squirrels and rabbits

[catdaddy]

hellow, ive used shotguns for these all my life but iam gonna try my 22. , will a vital shot squirrel or rabit run to far to be tracked or seen
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[Swift]

Originally posted by catdaddy
hellow, ive used shotguns for these all my life but iam gonna try my 22. , will a vital shot squirrel or rabit run to far to be tracked or seen

Not if ya head shoot em.

[Squirrelstalkr15]

I'm only 14, but have been hunting squirrels for a while and I have never had them run very far after being shot with a .22. But like Swift said, head shots usually do the trick. Haven't done much rabbit hunting though.

[catdaddy]

yep ive been huntin them for 5 years, but with shotguns only
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[TheSollyLama]

my first hunting experiences were with a Savage Model 24 in .22LR/.410 shotgun combo.

To me it was perfect. If I spotted a bunny in his pot I'd line up and use the .22LR, but if he spooked and ran a flip of my finger set the gun on .410 with number 4's or 6's for the running shot.

The gun was even small, so from an early age I could wield it.

These days when I rabbit hunt I bring my dog, who just runs his nose right into a bunny's butt so all I carry is a shotgun. Often I have to pass on the shot because my dog is too close and just wants to make friends with the rabbit.
Although it's a bit of overkill, my usual gun is my Remington 870 12 gauge. I do have a Rossi 20 gauge side by side, but it's a 'stagecoach' model with the shortest barrels they make, so it's best as a close in quail or pheasant gun.

I pass on alot of days I could be coyote hunting or duck hunting just to rabbit hunt. First- I love it and the terrain is easy on my beat up knees.

Plus this year I've started taking my 8 year old daughter hunting (she doesn't carry a gun yet) with me and rabbit hunting is basically a nature walk with a gun. She can talk, ask questions, scout with bino's. It's interesting to her and I love the time we spend together.

So rabbit hunting is alot more than roast rabbit on the table for me.

[GoodOlBoy]

If you head shoot a rabbit, or a squirrel with a 22 he shouldn't move much more than to twitch. Other than that in my experience its a crap shoot. With rabbit they bleed like a stuck hog if you torso shoot them and it covers the fur.

I tend to use a 20 gauge shotgun most parts of the year with #6 field loads. When all the leaves are gone in winter alot of times I will pull out the old Winchester model 67 single shot 22 and use it with shorts or longs. My model 67 has a 27 1/4" barrell. Makes for good easy shots, and it will lay shorts one on top of another. The older barrel apparently has a twist rate that is not condusive to long rifles and high velocity shells, even though it will shoot them.

GoodOlBoy

[Catfish]

I don`t hunt small game much any more, but carried a single shot .22 most of the time for both rabbits and squirrel. With a rifle you have to watch where you shoot closer because the bullet will go farther. The best year I ever had was 17 of 18 running rabbits with that old single shot .22, and I hit the 18 th. but lefty, who at the time was 85, shot it because it was still dragging itself. You will have to run down some rabbits when shooting them with a .22, but once hit they don`t go very fast.
For those get started useing a shotgun, use nothing smaller than 5 shot for rabbit and squirrel and with a .410 number 4 shot is better for squirrel. 6`s and smaller just don`t penitrate squirrels, those little suckers are tough.

[Purebred Redneck]

I've had a lot of problems with 22's and squirrels (as well as 17's and squirrels)

As long as they are shot in the head, they go right down. The problem I have is when they are shot in the shoulder. Somehow they always run - even with hollowpoints. A lot of the times I can't catch up.

Missouri is fortunate to have the season in May.
So I choose my 20ga mod with high brass 6's and they go right down.