Rabbit cartridge

Elliottsdad · November 19, 2011, 09:09 AM

For those that hunt rabbits (to eat, not for pelts), do you prefer .22lr, .22mag or .17 hmr within 100 yds? Why?

hogdogs · November 19, 2011, 09:28 AM

.22lr
Effective.
Adequate.
CHEAP for practicing...

Brent

Pahoo · November 19, 2011, 11:26 AM

I prefer the .22LR over the others. The mag is over-kill and I've seen what a .17 can do to a cat. Doesn't take much to kill a rabbit and it's mostly at close range. I really enjoy hunting rabbits, in the snow, using my Savage-24BDL; .22LR over a 20Ga.

I once shot a rabbit at a longer than normal, for the 20ga. Was bit surprised when he just fell over. On inspection, found that only one #6 BB had hit him, in the head. .....

Be Safe !!!

shortwave · November 19, 2011, 12:04 PM

Another vote for the 22LR.

Reasons, already stated by Pahoo and hogdogs.

L_Killkenny · November 19, 2011, 12:22 PM

Of those 3 .22lr hands down. Cost less, less meat damage if you shoot the body, less noise, etc. That being said I'm kinda prejudice. Not that I have a love affair with the LR but I have little if any love for the rimfire magnums. If you need more power and range than a LR you should be shooting a centerfire. That goes for rifles as well as handguns.

LK

Old Grump · November 19, 2011, 12:48 PM

22LR 40 gr, plated RN standard velocity. Not fussy about brand. Rifle, pistol or revolver, not fussy about that either.

Crankylove · November 19, 2011, 01:32 PM

.22 LR is probably the most economical, is relatively quite, and produces little recoil, and will do the job just fine.........but centerfire cartidges are much more fun.

My favorite for Jacks and Cottontails in my .22 Hornet.

My family hunts them with what ever calibers we happen to have with at the time, from my experience, all the following will work just fine.

.22 LR
.22 Mag
.22 Hornet
.223 Rem.
.220 Swift
.243 Win.
.270 Win.
7.62x39
7.62x54
.30-30
.30-06
7.7x58 Arisaka
.300 Win Mag.
.358 Winchester
.410, 12, & 20 ga. shotguns

.380 Auto
9 mm
.38 Special
.357 Rem Mag.
40 S&W
10 mm
.41 Rem. Mag.
.44 Rem Mag.
.45 Auto

.50, and .54. caliber roundballs will work too.............as will 540 grain hardcast buffalo bullets.

Buzzcook · November 19, 2011, 02:35 PM

.22lr though if they're running I prefer a 20ga.

MOshooter65202 · November 19, 2011, 05:36 PM

22lr in the rifle choices

Shotgun693 · November 19, 2011, 06:24 PM

22lr is all you need. If you use anything bigger expect to have very little rabbit in the pot.

jrothWA · November 19, 2011, 09:06 PM

in .22LR.
VEry effective on Snowshoe hare in a alder/cedar swamp.

Otherwise, I just love my 16ga M37 or Marlin 90 with 5 shot.

sc928porsche · November 20, 2011, 02:20 AM

22 lr works just fine.

Niantician · November 20, 2011, 03:00 AM

I agree with almost everything in the above posts except for the part about meat damage. The 17hmr is such an inherently accurate round that meat damage is a non issue. A walmart bought savage bolt action with the accutrigger and a decent high power varmint scope will yield sub 1" groups at 100yds. Head shots are all I take. And thats with a scoped 17hmr revolver. My friend has the savage. Most accurate rifle ive ever seen. Plus they do sell fmj and hp rounds that arent as devastating as the original V-max rounds. Yes, they cost more. But dont you owe it to that furry little bunny to blow his head clean off????

TX Hunter · November 20, 2011, 06:57 AM

.22 Long Rifle is perfect for Rabbit, I have used a .22 Mag to hunt them before but it tore them up too bad if you didnt get a head shot.

m.p.driver · November 20, 2011, 08:10 AM

Have to agree .22 Lr,grew up shooting them and squirrels with a Mossberg 144 and never seen the reason to change.Did try a Ruger .22 mag for a while,but it wasn't worth the added expense or damage to the meat.

FrankenMauser · November 20, 2011, 02:07 PM

Where I hunt rabbits, only about 5% allow for a carefully-placed shot; the other 95% have to be shot on the run.

As such, I go for the .22 WMR.
.22 LR is plenty of cartridge for a rabbit, but it doesn't work well with poor placement. When you add the fact that Black Tailed Jacks are often more than twice as big, twice as fast, and twice as jumpy as the Cottontails most people have in mind, the extra power of the .22 WMR is nice to have.

Cost isn't an issue. I paid 6 to 9 cents per round (over 10 years) for my stash of .22 WMR ammo, and I usually hunt with a 4-round magazine in the rifle. If I fire every round in the magazine... that's a whopping $0.36. Even at current unnecessarily inflated prices for premium ammo (Win Supreme 34 gr HP - $0.27 per), it would be $1.08.

On the rare occasions that I'm actually after only cottontails, I give up before leaving the truck or camp. Since cottontail-only trips only happen during big game hunts, the only legal weapon is a shotgun. Since the terrain I hunt in doesn't provide many shots within shotgun range... the shotgun is a waste of time. Conclusion: give up before you start (or go after grouse, instead).

Summary:
.22 WMR - for power, range, and bullet selection.

Archer 9505 · November 20, 2011, 02:35 PM

I love hunting bunnies in front of beagles. As you know, the rabbits general work a circle when pushed by beagles. I like the "Looking Back Head Shot", when the rabbit is craning his head to look at it's back trail trying to get a fix on a short legged beagle. Always used a .22Lr and don't see a reason to change now.

jgcoastie · November 20, 2011, 03:16 PM

I know a guy in Kodiak that uses reduced loads (think .45 Colt levels) in his .458 Win Mag on bunnies.

He only has to carry one rifle for bunnies and bear protection. Keeps the magazine full of hot bear loads, and top loads in a light "bunny load" in after each shot. He doesn't miss often.

That being said, I recommend a .22lr above all others.

I used a 10/22 for a while, got bored with it, then used a Browning Buckmark pistol for the difficulty level to remain entertaining and challenging.

Pahoo · November 20, 2011, 03:33 PM

Quote:

I love hunting bunnies in front of beagles. As you know, the rabbits general work a circle when pushed by beagles. I like the "Looking Back Head Shot", when the rabbit is craning his head to look at it's back trail trying to get a fix on a short legged beagle. Always used a .22Lr and don't see a reason to change now.

If anyone else has had the pleasure of hunting rabbits with Beagles, it is quite an experience. Have been invited on these hunts before and could not believe the number of shots we got.

Quote:

"Looking Back Head Shot"

They actually do that and your reply reminded me of this. Many a shot could be taken with a .22 Short.

Be Safe !!!

aaalaska · November 21, 2011, 12:16 AM

One of my friends uses a 17 ,which requires head shots. Everyone else uses 22lr in some form, still head shots but if your off a little you still have most of the meat. Oh yea these are snow shoes hares.

jimbob86 · November 21, 2011, 01:13 AM

22lr.

Noreaster · November 21, 2011, 05:55 PM

Headshot, even with a 22lr. Too much meat damage from any of those calibers. I've gone over to the dark side with the 17hmr, (just too much fun shooting it.) The only round I used that didn't ruin the meat was a .22lr lead round nose target round.

Daryl · November 22, 2011, 08:12 AM

.22 LR.

Adequate, inexpensive, and less meat damage on a less than perfect shot than the others.

In fact, I actually prefer subsonic ammo, or .22 shorts for the purpose.

Daryl

Poodleshooter · November 22, 2011, 12:37 PM

I've no experience shooting jackrabbits, so I'll answer for eastern cottontails: subsonic .22lr. At long range, it often won't even alarm them if you miss.
Most all of my cottontail kills have been shot at long-ish range in a close cropped clover field. The last was about 35yds in the back of the head. My record is around 85yds with subsonics. He did an amazingly high backflip and was DRT.

Daryl · November 22, 2011, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Headshot, even with a 22lr. Too much meat damage from any of those calibers. I've gone over to the dark side with the 17hmr, (just too much fun shooting it.) The only round I used that didn't ruin the meat was a .22lr lead round nose target round.

A few folks hereabouts need to learn to place their shot to avoid meat damage. I've hunted small game with a handgun, as well as a rifle with nearly no meat damaage at all.

Head shots are the norm, but a chest hit through the ribs with a subsonic .22 LR works great. I prefer the Rem subsonics, but mostly because they're easy to find here...and are cheap.

It isn't rocket science; just put the bullet where the meat isn't, and avoid gut shooting them in order to avoid tainting the meat.

The .22 LR has been taking small game for more decades than any of us can count, and it'll continue to do so. It's what it was designed for, and it does the job well.

Daryl

November 19, 2011, 09:09 AM	#1
Elliottsdad Senior Member Join Date: November 23, 2010 Location: Glenwood, Iowa Posts: 238	Rabbit cartridge For those that hunt rabbits (to eat, not for pelts), do you prefer .22lr, .22mag or .17 hmr within 100 yds? Why?

November 19, 2011, 11:26 AM	#3
Pahoo Senior Member Join Date: February 16, 2006 Location: IOWA Posts: 8,783	.22 LR is more than enough and less expensive I prefer the .22LR over the others. The mag is over-kill and I've seen what a .17 can do to a cat. Doesn't take much to kill a rabbit and it's mostly at close range. I really enjoy hunting rabbits, in the snow, using my Savage-24BDL; .22LR over a 20Ga. I once shot a rabbit at a longer than normal, for the 20ga. Was bit surprised when he just fell over. On inspection, found that only one #6 BB had hit him, in the head. ..... Be Safe !!! __________________ 'Fundamental truths' are easy to recognize because they are verified daily through simple observation and thus, require no testing.

November 19, 2011, 01:32 PM	#7
Crankylove Senior Member Join Date: July 8, 2008 Location: 8B ID Posts: 1,753	.22 LR is probably the most economical, is relatively quite, and produces little recoil, and will do the job just fine.........but centerfire cartidges are much more fun. My favorite for Jacks and Cottontails in my .22 Hornet. My family hunts them with what ever calibers we happen to have with at the time, from my experience, all the following will work just fine. .22 LR .22 Mag .22 Hornet .223 Rem. .220 Swift .243 Win. .270 Win. 7.62x39 7.62x54 .30-30 .30-06 7.7x58 Arisaka .300 Win Mag. .358 Winchester .410, 12, & 20 ga. shotguns .380 Auto 9 mm .38 Special .357 Rem Mag. 40 S&W 10 mm .41 Rem. Mag. .44 Rem Mag. .45 Auto .50, and .54. caliber roundballs will work too.............as will 540 grain hardcast buffalo bullets. __________________ The answer to 1984 is 1776

November 19, 2011, 09:06 PM	#11
jrothWA Senior Member Join Date: November 11, 2006 Posts: 2,519	Either my 77/22 or my 1960's era Marlin Glenfield 100... in .22LR. VEry effective on Snowshoe hare in a alder/cedar swamp. Otherwise, I just love my 16ga M37 or Marlin 90 with 5 shot.

November 20, 2011, 02:20 AM	#12
sc928porsche Senior Member Join Date: May 29, 2008 Location: now living in alabama Posts: 2,433	22 lr works just fine. __________________ No such thing as a stupid question. What is stupid is not asking it.

November 19, 2011, 09:28 AM	#2
hogdogs Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 31, 2007 Location: Western Florida panhandle Posts: 11,069	.22lr Effective. Adequate. CHEAP for practicing... Brent

November 19, 2011, 12:04 PM	#4
shortwave Senior Member Join Date: December 17, 2007 Location: SOUTHEAST, OHIO Posts: 5,970	Another vote for the 22LR. Reasons, already stated by Pahoo and hogdogs.

November 19, 2011, 12:22 PM	#5
L_Killkenny Senior Member Join Date: February 2, 2007 Location: Iowa Posts: 2,676	Of those 3 .22lr hands down. Cost less, less meat damage if you shoot the body, less noise, etc. That being said I'm kinda prejudice. Not that I have a love affair with the LR but I have little if any love for the rimfire magnums. If you need more power and range than a LR you should be shooting a centerfire. That goes for rifles as well as handguns. LK

November 19, 2011, 12:48 PM	#6
Old Grump Member in memoriam Join Date: April 9, 2009 Location: Blue River Wisconsin, in Posts: 3,144	22LR 40 gr, plated RN standard velocity. Not fussy about brand. Rifle, pistol or revolver, not fussy about that either. __________________ Good intentions will always be pleaded for any assumption of power. The Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. There are men in all ages who mean to govern will, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters. --Daniel Webster--

November 19, 2011, 02:35 PM	#8
Buzzcook Senior Member Join Date: November 29, 2007 Location: Everett, WA Posts: 6,126	.22lr though if they're running I prefer a 20ga.

November 19, 2011, 05:36 PM	#9
MOshooter65202 Senior Member Join Date: February 16, 2011 Posts: 471	22lr in the rifle choices

November 19, 2011, 06:24 PM	#10
Shotgun693 Senior Member Join Date: September 3, 2011 Location: Poteet, Texas Posts: 959	22lr is all you need. If you use anything bigger expect to have very little rabbit in the pot.

November 20, 2011, 03:00 AM	#13
Niantician Senior Member Join Date: October 4, 2005 Location: Ct. Posts: 546	I agree with almost everything in the above posts except for the part about meat damage. The 17hmr is such an inherently accurate round that meat damage is a non issue. A walmart bought savage bolt action with the accutrigger and a decent high power varmint scope will yield sub 1" groups at 100yds. Head shots are all I take. And thats with a scoped 17hmr revolver. My friend has the savage. Most accurate rifle ive ever seen. Plus they do sell fmj and hp rounds that arent as devastating as the original V-max rounds. Yes, they cost more. But dont you owe it to that furry little bunny to blow his head clean off???? __________________ There are many things in life that are out of my control. Recoil isn't one of them.

November 20, 2011, 06:57 AM	#14
TX Hunter Senior Member Join Date: February 11, 2010 Location: East Texas USA Posts: 1,805	.22 Long Rifle is perfect for Rabbit, I have used a .22 Mag to hunt them before but it tore them up too bad if you didnt get a head shot.

November 20, 2011, 08:10 AM	#15
m.p.driver Senior Member Join Date: January 25, 2009 Location: Ohio Posts: 552	Have to agree .22 Lr,grew up shooting them and squirrels with a Mossberg 144 and never seen the reason to change.Did try a Ruger .22 mag for a while,but it wasn't worth the added expense or damage to the meat.

November 20, 2011, 02:07 PM	#16
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	Where I hunt rabbits, only about 5% allow for a carefully-placed shot; the other 95% have to be shot on the run. As such, I go for the .22 WMR. .22 LR is plenty of cartridge for a rabbit, but it doesn't work well with poor placement. When you add the fact that Black Tailed Jacks are often more than twice as big, twice as fast, and twice as jumpy as the Cottontails most people have in mind, the extra power of the .22 WMR is nice to have. Cost isn't an issue. I paid 6 to 9 cents per round (over 10 years) for my stash of .22 WMR ammo, and I usually hunt with a 4-round magazine in the rifle. If I fire every round in the magazine... that's a whopping $0.36. Even at current unnecessarily inflated prices for premium ammo (Win Supreme 34 gr HP - $0.27 per), it would be $1.08. On the rare occasions that I'm actually after only cottontails, I give up before leaving the truck or camp. Since cottontail-only trips only happen during big game hunts, the only legal weapon is a shotgun. Since the terrain I hunt in doesn't provide many shots within shotgun range... the shotgun is a waste of time. Conclusion: give up before you start (or go after grouse, instead). Summary: .22 WMR - for power, range, and bullet selection. __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

November 20, 2011, 02:35 PM	#17
Archer 9505 Senior Member Join Date: October 10, 2010 Location: Maine Posts: 213	.22 LR I love hunting bunnies in front of beagles. As you know, the rabbits general work a circle when pushed by beagles. I like the "Looking Back Head Shot", when the rabbit is craning his head to look at it's back trail trying to get a fix on a short legged beagle. Always used a .22Lr and don't see a reason to change now. __________________ NRA Life Member "An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will" It's a free country; in a free country, freedom is for more than just those that conform to the accepted.

November 20, 2011, 03:16 PM	#18
jgcoastie Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 2009 Location: Kodiak, Alaska Posts: 2,118	I know a guy in Kodiak that uses reduced loads (think .45 Colt levels) in his .458 Win Mag on bunnies. He only has to carry one rifle for bunnies and bear protection. Keeps the magazine full of hot bear loads, and top loads in a light "bunny load" in after each shot. He doesn't miss often. That being said, I recommend a .22lr above all others. I used a 10/22 for a while, got bored with it, then used a Browning Buckmark pistol for the difficulty level to remain entertaining and challenging. __________________ "To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them." -Richard Henry Lee, Virginia delegate to the Continental Congress, initiator of the Declaration of Independence, and member of the first Senate, which passed the Bill of Rights.

November 21, 2011, 12:16 AM	#20
aaalaska Senior Member Join Date: March 14, 2007 Location: Palmer Ak Posts: 319	One of my friends uses a 17 ,which requires head shots. Everyone else uses 22lr in some form, still head shots but if your off a little you still have most of the meat. Oh yea these are snow shoes hares.

November 21, 2011, 01:13 AM	#21
jimbob86 Junior member Join Date: October 4, 2007 Location: All the way to NEBRASKA Posts: 8,722	22lr.

November 21, 2011, 05:55 PM	#22
Noreaster Senior Member Join Date: January 30, 2011 Location: New England Posts: 1,449	Headshot, even with a 22lr. Too much meat damage from any of those calibers. I've gone over to the dark side with the 17hmr, (just too much fun shooting it.) The only round I used that didn't ruin the meat was a .22lr lead round nose target round.

November 22, 2011, 08:12 AM	#23
Daryl Senior Member Join Date: July 11, 2008 Posts: 2,350	.22 LR. Adequate, inexpensive, and less meat damage on a less than perfect shot than the others. In fact, I actually prefer subsonic ammo, or .22 shorts for the purpose. Daryl

November 22, 2011, 12:37 PM	#24
Poodleshooter Senior Member Join Date: August 7, 2000 Location: Floating down the James River in VA Posts: 2,599	I've no experience shooting jackrabbits, so I'll answer for eastern cottontails: subsonic .22lr. At long range, it often won't even alarm them if you miss. Most all of my cottontail kills have been shot at long-ish range in a close cropped clover field. The last was about 35yds in the back of the head. My record is around 85yds with subsonics. He did an amazingly high backflip and was DRT.