Savage rascal using CCI quiet ammo. The blaze orange stock makes it easy to keep track of

Don’t waste money on a Heritage rough rider - poor quality and hazardous.

.22 is best for dispatch.
The best ammunition i have found is CCI segmented hollow point. During penetration, the bullet splits / fragments into three petals that each make their own wound channel. It is offered in different speeds - 1,640, 1,235, 1,050, and 710fps. From a handgun i prefer the 1,640 for good bullet performance. From a rifle, choose a slower speed.

A good trapline gun does not need to get beat up.

A list of good trapline handguns that i use:
Browning Challenger II
Ruger Single Six
Ruger Mark II
Ruger SP101
Ruger Mark IV

A good, small, light rifle is a Chipmunk. Or any single shot .22 rifle - I used to have a Winchester model 67 that was light and reliable.

that picture is troubling , do you see it ?

the firing pin protruding into the gap between frame and cylinder , this is how my old Colt new frontier clone worked as well , which means you can only load and carry with 5 rounds safely

and in the dark , load one skip one load 4 more hammer back , hammer down . if you do that you get the hammer and depressed firing pin on the empty chamber

the Wrangler and Single Six are true load 6 guns , with a the transfer bar safety so that the transfer bar is only in place when the trigger is pulled

almost every gun that needs halfcock to load , lacks a transfer bar and thus needs to be carried on an empty chamber.

Prior to my I frame S&W, I carried this Ruger Single Six. It’s old enough it was before they offered a 22 mag cylinder with them. Someone added King sights to it. It’s been with me a very long time.



Then there’s my 1902 single shot rifle. I found it in a little gun shop 35 years ago. It had a broken stock. I bought it for $35. The stock was complete, just broken. I was able to use it at a template and made a replacement from maple. I carried it for years when I was able to drive by every coyote set. Saved me having extra weight on my hip and has killed hundreds of coyotes. Along with scores coon, badger, rabbit and grouse. I always used the CB longs or shorts. I still keep it around though I haven’t had it out in years.

I left my gun laying in the limbs of a cedar as I drug a deer out one time when I was young, I was going to run right back for it , then stuff happens , it's 9pm I realize my gun isn't where it belongs and get a sick feeling , then remembered and I had to toss my boots and coat on and go for a hike in the dark in a foot of snow so I would have my gun for hunting in the morning made it easy to follow my drag track back to the tree at least.

now everything has a sling even my shotguns have slings , because when you run out of hands I don't want to set the gun down.

I watch friends go to tie a boot and lay the gun down in the wet grass , I just don't like that.

I've got a 22 lr revolver, a Ruger Single Six knockoff import from the 70s-80s called a Buffalo Scout, made/imported by FIE. Not much to look at but it works every time.

One of these years I'll replace it with a Ruger Wrangler. Couple buddies have them and they seem to be a perfect trapline gun.

I'd love a real Ruger Single Six or a Buckmark or Mark IV, but I fall down, forget and bang into stuff too much when trapping to have nice things.

Heritage was on sale for 89 bucks at local fleet farm recently. Regular 120 I think

I came across a new model Ruger Bearcat a couple years ago traded some MJs for it it was too nice to carry around the river breaks ended up giving it to a buddy of mine that took me on a hog hunt.

I still us emy Grandfathers High Standard .22 which he bought form a magazine so who knows when that was, post WWII.

Also used my daughters Henry Accu-bolt mini (small small gun) for a decade

I shoot .22 short and CB caps or subsonics - worked fine for everything from squirrels and rabbits to beaver and coyotes