Sub 12ft/lb Air Rifles for Rabbits

Redding Reloading
H

Handloader.uk

Active Member
Hi All,

Just wondering if anyone has any tips for using air rifles to shoot rabbits? I'm currently waiting on my licence to be sent back on my Rim fire but the land owner would like me to go out sooner rather than later so an air rifle or shotgun would be my only option currently.

Thanks
 
Be patient and get close. It’s basically tiny tiny deerstalking. As with deer scent and wind direction are what will frighten the rabbits.

With a sub 12 ft/lb you are essentially looking to headshoot too (not a practice I would generally carry over to larger game). Practice hitting something the size of a 10p coin at whatever distance you can get in to the rabbits.

Writing this on the assumption you have an air rifle you are comfortable with.
 
LeftHandGuy said:
Be patient and get close. It’s basically tiny tiny deerstalking. As with deer scent and wind direction are what will frighten the rabbits.

With a sub 12 ft/lb you are essentially looking to headshoot too (not a practice I would generally carry over to larger game). Practice hitting something the size of a 10p coin at whatever distance you can get in to the rabbits.

Writing this on the assumption you have an air rifle you are comfortable with.
Click to expand...
Not necessary to go for head shots



Watch the guy take a shoulder shot on the rabbit and bowl it over.

Ed
 
I shot hunners of the furry beasties with a Weirauch springer and it's all about creeping up on the pests, I changed up to a PCP which was a lot quieter and more productive and then to a 17HMR. It took me a while to realise that I didn't need to get up that close with the HMR but it's noisy so a lot ran off (more than the PCP), Now my bunny basher of choice is a .22LR with a good silencer and subs, still creeping up on them but not as close as the air rifle and still bag a good few.
 
almost any sub 12lb air rifle will do the job if you can stalk in close, but I find most rabbits seem to have a built it safe distance. I used to only use an old hw80 to great affect but once i started with 22lr with subs it was so easy, on days were i would have got 10 to 15 with the air rifle, i was up to 30, 40. If you just need to get out and make a start go with the sub 12lb air and wait for the rim fire.
 
Not sure this is particularly useful but I had a situation recently with a landowner who wants rabbits culled without the noise of shotguns but will not have Firearms on the place so can’t use a .22RF. I asked around about an air rifle and the advise I got was to buy either a HW100 or HW110. The cost outweighed the opportunity so I gave it a miss for the time being.
 
An air rifle would be a great tool for the job, just practice loads at different ranges out to 40 yards, get to know the gun and then practice some more. If you are not able to hit a rabbits head size target at that sort of distance keep practising. If you can do it then you are good to go. A .177 help IMO as it is flatter and takes some of the guess work out on hold over and a 25 yard ish zero would be a good starting point.

Cheers.
 
You don't sound like you have a lot experience to ask about rabbit shooting with a air rifle , so this is the way that most old fella's got into shooting vermin game etc .
The debate about .177 and .22 still goes on to this day but the point is rabbit shooting will give you all the experience field craft you will need to stalk and be a proficient hunter , the 12 fpe air rifle will kill humanly the .177 has a flatter trajectory and is a faster round were as the .22 has a curved trajectory .
If you practice prone or sitting shooting off sticks hitting a target out to 40 yards it will get you in the game or field target shooting will show you how the pellet reacts over different distance's and you will learn holding under and over for the distances .
There are plenty of second hand air rifles for sale so get down your local field target club and see the pro's and con's with springers and pcp's it a great way of learning .
Good Luck .
 
Another thumbs up for hw100k I’ve had one years and it is a true work horse and has accounted for 1000s of rabbits pigeons, squirrels magpies etc !
Before that I had the original hw100 and before that a hw97k

All in .22

weihrauch make some of the -if not the best air guns in the world I highly recommend them.

I also have a Fac Daystate air wolf which is better for longer range bunnies.

Rabbits have always been headshot for me not saying a engine room shot won’t do it but there it def more margin for error with a sub 12. Squirrels always head shot as they are hard little so and sos again not saying a correctly placed chest shot won’t do it because it definitely does but a head shot is definely a safer bet.

For stalking rabbits down to 30 yards there is not a better tool.
 
Weirauch 100k in .22 for me too - with sticks it's scarily efficient out to 35-40yds (depending on the wind). How I ever shot rabbits with my Webley Vulcan and open sights freehand when I was a boy I don't know but there was a lot more missing than hitting i clearly remember that!

Richard
 
I have a mild air rifle collecting problem :lol: but that can’t be cured now!

I concur with the recommendation to go Weihrauch, and have the HW100ktl which is sublime and probably getting on for the best PCP rifle out there, although Air Arms are excellent too. My favourite for rabbitting though has to be (the very underrated) HW98s. I have one in .177 and it’ll shoot 5 pence groups at 40 yards all day with JSB Exacts :thumb:
 
Last edited:
Hereford said:
I have a mild air rifle collecting problem :lol: but that can’t be cured now!

I concur with the recommendation to go Weihrauch, and have the HW100ktl which is sublime and probably getting on for the best PCP rifle out there, although Air Arms are excellent too. My favourite for rabbitting though has to be (the very underrated) HW98s. I have one in .177 and it’ll shoot 5 pence groups at 40 yards all day with JSB Exacts :thumb:
Click to expand...
Jsb exacts are a quality pellet my hw100 loves them!
 
In my experience with air rifles ( and I’ve shot thousands of rabbits with air rifles) I would always head shoot.
Get into a comfortable range.
Don’t waste time with shots that are not in your range.
Be quiet and make the shot count.
I use to do lots with spring rifles but bag numbers went up with a pcp.
I would use a pcp with a moderator.
Regards Dan
 
It depends on your budget but pcps are easier to shoot than springers. Springers take some getting used to so I would say you’ll be up to scratch quicker. If you go for a pcp. Go second hand and you’ll find a combo with charging gear for the same price as a quality springer. I’d go air arms s410 or s200 or bsa ultra to start with. Hw100’s are nice but they are more expensive. If you are new to air guns then you should really practice on paper/ metal targets before you start shooting live quarry. To start with stick to your point blank range so you don’t need to worry about holdover. For a .22 that’s 30 yards and 35 for a .177. Longer shots are for experienced shots in my opinion and go head shots only. Chest shooting a rabbit with sub 12 is unethical and unnecessary .
 
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