what cartridge for bunnies?

declan1980

what cartridge would ye recommend for rabbits?
i was out yesterday evening, first time shooting rabbits with the shotgun. it was good craic, but i found that the 6's i was using weren't giving a clean kill past 20 yards.

Glensman

declan1980 wrote: »

what cartridge would ye recommend for rabbits?
i was out yesterday evening, first time shooting rabbits with the shotgun. it was good craic, but i found that the 6's i was using weren't giving a clean kill past 20 yards.

6's should kill to at least 30yards... Were you shooting well?

I often use 7.5's when we shoot rabbits, they are generally fine to 20-30yards but less forgiving of poor shots.

If you need a confidence boost you can move to 5's- but you shouldn't need to...

brianfrancis45

Personally I find the Eley Supergame 32 G 5 's a good cartridge for knocking bunnies cleanly.

Glensman

brianfrancis45 wrote: »

Personally I find the Eley Supergame 32 G 5 's a good cartridge for knocking bunnies cleanly.

It'd make them expensive bunny's!

Longranger

Glensman wrote: »

It'd make them expensive bunny's!

Not if you don't miss! 30ish cent per bunny isn't too bad of a price

Hunter21

Ever hear of RC2's? There a great cartridge, id rate them as the best ive used so do my mates. Cheap enough too at €8.50 a box, not bad.

They have great stopping power and a good pattern too

brianfrancis45

Glensman wrote: »

It'd make them expensive bunny's!

At about E 225 for a thousand ( about 22 cent a pop) I don't consider them so expensive. My experience is that they have considerably more knocking power at distance than cheaper trap shells . I value a few rabbits for the pot and feel they deserve a clean kill.:)

Glensman

brianfrancis45 wrote: »

At about E 225 for a thousand ( about 22 cent a pop) I don't consider them so expensive. My experience is that they have considerably more knocking power at distance than cheaper trap shells . I value a few rabbits for the pot and feel they deserve a clean kill.:)

I normally only use my 10/22 for bunny's and so far this year I've only taken headshots... The odd time I take my .22mag just to put in trigger time.

When we go feretting in the winter though we always use 7.5s and I've never had any problem with them at all. If you caught a rabbit well with a Supergame #5 it wouldn't be worth taking home! :eek:

brianfrancis45

Glensman wrote: »

I normally only use my 10/22 for bunny's and so far this year I've only taken headshots... The odd time I take my .22mag just to put in trigger time.

When we go feretting in the winter though we always use 7.5s and I've never had any problem with them at all. If you caught a rabbit well with a Supergame #5 it wouldn't be worth taking home! :eek:

I've used 7.5 Dianas meself at closer range 15-20 yards in broken cover and did the job OK but at longer distances 30-45 yards I've had several who took a tumble and then ran on into heavy cover. Not a major problem most of the time as I've a decent springer to follow up but there have been a few occassions where the rabs got to ground before he could pick them up. Since using Eley 5's for longer shots on one of my permissions where the land is quite open I've not had a runner yet and all were fine for the pot. In fact an auld fella who I shoot with on that land from time to time recommended the 5's to me- according to him the 7.5 clay shells have more pellets which are harder than in game shells and have more penetration and cause more meat damage with higher number of pellets than the game shells which according to him have more kinetic energy but softer pellets . I don't know if he's right and I guess its everyone to their own but since changing to 5's they work better for me.
I'm sure head shots with a 10/22 and a decent scope is the most effective way but for my own personal taste can be ''too easy'' and I much prefer to hunt with shottie and dog . I get more pleasure watching the dog work well than I do out of the actual shooting.

Maybe I'll try a 7.5 in the bottom and a 5 in the top barrel, in case I miss with the first and nail him with the 5 when he's further out.:)

bunny shooter

.22lr is best cartridge

34 grain 4's do a good job in shottie and I get good range on 'em too

Longranger

bunny shooter wrote:

34 grain 4's do a good job in shottie and I get good range on 'em too

I'm with bunny on this one. 7.5s are no good outside 25 yards and even then,the meat will be peppered with tiny,tooth-cracking shot! I would always use as first choice ELEY supergame 32g 4's(the best bunny shell on the market bar none,IMO,good way past 40 yards) or remmie shurshot 36g 4's(higher shot count,but doesn't seen to pattern quite as well as the ELEY,still a thumping great shell though!). At about 8 quid a box,they won't break the bank either:)

bunny shooter

Only thing I use clay shells for is clays :rolleyes:

7.5 is only any good on snipe :cool:

djflawless

i find size 7 sagas a brill cartridge for bustin bunnys.or my favorite cartridge alltogether..sipe 32 g 6s

declan1980

thanks for the advice lads, i'll give the 5's a go, ive got a few fiocci 32g 5s lying in the safe. to answer glensman, yes i was shooting well enough, i fired 6 shots and shot 5 rabbits, but two of them crawled into the ditch, thats what i wasn't happy about, and one of those was a rabbit sitting up at about 30 yards so it wasnt a case of hitting it badly.
normally i'd use the rifle, but i had the shotgun with me yesterday and it was kind of a spur of the moment thing on the way home from work.
just on a side note, i'm using a semi auto so which choke would be best?
i usually have a half choke in the gun, but would i want to tighten up the pattern a bit for 5's?

Hunter21

declan1980 wrote: »

thanks for the advice lads, i'll give the 5's a go, ive got a few fiocci 32g 5s lying in the safe. to answer glensman, yes i was shooting well enough, i fired 6 shots and shot 5 rabbits, but two of them crawled into the ditch, thats what i wasn't happy about, and one of those was a rabbit sitting up at about 30 yards so it wasnt a case of hitting it badly.
normally i'd use the rifle, but i had the shotgun with me yesterday and it was kind of a spur of the moment thing on the way home from work.
just on a side note, i'm using a semi auto so which choke would be best?
i usually have a half choke in the gun, but would i want to tighten up the pattern a bit for 5's?

Declan were you in the company of a dog when you shot them? as in did the dog flush them for you or did you just happen to walk upon the bunnies grazing? Just I never seem to have luck with bunnies, there always in the borrow before I see them or else are a bit too long of a range for a shottie

djflawless

well im using a mossberg 5oo and have a moderated choke in it..great choke for clays and pheasants but not to interested for anything else

declan1980

Hunter21 wrote: »

Declan were you in the company of a dog when you shot them? as in did the dog flush them for you or did you just happen to walk upon the bunnies grazing? Just I never seem to have luck with bunnies, there always in the borrow before I see them or else are a bit too long of a range for a shottie

i didn't have a dog, i just decided to pull into one of my permissions on the way home from work. there are always bunnies in this place and i haven't hunted it for a while so it was easy to get within 20 yards of them before they ran. a couple of the fields had fairly high grass so they were popping up out of the grass. it gave me some good snapshots at them:D

Hunter21

declan1980 wrote: »

i didn't have a dog, i just decided to pull into one of my permissions on the way home from work. there are always bunnies in this place and i haven't hunted it for a while so it was easy to get within 20 yards of them before they ran. a couple of the fields had fairly high grass so they were popping up out of the grass. it gave me some good snapshots at them:D

The high grass helps so That explains it. Might try lamping them some night, be a bit of fun. Might bump into Charlie too which would also be sweet.. :pac:

declan1980

Hunter21 wrote: »

The high grass helps so That explains it. Might try lamping them some night, be a bit of fun. Might bump into Charlie too which would also be sweet.. :pac:

a wet and windy night like tonight is always good for lamping bunnies, you can get pretty close to them.
best of luck, and if you do meet charlie tonight send him my regards, preferably ballistic tipped ones:D

Hunter21

declan1980 wrote: »

a wet and windy night like tonight is always good for lamping bunnies, you can get pretty close to them.
best of luck, and if you do meet charlie tonight send him my regards, preferably ballistic tipped ones:D

Tonight is ideal! But unfortunatly I opted to stay in as Ive college exams in the morning. Maybe tomorrow or Friday night. Thanks for the advice

djflawless

Hunter21 wrote: »

Declan were you in the company of a dog when you shot them? as in did the dog flush them for you or did you just happen to walk upon the bunnies grazing? Just I never seem to have luck with bunnies, there always in the borrow before I see them or else are a bit too long of a range for a shottie

if you see them near a burrow thats hugging a ditch move into the ditch nice, slow and handy.then just move up the ditch with steady, slow movements.you'll find you'll soon be in less than 40 yard range which should be perfect for you

Hunter21

Knocked a rabbit last night with an RC2 no 5 shell with a tight choke at about 40yards and I must say it was one of the cleanest kills ive ever seen

dogsandguns

diana 7.5 28grm trap shells great killing power out to 40yrds he is dead and they don t destroy the like with 4s the shot gets stuck in the fur or under the skin .

coxyboy

hi all i know im a bit off the mark ere but currently trying to buy a rabbit trap.could any1 please tell me where to purchase or set me in the right direction:)

Constab2

rc2 5 or 6's best all round cartridge i have used €70 a brick sportsden highly recommend cycle very well in autos,All shooting buddies have converted in 3 months from eley & remmie

meathstevie

Any decent nr 6 32gr ( Fiocchi, Gamebore, RC, Saiga, ...you name it ) with a proper game gun choke as in 1/2 or thighter should knock rabbits quite cleanly between 20 and 40 to 50 yards depending on the cover they're moving through.

dwighet

5`s :cool:

Spunk84

Eleys 7 1/2 28g from 20-4o yards:D no messing about

Alan 1990

I use the eley supergame 32g no. 6 find them great for clean kills well worth 8 quid. Got a box of eley grand prix 30g no. 6 for 11 quid too expensive but that's all the shop had. Never used em b4 anybody know if there good?