rabbit/squirrel hunting 22LR -- 7.5" or 10" bbl?

[revo]

Hi all. Trying to decide between a 7.5" or 10" single action 22LR for rabbit and squirrel hunting. Having trouble deciding and need input.

I handled both the 7.5" and 10". The 7.5" seems quicker to get the sights on target. The 10" is just calling me though. Doesn't do much for balance, but man, talk about sight radius...

Is it just me, or is a 10" barrel harder to line up the sights quickly? Or am I just not used to it? [NOTE -- this is the first time I've ever handled a revolver with a bbl length over 7.5".]

Any advice? Is a 10" a good match for handgunning rabbit and squirrel?

Thanks to all in advance. Very helpful crowd here.

I will not be scoping the revolver, if that changes your advice at all.

[Graybeard]

I like all the sight radius I can get with iron sights as I need to push that front sight as far away as possible for my tired old eyes to focus on it and that is where your focus should be in shooting iron sights is the front sight. So get what is most clear to your eyes whether that is a short or long barrel. For some it is a short one as they see better close than far which I don't.

If you're shooting rabbits on the run a semiauto will get more for you. If you're sneaking up on them and shooting them sitting then the same gun that is best for squirrel will do just fine.

What revolver with a 10" barrel are you looking at? Ruger Super Single Six comes with 9.5" I think and S&W only with 8-3/8" as max.

[oneshotonekill]

Well I don't think you would gain much ballistically from the couple extra inches of barrel on a 22lr and with all the available loads you could always go to a stinger or something if velocity is an issue.

Since you will not be scoping it the sight radius could be an advantage on the 10" tube but you have already stated that you acquired the sights faster on the 7.5".  Sight radius is usually a personal preference as graybeard stated.  If you were more comfortable with the sight picture on the 7.5 then go with it.

One last point to ponder is how you will be carrying the pistol.  There are more holster options for the 7.5 inch gun.  You may be somewhat limited on holsters that will work well for the 10" barrel.  Most of the holsters I've seen for long barreled pistols are for large scoped revolvers or TC single shots, I do have one for an 1858 rem with a 10+" barrel but I don't see too many holsters for long barreled non scoped pistols. 

[revo]

Good points.

Hi Graybeard -- I was handling the Freedom Arms 97 22LR with a 10" bbl. First time I ever handled a handgun with such a long barrel. It just clicked somehow. Slow on the sight aquisition, but man, that sight picture looked solid as a rock.

If I go with a long bbl 22, I'll most likely go with a Ruger Super Single Six in 9.5". I like rabbit, but $2K buys a lot of chicken...

Hey oneshotonekill -- not sure if I was more comfortable with the 7.5 or not. The 10" was more of a feeling like holding a broomstick from the end and pointing it at something. Took a while to get it straight, but once it was there, it was solid.

I think I need to try a 9.5" Single Six. Maybe I found my sight picture.

Thanks for the insight, fellas.

[Jerry Lester]

Like you, I used to be convinced that anything less than a 7.5" barrel on a revolver couldn't possibly be accurate enough in my hands. I finally gave in, and tried a 6.5" Single Six, and after a short while I was converted so to speak. I now feel like anything longer than 5.5" on a single action is not only "over kill", but cumbersome to carry as well. My current Single Six is 5.5", and it's potted more game than I could possibly count, from squirrels, and rabbits to groundhogs, coons, foxes, etc. I fell so in love with this length that I had my 6.5" 357 Blackhawk cut back to 5.5" as well. Last year I had Clements convert a stainless Single Six to 32 H&R magnum, and it too is 5.5".

Unless your eyesight limits you as GB mentioned, I feel pretty sure that on a "hunting" revolver, you'd probably find a shorter barrel not only plenty accurate, but a lot more user friendly in the field.

[Lloyd Smale]

niether id take a barrel between 4-6 inch. Your going to carry that gun alot more then shoot it in the field and 10 inch guns are a pain to holster!

[Mikey]

Lloyd and I are in the same boat - that is, if you get a 4-6" barrelled revolver or semi-auto you will most likely find yourself using that much, much more than a longer barrelled handgun. 

Two of my most favorite all-time 22s are both Rugers, both semi-autos.  One is the 6+" Government Model (target) and the other is just a slightly shorter version.  I haul those around more, and shoot them more often than any other pistol I own. 

For those of us with older eyes, the longer sight radius is greatly appreciated, but long barrels are a bit unwieldy.  Neither a squirrel or a rabbit are going to sit still for very long and that may prompt you into a quicker sight picture using a shorter barrel.  JMTCW.  Mikey.

[revo]

Good deal, folks. Thanks.

So is it a fact that longer barrels take a little longer to acquire sights, or is it one of those subjective things again -- different for each person?

I've read that some silhouette shooters use 10" bbls -- is that more what the 10" design is geared towards?

[EdK]

Yeah, it pretty much is a fact. Maybe it might help to think about it at the extremes: How long would it take to get a decent sight picture on a 2" snubby? Not long at all. In fact as you raised it to shoot, your point shooting instincts would get you pretty close and with that short radius just a slight tweak and you're there. Of course, on the downside the precision is not there but for man-sized targets at less than 7 yards it doesn't need to be (just don't use it for squirrels). Now on the other hand hold out a yardstick at a target and get it lined up. Takes quite a while doesn't it? If you have a strong arm you could do this with a rifle and see how difficult it is.

Yes, a 10"bbl takes longer to obtain a sight picture than a shorter barrel.

[Ken ONeill]

I'd select the 7 1/2" version for small game hunting, if I was selecting a Freedom Arms revolver. In fact I did, and I use that length in both a 97 and an 83/252. I say that, having owned a 9 1/2" Single-Six since 1973. The 7 1/2" is more portable and has adequate sight radius for me.
Now, if you were an avid silhouette shooter, and wanted to use the gun for that purpose also, the 9 1/2- 10" versions would be preferable, for the extra sight radius and to keep the muzzle in front of your leg in Creedmore. I used 10 1/2" SBH's for years in Standing and freestyle Revolver classes, and they were definitely superior to shorter barrels. Of course, you have 30 seconds to load and 2 minutes to shoot 5 shots. Squirrels are much less accommodating.
With regard to 7 1/2" barrel Single-Sixes, a very few were made in 1973-74, and they are very very rare. In the last few years, the Hunter Single-Sixes in .17 and .22 were also offered with 7 1/2" barrels, but you'd better look for them soon, because I understand they've been discontinued.
As an aside, the Ruger T678's are also great squirrel and rabbit guns if semi-autos are legal for hunting where you live.

[Graybeard]

I think it is more subjective than objective to say you can more quickly line up the sights on shorter barrels as opposed to longer ones. If there were any such advantage it would be a rather personal one not applicable across the board to everyone and the advantage would be so minimal as to be negligable.

Shorter guns are more carriable (is that a word?) but it's again a matter of preference mostly. I carried my 10-5/8" S&W Model 29 all over the country while hunting in several states and actually preferred it to a shorter gun on the hip. I have a shoulder holster for it made long ago by Uncle Mike's most likely but it might be a Bianchi as they too made such long ago. I've not looked at it since I sold the gun (boy what a STUPID thing to do. Wish I had it back) but to me carrying it while hunting was more comfortable than a shorter gun on my hip.

As I mentioned I can see practically nothing up close. I really need it out 24" or more from my eyes to be able to focus on sights clearly and so for me the longer the barrel the more accurately I can shoot it. If you get the proper carry method lined up and get used to it they are really no more trouble to carry and if like me you need that long barrel it's well worth the effort. Now I do find barrels of 7.5" and 8-3/8" OK for me. They are not as accurate as the longer 10" range but they are adequate and I'm sure for most are the most appropriate compromise length if like me you need that front sight out there a bit.

I think most who prefer the shorter barrels likely have better close vision than distance vision or at least better close vision than me. I like the looks and feel of those snub nosed guns as I'm prone to call them also but dang it I can't hit what I aim at with them so I might as well carry a similar weight rock to throw as I'm about as effective with a rock as a 4" or shorter barrel gun. Danged tired old eyes sure have disadvantages.

[Catfish]

I cannot disagree with anything said so far, but will put my 2 cents worth in anyway. For rabbit hunting I much prefer a 6 in barrel. I carry the gun holstered and draw for shooting. For squirrel I much prefer long barrels. You have lot more time to shoot and can grab a rest on a tree. I also prefer scoped gun for squirrel hunting.

[Old Griz]

I agree with Catfish. My favorite squirrel gun is a scoped 6" S&W 617. Anything longer than 7.5" . . . well, get a rifle.

[revo]

Hey folks. Thanks for all the help!

After much thought and more long bbl handling, I ended up going with the Ruger Single Six Hunter in 7.5" bbl. Really nice gun. (Thanks for the tip, Ken.) I got a Bushnell 2-6 for it too. Man, what a shooter.

Was at the range all weekend with it. Found 22LR CCI Stingers to be what it liked best so far. Didn't have much luck with the 22 Mags yet. Still mucho testing to be done though. Prob wont use 22 Mags too often. Those suckers are frikkin loud! I'd hate to forget my plugs at home if hunting with a 22 Mag...sheesh...

Hopefully Ruger doesn't discontinue this little hunter. Great features at a fantastic price...what's not to love, eh?

[west]

Yeah, have to agree 2" not going to make a diff here.

If ya short in barrel get long in sight = nice high vis or dot sight.
If ya long in barrel hmmm  get long in sight anyways- cuz you're gonna hate missin them shots that "couldda" been.

[west]

Noise bothers ya, use subsonics 60grn if the barrel got a good twist, otherwise they be flip-floppin around on ya past 40-50yds.

[Josh M.]

The only way a long bbl is an advantage in my hands is shooting from sandbags.  I've taken 100's of small game animals with my 4 5/8" MkII.  Heck, I've taken a few with 3.5 - 5" 1911's!

For me, shorter bbl handguns are sooo much quicker to get on target that I would never see the accuracy advantage of a 10" gun, because I would never get a shot off.

A few years ago, I built a full house custom Blackhawk for deer hunting...I cut the bbl back to 4.5" and have no regrets.  It has performed well in the field...and short and long range target shooting.

If you can see the sights, you don't give anything up with a short bbl, but you have to lug around a long one.   - JM.