kent Posted August 24, 2015 Report Share Posted August 24, 2015 I don't for a minute doubt that there are some incredibly skilled shots out there with PCP airguns who can hit the right part of the head with a .177 pellet at 60 yards but anyone who tries to tell me it's a "reggler" thing is wasting his time. Field shooting is just so different from targets, rabbits move and there always seems to be either an obstruction in the way or they're at the wrong angle. Besides all this there simply is no need to shoot rabbits with sub 12 at silly ranges, you're only feeding your own ego but taking big risks with regards to wounding. When I did shoot FT competitively we regular used to have a crack at some stupidly ranged stuff even out to 100 yards, it can be done but nobody could do it on demand even the 3 world champs I witnessed. Fact is we all miss 40 mm kill zones on metal targets pegged to the ground on competition day but its easy to forget the misses we make in practice or only count shots once we had shot the dope for the day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisjpainter Posted August 24, 2015 Report Share Posted August 24, 2015 i once head shot a rabbit with the hmr took half the head off, that night i was being very efficient and gutting and skinning as i went but when i gutted this rabbit it's heart was still beating in my hand even though i had pulled it out, quite strange colin I've put a rabbit into the freezer that was still twitching. gutted, skinned; the lot, but even so it twitched. disconcerting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PIL1 Posted August 24, 2015 Report Share Posted August 24, 2015 Squeeling is not possible via nerves I have never done a blink response with a shot bunny as it takes more time than just giving them a pull if in any doubt I must say I have always got more kicks and bounces out of airguned rabbits than those shot with rf The fact remains that the rabbit is the biggest quarry that should be tried with a std air rifle Also field target comps even at the highest level use target discs three times as big as the clean killing zone on a rabbit and only go out to 55 yards. With so many on forums claiming better skill levels you can't help but wonder why they don't enter as they could all lift the silverware and some great prizes often worth over a grand It could be due to the fact they are not allowed to use laser range-finders , bipods and other bits of kit to help make the "kill" perhaps !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salop Matt Posted August 24, 2015 Report Share Posted August 24, 2015 It could be due to the fact they are not allowed to use laser range-finders , bipods and other bits of kit to help make the "kill" perhaps !!! Shooting HFT targets at 55 yards is relatively easy when in effect bench rested. Where as a 15 yard stander or 30 yard kneeler is a lot more difficult IMO. My HFT sores would be way better if I shot them as if I were hunting (off sticks or car wing mirror when sat in a supporting seat and with a laser range finder). Also I bet there isn’t much difference in the size of a rabbits brain vs a rabbits heart, how ever angle dependant there is a shoulder in the way of the heart. Again, it’s down to personal preference of what shot you take dependant on your and your kits capabilities and based on experience! ATB Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted August 25, 2015 Report Share Posted August 25, 2015 It could be due to the fact they are not allowed to use laser range-finders , bipods and other bits of kit to help make the "kill" perhaps !!! No wind is the big one even on a course you shoot every week it's the deciding factor No wind and most top ft lads can clear a gp course shooting standing bipods are irrelevant to the better shot I have done this btw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bewsher500 Posted August 25, 2015 Report Share Posted August 25, 2015 shoot enough and you will see weird reactions to all manner of shots. i like to get a slightly rearward angle on headshots with air rifles, I stick to sub 50 yds, closer to 40 Max if I can once shot a rabbit with a .22lr at around 50-60yds, removed both eyes and opened up the fornt of the skull exposing what was left of brain a glancing blow slightly forward of where it should have gone rabbit just sat there spinning around with its eyes hanging out of its head on optic nerve freaky! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruity Posted August 25, 2015 Report Share Posted August 25, 2015 (edited) I shot this one recently,it hardly moved for what seemed like a few seconds and still sat bolt upright, Which made me think I had missed, by time I'd pulled the bolt back to reload it dropped down dead on the spot at 66 yrds . Weird to watch Doohhhh Apologies I just see it's in the airgun section Edited August 25, 2015 by fruity Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longbower Posted August 25, 2015 Report Share Posted August 25, 2015 My shoot buddy and I have despatched over 200 bunnies in the past 5 weeks , from one infested perm.in Delamere Forest. We both shoot .177 , and we won't take shots over 40mtrs.. We shoot from kneeling position, with a supported front arm wherever possible. We only do head shots, but, we have had them bounce back down holes , bounce around all over the place, back flip once and drop dead, and just keel over, give a few kicks and expire. When we pick them up and squeeze them , everything is still twitching, even though they are stone dead because there's no eye reflex. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyshooter Posted August 25, 2015 Report Share Posted August 25, 2015 i find the young rabbits even when brain shot do tend to bounce around alot where as the older rabbits just tend to roll over kick a bit and are dead as a doh-doh, i hardly ever use heart /lung shots, as i was taught head shots from when i was young. atb brian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muddy Funker Posted September 4, 2015 Report Share Posted September 4, 2015 (edited) I've had rabbits drop without a twitch with a 12ft lbs .177 air rifle and others running around without much left of a head after an HMR shot. You do see some strange things but I guess that's the nature of ballistics. Edited September 4, 2015 by Muddy Funker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentalmac Posted September 4, 2015 Report Share Posted September 4, 2015 I shot a bunny the other night with the HMR in the dark under the lamp, I thought I had wounded it as it was running and jumping all over the place, my mate went out and grabbed it and when he looked theatre top of head was gone including all brain gone... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salop Matt Posted September 4, 2015 Report Share Posted September 4, 2015 Yep, had the same happen here again witht he HMR, 65 yards head shot and the bunny starts running in circles like the wall of death. Mate jumps out the motor and runs over to neck it and as he gabs it he gets the back legs and goes for the head.........He got the back legs but no head available to grab, just a bloody neck stump and a flap with an ear dangling. It couldnt have been any more dead but it suprised us that the nevers still were able to produce that result. ATB Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alycidon Posted September 20, 2015 Report Share Posted September 20, 2015 I have shot rabbits in the throat by accident that go round and round in decreasing circles, when they get to the middle they fell over dead. I have also hit one rabbit front on with a head shot, saw a grey streak appear between its eyes up to the top of its skull as the pellet bounced off. It ran 30 yards a sat sideways on where it collected another pellet behind the eye. The first had just glanced off. A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Albert Posted October 13, 2015 Report Share Posted October 13, 2015 If you are gonna eat them then head shot every time. If you are unsure about accuracy then do what I do. Whenever someone asks me to take them out on my permission, I either know their ability or I get them to shoot Polo mints off a stake I set in the ground at around 35 yds (without telling them distance or other info). I want to see that they can range them and shoot accurately before letting them loose on live prey. Yes, I know rabbits are vermin but they still deserve our respect as prey and it is our responsibility to ensure a clean kill. Far too many people get an air rifle and straight away want to go out and shoot rabbits without learning how to do it correctly. Similarly, if you shoot them you have to be prepared to clean them. I will show people a couple of times then I expect them to do it themselves or they can find their own permission. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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