Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Sometimes Winchester low brass 7 1/2 shot, sometimes #6 of the same pedigree.
For the odd, very odd 'distant shot' Prairie Storm #6.
And a few Federal tru-ball slugs in the pocket. Just in case.
Firearm for hunting Snowshoe Hare - Newbie
- Thread starter sif
- Start date
Sometimes Winchester low brass 7 1/2 shot, sometimes #6 of the same pedigree.
For the odd, very odd 'distant shot' Prairie Storm #6.
And a few Federal tru-ball slugs in the pocket. Just in case.
Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
No problem friend!
Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
There is only one rifle, and I would almost say, "one firearm," for shooting snowshoe hare, and that is a 22 calibre, using shorts. You can make nearly all shots head shots, as their eye, especially in the winter, stands out like a target.
Spend some time learning how to hunt!
Spend some time learning how to hunt!
^^^^^beat me to it. Many a hare have fallen to my trusty Cooey 39 with shorts. Dad used to scold me if I missed the eye, as it wasn't a clean kill....miss those days hunting with him. Can still smell the cranberries on the wind on those late fall days when I close my eyes...
No point in using shorts IMO... they are less common and more expensive... while shorts are certainly more than enough, on head shots there is no concern about meat damage, so any LR ammo from Quiets to HV ammo will do the trick... I mostly use CCI Subsonic for all small game hunting... they are accurate and inexpensive. We have shot hundreds of hares with pellet guns also, as that is what we carry while bowhunting for moose... a 14.3 grain pellet @ 450 fps does them in quickly on a head shot.
This is why I asked "why the shorts" ? I'm curious as to the specifics on what works for others.
I use yellow jackets for most .22lr stuff because they work very well. They expand to like .36 cal. Reasonably priced, reasonably available (at least used to be). And yes, I've used the .22 Quiet too and it does a good job.
OK, I'll tell you why 22 shorts are superior to 22 LR for shooting small game. Of course, for head shots it doesn't matter, they are all the same. But shoot a rabbit in the body with a LR and he will likely take a few jumps before he falls down and dies. Hit him the same place with a short and he likely won't take even one hop, and will be dead in about the same amount of time. No big deal with a rabbit, but shoot a grouse sideways through the body and he flies off far enough that when he quits flying and dies, he is far enough away in the bush, maybe only fifty yards, but you will likely never find him, without a dog. Hit the grouse in the same place with a 22 short and he most likely will just stand there until he falls over dead.
Thanks for the info H4831.
So why exactly does the short kill better than the LR in your opinion ? Is it because the LR has too much power for the application and is more likely to pass through compared to the shorts ?
denis lefebvre
Member
- Location
- Now living in Espanola, Ontario
All good justifiable reasons for getting a firearm mentioned below / above ...I started hunting in my youth at 15 yrs old using my dad's 410 . It was single shot and it made me practice to get a good shot .
I then graduated to a 12 ga. pump shot gun ( Remington 870 are good ones ) and found that I was able to use it for a variety of game beyond small including waterfowl , bear, and deer . The ammunition is relatively cheap and by varying the shot size ( or slug ) you can hunt many things .
I do like my Ruger 10/22 it s never failed me ( summer or winter ) in northern Ontario ; its fast shooting and accurate but may make for difficult shots at game it on the run
I then graduated to a 12 ga. pump shot gun ( Remington 870 are good ones ) and found that I was able to use it for a variety of game beyond small including waterfowl , bear, and deer . The ammunition is relatively cheap and by varying the shot size ( or slug ) you can hunt many things .
I do like my Ruger 10/22 it s never failed me ( summer or winter ) in northern Ontario ; its fast shooting and accurate but may make for difficult shots at game it on the run
That, plus there seems to be no shocking power in a short, so the victim doesn't know he's been hit.
A skunk that is quiet and contented, shot in the ribs with a short will just stand there and not give off their stink, until it falls over dead.
22 all the way the Field skills Learned from a simple 22 and small game will pay off in a big way when you move up to larger animals
I have never shot a 22 I did not like one of the handiest little rifles guy living in the north can own
For winter hunting a Bolt action is good so is a Single shot break action the lest moving parts the better
I really like The Little badger singl shot 22 but thay would kind of suck in cold weather with no wood or plastic to hold onto
I don't know what you're shooting experience is but I'm assuming you are young try to use iron sights
scope have there plase but it's a pain in the butt
I have never shot a 22 I did not like one of the handiest little rifles guy living in the north can own
For winter hunting a Bolt action is good so is a Single shot break action the lest moving parts the better
I really like The Little badger singl shot 22 but thay would kind of suck in cold weather with no wood or plastic to hold onto
I don't know what you're shooting experience is but I'm assuming you are young try to use iron sights
scope have there plase but it's a pain in the butt
I think a 10/22 is a horrible Choice for new Hunter I see more kids pissing a way ammo and never learning to shoot properly
10/22 is good rifle but I think it's a mistake for young hunter to easy to fall into spray and pray syndrome
If he wants to become a serious Hunter a cheep Single shot 22 is the way to learn he will spend more time Learning to aim properly as well as learning to make one shot kills
10/22 is good rifle but I think it's a mistake for young hunter to easy to fall into spray and pray syndrome
If he wants to become a serious Hunter a cheep Single shot 22 is the way to learn he will spend more time Learning to aim properly as well as learning to make one shot kills
Ah, ok... I gotcha. Makes a lot of sense. Thanks for that.
My son's Savage Rascal is labeled for .22 short, .22 long & .22 LR. ..... My MK2 Savage bolt is only labeled .22LR. Maybe the little bugger's rifle is more versatile than mine !
