During a recent outing with friends, we got into talking about what the best guns and shot shell size for rabbit. What do you gu

[canvasbackhunter]

During a recent outing with friends, we got into talking about what the best guns and shot shell size for rabbit. What do you guys reach for when chasing cottentails?

[99explorer]

Twelve gauge and number six shot.

[ITHACASXS]

It used to be my 12 gauge with number 6's. Now, I'd swipe my son's light 20 o/u and still use 6's.

[Hoski]

I'm real close to ITHACASXS in my choice...cept I prefer my side by side.

[Quinton Schmelzenbach]

have some fun with it, get a good scope, and head out with a .22...

[carver82]

Good ol' ruger 10/22. I never liked digging out shot...

[canvasbackhunter]

I like to shoot #6's through my 12. But i prefer #5 i can find them cheap. My friends, for some wild reason, like to shoot #8. I think you end up with too much lead that way. When my dog isn't working, thats when i break out the .22.

[Sourdough Dave]

I use a Ruger 10-22. Hopefully the hand wringers in DC won't declare it an evil assault weapon.

[357]

a 22 any day of the week. however if i had to grab a shotty a 20g with 6s is a nice rabbit gun.

[small game sportsman]

I just use a .22 pellet rifle, easy and cheap

[FirstBubba]

c'backhunter

First, since I don't hunt waterfowl anymore, I use lead shot.
Second, "pattern density" kills, not shot size!
As far as digging out shot? It never bothered me much. Lead "oxide" (that frosty coating on the outside!) is the toxin that goes into the body. Lead is an accumulated toxin.
As long as the "pellet" passes through your system, no problemo!
Bunnies are relatively "fragile" animals.
Here in my area of the Great Southwest, nobody hunts cottontails to eat. It's the old "tularemia" scare. I kill 'em out of my garden every year. Even the dogs won't eat them!

BTW! I normally use a .22 when sniping them out of the garden. At night in the yard, it's a 20 gauge with a "skeet" choke and field load 8's.

[Sarge01]

I use my 12 ga. with light load of 7 1/2's.

[Brock Holloway]

410 with 7 shot.

[Pathfinder1]

Hi...


My favorite firearm for bunnies (and other small game) is a .410/.22 over/under.


Have had excellent 'luck' with it.

Is also good for puddle-jumping wood ducks. And for partridges. And squirrels, too.


When/if you need to get off a second shot for the bunnies (hound hunting?), then a 20-gauge will be ideal. The three-shot Mossberg I used was perfect.

[zthiel]

20 gauge with 6's or 7 and a half's. Ive also had good luck with a 410 with a full choke and number 6s