Choosing the correct ammunition will keep your hunts legal and make you more successful on your adventures. Read on to discover which cartridges are the most popular for hunting each species!
(Note: Always check local and state hunting regulations before choosing a hunting cartridge, as some jurisdictions prohibit certain cartridges for taking various game.)
Small Game Hunting Caliber by Species
Squirrel Hunting Calibers
The vast majority of American hunters choose .22 LR for squirrel hunting. It’s inexpensive, low-recoiling, easily available, and chambered in the widest variety of firearms. It’s also potent enough to drop any squirrel within a reasonable range, regardless of shot placement, but not so powerful that it destroys a lot of meat.
Other rimfire cartridges are also commonly used for squirrel hunting. The most popular among them are:
• .177 Pellet
• .17 Hornady Mach 2 (HM2)
• .17 Hornady Magnum Rimfire (HMR)
• .22 Long Rifle (LR)
• .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire (WMR)
Shotguns are another fine choice for squirrel hunting. Common choices include:
• .410 Bore
• 32 Gauge
• 28 Gauge
• 20 Gauge
• 16 Gauge
• 12 Gauge
While gauge is important, shot size is the most critical consideration when shotgun hunting. I prefer #6 or #7.5 lead shot for squirrel hunting, but #5, #8 and #9 are also effective under the correct circumstances. Lead shot is most popular owing to its low cost and relatively high density, although many public lands require hunters to use nontoxic (i.e. steel, tungsten or bismuth) alternatives.
Common squirrel hunting shot sizes include:
• #9
• #8
• #7.5
• #7
• #6
• #5
Rabbit Hunting Calibers
Rabbit hunters most frequently favor the .22 LR for rabbit hunting, for all the same reasons that squirrel hunters choose it. If you’re hunting over long range or unconcerned about pelt and meat damage, then you can move up to something more powerful than rimfire.
Common rabbit hunting cartridges include:
• .17 HMR
• .22 LR
• .22 WMR
•. 22 Hornet
• .204 Ruger
• .223 Remington
I often opt for a shotgun while hunting rabbit within 50 yards. Any gauge is effective in the hands of a competent marksman. I grew up using a .410 Bore and 20 Gauge, though I currently prefer a 12 Gauge for its denser pattern and (usually) farther effective range.
Shot size is of greater importance than gauge. The best shot sizes for rabbit hunting include:
• #7.5
• #7
• #6 Shot
Fox & Coyote Hunting Calibers
Foxes and coyotes have thinner skin compared to game like boar and deer. They’re also prized for their furs, which is yet another reason why smaller-caliber bullets are preferred: they inflict narrower entry and exit wounds (and ideally none of the latter).
Hunters who are unconcerned with preserving trophies can confidently choose any cartridge for dispatching predators. If you’re attempting to collect fur or make your hunt more sporting, then a relatively lower-powered cartridge, such as one of the following, will suit your needs well:
• .17 Hornet
• .17 HMR
• .22 WMR
• .204 Ruger
• .223 Rem
• .22-250 Rem
• .220 Swift
• .243 Win
6mm Creedmoor
Shotguns are also suitable for bagging foxes and coyotes over shorter distances. You can choose any size of buck, although the smaller options offer the thicker, deadlier patterns that generally prove more effective on such perceptive and flighty game. These include:
• #1 buckshot
• #2 buckshot
• #3 buckshot
• #4 buckshot
For load-by-load picks, see our guide to the
best coyote caliber, and our buckshot vs. birdshot comparison explains how the two shot types differ. If you run an AR-15 on coyotes, see our picks for the best 5.56 ammo for coyote hunting.
Dove, Quail, and Other Upland Hunting Loads
Upland Game Hunting Shot Sizes by Species
Dove and quail require shotgun shells loaded with smaller shot pellets. These deliver the thick patterns that best intercept such fast and small targets, and also help to preserve their fragile trophies.
I typically use the following shot sizes while hunting dove, quail, and other upland birds:
• #9
• #8
• #7.5
• #7
Smaller shot is typically preferred for the kind of hunting you would do earlier in the season. Its denser pattern makes short work of dove and quail at close range. If you’re hunting later in the season, when birds are fatter and tend to present themselves at farther range, then larger shot’s higher downrange impact energy is well worth the price of its thinner spread.
Pheasant Hunting Loads
Pheasants are larger and considerably tougher birds. They rarely present a slow or close-range target, which is all the more reason why you should choose the largest lead birdshot for hunting them. Most hunters consider #5 shot to be the gold standard for pheasant, although wider #4 shot is often preferred for late-season hunts, long-range flushing, and windy weather. Conversely, narrower #6 excels at close range, e.g. while you are surrounded by thick vegetation.
The most common shot sizes used for pheasant hunting are:
• #4
• #5
• #6
Turkey Hunting Loads
Some states allow turkey hunters to use .22 LR rifles. Those exceptions aside, shotguns are universally preferred for toms. The .410 Bore has recently exploded in popularity among turkey hunters (thanks in no small part to increasing availability of high-density tungsten alloy shot), but the trusty 12 and 20 Gauge are still the primary go-to for most.
Read the full breakdown of the hunting caliber chart at: https://ammo.com/research/hunting-caliber-chart