Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Small Game What's everyones favorite gun for rabbit???

I usually use my 12 gauge Mossberg Ulti-mag but I now find myself sneaking out with my sons Remington 870 20 gauge. The 12 gauge just does too much damage.

Ruger 77/22 vbbz with a Burris FF II 3x9 Ballistic Plex..

What I REALLY like is my Ruger Bisley in .22 but that doesn't make as much Hassenpfeffer....

Ingwe

Either my older 20 gauge Weatherby/SKB O/U with 26" barrels or my old Marlin M39A .22LR with aperture sight. I have taken a few with .22LR handguns, usually an old Ruger MKI or a S&W M17 K-22.

10/22

H&R single shot, 20ga.

mossberg 410 pump for target rich environments.

Zastava 16ga sxs if I'm multi-tasking for birds.

Depends on where and how. With beagles in lighter cover, 20 ga single shot. With beagles in heavy briars or jump shooting without dogs, 12 ga pump. More open ground, .22 with a williams peep or a 4x. Hit one big woods bunny last fall with a 22/45 as it was running but that was just luck and being in the right spot...

Ella

I will be hunting with a friend and his beagles through February. He goes all out, with GPS collars and so forth.

My old Ithaca 20 ga side by side will get the nod, since the action will be quick and close.

A Marlin M39 I bought in 69. a K22 and Ruger Bisley. I haven't used a shotgun on rabbits in 40 years.

Mossberg 500 or Ruger 10/22.

Spanish double in 20 ga

H&R Single Shot 20 ga

my old 581 remington is king of the heap...

the 13 yr old has been doing ok after school with his 9422...

a plain old late 70's vintage 870 12 ga with an i.c. barrel, or my win. 67 22 single shot

For me rabbit hunting means cottontails in front of dogs and for that I very much agree with whomever said a 12 ga is too much. Give me a 20 ga, even a 28 ga of any variety and I'm happy.

That being said, in the last several years me and the boys have been having one hell of a good time shooting them in front of dogs with Ruger Mark II and Mark III 22lr pistols. For that endeavor I use a Mark III Hunter with a C-More holographic site on top...Though I'm partial to hunting cottontails "old school", pistol whipping them is about as fun as it gets!


X-VERMINATOR

I use my CZ SxS 12ga. I started off with an H&R 12ga and wouldn't hesitate to use one again. Those single shots sure are easy to carry at the end of the day!

My Winchester 250 lever with CB shorts is my living room rifle. I've got a marlin bolt with a steel tube weaver 4x on it for the woods, and may try a savage 24 in .22/20 one of these years.

My original h&r 20ga single shot is what i favor

Lately I find myself grabbing my wifes 870 youth 20 gauge. I use target loads. We jump shoot them, no dogs. I like the old single or double 410, but ammo is 2.5x more for 410 than 20. I would really like a sxs 20

My Browning Citori O/U 20ga.

A Ruger 10/22 or Rem 597. Sometimes a .17 HMR or .22 Mag bolt for jackrabbit sniping at further distances.

A depression era walnut stocked H&R full choked .410.

My fav is a Belgian Browning 22 auto in 22 short caliber. I use hollow points only and they are VERY effective. I hunt in the desert for jacks.

Ruger 10/22

Mossberg .410 bolt action with Marbles choke

Huglu .410 SxS

My go-to is a Franchi 620. Lightweight and 24" barrel, I can pack it all day no problem. IC, with 5 shot (or 6 in a pinch), it gets the job done extremely well.

Let's see now...

22 Hornet



1911



1889 Marlin in 44-40



BAR



50-70 Sharps



1873 Winchester 38-40

Marlin .17 HMR W/ CHC Clearfield Wide Angle... Marlin Model 60 .22 w/ 4X scope...Ruger Charger...25 weight Bow...Sling Shot...Big Rock

shrapnel, I was flippin' through the latest 'Guns Magazine' and saw your article and was like "This guy's on the Fire" to my buddies at work (which gathered a few puzzled looks). I just recognized your face from the pictures you had posted on here.
Didn't know you were one of the writers...anyways, just thought I'd share.

And this picture obviously taken the same day as the magazine pic...pretty neat-o

We just had fried rabbit and antelope for dinner. Talk about some great eating. Nothing like a good fried rabbit back and there is a pile of them in Shrapnel's picture.

I like my old 581 with a loopy 3x9 EFR and son is partial to anything 12 gauge with 5s. Need to go restock again.

Actually I don't write, I do stuff which in turn makes good writing possible. I have been fortunate enough to have quite a few friends that are writers and photographers. Since I am always in the outdoors doing this stuff, it makes good filler material.

I have made at least 25 magazines, 4 books, including the cover picture on one, 1 television program, and several calenders. All of that press has brought me untold wealth and fame. Mike Venturino has written the most about me, but all in disparaging terms as "Shrapnel" hence, the Shrapnel moniker.

I have done testing and shooting with various guns and calibers that have ended up in some of his articles and books. It is really an honor to be good friends with someone in the shooting/writing game like Mike. Whenever I need any information, I don't have to look far, he usually has it and I start way ahead of most people when it comes to developing loads, bullets, etc for shooting.

Mike is in the hospital now with a serious but not life threatening condition, and is working on "Shrapnel's Revenge" another article in the continuing series. Everything you read is true, and we have had alot of fun compiling and writing these stories.

My favorite cottontail getter is a Winchester Model 37 .410 single shot with 2 1/2" 4s or 5s. It only takes one of the bigger birdshot to kill a bunny, and the big shot are easier to find when you dress the critter. (Crunching down on a birdshot of ANY size, especially if you have old teeth, DOESN'T make your day!

If you live in a snowy climate and are a "morning person," try getting up at dawn of a very cold sunny day and hunting the rabbit cover with the sun behind you, moving very slowly. Cottontails tend to sit in the sun and try to get warm about then. I used to shoot them with an RWS 36 air rifle. If you miss, they will often stay put for a second shot with an air rifle (not with a .22 usually). .177 pellets kill them fine.

[quote=shrapnel
...........................................

I have made at least 25 magazines, 4 books, including the cover picture on one, 1 television program, and several calenders.

........... All of that press has brought me untold wealth and fame...............

[/quote]


That's good to hear!

Some of you guys impress me all the time.

Just got back from a 2 hour hunt with snow shoes and my S&W md18.My "bud" and I got three,he "took"two with his 410 after I got them hopping in the snow...Damn it was cold!
Coffee and cornbread feels good!!

Kimber 22.

I shoot my Skeet Grade Model 42 for daytime cottontails. My very old 121 for spotlight rabbits and I like to shoot my XXII, BAR .22 or RRA AR15 for jacks.

My favorite is an Ithaca 20 gauge double with #4 or #5 shot. but I actually took my last one with a 22 pump rifle.

For cottontails - a rattley, old 12 gauge pump.



For jackrabbits - a handgun. Preferrably my 44:

rem 870 wingmaster, 20ga. been using that same gun for many years. as mentioned, 12ga just does too much damage.

i live on a farm and years ago every kid hunted rabbits. some had beagles and some had just "farm" dogs. sadly, kids in my area don't rabbit hunt anymore (and very few even hunt squirrels).

Ditto on the Mossberg .410 bolt action (3 shot 183T) - full choke. I would like to see the Marbles choke - does it look like the Ithacas from the '60's-70's?

I prefer to use a 20ga either in my 1100 or my AH Fox SxS.

Latest rabbit gun, I ended up with it as I was bidding it up at the Montana Outfitters and Guides banquet. I wanted to see that it garnered enough money for the event and I became the new owner...

Cottontails, Model 42 Skeet and a 1937 Model 121 Fieldmaster
Jacks, AR15, Marlin Lever in .357magnum/38 special and anyone of about a dozen .22 semi-autos.

I've shot 100's of rabbits for the last 30 years with just about every gauge and shot size there is, but here are my favorites.

Cottontails, Browning Citori, 20 gauge shooting high brass 1oz, 7 1/2. This load will bust brush but won't break their little bones all up. Killed lots of them with 11/16 oz 3" 7 1/2's in .410 also.

Snowshoe hairs, Browning Citori 20 gauge, high brass 1 oz loads of 6's or 5's. Shot a good many with an old Ithaca model 37 16 gauge shooting 1 1/8 oz loads of 6's too. Can't go wrong with either.

12 gauge kills rabbits right dead, but just ruins too many of them if you have any intention of eating them. JMO

I've always hunted over dogs with anywhere from 2-6 hunters. We just don't allow any rifle hunters in our party as it is just too dangerous. When you have 5 or 6 guys running around trying to get ahead of the dogs and the rabbits, it can be hard to keep track of everybody. I'm sure it has it's place when you are slipping around by yourself.

I am currently using a 62 cal(20 gauge) New England Fowler. It has taught me HUMILITY!! Absolutely ANY shooting error that a cartridge gun forgives,a flintlock makes worse. I gotta work on my follow through!!! Blew a few shots as a result but damn this thing is FUN!!


7/8 oz of 7 1/2(all I have available for now) over a powder card and cushion wad topped by over shot wad. Actually shoots pretty well when I manage to do it right!!

Sweeet ET....


Ingwe

My favorite gun changes with the conditions. Empty freezer, I like to use my 28 ga. sxs. When the freezer has a few bunnies in it I switch to hand guns. I use a Judge with 410 shot shells when the snow is deep and I expect to be jump shooting, When the rabbits can stay on top of the snow I use a Browning Buckmark with iron sights ( lots of shooting not much killing )

Very nice!!!!! I cheat a little bit and use caps. This one's just a TC NewEnglander 12ga that I stripped all the blueing from and then I Browned it.

Thanx guys, but I am here to tell yez that that gun REALLY does force humility!! Ya wouldn't believe how much fun the damned things are though. Brad, you have a real nice piece there! These critters are definitely fun small game guns!! I even heard from Northern Dave hisself that bangin' a skwerl with a 20 gauge flinter doesn't give you the gay!!!

Sako Quad in 17HMR! nails them real good
with leupold VXIII 4-14x40 LR on top.

870 express mag in 20 ga with 1oz of #8 shot works for me, have shot a few with 165 gr BTSP's out of a 308 at 40 yards on lousy deer days which cleans head right off. I recommend a head shot, shotgun, handgun or rifle.

Last year was a Spanish 28 gauge side by side, next year it will be a Fox Sterlingworth in 16 Gauge.

Mossberg 500 or Ruger 10/22.
_________________________

12 gauge with 5s or a 581 with a 3x9EFR. Love that fried rabbit.

i've killed a few slinging ball bearings from a home made [bleep] shooter

Man, nice kit!

Twenty gauge for flushing 'em or with dogs. Scoped 10/22 or iron sighted Remington 510 for stalking. Vintage Marlin 39A works like a champ too.

Colter, all 100 pounds of solid muscle rabbit hound that he is, who pulls extra duty with pheasants, ducks, geese and pretty much anything else that moves. Don't need a gun if he can catch em, but otherwise I use a 28 gauge when I actually want to kill one.
His only jackrabbit catch(cottontails in cover are no sweat for him) with my buddy while we were out pheasant hunting:

410

Ithaca/SKB 20 gauge & #5 shot

When i used to keep Beagles and Rabbit hunted every free min i had i used a Browning Auto-5 20 GA with IC and killed hundreds of rabbit with this shotgun and Number 6 or 7 shot size in my own Hand-load. Couldn't afford factory shells in those days

My old Marlin 60.

My Ruger 22LR Mk II target pistol is my favorite. I try and shoot them in the head. Stopped using shotguns because it tears them up too much and I don't like pellets in my meat.

Went out today for the first time in a while and can confirm that a LVSF 223 works pretty darn well on bunnies! they seem to know exactly how far out they need to be so that they're out of range of a 22lr...they seemed a mite surprised by the 50gr Vmax...

My S&W model 15 38 spcl with 700 fps lead bullets has accounted for a few, plan to walk some old rail lines with a 25-20 1894CL this fall. Marlin 1894S 41 mag with 1000 fps lead works well too, eat right up to the bullet hole with all of these. Too many squibs and misfires with 22s in cold weather. 257 Roberts works well for cranium removal.

My old Fox Sterlingworth in 12 ga.

Savage model 24 prefrebly 22 over 20 gauge

Here, it's a S&W 18, with snowshoes....

Sweet little 870 in .410 I own has killed a bunch of em.

In no particular order:

For running bunnies
870 light coutour in 12ga
Fox 16ga S/S
My son uses 28ga H+R

For still hunting bunnies:
10/22
Recurve or longbow and judo points. I know it's not a gun.
Doesn't make it less fun though, and it is easier to get access
from the average landowner around here.
My son uses his Davy Cricket with red dot sight.

Shrapnel,
Good to put a face to the name. I have enjoyed the stories from Mike very much. Hope he gets better soon. Looks like the only thing you are missing for your bunny hunting archives is to use Mike's Thompson Sub. Nice pics.

Remington 541T with a Burris 3X-9X-32mm Compact scope in Burris steel mounts.

Colt woodsman with 6" barrel use to be...eyes to bad now 10-22 with a 3X12 works pretty well.

Remington 581,Nikon 3+9

ruger 10 22 hammer forged barrel W/redfield 6-18 in leup. bases and rings sure puts um down.

Steve

I've enjoyed using the CZ 452 the most but I also have taken a pile of cottontails with a Mossy .410 bolt loaded with 3" shells and #4 shot. Do remember not to get too excited. Shooting a flushing rabbit at 6 feet, even with a .410, can make for rather tedious table preparation.

HK usp 40 with 200g fmj. The rifles take much of the sport out of it and shotguns take away much of the food. Archery is always a good option and I'm looking forward to using my new .45 1911 (with fmj)

It's always a difficult choice to make, for me. For all bunnies in all conditions and cover it's either a 20 bore, flintlock Virginia Fowler, not too dissimilar from Evil Twin's, or a 12 bore Pedersoli double loaded down to 1 oz. of #6's. A 20 bore, flint double would be nice but I've not come across one.....yet.

ET is correct. A fleeing bunny with a flinter can be a humbling experience....several times in one hunt!!!!