Favorite Shotgun For Rabbits

I grew up using a 22 and later a Mossy 12. I got to use my little Stevens 20ga SxS a couple of times. That was great. I think the SxS is more classic but a pump is more fumctional.
 
I just started rabbit hunting regularly last year . I am mainly a deer hunter until deer season ends .

I have a Remington 870 12ga. and it does the job just fine . But I am thinking would a 20 or 28ga. be better ? Less weight and recoil , but will they reach out there like a 12ga. ?

I started this thread just to see what you really like for rabbit hunting , I might buy a gun just for rabbit hunting .
 
A 20ga or a 16ga is more than adequate. Rabbits are not particularly hard to take. Big fox squirrels are harder to deal with than a rabbit is.

The key is weight -vs- how far you have to travel while tracking the dogs. I started back out a few years ago with my 12ga Ithaca 37. After 1 day of that, I had enough and went on a search mission for a 16ga Ithaca, which I found in a pawn shop.

The older ones, ie: pre- serial nbr 855,000 are lighter. The downside is that they have barrels fitted to the action. (ie: Ithaca 37's).

One of the old Stevens 77 series guns (in a pump) in 20ga (I have one of these also) work quite well and aren't that heavy to carry.

If your budget allows, a Remington 1100 in 20ga would be a good rabbit gun.

The key is what will fit you and your circumstances. If you are hunting private grounds and don't have to hump over hill and dale, then your existing gun will do just fine.

Here are some articles that will help resolve what you are asking about whether the 12 is superior ballistic wise (ie: reach out there) which it isn't, except in some very specific situations where the hull capacity comes into play.

the first is a link to all the articles, spend some time reading. I pointed one out specifically, but I think you can find the answers to some of what you are asking and generate some new questions. use Google, it is your friend, just remember though, everyone has their opinion on the best gun, gauge, dog, woman, car truck etc

BUT

the scale doesn't lie, a 5lb gun is easier to carry than a 7 to 8 lb gun and shotgun ballistics are shotgun ballistics. you just have to do some home work.

http://www.chuckhawks.com/index2c.shotguns.htm

http://www.chuckhawks.com/twenty_vs_twelve.htm

http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/guns/2002/03/wonderful-20-gauge
 
In my experience, when we first bought "the place" in 1976, it was over run with the puffy tails and bull frogs. The nearest residence was maybe 3/4 mi away and heavy woods between.

We mowed for the first time (took 3 days with 2 tractors) and opened the field up some.

Driving around the place at night was an amazing discovery as everywhere we looked in the lights, we could see eyes.

We started spotlighting and the first night out, we harvested 18. One weekend later we harvested 22. None were wasted, as we cleaned them and put 'em in the freezer. BIL was shooting a 20 ga while I was driving and then we switched and I was shooting 22LR as we were running low on 20 ga shells and I had lots of 22LR on hand.

So I would say that the 20 reached out to maybe 50 yds max with a full choke screwed on the barrel.

After that, we started working on the bullfrogs. The shotgun would work somewhat. As long as the distance was short, the shot could be placed at the head, but trial and error proved that 22LR was much easier and one shot between the eyes was quite effective. We would up with 19 bullfrogs the first night hunting them.

Over the years since then, the harvests have been regular, but a couple of droughts have taken the toll. Our efforts have always been to not over harvest in order the enjoy for years to come.

All in all, we did not want to use the 12 ga for any game hunting other than for birds at the place. No reason other than the 20 ga was enough to do the job.
 
Savage 24DL. 22/20g use with dogs. Browning A-5 LT for kick out days, grouse
runs with rabbit season.
Only in Texas would they shoot bullfrogs with a shotgun, them must be some
huge frogs. Do Texans carry back up piece in case wounded frog charges.
 
i have a bolt action single shot rem 580 .22 smooth bore i bought off a man who said it was the best frog getting gun. eastbank.
 
Rabbits and beagles gave me 63yrs of pure enjoyment.I also,now looking back,managed to build an arsenal of shotguns with which to hunt them.Win.mod.12's,42,s,Browning A5's,Superlites,and on and on.BUT the favorite rabbit gun was a Mossberg 500,12ga.,20"Accu-Choke (IC) barrel,and a neoprene sling.This was a rabbit machine,but rabbits never "shot on the jump". :D
 
Haven't hunted rabbits in many years. My Dad and I raised Beagles, usually ran a pack of three or four on our every weekend during the Winter hunts.
My all time favorite back then was a Stevens 311 16 gauge. I foolishly sold it some time back. The remorse helping lead to my Rule #1. But on a recent campaign to replace my foolishly given up firearms I found one in really great shape last year. So I might not be able to trounce around the woods and fields like I once did, but at least I have a shotgun like my old favorite.:D
 
I prefer a nice DT SxS in 20 that weighs no more than 6.25# with 28" barrels. Prefer fixed choked guns for hunting and the immediate choice offered by DT. Even my S&W Elite Gold carries well and balances nicely.
 
I don't hurt, but I do have my dad's old single shot, Iver Johnson .410 that he used to hunt Jacks, in Kansas, while my grandfather was in the army during WWI.
 
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Here are some guns that I am considering getting .

Weatherby SA-08 Deluxe 20ga. , wt. 6 lbs. , LOP 14", $632

Remington 870 Sportsman 20ga. , wt. 6 lbs. 4 oz. , LOP 14", $372

Winchester SX3 Field 20ga. , wt. 6 lbs. 6 oz. , LOP 14", $910

I like the weight of the Weatherby and I like a semi for fast shooting . Just don't like that it is made in Turkey . Price is in the middle of the three .

I have a 870 12ga. now that I have been using for rabbits & rainy deer hunting days . I am familiar with the gun . The 870 Sportsman 20ga. is only 4 oz. heavier than the Weatherby and I like the fiber front sight that comes with the Sportsman model . It is the least expensive of the three , not that I have a budget , but I am frugal .

I have a SX3 12ga. that is my main deer hunting shotgun . I have a choke that patterns buckshot great @ 40 yds. and I like it . So the SX3 field 20ga. is a option , but it is the heaviest and cost the most .

I am leaning more at getting the 870 Sportsman right now .
 
I used my Winchester Super X Model 1 with a modified choke back in the late 70's. It still hangs out in my gun safe. I could never get my dad to upgrade from his H&R 16 gauge single shot Topper. That thing was a rabbit killing machine. It's sitting in the safe next to my Super X, model 1.

Jim
 
i use my 20ga browning bss sporter most of the time, choice of two chokes is nice. but i do have a rem 1100 28ga sporting clays with factory choke tubes and useing win one oz #6 loads it acts like a 20 ga. however i would never take it over my bss if i was forced to choose. as a yound man i hunted with my grandfather and his beagles, i carried single barrel 12ga H&R and pap had a davenport 12ga double and i like the idea of having two chokes to choose from as some shots were pretty close. eastbank.
 
I use to hunt rabbits with a older Mossberg 500 .410. Due to predators, we haven't hunted them in years. I have a buddy of mine that still does it regularly with a SuperBlackHawk .44mag with shotshells. I might have to give that a try with my Smith one time.
 
Winchester model 1200 12 guage with 18" Defender barrel using handloaded #8 and #9 shot mixed. Lots of cover in Ohio, and when they jumped you didn't have the luxury of letting them get some distance so as not to pulverize them. I was unstopable with that setup!

So sad now that so few rabbits exist.
 
A Charles Daily Delux, 20ga, O/U, with Skeet and Skeet chokes or a Weatherby Orion sporting clays model, 12ga, O/U, with Skeet and Skeet chokes. Rabbits are easy to kill and the skeet tubes are good to about 25-35 yards. Shot sizes in 5 or 6, 1oz in the 12ga and 7/8oz in the 20ga will do fine.........Robin :cool:
 
I have a very old Winchester 1887 in 12ga (most where 10ga if I remember correctly) I have taken a few jackrabbits and pheasants with it. Mine was build in 1897 so I don't shoot it a lot but do on special occasions. Been thinking about buying a modern knockoff as a shooter.
 
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