First kill....

José Alaninho

Well lads I finally got my first 'real' kill (not counting about ten grey crows previously) with my ruger 10/22 this evening. Shot a rather large rabbit at about sixty yards with a CCI velocitor. All great and good! Only thing is, I feel like a right f**kin eejit now, aimed for the head and hit him broadside in the chest, he ran around for about five minutes squealing his head off before I could get close and finish him with a headshot. Feel like sh*t about it to be honest. Lesson: zero your rifles properly :mad: One thing's for sure: damn well won't happen again. Anyone else had similar experience? (ps don't blame you if you don't want to say, bad thing to happen IMO)

José Alaninho

Thank you, just the answer I was looking for *yawn*

Grizzly 45

It happens Jose.Even with a zeroed rifle,things can go amiss.That is a pretty small target the head as well,and a tough bunny if it didnt go down with a chest shot with hyper velocity ammo.
So I wouldnt cut yourself too much about it.It could have been a lot worse,it could have run for a burrow and died out of your reach .Only thing I would say is why did you have to finish with a head shot?Would it have not been easier just to catch ih,hold by the hind legs and a sharp blow to the back of the head with either a short stick,knife butt or your hand as in a karate cho,if it is strong enough..Is an instant and humane kill for injured hares and rabbits.

José Alaninho

Heat of the moment I guess, easiest and quickest option. Cheers grizzly, don't feel like such a noob now. At least the adrenaline is wearing off anyway! Luckily the velocitors are good rounds, went straight through with no fragmentation. Clean as a whistle. Should be a good dinner tomorrow. Where else would you pay 5 cents for a slap-up meal like it

Vegeta

That's why we all practice. Sh1tty as it is, it does happen so next time bring a priest in your kit bag

troll deleted

Grizzly 45

Vegeta wrote: »

That's why we all practice. Sh1tty as it is, it does happen so next time bring a priest in your kit bag

Dont think my local Cleric will fit in my shooting bag.:D

Vegeta

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

Vegeta wrote: »

That's why we all practice. Sh1tty as it is, it does happen so next time bring a priest in your kit bag

Dont think my local Cleric will fit in my shooting bag.:D

I knew someone would say it.

A bit of antler hollowed out with some lead in it make very nice ones.

meathstevie

A sixty yards chest shot on a rabbit with a .22lr is not all that bad Jose. You'll get better with practice. You were just unfortunate that the bullet didn't do sufficient damage to any of the vitals. A quick snappy blow to the back of the neck is the way to go in that sort of situation.

johngalway

I'll be the one to say it then...

Anyone else wondering if it's 10/22 accuracy that may be the problem?

It wasn't me!

I thought that, but then I remembered he showed his to be capable of some pretty reasonable groups before, so kinda discounted it. Perhaps it was just a bit of nerves? Does funny things to the ability to put bullets where it looks like they're going so it does. (as my competition scores demonstrate shockingly clearly)

rrpc

johngalway wrote: »

I'll be the one to say it then...

Anyone else wondering if it's 10/22 accuracy that may be the problem?

I was

Having experienced shooting one at 25 yards, I wouldn't be too confident that you could take one shot at 60 yards and be in a 4" circle.

They're not really a hunting rifle IMO. You have to be confident that a cold barrel shot will go in the right place with usually a sub-optimal rest.

bunny shooter

johngalway wrote: »

.....Anyone else wondering if it's 10/22 accuracy that may be the problem?

I had a 10/22 a few years ago and found accuracy aceptable out to 60 yards with high/hyper velocity, but it was better with sub's out to 100 yards ish Generally I found std 10/22 to be as accurate as a std bolt action.

Jose, it happened/s to all of us. As advised karate chop to back of neck is the most humane solution. It is part of hunting and I reckon if we didn't feel bad when it does happen it means we no longer respect our quarry and that is time to stop hunting IMO.

Welcome the wonderful world of rabbit hunting and eating.

fish slapped

have used a 10/22 before and would not consider it a hunting rifle as I could not thrust it to group. But I think we've all had occasions where we've missed and on those occasions you can't beat " a good clean miss"!

It wasn't me!

bunny shooter wrote: »

I reckon if we didn't feel bad when it does happen it means we no longer respect our quarry and that is time to stop hunting IMO.

Definitely something to live by.

Grizzly 45

Dont feed the trolls.Post reported.Another for the killfile.:(

José Alaninho

Actually had a laugh at that one :P

The_Minister

At least that was a decent troll.


Can I ask, what is a priest? (Max ratio of 3:1, smart-alex answers: real answers)

dos29

My knowledge of a priest is, Its a heavy club, usually shaped like a batton or policemans truncheon, only a bit smaller. Used a lot for putting fish out of their misery, and rabbits as i've just learned!!
That really WAS a funny troll!!:D

It wasn't me!

basically any sort of weighted implement used for dispatching critters humanely, used to have one for fishing. Generally weight is focused in one end for maximum impact and efficiency, so a bit of hollow antler with a good dollop of lead is the classic, and absolutely ideal.

José Alaninho

dos29 wrote: »

That really WAS a funny troll!!:D

But a troll nonetheless. Pisses me off rightly :mad:

bunny shooter

José Alaninho wrote: »

Actually had a laugh at that one :P

missed it

dimebag249

Baxtards! Now I really want to read the troll's post! Please Vegeta, post it's contents, if that's possible?

It happens Jose, just very unlucky it happened to you on your first shot at a rabbit. I'd second Grizzly's advice though, it's easy to start sprayin bullets at a wounded critter when you see it's in pain, much safer and more humane to walk up and wring it's neck.

I shot a rabbit square in the chest, heart/lungs, at twenty odd yards the day before yesterday. He went down, legs up and twitched for a couple seconds. As I walked up to him he up and sprinted into a ditch. I felt real bad too cos the little guy bled out somewhere, but I'd say he didn't last long anyway.

José Alaninho

Jaysus but rabbits are gettin awful tough these days! Twenty yards and still got up and ran? That's it I'm switching to a .243 for the little critters from now on

On a footnote he tasted great, and I mean great- soaked for 24 hrs in buttermilk and then pan fried in red wine. Mmmmmmmmmm.....:P

fish slapped

José Alaninho wrote: »

Jaysus but rabbits are gettin awful tough these days! Twenty yards and still got up and ran? That's it I'm switching to a .243 for the little critters from now on

On a footnote he tasted great, and I mean great- soaked for 24 hrs in buttermilk and then pan fried in red wine. Mmmmmmmmmm.....:P

30.06 (ready minced) and Mmmmmmmmmm....:p:p

clivej

Hi José
Just thinking were you using any sort of rest at the time? I know I can't hit the side of a barn without my DIY shooting sticks.
I was out lamping foxes Monday night with my son and took my 22 for rabbits. I missed 10 @50m, they sat there looking at this fool (CliveJ) waving his gun at them going bang.:(

kerryman12

I missed 10 @50m, they sat there looking at this fool (CliveJ) waving his gun at them going bang.

Is there anything more frustrating!!

José Alaninho

clivej wrote: »

Hi José
Just thinking were you using any sort of rest at the time? I know I can't hit the side of a barn without my DIY shooting sticks.
I was out lamping foxes Monday night with my son and took my 22 for rabbits. I missed 10 @50m, they sat there looking at this fool (CliveJ) waving his gun at them going bang.:(

I was resting the folded bipod on a stone wall, it was just the right height for a kneeling shot, come to think of it the stone could have wobbled or the rabbit could have moved at the instant I fired, any number of things really. I'm well over it anyway by now, going out again with my re-zeroed rifle as soon as the f**kin weather clears up:mad:

cavan shooter

A little bit of trivia for ye.....It is called a Priest because it is used to administer last rites.:D:D

and by the way zero the rifle 1.5 inches high at 50 yrds and aim for the base of the ear and you should be good with the 10/22 out to 100 yrds.