Although all firearms, be they shotguns or rifles, perform the same task of bringing down wild game, the action of a firearm and the ammunition used for this task can differ. When hunting smaller game, a hunter must be mindful of the type of pellet cartridge used in a shotgun for a good kill. And when a shotgun does not cut the mustard for a takedown, a rifle performs in a different way but with much the same results. It all depends on whether you want to bring home big game or small game at the end of the day.

Shotguns are usually preferred when it comes to shooting at small game, because they use pellets instead of bullets. This spray of pellets increases a hunter's chance of making a kill of quickly moving small game such as doves, rabbits and squirrels. The choice of action to a shotgun depends on the individual hunter with some of the popular choices to include the pump, break or hinge and semi-automatic.

The shot size used when hunting small game should vary depending on the target. Smaller birds, like doves, require shot sizes like #7½, #8 or #9. Slightly larger small