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

[Warbucks]

I was out on some new rabbit permissions last night, took the .22lr and hmr with me, zeroed the .22lr at 80 yds, my cz has always needed at least 5 round through it after periods of none use to settle down.
I emptied 50 new hmr rounds with my suspect other hmr rounds
Assessing the new permissions in the dark seeing where the rabbits were, let's just say that the rifle less likely to ricochet would be the better choice ?
so away i went on foot hmr across shoulder, quad sticks in one hand , and xg35 lrf down jacket front, i found it easy to use the thermal one handed to spot with but was having difficulty range finding with it one handed, i felt that i needed two hands but not easy when carrying quad sticks ?, i didn't drop a shot the first 16 rabbits, them the bad amo reared it head again ?.
When you shoot say 8 rabbits or more that is 200 yds + away from the vehicle it can be hard work getting them back to the vehicle, when i could carry small amounts back (still carrying rifle sticks and thermal i did) when there were too many, i took "Doris" the shopping trolly, this hard work builds up heat, i was then finding the thermal down my jacket was steaming up .
I did end the night with 28 head shot rabbits which was dropped off at the butches, so that was my 82 mile fuel and amo paid for with some profit -----and 4 hrs hard work lol.

So what did i learn from last night, first thing if your after rabbit number and less chance of ricochet, with good amo for me the hmr is still the tool of choice.

Dave (warbucks)

 

[3595wilk]

Got to stick with what you know as confidence breeds success. Sounds like your HMR does that for you too.

I don’t get on with HMR and content myself with headshots to 75 yards off quads with subsonic ammunition. I use a 1417 Annie .22LR that I bought in an auction for £64….including fees. It had a crack in the stock which along with a full refurb cost the same again to put right. I use it with a NV with LRF zeroed at 55 yards and know my drops to 85 if needed; but tend to stick to a self-imposed 75. It really is all I need in a bunny gun.

It inspires confidence in me, which results in successful nights out. I’m not perfect and make errors but with the zero I have I know it’s point and shoot to 62 yards and a touch of holdover for 75.

 

[Bowland blades]

The ricochet potential should always be measured via the muzzle energy . NOT the claims of sellers! .22 ricochet are mostly audible because they are subsonic after hitting anything if not before . HMR are rarely audible because they are generally super sonic when ricochet occurs , likewise CF ricochets !
Shoot a rabbit past 160 yards in the chest and you will start to see HMR rounds fail to expand , let alone " turn to dust"
All shots should be assessed via backstop and backdrop . No bullet ( well maybe the old fairground clay mix .22) can and will ricochet

 

[BenBhoy]

I cheat using ballistic calculator on 008S! Take the time to set it up right, few trial & errors. Out with it tonight, was hitting gong @ 140yds yesterday afternoon

 

[Cyres]

Well 25+ years at least. Annie XIV carbine with a Hakko 3x19x56 front PA scope. Either eley subs magtechs or old Light blue winchester subs. Hakko has best reticule I have ever seen. Tiny illuminated central dot fine reticle and 4 dots on descending arm. Zero at 50 yds and its 7.5 in low at 100 yds ie two mil dots. Rabbits ears are 3.5 inches tall so v useful. Use limulus quad sticks and generally stalk up to about 50yds. Use scope mounted red LED torch on medium brightness. Absolutely clinical. In daylight just range find with Leica monocular and Use relevant dot. Dope chart attached to side of stock and rail mounted level. Tiny central dot only illuminated and is similar to that on Zeiss 60 reticule. I wish I could see 10 rabbits all night. Post harvest drive around in truck and shoot out of window.
D

 

[Cyres]

3x10 x56

 

[BenBhoy]

Best part of 80yds last night.
@Cottis

 

[Cottis]

Best part of 80yds last night.
@Cottis

Good work that man. That little rifle will last forever. Proper little workhorse.

 

[Fox Red]

My little £150 CZ452 will comfortably take rabbits out to 100 yards with Eley 40gr subs. Rangefinder pretty essential when out rabbiting

 

[enfieldspares]

When I shot rabbits with a .22LR it was with a BSA Supersport (these have a twenty-four inch barrel) fitted with a fixed power Leupold 6x42 'scope and Remington Yellow Jacket Hollow Point. I zeroed for seventy-five yards. A friend had a Steyr Zephyr (the first type with a stutzen stock) and he preferred RWS Hollow Point that came in a light blue box. His ammunition was more accurate than mine. But I shot mostly magpies so preferred that more aggressive bullet. he shot mostly rabbits. He as did I also zeroed at seventy-five yards. But I had the greater distance advantage of a flatter trajectory past that seventy-five yards.

 

[Warbucks]

Well from my opening post of 1/2" groups at 80 yds i found that on my second outing that this accuracy wasn't repeatable, having watched a lot on y-tube i'm not on my own with this, it seems that more expensive subs like 10x is more likely to be more constant.
I do try and walk the rabbits down slowly and quietly but most are running off around the 90 yd mark, some well before this.
Suppose a good result is different to different people, some are happy with small numbers (and thats fine ) but i'm after between 10-20 so not always so easy ----i don't know how some of you get within 60 yds of some of these's rabbits ?

Dave (warbucks)

 

[rab19]

i don't know how some of you get within 60 yds of some of these's rabbits

There will be someone along soon too say fieldcraft, down wind etc.
But sometimes it's down to the rabbits themselves. I shoot two warrens about 500 yards apart, one I can shoot at 40/50 yards but the other one is definitely gunshy and so much more aware(1/2 rabbit 1/2 crow), I have to start going in slowly at about 90 yards and shoot at 65/70 yards.

 

[Bowland blades]

Well from my opening post of 1/2" groups at 80 yds i found that on my second outing that this accuracy wasn't repeatable, having watched a lot on y-tube i'm not on my own with this, it seems that more expensive subs like 10x is more likely to be more constant.
I do try and walk the rabbits down slowly and quietly but most are running off around the 90 yd mark, some well before this.
Suppose a good result is different to different people, some are happy with small numbers (and thats fine ) but i'm after between 10-20 so not always so easy ----i don't know how some of you get within 60 yds of some of these's rabbits ?

Dave (warbucks)

use of terrain , knowing how the wind travels over the ground , field craft . Its all a lot tougher on flat ground with little cover though . Like many of my age we learnt to stalk rabbits with open sights and airguns that rarely made a full 12 ftlb , good training but a hard aprenteship .
Walking staight in ? You get to do that only when they haven't ever been bothered by shooters etc previous

 

[Hornet]

I shot Two on Sunday, one at 78 yards, the other at 86 yards both neck shots, lights out, no problems at all up to a hundred.

 

[Ratcatcher]

I'll give you the name of one of the lads I beat with, as the tree he pointed out to me as a judgement of the range he shoots rabbits " all the time" was about 180 yards away

 

[Foxyboy43]

Well from my opening post of 1/2" groups at 80 yds i found that on my second outing that this accuracy wasn't repeatable, having watched a lot on y-tube i'm not on my own with this, it seems that more expensive subs like 10x is more likely to be more constant.
I do try and walk the rabbits down slowly and quietly but most are running off around the 90 yd mark, some well before this.
Suppose a good result is different to different people, some are happy with small numbers (and thats fine ) but i'm after between 10-20 so not always so easy ----i don't know how some of you get within 60 yds of some of these's rabbits ?

Dave (warbucks)

Buy/build a hide and set it up at zeroed distance opposite burrows. Bring a comfortable chair and relax. They will come……

 

[3595wilk]

Well from my opening post of 1/2" groups at 80 yds i found that on my second outing that this accuracy wasn't repeatable, having watched a lot on y-tube i'm not on my own with this, it seems that more expensive subs like 10x is more likely to be more constant.
I do try and walk the rabbits down slowly and quietly but most are running off around the 90 yd mark, some well before this.
Suppose a good result is different to different people, some are happy with small numbers (and thats fine ) but i'm after between 10-20 so not always so easy ----i don't know how some of you get within 60 yds of some of these's rabbits ?

Dave (warbucks)

Nowhere you can sit up and wait at night on or near a Warren? Think walking up rabbits, even at night, depends on the topography and use of the land.

I shoot at 2 different golf courses and still move about them using the terrain and available cover, even if pitch black, so as not to skyline myself. The rabbits are used to movement on these so a bit easier. I also use static positioning and wait a lot too…..but can still easily walk the 18 holes on an evening. Sometimes just impossible though, open ground wind blowing the wrong way and moonlight…..give up, go home.

On arable farmland, it’s a lot harder as less foot traffic so you are spotted or heard quicker, and soon you also hear their foot stamping. Again, I’ll get in early on a Warren and wait. I do tend to content myself moving between Warrens on this type of land and found this the best method.

 

[the prowler]

 

[the prowler]

View attachment 298459

Not many about. But still managed to very unlucky rabbits with the falcon lighthunter

 

[Clive Ward]

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,

Definitely do-able with a bit of setup and planning.

I make life very easy using the Pard SA32 45 LRF with the ballistic calculator, but have also had success out to 120 yards with the older model SA45 LRF with no ballistic calculator, so no different than using a separate LRF and knowing your hold overs.

You can either stick with your usual zero range and then suss out the hold over for 80 yards, or zero at your usual distance and reset the turret to 0, then re-zero for 8- yards and make a note of the setting.

I've found it easier if the scope is higher than usual so the line of sight follows the falling trajectory of the bullet closer, for a longer distance, and zero around 65 yards. Then the only real hard bit is remembering to hold under at 40 yards. But using your LRF should solve that. You just have to remember to do it.


Cheers





Clive