Thread: Advice on semi auto rimfire for goats

If the 17wsm AR's come to pass, the 25gr load from Winchester would probably be the ticket. This cartridge is used effectively on Coyotes in the US.

If you are trying to establish forestry it bloody is.

Or replant manuka for honey... Comvita acquired one of the neighbouring blocks and they made a massive mistake with the timing of their first big planting. Should have gone much much harder on the goats and deer first...

I wouldn't be using a 22LR on goats - semiauto or not. Too much opportunity for wounding. My 22 magnum will be better but is not my preferred choice. Goat is a medium framed animal in NZ terms - needs a cartridge offering quick consistent kills.

When popping mobs of goats I have stopped 100-150m away and either sat or bipod shot them with a 243. At this range if you've stalked them they may not see you, may not know where shot coming from, and often mill around especially - as noted above - if you drop the big ones first. This little strategy does work - they get confused and often stand around like sheep, and you will often have no trouble popping mobs of 5-10 with the centrefire. 223 or 243 or similar will be ideal - means you're not relying on neck and head rimfire shots (both of which can easily leave badly wounded animals), and you can put them down hard with a round in the shoulder. Effective and humane.

I found the 22mag a bit of a mixed bag on goats. As @Flyblown mentions, yearlings and the like are quite diminutive in size; a 22mag will cream them at 100yd no trouble. But solid billies are a different kettle of fish and this is where the 22mag can be found wanting; you wanna keep the range below 50yd if shooting them on the run and try and place your shots carefully, which is difficult on a moving target.

Others have mentioned a Howa mini 223 with some 10 round mags and I think this would be a good bet, a micro action can be cycled very quickly with a bit of practice. A good 55gr soft point would be the ticket but even better would be the 62gr fusion or winchester/federal 64gr; that would sort out the big stinkies

Yes after seeing quite a few runners and screamers, with well placed shots from hot 223 loads, the 22 magnum has me a bit skeptical. But I know people that swear black and blue that they are perfect for the job.

Do the average blokes have any other choice when it comes to semi auto? Give me my ar back I’ll ditch the 22mag.

Wasn't there talk of making P licences available to farmers for this exact reason?

22 mag would be the best rimfire for the job but still not that ideal to be humane really
as others have said a cf lever gun would probably be the best bet slow at 1st but with a bit of practice almost as quick as a semi
use the time it takes to switch targets to reload doing to things at once can be fun though

side note (and i dont wanna turn this thread into yet another fuck this fuck that thread re the new gunlaws) but has your mate applied for a p endorsement i know they said farmers weren't eligible but i think they have relaxed a little on that front ive herd of other farmers being successful with p endorsement applications

Im using a Ruger American predator 223 for culling goats, takes 10rd Pmag/AR15 mags.
Mag changes are quick etc.
The stock is shit but mostly shooting offhand so doesnt matter too much.

Ive shot enough goats with the 22lr to know not to bother with it, Also have used a 22 KHornet and found that a bit average also.
Bullet mass on target solves problems

correct its not the same....but having used one I can honestly say its nearly as fast especially from standing and athough expensive a 2nd magazine would make the next 6 goats dead pretty quickly too.
limited mag capacity........well that is what it is...AND 2 years ago YOU HAD SAME RESTRICTION with semi unless you were breaking law so its a moot point.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

correct its not the same....but having used one I can honestly say its nearly as fast especially from standing and athough expensive a 2nd magazine would make the next 6 goats dead pretty quickly too.
limited mag capacity........well that is what it is...AND 2 years ago YOU HAD SAME RESTRICTION with semi unless you were breaking law so its a moot point.

Breaking the law with an E cat AR? They were legal two years ago.

so get P endorsement......... if you were legal to use a semi with large capacity magazine for hunting/pest control before you werent on joe blogs bog standard FAL before...so again mag capacity is moot point...either you had more than basic licence or you were breaking law and knew it.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

so get P endorsement......... if you were legal to use a semi with large capacity magazine for hunting/pest control before you werent on joe blogs bog standard FAL before...so again mag capacity is moot point...either you had more than basic licence or you were breaking law and knew it.

Yes...as I mentioned in my first post in this thread he is looking to get the exemption, he just wants something he can use now. I had a number of members here who read my comment in the first post and kindly advised how they went about applying successfully for the P endorsement which I will discuss with him after the lockdown.

As mentioned he had an E cat before. He's a stand up guy and wouldn't break the law.

Originally Posted by 308mate

As mentioned he had an E cat before. He's a stand up guy and wouldn't break the law.

Having had E cat for pest control appears to make getting the P easier, also appears to determine to some extent what rifles/mags you can buy on P. I was speaking to one of the sales crew at Guncity Napier who told me a commercial pest controller he knows who had standard licence before the change, is now only allowed 10 round mags for his new ar15. Other guys who had e cat for pest control can get 30 round mags no problem, presumably because demonstrating prior need? Possibly the Guncity guy was mistaken, seems pretty odd to me.