Thread: Bullet Choice on Hares

Originally Posted by Rated M for Magnum

The Browning 22 ammo went good in my jw15, 40 grain bullets at about 1400 fps. Kills hares no problem out to at least 100 yards.

And yet a couple of years back I tried some browning 22 ammo and it was naff.
Some went crack some went pfft and some didn't go at all. Didn't take it back but I shouldve

I never had issues killing a hare with a .22. Hit them, they die. I do miss good Aussie powerpont though.

Originally Posted by csmiffy

And yet a couple of years back I tried some browning 22 ammo and it was naff.
Some went crack some went pfft and some didn't go at all. Didn't take it back but I shouldve

This was about 6 to 12 months ago.

17hmr for head and neck shots out to 120m or so because hare is tasty.

When I do shoot them I only use the .22, but you need to be accurate, vital shots only. Basically I use anything that is accurate in my rifle - lately S&B or CCI.
It's probably easier to use a magnum rimfire as you'll get more power at longer distance than a .22, but a .22 can do it provided you shoot them well

Considering it `s big hare, and it will be a nice roasted spice hare, then I prefer use bullet with high velocity and penetration power, so for me I will use 223 FMJ and aim to body not the head since rabbit head is very tasty.

Related query. Any recommendations for shotgun ammo, regarding shot size etc?

Number 3's were always a good size back in the days of the North Canterbury NZDA high country hare drives. The branch would sell a trailer full of hares and get good money, about 2/6d each from memory. I often just used my Kea pistol which I reamed to a 3" chamber, used 4's and always bettered the drive average. Good times spoiled by Police and politicians!

Originally Posted by gundoc

Number 3's were always a good size back in the days of the North Canterbury NZDA high country hare drives. The branch would sell a trailer full of hares and get good money, about 2/6d each from memory. I often just used my Kea pistol which I reamed to a 3" chamber, used 4's and always bettered the drive average. Good times spoiled by Police and politicians!

I can't help myself, I somehow picture you looking like a buccaneer taking aim with your kea pistol at a running hare! Eye patch and scarf around your head?

many years ago @gundoc told me with hares its more about penetration than expansion. a solid 22 round seems more effective with chest shots for sure.
but dammit i have shot hares in the chest with multiple rounds and the buggas can still run 50m before keeling over.
in the words of barry (peter jackson) from the greatest movie he ever made "bad taste" he says " headshots the only real killer"

Originally Posted by bjp

I can't help myself, I somehow picture you looking like a buccaneer taking aim with your kea pistol at a running hare! Eye patch and scarf around your head?

Aaaargh Jim lad! Picture a tall skinny blond guy with a web belt and a foot long leather holster.

Originally Posted by gonetropo

many years ago @gundoc told me with hares its more about penetration than expansion. a solid 22 round seems more effective with chest shots for sure.
but dammit i have shot hares in the chest with multiple rounds and the buggas can still run 50m before keeling over.
in the words of barry (peter jackson) from the greatest movie he ever made "bad taste" he says " headshots the only real killer"

Shoot him in the head Barry

a couple of things i learnt re hares .using .303 180gn round nose softnose at 100m is very slightly overgunned -all i found was a back lag with tendon attached -rest compost!


Second was a WTF incident -mate and i out for a wee sneaky in a likely spot for deer -he used an immaculate 7x57 mannlicher schoaneur scoped with a 4x81pecar me with trusty striling.22with 4x40 scope.
Anyhow wed seen a hind poke her head out of some scrub and it was on.after20mins of fruitless search ,realising shed got one over us we spied a hair .seems this bloke was just waking up .Anyhow I decided a snapshot was in order and sent a round down the tube .bugger me he did a couple of backward flips and that was it .
went to pick him up -bugger me Id knocked the top[ of his skull off like a boiled egg!!! he was used for dog tucker .
To this day ive never been able to repeat that shot .

mind you im often tooled up with the trusty 12g if I come across hares etc these days usually on the prowl for geese.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

Waaay back in the 80s before Winchester put out the PowerPoint loading.we used to open out nose cavity with a twirl of a 3_4" nail poked in there. Works as well today as it did back then. The crappy harder projectiles we getting now aren't helping your cause. Keep shots forward will help a LOT.

Back in the day these were the business for a 22lr. Are they still sold? Heavy slug ( 40grn ) with a good hollow point. The other ones were called Predator I think, which went the other way with a light projectile going super fast. Remember them? They were good too.

Originally Posted by kotuku

a couple of things i learnt re hares .using .303 180gn round nose softnose at 100m is very slightly overgunned -all i found was a back lag with tendon attached -rest compost!


Second was a WTF incident -mate and i out for a wee sneaky in a likely spot for deer -he used an immaculate 7x57 mannlicher schoaneur scoped with a 4x81pecar me with trusty striling.22with 4x40 scope.
Anyhow wed seen a hind poke her head out of some scrub and it was on.after20mins of fruitless search ,realising shed got one over us we spied a hair .seems this bloke was just waking up .Anyhow I decided a snapshot was in order and sent a round down the tube .bugger me he did a couple of backward flips and that was it .
went to pick him up -bugger me Id knocked the top[ of his skull off like a boiled egg!!! he was used for dog tucker .
To this day ive never been able to repeat that shot .

mind you im often tooled up with the trusty 12g if I come across hares etc these days usually on the prowl for geese.

Ha ha...reminds me of when I used to do drives with the Nth Canty Gameshooters club years ago, we had been on a Hare & Rabbit drive somewhere, 8 guys sat down for lunch on a stinking hot summers day beside a brilliant wee creek.....nek minute this poor wee wabbit comes hopping around the corner minding his own business - 8 12G shotguns came up, not a good day for Mr wabbit!.