12g loads for snowshoe hare

I used #4's because I have a few boxes of them. Then I will switch to #2's. I like the fact that the pellets will pass through as well. Now if the owls would just move away and leave a few for me that would be peachy.
 
klaus enuff said:
I figure if i ever hunt hare I will use a steel BB load, should be perfect no?

Nice big pellets will go right through no problem, no finding them with your teeth later, at least that is my thinking
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Your teeth won't be finding much, pellet or meat after you shoot it with BB. I've found even cheapest target loads do the job wonderfully, never had any issues killing bunnies in those.
 
I am serious about the BB load, admittedly I have never hunted hare but if I did and I was using a shotgun I would aim for the head with the edge of my pattern, much as I would for say a grouse.

A few BBs through the body from such a shot would not be the worst thing, surely not to the point of mangling the meat? I would rather have bigger holes and less of them than a whole bunch of little ones is my thinking.
 
klaus enuff said:
I am serious about the BB load, admittedly I have never hunted hare but if I did and I was using a shotgun I would aim for the head with the edge of my pattern, much as I would for say a grouse.

A few BBs through the body from such a shot would not be the worst thing, surely not to the point of mangling the meat? I would rather have bigger holes and less of them than a whole bunch of little ones is my thinking.
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I see your rationale... unfortunately it is inexperienced and wrong... but you can kill hares that way... it's just not the better way.
 
The large BB pellets have more than just a less holes effect. The bigger pellets hit harder (obviously) and cause more tissue damage than smaller shot like #6. Ideally a hare for the table would be best headshot with a .22. A hare shot with any size pellets almost always has hair pull through and a perforated gut pee bag area. Not ideal but effective in the harvest. I have found that steel #6 has become my favourite for grouse and hare. It seems to drive through brush well and it also has little feather pull through. I have not shot enough hares yet to determine if it pulls less hair. Imperial (Challenger) at Canadian Tire is available in #6 at 1450 fps IIRC it is a very good upland load. BB's will work but unless head shots are made exclusively it will cause more damage. It is about getting out there so shoot what you have/like and enjoy the hunt.

Darryl
 
RRH.01 said:
Your teeth won't be finding much, pellet or meat after you shoot it with BB. I've found even cheapest target loads do the job wonderfully, never had any issues killing bunnies in those.
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If you're blowing apart the rabbit with BB's, the animal will have been close enough to be chewed up with smaller shot too.

Steel shot count per 1 oz:

BB - 72
#6 - 315

You'll have larger holes, but with 4x fewer pellets you'll have much fewer holes. Meat damage with larger shot is not the issue, it's the potential holes in the pattern when using large shot which makes it less desirable as the smaller shot typically throws a more uniform and denser pattern for better hits. I wouldn't go to the store to purchase large shot for small game, but if you have it there is no harm in using it. I have killed plenty of squirrel, grouse and rabbit with shot as large as lead BB and the animals don't even look shot, just like they do when shot with #6. On the flip side, I have taken the same animals too close with #6's and the result is hamburger/coyote food.


I'm going for cottontail Monday. I'll try to remember to take some of the 3" lead BB "crow busters" I have to prove my point.
 
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