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Old August 5, 2019, 07:46 AM   #1
Gulfcowboy
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Ranch/farm carry.

I'm sure this has been asked before, but I'll ask again. This is for the people who have a farm, or ranch, and also the ones that have spent some time on one. What are common firearms used on farms, or ranchs? My father grew up on a ranch, and said he always had a 22 and a single shotgun in his truck. Thanks for any input given
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Old August 5, 2019, 08:04 AM   #2
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Back in my youth in the early 60s on a farm in the mountains, we had a 12 or 16 gauge break barrel single shot shotgun and a bolt action single shot 22 rifle. The farmers wanted reliable, simple and cheap.
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Old August 5, 2019, 08:46 AM   #3
Don Fischer
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I don't have a farm or a ranch but the rancher's I know around here carry some type of rifle for coyote's.
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Old August 5, 2019, 09:02 AM   #4
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Choice of weapon would be highly dependent on where you are (i.e. what is the likely threat for which you are carrying a weapon). Is it coyotes on very open prairie terrain (for which you'd want a scoped rifle)? Is it wild dogs (for which a shotgun with a dense pattern of large shot would be a better choice)? Is it human varmints? Is it venomous snakes?
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Old August 5, 2019, 02:21 PM   #5
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I'd carry this. It is the "Ranch" rifle after all.

https://ruger.com/products/americanR...ets/26965.html

A 10 round magazine of 223 ammo and a low powered 1-4X scope would cover a lot of ground.
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Old August 5, 2019, 03:37 PM   #6
Gulfcowboy
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We have farm in south Texas. My cousin lives there full time. Ive seen him with bolt 22 rifles, and a single shot 223. I think now ar15s are more affordable he uses one most of the time now. Most of what they deal with over there are fox, bobcat, coyotes, and cotton mouths down at the tanks. If I recall theres still a 25 dollar bounty on coyotes in lavaca county.
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Old August 6, 2019, 10:21 AM   #7
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I like the look of that Ruger. If the guvmint ever comes after our -15s, I might get one of those instead. Or I might just go ahead and get one now. Or whenever I have the $$$ put aside.

D
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Old August 6, 2019, 11:02 AM   #8
Unclenick
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The Ruger Mini-14 has long been a saddle gun, too, and they make a Ranch Rifle version. It's compactness and low weight and simple, rugged iron sights are the main appeals. That newer ranch rifle design is almost a pound lighter and costs 60% less, but then you have to add a scope or other sight and that will neutralize those advantages. I'd want to fit it with a ghost ring for shooting under 100 yards, and that would keep the weight down but will take some 'smithing. That rifled also has a little bit faster twist that will handle the magazine-fitting 77-grain match bullet length, and it is probably a little more accurate out of the box.

The farm I worked on in the summers as a kid had a lever-action 30-30 (don't recall which make) and Frank, the farmer, wore a 6" .38 Special in a holster to plug the odd snake while he was out in the fields. He had a bolt-action .257 Roberts he used for popping burrowing animals in the fields from a distance, but I don't recall seeing him carry it on his tractor. They had shotguns and a .22 for crows. It's too much stuff to keep with you all the time, though. I think the .223 has found a home with ranchers, as it can do all those things.
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Old August 6, 2019, 12:24 PM   #9
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Like Doyle says, a great deal depends on where said farm/ranch is located. A 22 and a shotgun will cover just about everything though. What was carried in the "old days" had a lot to do with how much money the carrier had to spend too. Worked with a guy years ago who rode the farm equipment with a STEN gun close by to deal with rampaging ground hogs. Illegal as Hades of course, but he didn't have the required hunting licence either.
"...Ranch Rifle version..." That's pure marketing. The Mini-14 isn't accurate enough for the money demanded either.
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Old August 6, 2019, 12:31 PM   #10
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Growing up in the 50s & early 60s, we always had two to three 22 rimfires, a Winchester 94 in 30-30, a 30-06, and a couple of shotguns, 12 ga & 20 ga. I remember Grand Dad had a 16 ga also.
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Old August 6, 2019, 09:13 PM   #11
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Not so long ago when we left firearms in our vehicles and didn’t have to worry about them being broke into we had a .22 in about every pick up behind the seat. Now we just have a 9mm carbine in the shop and whatever anyone has for EDC. I carry a 365 or BG 380. During harvest a Kel-Tec Sun 2K fits nicely in my backpack.


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Old August 7, 2019, 07:31 AM   #12
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Never lived in farm country , seems more like Heaven . It depends on what your coming across out there. 223's are a good choice in open country , looking back the lever 30-30 was the go too firearm . The CZ 527 is an accurate bolt gun .
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Old August 7, 2019, 09:15 AM   #13
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Grandpop's farm in NJ had a rusty break open shotgun in the feed shed. I doubt it was ever fired, or safe enough to be fired. Grandpop sold out in 1966.
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Old August 7, 2019, 07:14 PM   #14
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farms

Don't own a farm, but helped with hay for years on my neighbors place and have been pretty much a rural american all my life (you can use that phrase anytime you like). I also had a lot of contacts with farmers through work.

Most all those folks had a .22 rifle or a single barrel shotgun in the pickup or on the tractor, and those were in rough shape. The .22 mag had a modest following as well. Saw one Mini-14.
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Old August 7, 2019, 07:46 PM   #15
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Farmers where I grew up generally had a .22 rifle but several had a centerfire in the truck (30-30, 30-06) for feral dogs that tended to attack their cows and calves.
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Old August 7, 2019, 07:53 PM   #16
davidsog
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My Father in Laws Ranch rifle in shadow of the Teton Mountains is a Steel Henry 45-70.

https://www.cabelas.com/product/Henr...le/1706104.uts

Not my choice for the farm in Georgia....
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Old August 7, 2019, 08:48 PM   #17
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Keep a old marlin 22lr in the barn an ar15 with a 3-12x lives in a mount on the utv and a cz vz58 in the camper we use as an office/brakeroom/place to crash.
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Old August 8, 2019, 09:23 PM   #18
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The two guns that get the most action on my property are both single shots, a Mag Tech 410 shotgun and a Stevens Favorite 22 lr. They have accounted for lots of dead critters.

If I'm going after a coyote I carry my Mini-14 or my scoped Kimber bolt action rifle. Both are 223. Another critter-gitter favorite is the 221 Fireball Rem 700 rifle. It has claimed lots of crows and a few ground hogs.

I've been thinking about having the Stevens Favorite converted to a 22 mag just to have one. Other 22s lr's are a Ruger 10/22 and a CZ 455. The wife is liking the idea of more than a single shot and recently she's been going for the 10/22.

Just in the past two weeks the 410 was used on 3 large snakes and a raccoon. A coyote got 3 of our chickens. I hope to take him out this weekend.
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Old August 10, 2019, 04:24 PM   #19
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My grandfather raised cattle. And grew soybeans. Being east of the Mississippi river, we called in the farm.

Always prevalent were a Marlin (or store brand) in .30-30; a single shot .410, and an old Smith .38 pre- Model 10.

Today, a Savage Axis in .22-250 stays on the ATV and I generally carry my Glock.
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Old August 12, 2019, 01:52 PM   #20
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Our son has about 500 acres of blueberries and forestland, with a service road and woods roads/trails. Depending on time of year, and not during bird or deer season, I tend to carry the following rifles:

Tikka 455, .17HMR fluted
Rem 700 Light Varmint Fluted, .223 Rem
Tikka T3 Lite, .243 Win

In deer season, I usually carry a Rem 700 CDL Stainless Fluted, .270 Win.

(Funny, until a few years ago, I didn't have any fluted guns and may not have even spelled fluted correctly. If accuracy was paramount, I probably wouldn't have any, but they look really nice and carry/handle even better.)
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Old August 12, 2019, 07:44 PM   #21
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My Father was old school concerning shooting arms he chose and for what use. He didn't ride around in his pick-up checking fields with long guns laying up against his leg. But there were times he did. For entirely different reason. i.e. Home freezer meat was at a lower than expected level and needed package freshing.
He use to say with a wink in his eye (deer/game) "when you feed em all year no harm in eat'en a extra one once in a while on the Governor dime." No doubt many of the locals felt the same.

Although tractor'ing around in his corn he did have on-board at certain times of the year his Wards 10 Star single barrel 12 ga. loaded with a 1-1/4 oz Federal Slug usually. He wasn't put out with Blue-Jays coon chipmunks deer or squirrel robbing his corn. What he got excited about was 3-400 lb Black bears literally devouring allot of what he planted by summers end. Riding on his Farmall Super M some bears I recall {being told} got pretty close to the old feller seated out in the open air which caused him to stand up and spit Copenhagen snuff in their face while reloading in the heat of the moment for that hopefully second shot. You could say Pop's he was able to be a multi-tasker when he needed too.
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Old August 14, 2019, 09:01 AM   #22
FTG-05
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This is what I use on my farm in TN:

Sidearm; anytime I'm outside, this is on my right hip. S&W SW1911SC:




Kubota RTV gun: Marlin 1894 in .44 Mag:



On my tractor; AR-15. The pic below shows my Bushmaster/Armalite mid-length carbine; it's since been replaced with my Colt HBAR with 20" barrel:



When I'm on my front deck relaxing, waiting for some varmint to walk by; Ruger American Predator in .223. Got two 'dillos night before last:



Last edited by Mal H; August 17, 2019 at 12:20 AM. Reason: Resize images
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Old August 14, 2019, 03:40 PM   #23
Gulfcowboy
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Very nice setup you have there. How do you like that s&w sc 1911? I've looked at them in the past as a concealed carry option, but shied away due to the price tag.
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Old August 15, 2019, 11:56 AM   #24
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My two 30-30 rifles pretty much take care of everything.
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Old August 15, 2019, 12:54 PM   #25
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On my buds mini ranch (40 acres) he uses his Glock gen1 a lot. He shoots the coons that get on the back porch and steal the dog and cat food. He waits till they run off the porch then he shoots them. He had to kill one deer that got his antlers hung in the fence and wouldn't let him get close enough to free it with his glock.

Over the years he at first kept a mini-14 by the back door to shoot coyote's with. One of the old ones everyone likes to make fun of. I doubt he killed more than 20 or so coyote's with it before he sold it. And regretted the sale.

After that a Marlin 883 22 mag and a Marlin 44 mag took turns by the door for varmint problems. Both worked fine for that. During deer season he keeps his old Winchester .270 bolt action by the door for the deer he sees in the front yard.

If he wears a gun it is always his Ruger Single Six in 32 mag loaded with my home made shot loads for snakes. He hates snakes and kills them all without prejudice. He kills lots of snakes. Mostly Copperheads.
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