Need Help on a Beaver gun?

I saw 80lb beaver and thought of Rita McNeil, but I don't think she hunts.:rolleyes:

I have used a 22lr but it was very accurate and like anything else you need to know your limitations. 22mag, or 223 is lots. Head shots work for me.
 
TonyMo said:
CGN, WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON? This thread has gone 10 posts and not one has contained any ###uallly innuendo about beavers!!!:adult:

EDIT: Thanks CV32.:D:dancingbanana:
Click to expand...

Ok here goes.... When the fur is prime, all beavers wish they were taken with the biggest bore/ cal possible, and are disapointed when prodded with a smaller caliber.
The larger diameter projectile simply makes them passive, and eager for the subduction.
A prime beaver is usualy sheared, which makes them very alluring for even a passive hunter.:D

The damage a beaver can do to you and youre property is massive after they have bred and made more beavers... You may find youreself flooded with payments for the little beavers for the next 18+ years, so I strongly recomend pulling out when firing the load of heavy shot.

Its better to cut youre own trees down.:cool:
 
My .22mag has shot more beavers than everything else combined. :D We bought it specifically for the trapline and the only thing I would change would be to put a better scope on it. :p

The sks ideas and such are fine- basically use what you have already in the safe unless you want to go the true GUNNUT route and use this as an excuse, I mean reason, to buy a new rifle. I doubt your farmer friend has enough beavers that the price of ammo will really make that much difference.
 
.22 Hornet is about ideal, and .22 RF mag is very close 2nd best, but I have shot beavers with everything from .22LR ( inadequate for anything but a perfect head shot ) to .308. A varmint bullet is safer than a big game bullet because they will likely open up and fragment even when hitting water. A ricochet from a big game bullet might go 4KM and is too dangerous even in sparsely populated country in my opinion. I believe that the 22-250 that you do not want to use is a better choice than a 30-30.
Accuracy is very important, since a beavers head is very small and only half of it is above water when they are swimming. I want a beaver rifle to group less than 1.5" at 100 yds, I think that would leave out most SKS and similar surplus rifles.
 
Where we have our cabin the beavers are knocking all the trees down around the marina and in front of people's cabins so a permit was given to get rid of the beavers. The two main guys that were trying to get rid of them were using 22s to shoot them because it is a kind of populated area. I took my 17 out last weekend and shot two. They were up on shore and around 100 yards out and they both flopped over and didn't kick much after. The 17 seemed to do a good job.
 
If you both have trapper licenses, why not trap them. I can clear out a pond in 2-3 nights with a dozen or so 330 conibears. Too bad you didn't get them earlier in the spring as it is a pity to let good beaver pelts go to waste.

I've only ever shot them with 22lr but 22mag would be another good choice. While sitting and shooting them can be fun it gets boring fast after the first shot.
 
I am not an expert beaver shooter, but I use my nice old .32 Winchester Special. A little common sense is in order as far as ricochets are concerned, but it isn't as if you are shooting towards the stands on Grey Cup Day...:p
 
shot a dozen this year, if you want to acctully take them out while they are swiming, a shot gun with bb sized shot, than unload with my 22lr. We have waited for them them to hit land and drop em with the 17 or 22-250 but that takes to long. We would canoe in the pond on a still day, see the wake marks swiftly go over shot it with the shotgun and finish it off quickly with the 22. The beavers where then used as bait for bear, still waiting to see if they guy got a nice one or not yet.
 
Nick0danger said:
shot a dozen this year, if you want to acctully take them out while they are swiming, a shot gun with bb sized shot, than unload with my 22lr. We have waited for them them to hit land and drop em with the 17 or 22-250 but that takes to long. We would canoe in the pond on a still day, see the wake marks swiftly go over shot it with the shotgun and finish it off quickly with the 22. The beavers where then used as bait for bear, still waiting to see if they guy got a nice one or not yet.
Click to expand...

Thats how i do it.. well i just finish the job with the shotgun if need be but yeah thats how its done
 
Leave the shotties at home. Yeah they work and they have there place but usually not for beaver. Lots have been taken with a 22 but if you don't hit them just right you can kiss that humane thing good bye. I'm with the guys on the 22 mag thing or bigger. I can't say what your distance is going to be that's why I'm saying to leave the shotty. By the sound of it there will be plenty of shooting going on. 22mag, 22hornet, 204, 223, 22250. The more you can trust in your first shot to be a killing shot the more beavers you can go on to kill.

Bernie in Brandon
 
Thanks for all the reply's

I can get my hands on a .22 mag and I think I will give it a try to see how it handles, This is yet another reason to add a new member to the family :D

I have a canoe,thinking this may add to the fun. If only my PAL was good for TNT :p I could knock a little louder to say hello.

We would run traps but due to work and kids its not that easy to run a line nowdays,we will just stalk them for a while and see if we can put a run on em that way. there are quite a few different dens and dams in seperate locations so we will work one for a bit than move to the next try to cycle around

Ill have to bring the camera next week we are going back out.

See if we can start a 2011 beaver reel on CGN

Anyone have any motivational images of great varmit guns/ dead stuff ?
 
i would use whatever you already have, .22 if you want the pelts, i shot one with 7.62x54r and it blew its head right off, the rest of it looked pretty intact though haha
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom