Another Rabbit Shoot

B

butta9999

New member
Well im off to shoot some more rabbits for the pot tonight at my dad's work. Just bought a brick of Winchester Subsonics. They are laying the poison as from next week so im getting in one more time. The Brno is gonna get a work out tonight.............

Gonna do some spotlighting as daylight saving has finished..

Ill post photo's tomorrow:D
 
Last nights Results

Ok i ended up with 19 rabbits brought 18 home and one big feral cat. There were plenty of rabbits around but they were very skittish. Every time we put the light up on them the little buggers would not stop moving.

Also i missed as many as i hit last night, i guess it was one of those nights.

We came across a burst water pipe so that interupted our hunt a little.

Overall it was quite exciting as i am shooting in an open range zoo, especially in the rhino paddock. It feels like a touch of Africa, except im shooting rabbits.

The cat was taken with the last shot on the way back, my dad was saying they have trapped quite a few of the buggers in the last couple of weeks.

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:eek:
What are you guys feeding the cats down there?? I know, I know slow rabbits, but that thing is gi-normous!!
 
Hell, The cats are a major scourge vermin in OZ... They have no predators that can catch them often. Also the same natural resources generated answer I use for killing cats in florida along with Mallard Ducks year around, hogs, constrictors, oscar fish, and several other creatures...

Non Native and/or feral domestic animals are very destructive to the native flora and fauna.
Brent
 
I apologize for speaking; before reading, the cats appear to be a severe pain in the ass.

I learned something today.

Hirlau
 
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Yer quick and fully accept your apology... I loathe the feral feline but love to hunt wild hogs...
IIRC think the OZ rabbits we see are also non-native nuisance...
Brent
 
What possessed me to shoot a full blown feral cat....... Lets see....

They cause the most destruction on our native birds and wildlife.

There is no natural predator to get rid of them.

I was zoo grounds where they have many native birds and animals such as the rare bandicoot.

They are verman

They stink

And i hate the bloody things.:D:D:D

Over 30 cats have been trapped or shot on the zoo grounds in just two years. Even the animal lovers and keepers at my dad's zoo like to see the cats dead, as they cause havoc.

Any Aussie would back me up in saying how hated the feral cat is. I have no problem with people's pet cat's just feral's..

Hey Scorch it weighed about 25lb, it's my second biggest cat. My biggest being over 30lb the bloody thing was huge.. Nothing a Winchester subsonic to the head won't fix though. :cool:

Right on Hogdogs with your speech too:D
 
The problem is now you have to clean 19 rabbits, enjoy the rest of your evening.

Reminds me of the time when me and two buddies split up in Big Cypress. Back to camp by sundown with a total of 8 hogs. We were kids back then and cleaned hogs until almost midnight.
 
I just gutted them last night and then i let them hang over night in the garage. They are a lot easier to skin when they have been chilled, so i skun them this morning..

They are in the freezer now ready to hand out to the family.
 
i let them hang over night in the garage. They are a lot easier to skin when they have been chilled, so i skun them this morning..
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Nice. I'll have to try that next time I get some bunnies.

Good job on the cat. The worst I was ever tore up when I worked Animal Control was by a feral cat. It pulled the "FERAL" tag off its cage and sat there looking all domesticated, waiting to strike...

Ouch.:D
 
G'day. I found that rabbits are easier to skin the fresher they are. A small cut in the fur along the back. Enough to get 2 fingers from each hand in, then you can just rip their skin off. Not the prettiest method. Rip the tail section completely off, then you can stand on the fur of the front section and pull the body. You should be left with fur on 4 feet, the tail, and still attached to the head. Chop them off and the job is done. I hope these instructions are clear enough.
 
Yes skulls that is how i do it. I find though when the rabbit is still warm you tend to rip the meat around the belly area if you pull to hard. Also less hair sticks to the meat when they have chilled over night in the night air. The only thing skulls i chop the head and legs off first before skinning, it's how i been brought up.

I do put a little slit in the back and pull out both ways. Try skinning after they have chilled for a night it a lot easier skulls.

I do agree that the skin is easier to slit off the back if the rabbit is warm but it ain't that hard if they are cold...

My dad starts from the back legs when skinning, he is old school.

What you think of the cat skulls....

Tell me about it B, they are tough buggers this cat went absolutely off its head when shot. Yes i know anything would but they always do.
 
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Looks like a great hunt, nice job with the feral aswell 25lbs! Thats a big bugger thats had more than its fill of the local native wildlife. Have heard more than a few mentions of them causing major problems on farms just north of here, and thats still technically inner city, where its just a chook run or two, not a whole property that people depend on.

Makes me want to get my Bruno now as the .223 is probably going to be too overpowered for bunny hunting, to eat them at least. I was going to start a thread asking if its too much gun for bunnies, if anyone can answer it in here, it would be appreciated.
 
Telgriff

You asked the right question to the right person. I have shot hundreds of rabbits with my .222, there is no problem if you hit them in the head. a body shot is basically a right off as most of the meat is destroyed.

I use my .222 in the hills on a property i go on, sometimes i glass across valley's or sit 100+ yards from warrens waiting for them to pop their heads.

If a fox or cat presents itself the .222 or .223 is quite handy to have on board.

If i am hunting through a gullie system i tend to use my .22lr, because one shot from my .222 will scare the bunnies for miles. Idealy the .22lr is perfect i don't deny that, but a head shot with your .223 or my .222 is just as good if you want to keep the meat.

If you reload stay away from the ballistic tip bullets, when loading for rabbits. If the shot falls a little low in the neck area you will destroy the meat half down the body. I use 52gr sierra hollow points in my .222 they are perfect. The damage is not a severe as ballistic tip bullets and low neck shots don't destroy meat.

If your shooting only for fun and not to eat then use what you want. Me i will only shoot a rabbit if a head shot presents its self. I love to eat them so a blown up rabbit is a waste to me.

So your .223 is ok for rabbits if your on a large property and the crack of your shot is not ganna scare every rabbit on it. If most of the shots will be under 100yds then the .22lr is what you need.

My longest ranged shot with my .222 is 190yds ranged with my Bushnell range finder. It was a clean head shot, i have shot rabbits further but body shots which i don't count.

I hope this helps you with your question, anything else im more then happy to help.
 
G'day.

What you think of the cat skulls....
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Apart from the blood our pet cat has the same markings. Our cat only weighs about 5kg.

Telgriff said:
Makes me want to get my Bruno now as the .223 is probably going to be too overpowered for bunny hunting, to eat them at least. I was going to start a thread asking if its too much gun for bunnies, if anyone can answer it in here, it would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

I've been researching the Sierra .224 projectiles for just this application. The "Hornet" projectiles in .224 above 3000f/s have the same characteristics as the "GameKing" ballistic tip bullets but they are considerably cheaper. The 40 gr #1200 at 3330 f/s, zeroed at 39m. Or the 45gr #1210 at 3205 f/s, zeroed at 38m. These will both be +/- 1 Inch out to 170m. That should be a rabbit head if you do your bit. These velocities would be easy to achieve with the .223 as they are realistically achievable for a .222.

I prefer the back legs and lower spine for the dinner plate as you get more meat on the bone. The front legs and chest section usually goes to the cat and dog.

butta9999 said:
You asked the right question to the right person.
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Self praise is no recommendation. :p:D:D
 
The 40 gr #1200 at 3330 f/s, zeroed at 39m. Or the 45gr #1210 at 3205 f/s, zeroed at 38m.
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Problem is, my .223 has a 1 in 8 twist. I think anything under about 50gr would probably fly apart at the muzzle. I had considered 64gr SP for a general all round hunting projectile, but figured it would over penetrate for rabbits. I've got a batch of Nosler ballistic Tips, but the Tikka doesnt seem to like them too much and as butta9999 said, it will turn make a mess of the rabbit meat. They'd be fine for foxes (which will be the primary pest where I am moving).
 
Head shot! Even with a .22lr I will head shoot if for me to eat. But for the bulldogs I just go for vitals if that is all I can do as I do not even skin the buggers for the dogs...
Brent
 
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