ochre Posted November 20, 2004 Report Share Posted November 20, 2004 I am becoming frustrated with my inability to get headshots on bunnies. I can hold my aim ok but its judging the distances - I seem to have a disability! Any advice? It really annoys me when I hit one and it doesn't kill it outright. :< Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mr Pieman Posted November 20, 2004 Report Share Posted November 20, 2004 The only answer is to practice, practice and more practice. Set yourself a course to walk/sneak around and take shots from various positions and distances. Then look back at the targets to see how you did. If you find an area where you miss badly, spend an hour firing from that position to hone your skils. Also ask yourself if you are shooting outside the killing zone of your rifle or over a distance outside your ability. Neither should be a major issue, just adjust your tactics accordingly PP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vermin Dropper Posted November 20, 2004 Report Share Posted November 20, 2004 As Mr P said its all down to practise. zero your rifle sights at a distance to suit yourself and get used to the amount of hold over or under you need at various distances, also when you zero your rifle with a pellet you are happy with stick to that brand. I had a problem judging longer distances when I moved over to a rimmy so my good lady bought me a laser range finder. (I am a lucky boy) ....and don't forget to practise in different positions as your aim will change depending on weather you are standing, kneeling or prone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Vincent Posted November 21, 2004 Report Share Posted November 21, 2004 Please don't take offence at this, but I would question whether I was ready to be shooting live quarry, if I wasn't getting consistantly clean kills. Ok, we all miss the spot occasionally, but this should only be very occasionally! Just keep practicing on various dummy targets until you feel confident that you can judge distance, windage and pellet drop successfully (most of the time!). If you do happen to wound your quarry, then be ready with a priest, so that you can humainly despatch it as quickly as possible. Please don't practice on live targets. Good luck fella!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon-Boy Posted November 22, 2004 Report Share Posted November 22, 2004 I had that trouble for a while and to remedy it i use a shotgun :( Seriously, start off with shots to the boiler room (heart. lungs etc) then once youve acomplished regular clean kills go for shots between the eye and ear. The heart shots will not kill instaneously but will do with in a couple of seconds. But only take these shots when your quarry is 10 or so yards from cover so it cannot make it back to its house incase it doesnt go down straight away. This way you can still take a second shot or crack it with your cosh. Also only use .22 rifle for this type of shot and use flat or hollow points for maxiumum damage on impact. .177 only go for head shots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobthenailer22 Posted November 22, 2004 Report Share Posted November 22, 2004 boiler house shot with an air rifle?:(??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aled_cky Posted November 22, 2004 Report Share Posted November 22, 2004 when you go out for a walk, estimate how far away something is away from you, like 30feet, and then walk it and see if you were around the 30mark. its how i learnt... sorta. ive always been good with measurements which some on here wouldnt believe Aled Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jordan Posted November 22, 2004 Report Share Posted November 22, 2004 when you go out for a walk, estimate how far away something is away from you, like 30feet, and then walk it and see if you were around the 30mark.its how i learnt... sorta. ive always been good with measurements which some on here wouldnt believe Aled :( that made me laugh out loud Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ernyha Posted November 22, 2004 Report Share Posted November 22, 2004 when you go out for a walk, estimate how far away something is away from you, like 30feet, and then walk it and see if you were around the 30mark.its how i learnt... sorta. ive always been good with measurements which some on here wouldnt believe Aled :o that made me laugh out loud :( You are not doubting Aled's capability at measuring distances are you Jordan? B) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jordan Posted November 22, 2004 Report Share Posted November 22, 2004 when you go out for a walk, estimate how far away something is away from you, like 30feet, and then walk it and see if you were around the 30mark.its how i learnt... sorta. ive always been good with measurements which some on here wouldnt believe Aled :o that made me laugh out loud :o You are not doubting Aled's capability at measuring distances are you Jordan? B) B) me?? :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shotgun Mike Posted November 22, 2004 Report Share Posted November 22, 2004 comeon jordan think of some of the shots aled has taken over the years. he can take measurements with his eyes closed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aled_cky Posted November 22, 2004 Report Share Posted November 22, 2004 see, mike knows what im getting at :( im a mathematical genious. Aled Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkshire Pudding Posted November 22, 2004 Report Share Posted November 22, 2004 shame abot the spollin though . all the best yis yp :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vermin Dropper Posted November 22, 2004 Report Share Posted November 22, 2004 Ochre, please do not start taking chest shots! If you are regularly missing, you should not be taking any shots at live quarry. as already said practise at different distances in different positions, when you are sure you can make the kill every time (almost), then the bunnies can be scared! :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon-Boy Posted November 23, 2004 Report Share Posted November 23, 2004 Nothing wrong with chest shots if you can hit the vital organs. sure practice on paper before on the real thing. Dont know why the response to chest shots was :( Ive shot many rabbits in the heart lung areas with my .22 and they go down like a sac of **** ive just clipped rabbits with my 12bore using no.7 shot (very small, smaller than .177) and after skinning the rabbit only two peices of shot had gone through the chest area and still it went down! a .22 is much much larger than single n0.7 shot and would do far more damage! Just use a good pellet that wont over penatrate. Some people under estimate the stopping power of an air rifle, think of the size of the pellet compared to that bunny's organs, its like us being shot with a golf ball and having it tearing through our inards. i know i would go down! Its plenty enough, i think those who have had no success with this area should see whether their shots are going where they should be. Angle of shot on a rabbit is also very important, never shoot at a rabbit if you cant get a clear shot at the part you want to hit, shooting it up the *** and hoping the pellet will go throught it and stop it. It will most probably hit bone and and go out again leaving a poor wounded bunny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ochre Posted November 23, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2004 Have had some excellent responses folks. One thing amuses me though... The fact that some individual's imply that they never went through this phase. I find it fascinating that some of you have the self-discipline to become world famous field target shots before venturing out to tackle some live quarry! I can hit paper targets and knock-down target kill zones consistently, but live quarry tends not to be in the same places and a few yards difference is hard to spot at night, for instance. But then those of you that are experts with measurements will not have experienced this problem either. I am a simple, honest guy trying to to get better at a skill I love. I need advice not lectures (and if you do, at least be brave enough to admit your own flaws!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vermin Dropper Posted November 23, 2004 Report Share Posted November 23, 2004 Firstly Jon Boy, I didn't say there is anything wrong with chest shots ( I drop them in the chest only if the head is obscured), Just that ochre shouldn't take the shots on until he can hit the thing! Secondly....Ochre, If you are going to ask questions don't moan about the replies. Yes we all had this happen at one time or another and we sorted it out, Thats how we can give you the advice that we have so you don't have to go around wounding animals, As for distance I already said that I wasn't happy with my judgement so I got a laser range finder!! Christ..... Some people!!! :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobthenailer22 Posted November 23, 2004 Report Share Posted November 23, 2004 jon, how close are you when the rabbits drop like a sack of ****?? if i can't get a head shot with air rifle rimfire or centrefire i wont take the shot. you owe it the the creature that your hunting to make a clean and quick death. im not saying that all my shots are inch perfect and all of my shots i take do hit exactly where the crosshairs were but if the head isnt in the crosshair i wont take the shot(i dont stalk deer just vermin and i understand that the best place for deer is the boiler house) this is just the way i am and im sure that i pass up many good shots to many good creatures but it just my way, no head no shot.regards bob :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotsman Posted November 23, 2004 Report Share Posted November 23, 2004 Chest shots: Air rifle @ 12 lb.ft – no way, I’ve done it and had too many runners and I’ll never do it again. .22 rimfire – I prefer head shots when they are available, however chest shots kill just as humanley .17 HMR – A headshot will remove most of the far side of the skull, a shot just about anywhere in the front half of a rabbit will kill it instantly. Centerfire- as above, but more effective (and expensive!) bobthenailer22, I don’t know where you are coming from with your comments on head only shots on rabbits with centerfire. I shoot a .243 and when you hit a rabbit anywhere the effect is to reduce it mostly to heat and light. VERY humane, but not much use for the pot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobthenailer22 Posted November 24, 2004 Report Share Posted November 24, 2004 i dont use centrefire for rabbits :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon-Boy Posted November 24, 2004 Report Share Posted November 24, 2004 centre fire is a bit extreme for rabbits i think, nothing left to eat after. Very expensive also? 12 ftlb is plenty enough for a chest shot, you got got to hit the heart, i know its not as instant as a head shot but its only a few seconds. use hollow point or flat head and a heavy grain pellet for this type of shot, to a maxium of about 20 yards, if that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul in North Lincs. Posted November 25, 2004 Report Share Posted November 25, 2004 I agree with you Jon Boy I too use the airrifle extremely effectively on rabbits, and in over 20years of hunting, can safelt say that a short to middle range, a well executed shot from a 12ft.lb rilfle to the heart / lungs is more that enough to humanely dispatch the quarry. I sometimes think the 'Big Bore' boys underestimate what a capablebit of kit their smaller cousins are. Paul in North Lincolnshire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Mike Posted November 25, 2004 Report Share Posted November 25, 2004 Ive shot many rabbits in the heart lung areas with my .22 and they go down like a sac of **** NO NO NO NO NO....... :< So have I and 9 times out of 10 they do not die, generally crawl away or bolt with the lead inside them to die an agonising death. At least if you clip or graze a bunny with a shot to the head it will normally be rendered incapacitated for sufficient time for you to dispatch it quickly and cleanly. You mention about shooting into the vital organs and then advise the use of a pellet which does not over penetrate.! Take my advice stick. to a head shot with a heavy grain .22 dome head. :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul in North Lincs. Posted November 25, 2004 Report Share Posted November 25, 2004 Fisherman Mike I respectfully relpy to your last comments and advise that I am not trying to say that the the heart / lung shot is a better shot to take than the head. Naturally other peoples shooting 'skills' and 'experiences' will differ slightly. However I am confident that my experiences prove to me, and maybe others; that a 12 ft. lb. air rifle is an effective tool to dispatching a rabbit humanely with an acurate and well executed short to middle range shot to vital organs......... (emphasis on acurate and well)........... Paul in North Lincolnshire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon-Boy Posted November 26, 2004 Report Share Posted November 26, 2004 Remember we are talking about shots for people that are new to hunting rabbits with an air rifle. And clipped shots in the head will NOT... result in an injured bunny that can be killed humanely afterwards.... Far more margin for error, the head of a rabbits mainly skull as in most mammals, if the pellet doesnt hit the rabbit at a right angle to the skull it is more than likely to "take a chunk/bounce off" of its skull leaving it with a non life threating injury (Well at least for the amount of time that it will live")sure it will die of infection of an open wound. That goes for missed shots to the jaw area also, a rabbit with a smashed jaw will die in pain and of starvation. And with regards to over penatrating ammo, flat or hollow point ARE needed for chest shots, you need the expansion of the pellet to cause the most damage. Pellets that go straight through are not good as they do not deliver enough energy to the quarry. Some people even say if a heavy enough grain pellet is used to the chest the shock to rabbit is enough to cause a major heart attack. Dont ask me i just heard it!! The target size to kill effectively on a rabbits head is usually way outside the capibility of a novice shooter but saying that so is a heart lung shot! Slightly larger target but obviously you cannot see where a rabbits heart and lungs are from the outside. Think we've all learned that u shouldnt shoot a rabbit with an airrifle until you can hit a target the size of a ten pence peice at 30 yards consistantly. Not saying you cannot go out and do it, but if you do just make sure its a sure shot. Start with 10 yard shots and take further shots as you start to get more consistant kills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts