The best caliber (gun) question

[SoggyMountain]

What's the best caliber for halibut?




















Just kidding

[brav01]

Well

Lots of people shoot halibut. I use an 88 Magnum, it shoots through schools (according to Joe Pesci). LoL

[kgpcr]

i would use a 75-50.04 its a real killer. recoil is terrible however

[NickofTime]

I know someone on this forum who uses (or is restricted to) a .177 caliber pistol...

[akriverrat]

i dont think theres such a thing as the best caliber. a 22 will do the job just fine you jsut have to let them bleed out and settle down after you shoot them. with that said what caliber do you suppose most gaffs would be considered? or the head of a harpoon? any large diameter steel going through the head will have the same effect as a bullet at that close of a range. i do know one thing if you use a 22 pistol make sure you put the ear protection on before you pull the trigger.

[Anton74]

I think even though you are out on a boat, that you still need to take bears into consideration. You are handicapped with anything less than a .338. There have been several people who caught Halibut and been attacked by bears(most likely not in the same day or year, but still).

[Raptor_1]

Personnaly I prefer the .50 BMG.....never can be to sure about those sneeky halibut

[garnede]

I second the 50 BMG. +1

[kasilofchrisn]

Depends

I keep a SS .410 shotgun on my boat(snake charmer). Kind of handy as it stores a few shells in the stock.
Was going to buy a bang stick but I had trouble finding one in a caliber I wanted. Wanted to get one in a .44 mag as I already have a .44 mag pistol for bear protection and the shells would be interchangeable. But they always sold out of this caliber early.
Have never had to shoot one though even 100# fish can be dealt with without shooting them if you are careful and know what you are doing.
Most people never need a gun on their boat.(other than for pot thieves)
You need to decide if you have the extra cash to buy a single purpose gun or if you should buy one to use for other purposes when you are not fishing. Also you might want a stainless one if you are going to keep it on the boat for long periods.
Most any caliber will work especially if your aim is good. Right behind the eye is best.never shoot anywhere else.Always use caution when firing a gun around your boat.

[SoggyMountain]

I was really just kidding... I know how the forum likes the "what's the best caliber" threads.

Kasilof, when I had a boat, I kept a snake charmer on board for halibut.

[alaskachuck]

Id like to get ahold of one of those Gatling guns out of the A-Warthog. I figure if it can bust up a tank it can bust a cap in a butt

[homerdave]

12 ga with high base #4's... open choke from about 24".... really does the job!!
i really like the benelli for rapid follow-ups:rolleyes:

[ripndrag]

how about

a large chefs knife tied to a pole you could just poke a huge hole in its brain or gills just dont touch youre line with it .

[danattherock]

Depends ....

Hard to answer this question without some other info...


Are we talking about halibut fishing on a boat or a float tube

[akshrop]

Snap kick to the groin. No reload necessary. Saw it work on a bear, too. Dinty Moore commercial I think. Don't quote me and no I am not gonna do the research for you even though I posted it. Prove me wrong or don't post.

Safety note: wear stainless steel toed boots and eye protection (many butts projectile vomit when kicked in the groin).

Further note: Don’t follow my advice as I am not a certified butt groin kicker as my union dues are not up to date.