12 Gauge too much for hares ??

Lupara

Lupara

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I was out hunting birds yesterday and shot my first varying hare. I let him have it with 2 3/4 inch winchester universal #5 shot, at about 15 yards. Cylinder choke.

Well, he didnt look to bad from the outside, but when I skun him, his ribs were broken, his legs were broken, and his guts were ruptured, so there was cr#p everywhere.

Should I be using a .22 for these fellas ?

Thanks
 
7 1/2 shot. Figure out how your gun is patterning and use the outside edge of the pattern for headshots. That sounds complicated but its actually not to hard to do once it is figured out.
 
I used to use .22 but got fed up with the lack of killing power on the "Big-uns" they have up here. I stick to my 12 or 20 guage now. Plus if it decides to bolt, at least you have a chance in hell of hitting him with a shotgun, good luck with a 22lr. I am as good a shot on moving game as I have ever met (seriously, I rarely , if ever miss running targets, still targets on the shooting range............now thats another story) but I don't even bother if I have a .22 in my hands.
I use no.4 or no 5 shot up here. Dang things look as big as dogs. Creepy bas tards.
 
You can use 12, 16, 20, 28 gauge or .410.. Doesn't matter... Realistically speaking the same sized pellets are travelling at the same speed... You just need to pattern your gun...
 
The distance to your target, shot size and choke and the energy of a high brass shotshell can be more important here.

Last time I used a 12 gauge on hares, I foolishly used the extra-full turkey choke. Resulting in damage much like yours.

Low brass 7 1/2 shot, and try to aim one inch of so in front of his nose. Resulting in less pellets on target, but enough to do the job IMO.
 
When I am a dedicated hare hunter (january through march when grouse are no go)... I carry a combo gun... Shotgun for on the run and rimfire for when you find them sitting... Has never steered me wrong...
 
sgt.rock said:
Oh yeah, use the widest spread choke you can. I have a couple of shotties that have the "poly choke" that gives me 6 chokes in one. I leave the tube as wide open as I can.
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I find myself using my model 12 with a poly choke more then anything. I use #6 shot for all small game but my loads are home brew lighter shot loads then normal(7/8oz instead of 1oz or 1 1/8oz) and are not moving as fast as factory loads.
 
I have no idea what sgt.rock is talking about... I have hunted hares for 40+ years with .22's, and even the lightest LR loads result in a DRT hare when you shoot them through the head, which is where you should be aiming with a .22... After hundreds of hares over the years, I don't recall loosing even one. My preferred gun in the brush is a .410 with 3" #6's... But a 12 gauge will do fine with 6's or 7.5's... As said above, pattern your gun and shoot "off-target" to use the edge of your pattern, you should have very little meat damage.
 
Lupara said:
Ruffed grouse, thanks for all the advice fellas. My choke is fixed, but I will for sure go to smaller shot. Maybe try steel too, as its lighter.
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You would be better served with 7 1/2 shot for grouse and don't go steel for upland game... the extra energy and pellet deformation of lead is a real bonus in putting game down with minimal pellet hits... which is what you are trying to do.
 
I avoid steel shot when possible. If you miss a single pellet of lead in the meat & you bite into it by accident, perhaps you will need dental work, but maybe not.
Bite into a steel pellet by accident, yes it's going to be a trip to the dentist.
 
Lupara said:
Ruffed grouse, thanks for all the advice fellas. My choke is fixed, but I will for sure go to smaller shot. Maybe try steel too, as its lighter.
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IMO shot smaller than #6 (7, 7 1/2, 8) tends to stay in the animal rather than passing through which is a pain when trying to eat the animal as there is often many tiny pellets in the meat. While the pattern will be more sparse, rabbit and grouse are very easily killed so it only takes a few #5 or #6 shot to kill the animal.
 
hoytcanon said:
I have no idea what sgt.rock is talking about... I have hunted hares for 40+ years with .22's, and even the lightest LR loads result in a DRT hare when you shoot them through the head, which is where you should be aiming with a .22... After hundreds of hares over the years, I don't recall loosing even one. My preferred gun in the brush is a .410 with 3" #6's... But a 12 gauge will do fine with 6's or 7.5's... As said above, pattern your gun and shoot "off-target" to use the edge of your pattern, you should have very little meat damage.
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sorry, not clear enough for ya? I don't disagree that a .22lr is enough gun, its just that I end up taking LOTS of "running shots" cause I hunt with either my nutbar dog, or my friends actual trained beagle pair, and I've only had a "sitting pretty" shot on a rabbit maybe six or seven times. The little bastards are always on the move when I hunt, and I like the spread of a shotgun for that reason. If I hunted without a dog, I could see the virtue of a .22lr but my dog sam thinks the trees are pylons at a racetrack. I use #4 shot, because its like rabbit sized buckshot, and it leaves little if any lead in the furry creature compared to my .22lr shot rabbit retrievals. That is just my personal way, and its different for everyone. By the way, I have 38+ years of hunting the little guys too, so what makes you THE EXPERT on all things rabbit?
 
As evidenced by this thread (and common sense) the type of firearm used to kill hare/rabbit depends entirely on how you hunt hare/rabbit.

Hunting them with dogs is popular, and in this case they are on the move and a shotgun is the only practical firearm to use. Then the debate becomes what is the best gauge, choke and load. That really comes down to personal preference. Some people will love a .410 and do well with it, others will say anything less than 20GA is useless.

I've used a 12GA SxS with 2-3/4 #6. Under a certain range it does seem like a bit much, and care needs to be taken to use the edge of the pattern on its head (as others have said).

Having said that, I only used that shotgun to kill about 6 hares, much preferring to use my .22LR and now my .22 magnum. I do not hunt with a dog and use stalk and snipe method. Sometimes they are only 10 yards, other times more than 80. A shotgun simply isn't the best choice for the type of hare hunting I do. People have said .22 magnum is too much for hares. I say "Not if you hit them in the head." Same goes for 12GA.
 
I hunt stalking and over dogs and use a 12 ga for both. As mentioned before, shoot to the edges of your pattern. Not as easy when they are on the run but definitely a necessity for sitting rabbits.

I started with a .410 then a 16 ga and now a 12. It is more than enough for most shooting but for fast movers in thick cover sometimes I need every pellet!
 
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