I'm going for a bunny hunt in the next couple days and am going to take my Ruger 10/22 .22LR. I've never shot a rabbit with a .22 so what kind of effect should it have on a rabbit? Obviously if you get a head shot it should drop but what about a body shot?
.22LR and rabbits
- Thread starter cdncowboy
- Start date
Use good ammo and shoot them in the head... I like CCI's 40gr HP Subsonic's for Rabbits.
Usually pretty hard to hit the vitals on a Rabbit with a .22LR in the bush and anything but will likely result in it screaming, squealing, flipping, hopping, scratching and what not until you can get your boot on it's head or another kill shot.
Usually pretty hard to hit the vitals on a Rabbit with a .22LR in the bush and anything but will likely result in it screaming, squealing, flipping, hopping, scratching and what not until you can get your boot on it's head or another kill shot.
I have shot literally hundreds of bunnies with the 22LR
Head or Heart/lung = Quick death
Other places = not so fast, and can be gruesome if they start to squeal.
Place your shots carefully with any decent HP and it is all over.
Eagleye
Head or Heart/lung = Quick death
Other places = not so fast, and can be gruesome if they start to squeal.
Place your shots carefully with any decent HP and it is all over.
Eagleye
Headshot for sure.
I switched from 410 to .22 headshots and it is soooooo much cleaner.
Carry them upside down for a few minutes and all the blood empties into the head making the clean up that much easier.
I did a heart shot on one with a 22 Hornet and it did a 100yd dash. Almost didn't find that one. They don't go far on a head shot.
I switched from 410 to .22 headshots and it is soooooo much cleaner.
Carry them upside down for a few minutes and all the blood empties into the head making the clean up that much easier.
I did a heart shot on one with a 22 Hornet and it did a 100yd dash. Almost didn't find that one. They don't go far on a head shot.
saskgunowner101
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- middle of Sask
Head shot is best but a heart/lung shot and they pile up in short order. I don't care for using a shotgun as mentioned above by Eagleye, the squealing sounds awful.
- Location
- Central Ontario
I shot one while bow hunting for deer once. Shot it through the next. Damn thing did a three stooges spin around the arrow and screwed so loud it hurt my ears.
Their eye stands out so plainly on a winter rabbit that it is a natural aiming point.
Concentrate on hitting it in the eye, and you will likely be close enough to have an instant kill on a snowshoe hare, without the heart rending squeal (scream?)
Concentrate on hitting it in the eye, and you will likely be close enough to have an instant kill on a snowshoe hare, without the heart rending squeal (scream?)
Glock4ever
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Edmonton, AB
It don't take much to kill a rabbit. Here is a rabbit I shot last year with a 22 Hornet. Range was <3m (even I couldn't miss at that range 
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I use to shoot a bunch of cotton tails on the run with my 10/22. Even chest shot rabbits could run a fair ways.
I was hunting with my cousin once, he had a 12 ga and I had my 22. We shot a bunch of bunnies, most of which he got with the 12ga after I took a few pokes at them with the 22. He was riding me pretty good about not hitting them until he went to clean them, many had 22 holes in them but they hadn't gone down before he dropped the hammer with the 12ga.
On most of the rabbits I have body shot with the 22 you could not tell they were hit until they went down.
I was hunting with my cousin once, he had a 12 ga and I had my 22. We shot a bunch of bunnies, most of which he got with the 12ga after I took a few pokes at them with the 22. He was riding me pretty good about not hitting them until he went to clean them, many had 22 holes in them but they hadn't gone down before he dropped the hammer with the 12ga.
On most of the rabbits I have body shot with the 22 you could not tell they were hit until they went down.
I've shot three rabbits with a .22 LR. Cheap bulk winchester rounds. Two right in the head dropped where they stood, kicked a couple times and bled out silently. The third I was slightly off and hit it in the upper neck area. It jumped straight up in the air about six feet high and then ran around in a circle about three times before it went down. Confident it was dead I went out after it after about five minutes but to my suprise I saw it limping off into the tree line. Cursing myself for a rookie pushing mistake I waited a half hour before going after it about thirty yards into the trees it was sitting motionless just off an established rabbit trail. Made the kill shot less than two yards away as that's how close I was before realizing he was right there! No noises out of that one either although I know from my yote calls they can produce some horrific sounds.
Good for you for taking the time.
killer1963daddy
Regular
- Location
- peace river country B.C.
when i was a teen, aloooong time ago, we had a rabbit pop. explosion, the country was crawlin with em,or should i say hoppin,lol.
we would go out in my buddies brothers jeep after school and shoot dozens, i have always had pride myself for making clean kills,..... but got one in the neck, not only did it shriek , but began jumping somersaults (aprox. 7 ft high) untill it bleed out, the surrounding trees were dripping blood from about 10-12ft,it was like a scene from a horror flick! that was the last rabbit i shot....
we would go out in my buddies brothers jeep after school and shoot dozens, i have always had pride myself for making clean kills,..... but got one in the neck, not only did it shriek , but began jumping somersaults (aprox. 7 ft high) untill it bleed out, the surrounding trees were dripping blood from about 10-12ft,it was like a scene from a horror flick! that was the last rabbit i shot....
I was out bunny hunting today(cottontail). We run beagles so the bunnies are moving. Sometimes ears down in a full out run. Other times hopping along well out in front of the dogs. Because we usually hunt with 2-4 guys and dogs we only ever use shotguns. Today I shot one rabbit on a fast hop, another on a full out run and the last one I caught sitting on a ditch bank and took his head off at about 20 ft. Of the 3 I shot today only the one I caught sitting could have been a .22 shot.
No snoeshoe rabbits around this part of the country and very few jackrabbits.
No snoeshoe rabbits around this part of the country and very few jackrabbits.
