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Starter Rabbit Gun

alabama_wildmanalabama_wildman Member Posts: 37 ✭✭
edited May 2005 in General Discussion
I want to start rabbit hunting this fall. My girlfriend swears she used to hunt bunnies with a 22, but I know I'm not that good of a shot. I was thinking more along the lines of a good 20 guage.

Any rabbit hunters out there with tips on a good rabbit gun, shotgun or otherwise?
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    RamtinxxlRamtinxxl Member Posts: 9,480
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by alabama_wildman
    I want to start rabbit hunting this fall. My girlfriend swears she used to hunt bunnies with a 22, but I know I'm not that good of a shot. I was thinking more along the lines of a good 20 guage.

    Any rabbit hunters out there with tips on a good rabbit gun, shotgun or otherwise?


    Never underestimate the RAGE of a cornered bunny--always use ENOUGH GUN!

    Here's my suggestion:

    50caliber.jpg
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    NighthawkNighthawk Member Posts: 12,022 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I would not shoot a sitting rabbit,and imagine it would be hard to hit them on the run with a .22lr.Ive killed many rabbits with a Winchester Model 37A .410 shotgun in my youth.Im sure a good 20 GA load would work fine.If your not useing dogs to flush and run your missing out on a whole lot of fun.



    Best!!

    Rugster




    "Toujours Pret"
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    jimbowbyjimbowby Member Posts: 3,496
    edited November -1
    [8D]--Yo Ram, you're usually prety sharp, have you been drinking[?][?][?][:D]

    I'm only wearing Black untill they make something darker
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    RamtinxxlRamtinxxl Member Posts: 9,480
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by jimbowby
    [8D]--Yo Ram, you're usually prety sharp, have you been drinking[?][?][?][:D]

    I'm only wearing Black untill they make something darker


    Are you offering? Actually, that's a good idea...don't have ANYTHING to even get outta bed for tomorrow. Hmmmmmm...wonder what I could come up with IF I were "under the influence"...let's see.

    Baby_walking.gif

    Naaaaaaww...didn't hive mush effecT!?!?!
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    headzilla97headzilla97 Member Posts: 6,445
    edited November -1
    My bunny gun is a 11/87 in the 12 gauge catagory

    "Were not here for a long time were here for a good time"
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    nunnnunn Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 36,004 ******
    edited November -1
    Rabbits will run and stop. When they stop, bust them in the head with just about any .22 LR and they stay put. And you don't have to pick shot out of the meat.

    FFL Dealer/Full time Peace Officer, Moderator of General Discussion Board on Gunbroker. Visit www.gunbroker.com the best gun auction site on the Net! Email gpd035@sbcglobal.net
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    mandersonmanderson Member Posts: 533 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I nice winchester 9422 should do the trick, or a Marlin 39A.
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    RamtinxxlRamtinxxl Member Posts: 9,480
    edited November -1
    Nunn, I was driving home to Roxton from Honey Grove late one evening, nearly night, when a HUGE jackrabbit dashed in front of my car. I hit the big earred bunny but I stopped to check it out. He was sitting in the road ditch looking kinda stunned. Not wanting to leave him suffering, I retrieved my Ruger Single-Six .22 from the tackle box in my trunk. I walked to within 5 yards of him and drew down on the back of his head. I squeezed of a shot and he barely flinched. Another and the same reaction (VERY LITTLE). I thought, "Dang, these Texas Jacks are TOUGH"...then I remembered that I'd loaded the gun with rat shot for snakes. I switched to hollow-points and put him down with one clean shot, although I'm sure he was much "inflamed" by the rat shot. When I walked back to my car, I noticed a bit of fur in the road. It was his TAIL--knocked clean off by the impact with the car.

    And that's my rabbit tale...er, tail.
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    nemesisenforcernemesisenforcer Member Posts: 10,513 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    a shotgun's great (410 or 20) but with a little practice you could get good enough to hit them with a rifle. 22lr is fine, but rabbits are fast and can put a lot of distance between you and them pretty quickly. 22 magnum is perfect for the job.

    "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you."
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    timberbeasttimberbeast Member Posts: 1,738 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    20 Ga. is good. I usually use a smaller bore for bunnies.
    .22 is actually more sporting if you shoot correctly. When they take off, wait about five seconds and then whistle as loud as you can.
    Hit the head with a .22.
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    select-fireselect-fire Member Posts: 69,453 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Get yourself a 20 double barrel.
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    MossbergboogieMossbergboogie Member Posts: 12,211
    edited November -1
    .410 is perfect i believe. Pump action if your not a good shot 3 shells or five whatever your state law is. .22 is darn hard to hit a rabbit on the run so .410 is best for you. the only thing that is a draw back it the range. with 7.5 shot when the rabbit gets out away from you the power is dramaticly reduced. if your not jumping them at close range (10-15Yds.) I would choose a 20 or a 12 with 8 shot.

    If it Flies it Dies
    All my guns are AMERICAN MADE
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    bigdaddyjuniorbigdaddyjunior Member Posts: 11,233
    edited November -1
    Depends on the terrain. Out west they have a lot more open spaces and can see the rabbit for a while. Here in my neck of the south you are lucky to see one for a few seconds and then he is usually running full throttle for cover in a briar patch.If I'm hunting fields I sit with a scoped 22 and watch. If I'm hunting the woods I use a single shot 20 gauge.I enjoy both, but prefer a moving target.

    040103cowboy_shooting_one_gun_md_clr_prv.gifBig Daddy my heros have always been cowboys,they still are it seems
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    haroldchrismeyerharoldchrismeyer Member Posts: 2,213 ✭
    edited November -1
    I think in my younger day when I lived out west the choice was a 300 Weatherby magnum. Wait a minute, that was jack rabbits at 1000 yards.
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    n/an/a Member Posts: 168,427 ✭
    edited November -1
    Elmer Fudd used a 36 shot, double barrel, 88 guage,, had to be that big, cause old Bugs could stick his head down the barrel.[:o)][:o)]

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    bigdaddyjuniorbigdaddyjunior Member Posts: 11,233
    edited November -1
    I don't think I'd take hunting advice from 'ol Elmer. He never killed anything. He did shoot Daffy's beak off a few times.

    040103cowboy_shooting_one_gun_md_clr_prv.gifBig Daddy my heros have always been cowboys,they still are it seems
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    alabama_wildmanalabama_wildman Member Posts: 37 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Yeah, then a 20 or 410 sounds the way to go. I'm a decent shot with a rifle, but I'm not fast at all. Thanks.
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    timbromantimbroman Member Posts: 1,164 ✭
    edited November -1
    Alabama - 20ga auto, pump or double just fine - absolutely discourage .22 - way too dangerous and unreliable. Hunting is not about giving game a "sporting chance" - be armed and prepared to shoot to kill whether the rabbit is running or stopped and limit the damage to the game animal - .22 lr bouncing around the field is unresponsible.

    Scrue the AARP - I'm going to live forever or die trying.
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    alabama_wildmanalabama_wildman Member Posts: 37 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Yeah, I agree. Maybe in a couple years I'll be a good enough shot to use a 22, but for the time being, I've got a bid on a Mossberg 20 ga pump. I figure that will be good for rabits and any other varmints I decide to throw in the pot. Right now, I just want to make sure I kill whatever I shoot at. IMHO, I think it would be more unsportsman to waste a bunny's food value by busting it in the butt with a bad shot than shooting it with a bigger gun.
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    idsman75idsman75 Member Posts: 13,398 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    If you don't have dogs then you're screwed....at least in my neck of the woods. Your best bet without dogs in this area is to set up real quiet about 2 hours before sunset with a .22 and wait for them to come out. I made the mistake of using a .17 HMR once. Never again. It destroys them with that V-Max bullet.

    Some may consider it "unsporting" or "dangerous". I set up on high ground and there's a natural backstob between the area where I shoot. It's like fish in a barrel. There are 2 - 6 rabbits that wander out into our shooting lane within the last 2 hours before sunset every night. The shots are all within 20 - 30 yards and I have a very accurate set-up. A .22 LR to the head is perfect medicine.
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    GuvamintCheeseGuvamintCheese Member Posts: 38,932
    edited November -1
    What about the western Jackalope? I have heard that they will not only double back on you, but will actually hunt you! I would err on the side of caution and use the 68 shot doble barrel 88 gauge. does anyone have the bluebook value on one?
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    anderskandersk Member Posts: 3,627 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I'd join with those saying to go with a 20 GA sid-by-side double barrel. Everybody knows 22's are for plinking![:p]
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    bigal125bigal125 Member Posts: 1,136 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I'm surprised that no one has mentioned a "combo" firearm yet. The one I'm thinking of is the Savage 24-V, of course. An over/under with the rifle barrel on top and the shotgun underneath in various caliber/gauge combinations.

    Wish I still had mine, a .22 caliber over a 20-gauge combination that was just perfect for plinking and walking up rabbits & jacks out here in the Sonoran desert.

    Big Al (who sure does miss that Savage... [:(] )
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    anderskandersk Member Posts: 3,627 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I think the "combo gun" could be a good idea ... except that people probably don't want to pay that kind of green for a starter rabbit gun!

    And then why settle for one gun when you can get two. Probably a .22 lever gun AND a 20 GA SXS would together cost less than the "combo gun."

    If a person were to go the "two gun route;" yes, it would be hard to carry them both.[:D] But why not take a friend hunting with you and each person could carry the carabine or the shotgun half the time. See who gets the most rabbits and/or has the most fun![:D] Plus you get to take a friend hunting ... win/win solution![:p]
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    Colonel PlinkColonel Plink Member Posts: 16,460
    edited November -1
    I learned to hunt shooting jackrabbits with a Winchester Model 67. Got pretty good at it. Of course, I don't recommend trying to EAT the damn things, we just did it to test our skills.

    "When the going gets weird, the Weird turn pro"
    Hunter S. Thompson"
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    alabama_wildmanalabama_wildman Member Posts: 37 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    All excellent ideas, but a bit more complex than I was thinking. I'm not talking about jackrabbits, just cute little cottontails. And if I wasn't going to eat them, I'd get "varmint" ammo for my 30/30!!
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    rldowns3rldowns3 Member Posts: 6,096
    edited November -1
    The smaller the shotgun you use the less pellets you're chomping on at the dinner table. I used to use a .410 on rabbits when huntin' them on my grandfathers property back in arizona. My grandfather insisted on using the smallest gun, I didn't understand why until I finally got a rabbit and we ate it.....found quite a few pellets I did. [:D]

    ______________________________________________________________
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    dcon12dcon12 Member Posts: 31,941 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I just chunk a rock. Don

    I respect the truth too much to bring it out on every occasion.

    The biggest regret of my life is the number of temptations I've resisted successfully.
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    FrancFFrancF Member Posts: 35,278 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:I made the mistake of using a .17 HMR once. Never again. It destroys them with that V-Max bullet.


    Did a Jack rabbit with a .308 155gr A-max @ 200, yep that was messy too.[:D]

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    NRA Life Endowment Member

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    cntrmasscntrmass Member Posts: 395 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    .410,16gauge or 20 gauge will do it perfect.You can do it with arifle just the same I would go with something bigger than a .22lr though unless your a dead eye.
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    anderskandersk Member Posts: 3,627 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    With a little practice anybody can cancel sitting rabbits with a .22 rifle. Here would be a cool combo ... a Winchester Model 9422 and a Winchester Model 9410. I hear the new .410 lever gun is a lot of fun to shoot. Then you could get real handy with both lever guns and be totally ready for any small game in the woods.

    Then when it is time to go big game ... it would be a smooth transition to the 30-30 or one of the Big Bore Winchesters![:D] I guess you can tell that I am a big Winchester 94 fan![:p] Lever guns conquered the west![^] And they still rule![8D]
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    CrittergitterCrittergitter Member Posts: 2,554 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I just use a .22 revolver. When they run, whistle real loud and they'll stop dead in their tracks. (They think it's a hawk.) Then pop them in the eyeball. Why lug a rifle around? It's only a fluff-tail...they die easily.
    If your beliefs aren't based in fact, TRUTH is the first casualty...
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