Just my random 2 cents worth, have or have had .22 to .375H&H, .410 to 10 gauge.

.22: many rounds of ammo in small volume, inexpensive guns available, wide range of guns available. BUT limited “knock-down” power (yes I know about the polar bears, not me, not on purpose)

SKS: inexpensive, readily available, nearly indestructible, reasonably accurate, BUT heavy. Ammo cheap, fair selection of bullets, generally non-reloadable steel cases (policing brass is probably not a priority with the primary end-users). I keep one on the tractor for coyotes, etc., hasn’t failed yet.

We have a similar Rossi (interchangeable .22 and .410 barrels) to start the kids on. Light, reasonably accurate, hasn’t blown up yet after hundreds (? thousands) of rounds. I wouldn’t want this as my only gun, though.

Sounds like good logic from a guy who has been around, I agree with you Ben.

I have hunted a lot over the past 30 years and agree than the vast majority of game that my partners or I have harvested has been under 100 yards.

A high-powered rifle cartridge with decent bullet weight/velocity would be my first choice for big game hunting but in North American shotgun-only areas 100,000's of deer/bears are cleanly taken each year.

I often use a combination gun to near silently take small game with the .22 rimfire but have the shotgun option to collect flying game birds or big game with a slug. The shotgun is also effective when I have this gun in camp for bear protection. With a shotgun you vary the ammunition to match the situation.

I am currently shopping for a Baikal O/U Combination Gun in 30-06/12ga. to use when I go grouse hunting in the fall, for at the same time the local moose season is on. Seen here http://www.baikalcanada.com/rifles_combo_94.htm
Not the most graceful double ever made, but it is a good deal for a utility firearm.

Mike

OMG. I knew you could buy Baikal's at many of the shops in !dmonton but I didn't know there were so many...thanks for the link Mike!

Both the .22LR/20ga and 30-06/12ga are rifles I wanted to get a look at.

Hi Hacksaw,

I have used Baikal shotguns many times but never their rifles or combo guns. The combo in .22/20ga is a little heavy/overbuilt at 8.4 lbs but this weight is not overly heavy for the larger rifle caliber combo's. The old wood-stocked Savage Model 24 Combo Guns were about 2 lbs lighter, check out the gun shows and online for them.

I met a fellow in the bush 2 falls ago who was hunting grouse and calf moose with a Baikal Combo rifle/shotgun. The odds of getting a calf moose here are very low but this guy was happy to get his limit of birds every day while walking through the old clearcuts, and you never know when your moose luck will change.

When I am hunting big game specifically (eg have an adult Val. Tag) I use one of my tuned high-powered rifles but for general woods-bumming around here, one of these combo's would be fun.

Mike