Anyone shooting rabbits with a .22lr at 80 yds or an exact distance.

Warbucks

Well-Known Member
Hi Lads.
I've started up on rabbits again after a few years off, always used the hmr, but on the last two outings mate and i have been having big problems with accuracy using Hornady 17g amo as well as split necks before and after firing.
Tried my cz american using Ely .22 hp's at exactly 80 yds, 5 shots inside 3/8" the 6th one making it 1/2".
I've now bought a Pulsar xg35 lrf so can range find rabbits as i'm walking them down, because the remaining rabbits have been shot at a few times now and i do know poacher put lamps on some of them i don't think i will be able to get closer than 80 yds.
Has any one successfully walked rabbit down to an exact longish yardage and shot them successfully with a .22lr or fac air.

Thanks Dave (warbucks)
 
Hi Dave
I’ve recently put a hawke vantage on my 22 rimmy with a range grid on the right hand side of the reticle and I tried it out to the grid with CCI lead and Norma copper rounds and it works fine I zero mine at 50yds but the rise at 80 isn’t a lot at a 100 it’s 4” (rabbits ear height) I shoot mine regularly to 80 yds with no problem
 
Hi Lads.
I've started up on rabbits again after a few years off, always used the hmr, but on the last two outings mate and i have been having big problems with accuracy using Hornady 17g amo as well as split necks before and after firing.
Tried my cz american using Ely .22 hp's at exactly 80 yds, 5 shots inside 3/8" the 6th one making it 1/2".
I've now bought a Pulsar xg35 lrf so can range find rabbits as i'm walking them down, because the remaining rabbits have been shot at a few times now and i do know poacher put lamps on some of them i don't think i will be able to get closer than 80 yds.
Has any one successfully walked rabbit down to an exact longish yardage and shot them successfully with a .22lr or fac air.

Thanks Dave (warbucks)
Shot them at a 100 with Dads old .22 if that helps.
 
Hi Lads.
I've started up on rabbits again after a few years off, always used the hmr, but on the last two outings mate and i have been having big problems with accuracy using Hornady 17g amo as well as split necks before and after firing.
Tried my cz american using Ely .22 hp's at exactly 80 yds, 5 shots inside 3/8" the 6th one making it 1/2".
I've now bought a Pulsar xg35 lrf so can range find rabbits as i'm walking them down, because the remaining rabbits have been shot at a few times now and i do know poacher put lamps on some of them i don't think i will be able to get closer than 80 yds.
Has any one successfully walked rabbit down to an exact longish yardage and shot them successfully with a .22lr or fac air.

Thanks Dave (warbucks)

Hook n Bullet beat me to it. That's my preferred method, sit still at a fixed distance from their burrow and the distance depends upon which rimfire I have with me and what it's zeroed to.
 
Sorry lads should have said in my opening post, walking down to 80 yds is in the dark with n/v to shoot and thermal to spot-n-range find -----my idea is to get as many as possible that are out already in say a 30 minute period, then drive to next permission to do the same, hopefully getting 10-20 rabbits.

Dave (warbucks)
 
Sorry lads should have said in my opening post, walking down to 80 yds is in the dark with n/v to shoot and thermal to spot-n-range find -----my idea is to get as many as possible that are out already in say a 30 minute period, then drive to next permission to do the same, hopefully getting 10-20 rabbits.

Dave (warbucks)
Only done paper to test at the moment but I have put a Pard DS35 (input the correct parameters on the BC) on my Annie and it is spot on from 20-85 yds (50yd zero) with its hold over/under has mark.
 
Why not put out a life size target of a rabbit and work out your holdovers at a variety of ranges? Walking in or out to a particular distance to take shots seems somewhat eccentric, and presumably is likely to limit your bag fairly significantly.
 
Sorry lads should have said in my opening post, walking down to 80 yds is in the dark with n/v to shoot and thermal to spot-n-range find -----my idea is to get as many as possible that are out already in say a 30 minute period, then drive to next permission to do the same, hopefully getting 10-20 rabbits.

Dave (warbucks)
Hi Dave I’ve done this over the years, always zeroed at 50m and clicked up and set zero stop for easy return. Every rifle has differing ballistics as well as ammo types of course, but with my shortened Brno 452 my clicks were up 6 for 60m, 17 for 70m, 27 for 80m, having pre zeroed and checked. That was using Eley Extra sub sonic hollow points, of course you’ll amost certainly have to adjust accordingly; I was using a Habicht 6/42 with exposed turret in the early days, with a white mark on each of the quarter turns (15 clicks) for quick ref eg 80m: turn half turret up then back 3, 70m: 1/4 turret plus two, etc, and +/- 1 click per meter between the tens of metres, always rtz after each shot but nowadays I use a Pard LRF 008 with the graduated reticle and thePIP for precise placement. Yet to try the thermal scope on the rabbits, but I reckon would certainly be likely to be better due to no potential IR disturbance, assuming a decent reticle on board. For spotting I’m using thermal LRF monocular Infiray Finder ii FH35R.
 
The only problem with using a Hawke Vantage is that to use the reticule you must be at 12x mag on the scope, this precludes using a NV device, otherwise a brilliant bit of kit, learn holdover with NV, or use a scope mounted light, judging range at night is never easy, regardless.
 
I like to sit for at least an hour over a earth before moving on, I guess you can get 3 showings out of an hour every 20 mins something will surface, kill what comes out and that equals no major scare factor to other rabbits in the earth, come back after a couple of hours and top up the bag, I do try and reduce one area at a time.
you can then see the difference after a couple of visits and numbers are accounted for to reduce, it does however due to the type of damage they’re doing pay to get comfortable and just knock ‘em off in one place all night some activity you have to get on em and make an impact
 
The only problem with using a Hawke Vantage is that to use the reticule you must be at 12x mag on the scope, this precludes using a NV device, otherwise a brilliant bit of kit, learn holdover with NV, or use a scope mounted light, judging range at night is never easy, regardless.
You've raised a point there that i hadn't thought about ie scope magnification for .22 sub recital to be exact, the scope that i was considering Vantage 4-16x50 needs to be 16 mag for the recital to be correct, i suppose this is a little to high for a n/v add on to work at its best.

Its good to hear advise from everyone on how they go about using their .22lr on rabbits --------thanks to all for their advise.

Dave (warbucks)
 
I usually zero for 50, aim at head for 75 & ears for 100., with Vantage at low mag & subs. I hate holdover, it works sometimes, the beauty with subs & a mod is that you may get a second shot, & in dry weather you get to see where they are going. A scope mounted torch with a strong white/amber beam can be very effective, & you get to use your vantage at high mag. 100 yds is quite doable with that reticule.
 
past couple of weeks grassed one or two foxes well over 100 yds with the oo7 on the 204
no problem with the reticule, ID or accuracy / shot placement at all, ranged it up with the thermal-after a tweek - one from memory was 160 yds with the decent IR I had on top
it does pay to set it up properly to get the best out of it, it ain’t the best but it is a good buy for the smaller multi calibre use, it’s around the same as my N355 or thereabouts, for rabbits it’s bang on the money
my use will be the Pcp, 22 rimmy Wmr and 22 hornet. trying out on the 204 to stretch it’s legs and all good normally use the T ceptor on the 204
Hawke scopes and the 007 it’s been a good bit of NV to date happy how it’s panned out
 
If your ticket says .22RF and you can’t get close do what I do and cheat. I use a .22WMR.
Not enough drop over 100m to make a difference.
I zero at 70 so there is barely any hold for 50-100m
 
Spot with a Helion, using a CZ452 with a Sightline N470S and LE032 rangefinder on the side.

Have setup several zero profiles on the Sightline from 40 yards to 80 yards. Spot with the thermal spotter, range the rabbit and spin the wheel on top of the sightline to the zero distance and squeeze.
Like some of the older Pard models, Sightlines are dropping through the floor due to new kids on the block and can be found for nearly half the price of a DS35.
 
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