ben0850 Posted February 3, 2012 Report Share Posted February 3, 2012 Evening all, I've been out most nights this week on our arable fields and decided to leave the .22lr at home and use my spanking new HMR... I'm using 17 grain hornady ammo, and I have zeroed the rifle at 100 yds. My question for the experienced HMR users is this; I shot 15 bunnies on Wed night and three of those were at a range of say 40yds....I shot them as usual in the boiler room but experienced these rabbits only being wounded (albeit mortally) as opposed to the clean kill from the Lr. Is this due to the high velocity of the HMR round passing straight through the rabbit?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodcock1 Posted February 3, 2012 Report Share Posted February 3, 2012 Possibly not the answer you were hoping for but I would recommend head shots on rabbits at those ranges with HMR. Would it be possible that I was just the nervous system giving the impression of just being wounded? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catweazle Posted February 3, 2012 Report Share Posted February 3, 2012 Is this due to the high velocity of the HMR round passing straight through the rabbit?? No, hit them in the right place and they're deader than disco. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welsh1 Posted February 3, 2012 Report Share Posted February 3, 2012 You will find that the round is passing straight through the soft flesh,causing enough damage to kill but not always instantaneously,occasionally you will hit a rib or the spine,but the rabbit then gets badly damaged and won't be the best condition for eating. The round needs to hit some bone so it can fragment,i am sure that you have by now seen what a mess a head shot does,that shows the round fragmenting as it hits the bone. Just head shoot rabbits with the hmr,it's a great round for accuracy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shropshire_Lad Posted February 3, 2012 Report Share Posted February 3, 2012 I tend to only head shoot Rabbits with the hmr, now and again a shot will go low into the neck/shoulder area as I am far from a perfect shot. Rarely do I get a Rabbit that needs dispatching. I have shot with a friend (not Salop Sniper) that took body shots with the hmr and quite a few needed a quick finish off, not nice with gutts hanging out. Head shots only for me. atvb Paul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the enigma Posted February 4, 2012 Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 A well placed heart and lung shot will drop them cleanly every time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchieboy Posted February 4, 2012 Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 As has been said, if you go for "boiler room" shots at that range there is a chance that the bullet will pass through without touching a bone and not fragment causing wounding but not quite killing. The HMR is normally a superbly accurate rifle and should be capable of head shots on rabbits out to 100 yards plus, with that you are ensured a clean kill every time! All it takes is practice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben0850 Posted February 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 Thanks chaps. I was thinking that was probably the case, I need to change to head shots then! When I have been shooting with the Lr 99% of my shooting is pure pest control for our crops so I have not been too worried about meat damage ( hence the boiler room Shot). I have happily used head shots for stocking up the freezer so I will continue in that way for the HMR. Have to say I am very very impressed with it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam f Posted February 4, 2012 Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 I've only had this when using the hollow point ammo. Never had a problem with the poly tip ammo which is devastating head or boiler room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimlet Posted February 4, 2012 Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 Thanks chaps. I was thinking that was probably the case, I need to change to head shots then! When I have been shooting with the Lr 99% of my shooting is pure pest control for our crops so I have not been too worried about meat damage ( hence the boiler room Shot). I have happily used head shots for stocking up the freezer so I will continue in that way for the HMR. Have to say I am very very impressed with it! If you can't get a head shot - if its head is down or there's something in the way - shoot them on the shoulder blade. Don't go behind the front leg into the rib cage. There's no dense bone there and the heart and lungs are further forward anyway. All you'll do is whack the stomach and liver and possibly get a runner. .17 cal isn't great at transfering energy. It needs a solid strike to get the best from it. I had a wayward zero once and shot a few through the sinuses. They were conscious and in shock, just sitting there with blood bubbling out of the hole. Do that with .22 subs and it kills them instantly because though it has less enegery it has greater mass and better energy transfer. The target area for a good body kill is scarcely any bigger than the head area, the head is just more psychologically challenging; but the HMR is clinically accurate so have faith in your gun and in yourself. If you want to avoid snout shots aim directly under the ear rather than between the ear and the eye. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted February 4, 2012 Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 Its nearly all been said above, close range and a soft tissue path may lead to little expansion, the effect is different with soft tissue at longer ranges as the bullet speed decreases. Hit something close, that gives that little 17g, very frangible bullet, some resistance, and the odds are it will cause substantial damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted February 4, 2012 Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 Its a myth that headshots don't wound, i have shot them with the .22 Hornet at short range lamping were the bullet has yet to pass through the line of sight and as a result the shot has impacted low although the bottom section of the head is removed they still have brain function on collection and dispatch (which can be confirmed by the blink resonce, breathing etc.). Brain shots are instant but head shots aint always brian shots and we should bear that in mind. I am suprised you dindn't turn them inside out a 40yds with a chest shot from the HMR but it isn't something i have tried intentionally though as 40yds is pretty much a head shot in 99.9% of cases if there is one thing that can be said about the .17 though its unpredicability on its terminal effects. I personally had large issues killing crows with mine due to this "unpredicability" it lent itself to the purpose only if presise placement was possible ( so not often with the wind up here and ranges it had to be employed at) also found that taking two seemingly similar shots on rabbits would often vary in terminal effect, one might explode like a mini granade the next was like the thing had simply had heart failure at the sound! It must be hard to manufacture such a small bullet with the ability to consistantly perform the same way at varying impact speeds on differing strike points. .22 it has to be said is substantially more lead and as such has greater predictability if it be c/fire or rimfire. My advice for what it is worth is get to appriciate the HMR for what it actually is and understand its limitations. IMO a good 100- 150 yds bunny getter on more open fields, not a replacement for the .22 lr which remains THE tool up to sensible ranges Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aister Posted February 4, 2012 Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 i can honestly that i very very rarely take head shots on rabbits because the kill zone on the body is bigger than the kill zone on the head, when i want a rabbit to eat i still would go for heart and lungs because i only eat from the sadle and back. even with the .223 i have taken the lower jaw off a rabbit when going for the head and if i had not had the dog it would have been lost to suffer down a hole somewhere. if i was you instead of going for the head shot try aiming just a bit further forward, i had the same problem as you when i had the 17hmr and aiming a bit further forward cured it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Underdog Posted February 4, 2012 Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 It is possible for hair and skin to plug a wee hollow point and effectively turn it into a solid. It happens rarely at rifle vels though. Defensive pistol rounds can suffer from it as they pass through clothes. U. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bicykillgaz Posted February 4, 2012 Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 i always try to head shoot when possible but its definately not 100%, i shot one at about 20yrds was aiming just behind the eye but jerked my shot a little as i had to take it quickly and it went in one eye and out the other poor begger still seemed very much alive when i went to dispatch it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted February 4, 2012 Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 It is possible for hair and skin to plug a wee hollow point and effectively turn it into a solid. It happens rarely at rifle vels though. Defensive pistol rounds can suffer from it as they pass through clothes. U. No 17grn Hornady rounds are v-max Ie balistic tips Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catweazle Posted February 4, 2012 Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 i always try to head shoot when possible but its definately not 100%, i shot one at about 20yrds was aiming just behind the eye but jerked my shot a little as i had to take it quickly and it went in one eye and out the other poor begger still seemed very much alive when i went to dispatch it. Was that with HMR ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted February 4, 2012 Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 i always try to head shoot when possible but its definately not 100%, i shot one at about 20yrds was aiming just behind the eye but jerked my shot a little as i had to take it quickly and it went in one eye and out the other poor begger still seemed very much alive when i went to dispatch it. When i re- read that i find it very hard to believe it as fact, though strange stuff sometimes happens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magwitch Posted February 4, 2012 Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 You can always try to kill rabbits as clean as possible but you will always get a few that are wounded, it the nature of the game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodcock1 Posted February 4, 2012 Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 Ive read all the posts here and almost all who have wounded rabbits have admitted making the error themselves , shooting off bottom jaws, pulling shots off and if you have guts hanging out of a rabbit you are way off the mark. We all know where the exact kill zones are on a rabbit be it head, neck or heart/lung. Its down to us the shooters to put that round in the spot. If you,re not killing rabbits stone dead with a HMR your not hitting your mark. Everyone misses occasionally including me but all we can do is try better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Underdog Posted February 4, 2012 Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 No 17grn Hornady rounds are v-max Ie balistic tips Yes sorry, my bad. U. i always try to head shoot when possible but its definately not 100%, i shot one at about 20yrds was aiming just behind the eye but jerked my shot a little as i had to take it quickly and it went in one eye and out the other poor begger still seemed very much alive when i went to dispatch it. I have seen this also, with a 22. U. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bicykillgaz Posted February 4, 2012 Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 (edited) When i re- read that i find it very hard to believe it as fact, though strange stuff sometimes happens I can post the pic if you want obviously it had been dispatched by the time the pic was taken, it was definitely still kicking not twitching from nerves. It was with my .22lr, i don't see why you would think i would be lying its not exactly worth lying about. Give me ten minutes and ill post it, got to turn the laptop on as i can't figure out how to upload off my phone. i couldn't beleive it either i originally thought i'd shot low with only been about 15-20yrds max so i took the pic (i'm not weird honest) Edited February 4, 2012 by bicykillgaz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted February 4, 2012 Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 I can post the pic if you want obviously it had been dispatched by the time the pic was taken, it was definitely still kicking not twitching from nerves. It was with my .22lr, i don't see why you would think i would be lying its not exactly worth lying about. Give me ten minutes and ill post it, got to turn the laptop on as i can't figure out how to upload off my phone. i couldn't beleive it either i originally thought i'd shot low with only been about 15-20yrds max so i took the pic (i'm not weird honest) To put your mind at rest, it was dead IMO. kicking means nothing! squeeling or breathing are a totally different thing to kicking- no point talking about the blink responce in this case . Ever heard the tale of the headless chicken running around? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shropshire_Lad Posted February 4, 2012 Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 To put your mind at rest, it was dead IMO. kicking means nothing! squeeling or breathing are a totally different thing to kicking- no point talking about the blink responce in this case . Ever heard the tale of the headless chicken running around? While Driving for Salop Sniper and in the company from a guy up north, Mal on a few sites, Salop Shot a Rabbit at around 40 or so yds. It ran round and round in circles and Mal got out to finish it off. When he picked it up there was no head, just two ears hanging on to an empty skull, never seen anything like it before or since. atvb Paul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bicykillgaz Posted February 4, 2012 Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 Fair enough Kent, i guess after 6 years shooting I've still not managed to tell the difference between a twitcher and a live rabbit in pain which i struggled to neck as it was kicking so much. i personally think its because my eleys don't expand much and it only clipped bone on exiting so didn't do enough damage to kill outright, but you've put my mind at rest now, thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.