Why when rabbit shooting should you aim between the eye and ear on its head?
Is it so you get brain shot killing the rabbit instantly?
Is it so you get brain shot killing the rabbit instantly?
Rabbit shooting & where to aim.
- Thread starter Grendel
- Start date
-
Hey Guest, Early bird pricing on the Summer Moot (29th July - 10th August) available until April 6th, we'd love you to come. PLEASE CLICK HERE to early bird price and get more information.
Pretty much, thats where I have aleays been shown to aim for to give a clean humane kill
Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk
Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk
I assume we're talking about with an air rifle? The head is a one plink kill and often the most obvious target, especially in long grass. IMO the head is also the most humane place to aim. If you hit, you will despatch humanely. Chances are if you miss, you will miss entirely and therefore avoid wounding your quarry. Also, by aiming for the head you avoid damaging the meat.
Agreed. I think it is generally accepted that sub-12ftlb air rifles don't have the power to kill humanely in any other target areas, such as heart/lung shots. It's always headshots on rabbits when I'm pulling the trigger.
Rat
I agree with all of the above. I only killed for food, with the one shot one kill rule. I believe if I am going to kill something for food then I owe it to the animal that I do it as cleanly and as painlessley as possible. Back when I used to shoot I did make the odd mistake of course and had to break the neck, it always left me feeling guilty when I got it wrong. This happens though with spring powered rifles.
I took no shame in enjoying the shoot, but I never enjoyed having to finish the job.
I took no shame in enjoying the shoot, but I never enjoyed having to finish the job.
Yup - that's the best place for a brain shot.
I'm not sure about air rifles having enough oomph to kill with chest shots - but the only time I ever did it, left a wounded animal I had to finish off.
I only ever go for head shots now.
All the best
Andy
I'm not sure about air rifles having enough oomph to kill with chest shots - but the only time I ever did it, left a wounded animal I had to finish off.
I only ever go for head shots now.
All the best
Andy
Thanks for the info folks.
To be honest I haven’t even got the rifle yet (TX200HC) but my plan is to possible hunt with it if the need arose for food while out camping. But that will only be after I’ve shot for a while at HFT club perfecting my aim to make sure when it comes to it I get a clean kill.
Also need to find some easy rabbit recipes since my last effort of boiled bunny in a slow cooker was horrible.
To be honest I haven’t even got the rifle yet (TX200HC) but my plan is to possible hunt with it if the need arose for food while out camping. But that will only be after I’ve shot for a while at HFT club perfecting my aim to make sure when it comes to it I get a clean kill.
Also need to find some easy rabbit recipes since my last effort of boiled bunny in a slow cooker was horrible.
that rifle will do you well, i suggest .22 if rabbit shooting.
nice bit of rabbit pie with some bacon in it tastes yum. or you could try the naval survival course version, first you are given a live rabbit........................ lol
Leave pointed pellets alone for live kill shots, domed, Bisley hollow points or Air arms pellets are the most effective from my research into it so far.
I went on my first rabbit food forage today....little buggers must have been wise as i never found one
I went on my first rabbit food forage today....little buggers must have been wise as i never found one
G
gordy1
Guest
I shoot a lot of rabbits for pest control on my local farm all of which I eat or are given away for other people to eat and a head shot up to around 35yds with a .22 will kill every time. I use accupell's as my rifle likes them I have also used my .177 which likes AA fields and these will kill bunnys just as easy. Easiest way I find is to find a warren with fresh poo all around it and to lie in wait and ambush them after they have gone at least 6ft from the warren as they can sometimes run a few feet before dropping dead and you don't want that to be in the warren where you can't reach them. I then leave them lying where they fall as moving to pick them up will let the rest of the rabbits know you are still around. I regularly get more this way as their dead mates don't seem to bother them.
This is a bit off the op but what sort of range is lethal with a hunter catapult with .44cal lead shot? and would a chest shot with this be more likely to kill than a rifle? And another question, how do you carry the kills? Do you have some sort of poachers sack or string them on a pole??
Grendel, please be aware that you will also need to gain permission to hunt for the land that you are camping on - to do otherwise is to commit armed trespass!
Simon, rabbits are often "hocked" by piercing one heel tendon and poking the other foot through to make a loop which is easier to carry, or simple "game carriers" are available to hang on a belt.
ATB
Ogri the trog
cheers ogri, i've hocked a rabbit in the past, i just had a picture of some sort of sack you could sling across your back. i'll do some more googling. appreciate the reply
No worries I know I will need shooting rights for hunting.
Just need to find a location that wouldn’t mind bushcraft camping and hunting on it near me.
hello when im shooting i aim for the eye and have allways had a quick clean humane kill and ive allways had ultimate respect for the animal that has lost its life to sustain mine i also work ferrets with a friend and we have learnt to dispatch a rabbit quickly by hand.. as orgi said legging the rabbit is the best way to carry them also you need to rest the meat i normally hang it from a tree and also you need to gut it and cut the sent glands of the backside or these will spoil the meat all the best and have fun
With bunnies, even more important than gutting them immediately is to push out the urine from the bladder - it is this which gives rabbit its "gamey" flavour if you don't. (And by "gamey", I mean soaked in concentrated urine, which is a flavour I've never acquired the taste for!).
Try soaking the flesh overnight in fresh water (leave a tap running very slowly) after initially soaking it in a brine solution for a short while - 30 minutes or so. You will not believe how much better it tastes!
As to the calibre, a headshot with anything from .177, .20, .22 or even .25 will kill a bunny immediately. Many argue the .177 is actually the best as it is more accurate (less "drop" at longer ranges.) Personally, as long as you're confident of getting your shot in a one-inch target at your chosen range, and aim between the eye and base of ear, you'll get a humane kill.
Try soaking the flesh overnight in fresh water (leave a tap running very slowly) after initially soaking it in a brine solution for a short while - 30 minutes or so. You will not believe how much better it tastes!
As to the calibre, a headshot with anything from .177, .20, .22 or even .25 will kill a bunny immediately. Many argue the .177 is actually the best as it is more accurate (less "drop" at longer ranges.) Personally, as long as you're confident of getting your shot in a one-inch target at your chosen range, and aim between the eye and base of ear, you'll get a humane kill.
G
gordy1
Guest
You should squeeze out the pee as soon as you can as well as gut them without catching the guts as soon as possible as this can spoil the meat. Its not the pee which makes them gamey but the blood left in the meat that is why you can soak them over night in brine as this draws the blood from the meat. If you do soak them in brine its always best to rinse them off with fresh water and then bring them to the boil in clean water this will leave a lot of scum on the top of the water which I pour away and then boil them until soft (as they can get rather rubbery) in fresh water or throw in a chicken stock cube with them. If you do a you tube search for a guy called Mark Gilchrist he shows you how to cook them and you won't go far wrong.
Had Kentucky Fried Rodger for my dinner last night and it was delicious.
Similar threads
