For small game and birds you want .22 rifles and shotguns, and both are in the game. The .22 is the natural choice for rabbits, prairie dogs and quail on the ground; the shotgun is the correct tool for anything that flies, including turkey.
Hunting Simulator 3 best gun for small game: the short answer
| Target | Gun | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Rabbit, prairie dog, quail | Winchester Model 572 Fieldmaster .22 | Small, quiet, cheap to feed, and the developers' own favourite .22 |
| Pheasant, Rio Grande Turkey, flying birds | Remington Model 870 SPS Super Magnum Turkey Predator | Built for the Rio Grande Turkey, and the shotgun the demo tutorial points you at for rabbits |
| Anything that must not make a sound | Bow or crossbow | Silent, so you can get inside a bird's flight range |
The .22 for rabbits, prairie dogs and quail
The .22 is represented in the arsenal by the Winchester Model 572 Fieldmaster, which the developers name as their own favourite .22. It is the natural choice for rabbit, prairie dog and quail, because those animals are small, close and numerous, and they do not need the reach of a big rifle.
It is also the cheapest option to keep fed, which matters when small game is how you are earning Credits and Field Points while learning a reserve.
The shotgun for flying birds and turkey
For flying birds and turkey the shotgun is the right tool. The Remington Model 870 SPS Super Magnum Turkey Predator is built for the Rio Grande Turkey and pairs with the Primos Turkey Bombshell call from the same pack.
The shotgun is also the gun the demo tutorial points you at when it asks you to take rabbits, and the demo starts you with one. That is not a downgrade — a bird that flushes out of thick cover is fast and gone within seconds, and a shotgun is what you want in your hands at that moment.
Getting the bird into the air is a separate skill from taking the shot, and the pheasant flush guide covers the approach that gets a pheasant up at all.
The silent option: bows and crossbows
Bows and crossbows are in the arsenal as well, and they are the silent option when you need to get inside a bird's flight range without the report of a gun carrying down the valley. For quail and Montezuma Quail in particular, where the birds are already hard to put up, a silent approach solves half the problem.
The weapons guide covers the rest of the arsenal, including the rifles you will need once the small game phase is over.
Two limits to plan around
- Handguns are not in the game at launch, so there is no sidearm answer for a bird that flushes at close range.
- Polymer-tipped ammunition is not available at launch, so the shot is only ever the one the standard ammunition allows. There is no extra-on-top payload to buy your way out of a bad shot.