is the .223 too strong for rabbit?

My favourite rabbit gun was a .45 Kentucky rifle with round ball. As long as you shoot them in the head, you'll be OK. Anywhere else, forget it. It's a great way to sharpen your shooting skills. The only caveat I'd have is in how far the bullet can travel. Just make sure it can't reach any settled area. With my smokepole, it wasn't an issue.
 
Once upon a time I used an old English rook rifle for hunting wabbits. (360 #5 Rook calibre)
I could reload, at low pressure, 38 Special 148 full wadcutters, as long as they were hollow base bullets, so the skirt could expand and engage the rifling.

They were pretty good at normal woods ranges. The report was more of a pop than a bang.
 
I think the 223 is underpowered for rabbit and prefer my 45-70. I've had too may cripples with 223...;-) As long as you shoot them in the head you can use any gun you like but a .22 rimfire is the most economical
 
now that i think about it i'm pretty sure there is a law that says you can't use centerfire rifles for grouse. we ran into this delema when making "pop" shots for moose hunting. 00 buck ball on a 30-06 case.. so perhaps one cannot hunt rabbits with a center fire either ?? some one can look it up if they have lots of time.
 
the "pop" shots were not used on moose just carried for the odd grouse that wished to be stew for supper. just incase someone figured i was shooting moose with 00 buckshot ball.
 
223 is waaaaaaay underpowered for those waaascals ... don't you know they are the most ferocious foul beasts ... with BIIIIG teeth? :p

Otokiak
Rankin Inlet, NU
CANADA
 
Before we can answer that, we need to clarify a few things...

- What range are you shooting them at?

- How many of them do you want to kill with each shot?

- In your part of the world, are standard capacity magazine et belt fed legal?

- By .223, are you refering to the bullet diameter or the caliber 223 Remington?
 
Are the rabbits shooting back?

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