meat damage rabbits

[jasnt]

I have tried bb.  No good it turned him in to bunny burger. I like 1 1/8 oz #8 with IM choke

[Trapper John]

I like a 410 with #6  or #4 shot
I also like a 28 gauge with #5 shot
Not much damage in either Shogun.
I think the 12 gauge does a little to much damage
JC

[GBoyd]

I've always wondered about that. Some places I hear that there's no reason to own a gun smaller than 12 gauge because you can always load less powder or less shot. Other places talk about needing a smaller gun to avoid damage to smaller animals.

[seth30]

I kill them just fine with #8 lead, never had any innards falling out and every now and then a broken leg.  I have never lost a rabbit after I hit it either.  They rarely go far if they move at all.   ** DISCLAMIER** for the internet police.  All my jackrabbit hunting is done in Nevada. 

[tallcooljuan]

I like .410 with #4 shot.  I've also shot several with 12gauge #5 with minor damage.  It only takes a couple of pellets to kill a rabbit.  People think you're joking when you say, "aim for the head," but it works.

[GBoyd]

So I've counted another 18 rabbits in the bag since I posted this question and I've done some experimentation.

This has been hunting on the westside, not the desert like I asked about originally.
The first thing I tried was a 12 gauge, Improved Cylinder, and #8 shot. I found it pretty disappointing. There were several rabbits that I hit without recovering. It seemed like anything over 20 yards was too far for the combination. The close-range rabbits were pretty chewed up and full of lead. Maybe I should try aiming for the head like tallcooljuan recommended. The same combination with #6 was a little better. More likely to put a rabbit down before it went into the brush, but also a little more damage.

I've pretty much come to the conclusion that I don't like hitting rabbits with a shotgun. My last dozen or so rabbits have been headshot with a .22 and it's much nicer. They fall dead where you hit them and the meat is perfect. I just have to acknowledge that most rabbits I see don't give me a still shot that I can take with a rifle.

[seth30]

So I've counted another 18 rabbits in the bag since I posted this question and I've done some experimentation.

This has been hunting on the westside, not the desert like I asked about originally.
The first thing I tried was a 12 gauge, Improved Cylinder, and #8 shot. I found it pretty disappointing. There were several rabbits that I hit without recovering. It seemed like anything over 20 yards was too far for the combination. The close-range rabbits were pretty chewed up and full of lead. Maybe I should try aiming for the head like tallcooljuan recommended. The same combination with #6 was a little better. More likely to put a rabbit down before it went into the brush, but also a little more damage.

I've pretty much come to the conclusion that I don't like hitting rabbits with a shotgun. My last dozen or so rabbits have been headshot with a .22 and it's much nicer. They fall dead where you hit them and the meat is perfect. I just have to acknowledge that most rabbits I see don't give me a still shot that I can take with a rifle.

  I used a modified choke and # 8 lead, and have not lost one.  Maybe jack rabbits are weaker than the cotton tails and snow shoe hares   Are you using dogs to retrieve the rabbits?  I find that the shotgun usually breaks the legs and they don't go to far if they move at all.  Most of my shots have been at running rabbits though as the jack rabbits will tend to run to the next county if you let them. 

[GBoyd]

So I've counted another 18 rabbits in the bag since I posted this question and I've done some experimentation.

This has been hunting on the westside, not the desert like I asked about originally.
The first thing I tried was a 12 gauge, Improved Cylinder, and #8 shot. I found it pretty disappointing. There were several rabbits that I hit without recovering. It seemed like anything over 20 yards was too far for the combination. The close-range rabbits were pretty chewed up and full of lead. Maybe I should try aiming for the head like tallcooljuan recommended. The same combination with #6 was a little better. More likely to put a rabbit down before it went into the brush, but also a little more damage.

I've pretty much come to the conclusion that I don't like hitting rabbits with a shotgun. My last dozen or so rabbits have been headshot with a .22 and it's much nicer. They fall dead where you hit them and the meat is perfect. I just have to acknowledge that most rabbits I see don't give me a still shot that I can take with a rifle.

  I used a modified choke and # 8 lead, and have not lost one.  Maybe jack rabbits are weaker than the cotton tails and snow shoe hares   Are you using dogs to retrieve the rabbits?  I find that the shotgun usually breaks the legs and they don't go to far if they move at all.  Most of my shots have been at running rabbits though as the jack rabbits will tend to run to the next county if you let them. 

It's probably where I've been hunting too. This farm holds rabbits on the edge of blackberry hedges and fences. If they don't drop immediately, odds are I won't find them. No dogs helping yet. I've got a three month old pointing griffon that will be enlisted soon though!

Now I just need to figure out where you're finding huntable populations of snowshoes...

[seth30]

So I've counted another 18 rabbits in the bag since I posted this question and I've done some experimentation.

This has been hunting on the westside, not the desert like I asked about originally.
The first thing I tried was a 12 gauge, Improved Cylinder, and #8 shot. I found it pretty disappointing. There were several rabbits that I hit without recovering. It seemed like anything over 20 yards was too far for the combination. The close-range rabbits were pretty chewed up and full of lead. Maybe I should try aiming for the head like tallcooljuan recommended. The same combination with #6 was a little better. More likely to put a rabbit down before it went into the brush, but also a little more damage.

I've pretty much come to the conclusion that I don't like hitting rabbits with a shotgun. My last dozen or so rabbits have been headshot with a .22 and it's much nicer. They fall dead where you hit them and the meat is perfect. I just have to acknowledge that most rabbits I see don't give me a still shot that I can take with a rifle.

  I used a modified choke and # 8 lead, and have not lost one.  Maybe jack rabbits are weaker than the cotton tails and snow shoe hares   Are you using dogs to retrieve the rabbits?  I find that the shotgun usually breaks the legs and they don't go to far if they move at all.  Most of my shots have been at running rabbits though as the jack rabbits will tend to run to the next county if you let them. 

It's probably where I've been hunting too. This farm holds rabbits on the edge of blackberry hedges and fences. If they don't drop immediately, odds are I won't find them. No dogs helping yet. I've got a three month old pointing griffon that will be enlisted soon though!

Now I just need to figure out where you're finding huntable populations of snowshoes...

I see them on logging roads but only when I am bear hunting   This winter I plan to target them a few times solely and see how it plays out.   

[IslandStorm62]

[/quote]

It's probably where I've been hunting too. This farm holds rabbits on the edge of blackberry hedges and fences. If they don't drop immediately, odds are I won't find them. No dogs helping yet. I've got a three month old pointing griffon that will be enlisted soon though!

Now I just need to figure out where you're finding huntable populations of snowshoes...
[/quote]

I watched a couple youtube vids (UK or Scottland) where a guy takes sniper shots at bunnies. Anyone know a place / farm (farmer) in Washington where there is a high population of bunnies for this type of shooting / harvesting / pest control.

I have a 22-250 that I  want to put to work other than on paper. 

[W_Ellison2011]

We've killed rabbits with tons of different guns. Shotguns loaded with heavy and light loads, rifles chambered in 22 lr, 17 hmr, and much larger, also used our bows with blunt tips. with the smaller shot its about aiming for the heads as stated. Also hitting the legs works too. The guy who told you that you can pull the backstraps and legs off without gutting them is also 100% correct and its quick and easy! I don't have an issue if the guts are hanging out personally but you do so I would go to the gutless setup for rabbits. Just my 

[jackelope]

I can tell you from personal experience that it doesn’t take much at all to damage a lot of meat on rabbits. Shooting one with a .22-250 would likely vaporize them.

[KFhunter]

17 hmr to the eyeball

[jackelope]

17 hmr to the eyeball

I've killed several of them with a pellet gun to the back of the noggin.

[Jonathan_S]

I can tell you from personal experience that it doesn’t take much at all to damage a lot of meat on rabbits. Shooting one with a .22-250 would likely vaporize them.

I did this once.  .22-250 at about 20 yards right at the base of the skull.  Head went flying into the air and front quarters were jelly.  Rabbit didn't go far though