Dave-G Posted May 22, 2006 Report Share Posted May 22, 2006 So - you've shot a rabbit intended for human consumption, by yet another brother - I have five He's separated and has two other separated guys sharing his house. They eat surprisingly well for guy's that used to get their food done by their wives - I had a salmon, pasta and spud meal there this evening. One of them is up for preparing and cooking a wabbit. If it was a boiler room shot, when do you remove the bullet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flytie Posted May 23, 2006 Report Share Posted May 23, 2006 Dave, If I really wanted the rabbit to eat I would paunch it ASAP. Ft Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry d Posted May 23, 2006 Report Share Posted May 23, 2006 What were they shot by?airgun,rimfire or shottie? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigbob Posted May 23, 2006 Report Share Posted May 23, 2006 If im eating rabbit its a nice 3/4 grow one shot in the head with my rimmy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave-G Posted May 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2006 Sorry HD - should have been more specific - .22 rimfire hollowpoint subs, but thought bullet was descriptive enough. With the rimmie I usually get within 50 yards for the shot if they're on all fours. If they're up and watchfull I usually stop at about 60/70 yards and aim for the neck to allow for any error in range judgement. Most of my shooting is lamping on foot - but I sometimes over estimate the distance in the dark, so now aim under when lamping. My zero is set at 60 yards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry d Posted May 23, 2006 Report Share Posted May 23, 2006 Never found a bullet in a rabbit yet,pellets both shotgun and airgun,yes but not a .22 rf. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave-G Posted May 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2006 Coo - this is hard work, maybe I should re-phrase the entire question HD - Do your bullets pass straight through mate? Anyway do you guys remove a bullet before you give a wabbit away, does the person preparing the wabbit remove it before cooking it - or do you just remove it when you find it while eating it? I ask because I've seen reference to finding shotgun pellets in meat as you dine in one of the forums. There is also some "food handling" implication to consider when passing them on, but as it's my brother's housemate I doubt they would consider this. To date, I have just put them in a bag and taken them to people whole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webber Posted May 23, 2006 Report Share Posted May 23, 2006 D I think that what H is hinting at is that if you look you will probably see an entry and exit wound. Therefore indicating that no bullet exists to remove. webber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted May 23, 2006 Report Share Posted May 23, 2006 I gut/paunch all rabbits in the field, whether shot, snared, or netted. This saves the aggro of disposing of the entrails at home. So, any rabbits I give away, or sell, have been cleaned already........but not skinned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergeant Posted May 23, 2006 Report Share Posted May 23, 2006 I know that my bullets pass straight thorugh and theyr remingtons, i dont know if the winchesters i have changed to will as i am still yet to shoot somthing other than paper with them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave-G Posted May 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2006 Thanks webber - I just did'nt think much about that assuming that sometimes it will still be there HD - sorry I was that thick not to get the hint Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axe Posted May 23, 2006 Report Share Posted May 23, 2006 Dave you would be far better off head shooting, that way you don't need to worry about it. You will also protect the meat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazooka Joe Posted May 23, 2006 Report Share Posted May 23, 2006 Never found a bullet yet, using Winchester 40g subs, Already said, head shots, then theres nothing to worry about....... BJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave-G Posted May 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2006 You are quite correct of course Axe - and I restrict myself to headshots only with an air rifle. But I suspect many, like me will go for the chest shot at the longer distance available to a rimmie, taking it's hitting power into account. This is also not done from a hide on bipods - so there is a larger target area available to a person standing and shooting over grass. And I think its well known that its more difficult to assess distance at night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flytie Posted May 23, 2006 Report Share Posted May 23, 2006 I gut/paunch all rabbits in the field, whether shot, snared, or netted.This saves the aggro of disposing of the entrails at home. So, any rabbits I give away, or sell, have been cleaned already........but not skinned. Ditto! Ft Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sniper Posted May 23, 2006 Report Share Posted May 23, 2006 Dave G, I always aim for the headshot when rabbiting. I'm not saying I have hit every headshot but that is what I aim for. To be open I don't like to think of the animal crawling away after a poor shot to the guts. Why are you happy to take headshots with the air rifle and not the rimmie ?? Surely its only a case of two different distances you should be happy to shoot and kill at. I wouldn't like to think I was handing on carcases that had had a bullet through both sides of the animal, leaving possibly some of its faeces on the exit wound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirky640 Posted May 23, 2006 Report Share Posted May 23, 2006 Dave G, I always aim for the headshot when rabbiting. I'm not saying I have hit every headshot but that is what I aim for. To be open I don't like to think of the animal crawling away after a poor shot to the guts. Why are you happy to take headshots with the air rifle and not the rimmie ?? Surely its only a case of two different distances you should be happy to shoot and kill at. I wouldn't like to think I was handing on carcases that had had a bullet through both sides of the animal, leaving possibly some of its faeces on the exit wound. nicely put my man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave-G Posted May 24, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2006 Eh? so all animals should now be headshot then? I don't think so A 40mm kill zone is usually easier to acheive with a pcp air rifle at 30 yards than a rimmie at 60 yards. In my opinion if the bullet has sufficient hitting power for the animal a chest shot is acceptable. It's a larger target that allows a greater degree of error. A pellet on the other hand is not up to the job of a chest shot. A small error on a head shot can mean an injured animal surviving surviving in agony till it starves to death. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sniper Posted May 24, 2006 Report Share Posted May 24, 2006 Dave G, First of all, don't take my posts out of context. I was referring to headshots on rabbits as my previous reply clearly states. If I was out after foxes with my 223 I would take a chest shot at an appropriate distance knowing it would be a clean kill. If you can't achieve at least 1" accuracy at 60 yards ( which is less than 40mm....sorry I don't do metric ) may I suggest you change your rifle/cartridge combination or practice a lot more. I think you are saying you take these shots freehand. May I also suggest you consider the use of a bipod, especially the larger Harris one, then your accuracy will increase considerably. Possibly, to resolve our disagreement, as you started this thread, may I suggest you do a poll of all the other members as to whether they take head or chest shots, when RABBITING, and/or what accuarcy they expect from their humble rimmies. You make no comment about faeces, which I think was how this topic started, to do with hygiene that is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mel b3 Posted May 24, 2006 Report Share Posted May 24, 2006 i try to take a headshot whenever possible(if you use your rimmie enough 80yrd on a bipod should be a piece of cake) but if i'm unsure of my range i'll go for a heart/lung shot , i've found very few bullet heads left inside the rabbits but i've collected the few that i have found and it's amazing how well a .22 sub will deform or even shatter if it hits bone , back to the original question , i've shot hundreds and hundreds of rabbits and only ever found half a dozen bullet heads so i wouldn't really worry about it. ps on one of the farms i shoot the farmers brother is keen on taking body shots at rabbits with his airgun and i've found plenty of pellets(old wounds) just under the skin when i've been skinning rabbits that i've shot with the rimmie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave-G Posted May 24, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2006 (edited) Sniper - Your context... "I don't like to think of the animal crawling away after a poor shot to the guts." I did not mention gutshot mate - I referred to boiler room or chest? I dont do gut shots so dont really consider faeces in the equation? I have always given them away whole. I read and replied to your post after a difficult night at work, I was half asleep and economised the reply. I should say I shoot bunny between 30~40 yards with air, and 60~70 yards with rim The thread had also turned from an enquiry about when to remove a bullet - to where to put it, and it's all too easy to quote optimum condition skills? I can get "most" within a 1" zone when bipoding 60 yards in fair conditions at measured targets. It was kirk that grumped me up - more of later Yes I shoot freehand if there's nothing to lean against when hunting. In that environment - over grass, weeds, clumps of turf and undulating ground etc a perfect rested bipod shot is rarely presented. much of where I shoot is grazing land with ridges. Then there's wind gusts to consider - and the quarry has not obligingly moved to a predetermined distance. It's harder to gauge exact distances when lamping - which I think I have admitted and the larger chest area gets a succesfull result. The good news is I have followed up on the shooting sticks thread elsewhere on here and made a set - yet to be tried though. Kirk. I found your 'passing through' snipe hypocritical and irritating and do not feel you are qualified to preach to anyone here given that these are some of your recent comments: .... 1 im not a idiot that leaves any animal to suffer i always shoot for a humane kill but on the ocasion when it runs i will always follow up with the dog and end all suffering asap and dont tell me you folks never miss or shoot a beast badly because if so you dont shoot much .... ps its only a fox anyway alot more of them have a worse death that being shot !!!! .... in the boiler house with hi v.s as long as youre close enough 100yards tops no doubt some of you will disagree but it works for me cheers kirky Perhaps you based your brief comment on the sniper's miss quote of my shot placement instead of reading the thread from the beginnining? Edited May 24, 2006 by Dave-G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sniper Posted May 24, 2006 Report Share Posted May 24, 2006 Dave G, Ah, the joys of working at night. Stomach out of synch, brain not in gear and that bed is lovely and inviting !! Been there for 30 years and now retired for 5. As a former sufferer I will allow you a certain grumpiness in your reply. Yes, I do think your original post has moved on but only because you said you took chest shots. There is far more chance of a gut shot than there is with my method of headshooting. To answer your original question in this topic, I have no problem with bullet removal as I aim for the head. I would ask you to seriously consider moving to aiming at the head, instead of a chest shot, which I consider to be far more indiscriminate when it comes to a kill shot. If the rabbit is sat and facing left I always aim about 1/2" to the right of the eye as I know this is where the brain is. Brain shot equals kill shot. Judging by the other replies in this topic, I think quite a few others advocate the headshot only. Take the poll and we'll see what happens. I think you are going down the right road, for accuracy ,with the shooting sticks, but I would still ask you to consider one of the larger versions of Harris bipod. A bipod is much more easily carried and set up than sticks. I, too, do most of my lamping on foot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave-G Posted May 24, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2006 (edited) Point taken on board mate - I'll try the sticks first, but in the back of my mind I have an idea to remove the bottom rubbers from my harris bipods and extend the legs with about 4' of carbon tubing fitted in them. I have oodles of the stuff laying around. They'll add less than 50 grams of weight, and will simply extend in front of the carbine till deployed I'd need to adopt a new gun carrying method though, as I usually carry it one handed, muzzle down by its pistol grip. I should point out that shots taken where a bipod has been practical have been headshots Edited May 24, 2006 by Dave-G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sniper Posted May 24, 2006 Report Share Posted May 24, 2006 Dave G, I am fairly tall ( 6'4" ) and had the legs on my Harris extended by about 5 ". I take my shots kneeling, with one knee on the ground. If you have the lamp on the rifle you soon get into the habit of carrying the rifle with both hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave-G Posted May 24, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2006 I'm kinda spoiled really mate, it's still light enough to carry one handed with the lamp - and battery fitted to the butt. It's got a carbon fibre sleeved stainless 12.5" barrel and a houge stock. total length is 35.5" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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