment.

Doe in Heat Call – Estrus Bleat

When the does go into heat and are ready to mate, they make their own sound to seduce the bucks. This is the estrus bleat and it’s higher than the bucks’ calls. It almost sounds like a kazoo. When a doe wants to mate, she’ll stop and make the bleat which lets the buck chasing her know she’s ready. This can be one of the loudest noises deer make and is very distinctive.

What sounds does a baby deer make?

Baby deer, or fawns, make a lot of different noises to communicate with their mothers. The does have strong maternal instincts and respond quickly to calls from their babies. Consequently, if you’re hunting a doe, the best way to attract her may be to mimic the sounds of a fawn.

Nursing Whine

When the fawns are nursing or trying to nurse, they whine. It’s a rising and falling pitch that actually sounds a lot like a rusty screen door blowing in the wind, but the fawns make it to bond with their mothers. Like most social communication between deer, it is not audible from much of a distance.

Fawn Distress Call

If a fawn is in danger, it will call for its mother’s help. The call sounds like a loud continuous cry that can sometimes be eerily human. If it’s enough to make you feel like you need to go see what’s wrong, just imagine how it sounds to a mother deer. Does will normally come fast to find the crying fawn, even if their own babies are safe by their side. As you can imagine, the noise increases in volume depending on how much the fawn feels in danger. It might be quiet and rhythmic if the fawn is merely lost and looking for the herd, or it could be loud and panicked if it’s being chased by a predator. You’re mostly likely to hear this sound at the beginning of the season when fawns are still small and dependent on their mothers, and that’s also when you’ll have the best luck imitating it, though it can be successful year-round.

Fawn Bleat

Fawns also make a goat-like bleating sound similar to the does when they are happy. Because of their small bodies, the pitch is higher than that of the adults, but it serves basically the same purpose. The fawns bleat when they’re playing with each other or socializing with their mothers, and it encourages social bonding within the herd. You’re likely to hear young deer playing around and bleating while their mothers feed.

This article takes you over the differences between birdshot and buckshot, giving you a better idea of what each round can do. You can think of it as your ultimate guide to shotgun ammo.

The main difference between birdshot and buckshot is their penetrating power. Buckshot pellets are larger and can penetrate two or three walls, while birdshot pellets are smaller and don’t have much penetration power. However, both rounds are lethal at close range.

Now, let’s define each type of ammo and then discuss the differences as well as the pros and cons.

What Is a Birdshot?

Birdshot is a type of shotgun ammunition that is used for hunting birds. The pellets are small and numerous, making them effective for taking down smaller game. The size of the shells also makes birdshot less likely to penetrate deeply into walls, making them a safer choice for home defense.

Birdshots can be identified by their size designation. They’re typically marked with a number from 6 to 8, which refers to the size of the pellets in millimeters. As the size of the pellets decreases, so does their range.

Most people use birdshot for hunting game birds like quail, dove, and pheasant. However, it can also be used to take down small mammals like rabbits and squirrels. It can also penetrate an unprotected human torso up to about 25 yards (23 meters).

What Is a Buckshot?

Buckshot is a type of shotgun ammunition larger in size than birdshot. It comprises lead or steel pellets that are typically about .25 inches (6.35 mm) in diameter. This size allows them to travel further and do more damage than birdshot.

The easiest way to tell the difference between birdshot and buckshot is by judging their size. Birdshot will be much smaller than buckshot. And while birdshot can cause damage, buckshot is specifically designed for hunting purposes, as it can take down larger targets.

This ammo is particularly popular for deer hunting, as the larger pellets are more likely to cause a lethal wound. Buckshot is also available in a variety of different sizes, making it a versatile choice for any hunter.

Differences Between Birdshot and Buckshot

Aside from their penetrating power, buckshot and birdshot are also used for different purposes. Here’s everything you need to know:

Pattern Spread

Birdshot spreads out more than buckshot, making it ideal for home defense or hunting small game. Still, many pellets will concentrate in the middle, resulting in significant damage. The pattern will also spread out further if the shotgun is fired at a distance.

On the other hand, Buckshot doesn’t spread as much as birdshot and will penetrate deeper. It’s suitable for hunting larger game but would be risky in a home defense situation. A lead pallet could pass through several walls, injuring family members or neighbors.

Related Pump Action vs. Semi-Auto Shotgun for Hunting | Pros and Cons.

Range

The range for birdshot is also shorter than for buckshot. Buckshot can travel up to 500 yards (457 meters) before it loses power, while birdshot is effective for about 30 yards (27 meters).

This means that if you’re hunting deer, buckshot is a better option. However, birdshot is a better choice if you’re going after a smaller game or want to use your shotgun for home defense.

Price

Birdshot is also cheaper than buckshot, making it a more affordable option for many shooters. The main reason for this price difference is that buckshot is produced with solid lead pellets. Birdshot pellets are typically made with a steel core covered in a thin layer of lead.

This material difference also accounts for the difference in penetration power. Buckshot will cause more damage than birdshot, but birdshot is still lethal at close range. In the end, it all comes down to what you’re using your shotgun for.

Stopping Power

Buckshot is also more effective than birdshot when it comes to stopping power. A single buckshot pellet can take down an animal, while birdshot will usually just injure it.

This is why buckshot is the preferred choice for hunting large game.

Size of Pallets

The size of the pallets is also a consideration you’ll want to keep in mind when making a choice. Buckshot pellets are typically 9mm in diameter, while birdshot pellets are between .2 and .3 inches (6 and 8mm).

This difference in size means there are more pellets in a buckshot cartridge than in a birdshot one. As you can imagine, with more shells, come more chances to reach your target.

Pros and Cons of Birdshot

Here are a few of the pros and cons of using birdshot:

Pros and Cons of Buckshot

Buckshot also has its pros and cons. Here are the most relevant ones:

12 Gauge vs. 20 Gauge Shells

When choosing shotgun ammo, you have two main options: the 12 gauge or the 20 one. But how can you decide which one is right for you?

The 12 gauge shell is the most popular choice, as it’s larger and more powerful than its 20 counterpart. It can take down bigger targets and has a longer range. However, it’s also more expensive and more challenging to handle.

This shell can be found in birdshot, buckshot, and slug varieties. The slug is a single projectile designed for larger targets like bears, while the birdshot and buckshot are designed for smaller game.

The 20 gauge shell is smaller and less powerful than the 12. However, it’s more affordable and easier to handle, making it a better choice for beginners or those who aren’t as experienced with shotguns.

This shell is available in birdshot and buckshot varieties, with the birdshot being ideal for hunting small game.

So, which one should you choose?

It really depends on your needs and what you plan to use your shotgun for. If you’re looking for a powerful shell that can take down big targets, then the 12 gauge is the right choice for you. However, if you’re looking for an affordable home defense round, the 20 gauge is the way to go.

No matter which one you choose, make sure to practice with your shotgun so that you’re familiar with its recoil and handling. This will help you be safer and much more accurate when you use it.

Related 6 Best Shotguns for Beginners.

Other Calibers of Shotgun Ammo

While the 12 gauge and 20 gauge shells are the most popular choices, other calibers of shotgun ammo are also available. Here are a few of the most common ones:

• .410: This is a small caliber shotgun often used to hunt small game. It’s less powerful than the 12 and 20-gauge shells but is more affordable and easier to handle.
• .357: This is a handgun cartridge that can also be used in a shotgun. It’s more powerful than the .410 but less powerful than the 12 gauge.
• .45: This is a large caliber cartridge designed for hunting large game. It’s more powerful than the .357 but less powerful than the 12 gauge.
• .10: This is the largest caliber shotgun shell available and is more powerful than the 12 gauge. It is often used for hunting large game such as bears and deer.

What Is the Length of Shotgun Shells?

The length of shotgun shells can vary, but they are typically about 2.5 to 3 inches (63.5 to 76.2 mm) long. This length includes the shell casing and the projectile.

Shell length is a crucial factor to consider when choosing a shotgun for home defense. You want to make sure that the shell is long enough to fit comfortably inside your gun, while not getting stuck in the barrel.

It’s also important to consider the length of the projectile. The longer the projectile, the more extensive the distance it can travel. Therefore, if you’re looking for a shell with an extended range, you’ll want to choose one with a longer projectile.

Choose the shell that best suits your needs, and, as always, make sure to practice with it so that you’re familiar with its recoil and handling.

What Is a High or Low Brass Shell?

When looking for shotgun ammo, you’ll likely often see the terms “high brass” and “low brass” thrown around. But what do they mean?

The term “high brass” is used to describe shotgun shells made up of higher-quality brass. This type of brass is stronger than its lower-quality counterpart used in low brass shells. Low-quality shells are made from poor-quality brass. They’re of inferior quality but less expensive.

High brass shells are much more expensive, but they offer significantly more power and a longer range. They’re often used for hunting large game.

Low brass shells are typically used for target shooting and home defense. They offer less power than their counterpart, but are more affordable and easier to handle.

Related 2 3/4 vs 3 Inch Shells | Which Should You Choose?

Low Recoil Shotgun Loads

If you’re looking for a shotgun load that has less recoil, you’re in luck! In today’s market, there’s no shortage of highly efficient, easy-to-use rounds that cause little to no recoil.

Low recoil rounds are designed to reduce the amount of pushback you feel when you shoot.

This quality makes them excellent for beginners looking to gain a bit of accuracy when they shoot. Additionally, they’re also great for more experienced, but smaller-bodied folks who are looking to handle their firearm with a bit more ease.

Low recoil rounds are available in both birdshot and buckshot varieties; however, they’re not as powerful as regular rounds, so they aren’t the best choice for those looking to hunt larger game.

However, they’re very well-suited for target shooting or home defense. Therefore, if you’re looking for a load that will minimize pushback and makes it easier for you to shoot accurately, low recoil rounds are a smart choice.

Lead-Free Birdshot or Buckshot Shells

While it is not currently possible to get birdshot or buckshot shells that are 100% lead-free, some rounds come close.

Lead-free birdshot shells are available in steel rounds. These rounds are not as powerful as lead birdshot shells, but they’re still effective for hunting small game.

Lead-free buckshot shells are available in copper or steel shot. Although these rounds are not as powerful as lead buckshot shells, they’re still effective for hunting large game.

If you’re looking for a lead-free option that is still effective for hunting small and large game, then steel or copper birdshot or buckshot shells may be worth a try.

What Is the Best Shotgun for Home Defense?

The best shotgun gauge for home defense is usually short-range and lighter. For example, birdshot would be a better alternative than buckshot. However, the ideal choice for you will depend on your gun experience and your personal preferences.

For those who are new to shotguns, a 20 gauge may be a better choice. It has less recoil than a 12 gauge, making it easier for you to shoot accurately.

On the other hand, if you’re experienced and prefer a more powerful round, then a 12 gauge may be a better choice.

I want to reiterate that regardless of your experience level or preferences, it’s crucial to practice with your chosen shotgun before relying on it for home defense. Doing so can help you be much better prepared if you ever need to use it in a real-world situation.

Parting Shot

The shotgun is a versatile weapon that many hunters, law enforcement agents, and even homeowners carry to protect themselves. However, the type of ammunition available for these shotguns can differ depending on what the user is looking for.

Birdshot pellets are smaller, and the shotgun is typically used for hunting small game such as birds. Buckshot has larger shells and is used for hunting larger game. Whatever you choose, make sure to be proficient in handling and shooting the ammo and firearm you select.

For more, check out The 9 Best Shotguns for SHTF.