One of my favourite rabbit guns is my Henry lever 410 carbine .I chose the carbine version because mainly the hunting here is up close and it works great.Though some people belittle the 410 I find if you do your job it will hold its own on rabbits.the 410 lever is just plain fun to shoot.I also do a lot of rabbit hunting with 22s as well
Rabbit Hunting First Timer
- Thread starter CountryAndCalibre
- Start date
- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
The easiest one I got was last November on the day grouse season closed, it was on the edge of the trail in the scrub. It had turned white but no snow had fallen yet, I just walked right up to it as it sat stone still and shot it with the 12g.
Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I do head shots with a small shotgun and I never bit down on any pellet because I discard the head.
Rabbit doesn't know it was killed with a 22 bullet or lead birdshot pellet and I kill more rabbits because a screen of small branches is a moot point that could otherwise turn a bullet.
Use whatever you wish but don't create myths.
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- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
Use an appropriate choke, pattern your gun and use the proper shot size and you will not have many if any pellets in the meat to worry about and honestly once you are cutting it up it’s not hard to see where the odd pellet hit and cut it out of the meat if it didn’t pass through completely. Same with grouse, I shoot a lot of grouse with a 12g and I’ve yet to bite down on a pellet.
Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Shotguns give you the option of taking flying birds for the table on the same outing. Feed it slugs the sub gauges easily handles coyotes the bigger gauges black bear. You could harvest a deer if regulations allow this.
Especially when you are alone your shotgun and versatility of ammo is personal security as well as tool of harvest.
If you suddenly find yourself in bad company a slug shooting semi or pump could defuze a situation even before it starts.
Especially when you are alone your shotgun and versatility of ammo is personal security as well as tool of harvest.
If you suddenly find yourself in bad company a slug shooting semi or pump could defuze a situation even before it starts.
I am pretty sure that I have hunted rabbits(snowshoe hares for the most part) for more years than most. Shotguns throw plenty of flyers, regardless of "pattern" and one or two pellets in the guts make a stinky mess of what could be a clean job using a 22 and head shots. No "myth" being perpetuated.
That's good advice thank you!
That's what I thought too. He told me he bought it over 50 years ago from S.I.R. in Winnipeg (which eventually in modern day became a Cabela's). Said he used it for duck hunting back in the day when lead shot was still legal. I would love to use his gun again for hunting.
Yes, south eastern Ontario near Kingston. Looking forward to getting out to fill more time between big game seasons with more hunting. Thanks for info and will definitely do some scouting.
Rebel Till Death
CGN Regular
- Location
- Burlington, Ontario
Have always used 12 gauge with #6 shot, i hunt southwestern Ontario
- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
Bagged 4 hares with the .22 last night, it’s looking like it’s going to be good year for them locally. Just need a few more and I’ll make a batch of sausages up.
We saw tons at dusk this spring up Harris while bear hunting. Have not been up Aberdeen yet but probably this weekend. Sausage sounds yummy
I had a rabbit my brother in law shot with 7-1/2 shot and it was littered with pellets.
I like to use a short 20ga, but i use a heavier shot like a #4. The bigger pellets have enough mass to pass through completely and not get hung up in the meat. Using the #4's i have only found 1 pellet in the past several years.
Mount Sweetness
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Ontario
20ga I/C choke shooting #6 or smaller
