Thread: How to hunt rabbits?

I have a reasonably large battery setup for my maxtoch mounted on my .22, so just leave it on all the time. Full power for scoping out all of the rabbits at a distance, then it gets switched to a lower setting for walking around and shooting.
This allows me to plan the shoot, with the wind in my face, and cover to stalk up on the rabbits.
Most shots end up being 25M or less, so can be done standing.
The maxtoch light allows me to illuminate up to 1km away at full power, so I can clearly identify when there is other stock around, or buildings etc.
Because I shoot around orchards and market gardens with lots of equipment around, ricochets are very undesirable. I find that the CCI Segmented subs limit the ricochets a lot.

Originally Posted by Dan88

I'm using a norinco jw27 bolt action .22 and a ledlenser 1000lm torch it's good out to 100m or so

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I would get a scope good in low light and have a go at whatever you can see, you should be able to shoot out to 100m ok (you may want to give it a bit of lift at that distance depending on what your rifle is sighted in at). Worth a crack.
What you might have just as much success with initially is having a casual wander late afternoon-sun down, its often the best time. It also gives you time to get used to your rifle if youre not all that familiar with it.

That would be what I would do anyway and is my suggestion. Good luck and happy hunting.

Thanks guys, I'll probably go for a wonder tomorrow night and see how many I can get

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Originally Posted by Dan88

I'm using a norinco jw27 bolt action .22 and a ledlenser 1000lm torch it's good out to 100m or so

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They are a very nice model of rifle. I had one and it was as accurate as the anshutz I had at the same time. Not all are, but the 27 seemed a step up....

I found it best to use a low powered and very wide flood angle head torch while walking around - this makes it easier to spot the eye shine, and a powerful led spot mounted to the scope to use once you have seen the eye shine.

Some good advice already. Sounds obvious I know, but you simply need to know where the rabbits live. Once you've established where their warrens are, whether its a proper one, or under a building, or in hedgerows, then you can nut out a plan of attack. The best way to do this is to recce the farm a few times, watch where they run to, then go have a look for their home. As soon as you find holes, you're in business. Most rabbits will remain within a shortish dash of home but some will venture further, usually younger animals being pushed out from the warren.

Productive rabbiting is all about anticipating where you'll see rabbits, and being prepared. For rifle shooting, the best method is to work out the best places to shoot from, and set them up in advance. I've placed two stacked milk crates with a plywood top in likely places under trees, with good cover, good field of view from slightly elevated positions. I them there for the spring & summer, so I can walk in, sit and have a ready to go rest. I have a half dozen spots set up like this on the farm at the end of our road. Makes it so much easier. Knowing your ranges from each spot, remembering them for each shooting position, makes .22LR shooting a much higher percentage game than having to constantly range (or guess). Rabbits that know you're there will give you a chance, but not for long.

I had the wife laminate my drops table for the .22, a dozen copies, and I've stapled them to the posts or crates and they stay there... otherwise I'll forget it. Its very satisfying knowing you can reliably pick off 100m++ bunnies without too much bother.

If the grass is a bit long, it makes it very hard if you just plan on walking around, you'll spook them and they'll run. Good fun if you have a shotgun but useless with a rifle. But if you know roughly where they'll be, you just have to sit up and glass the grass... you'll see them, even if its just ears. I love picking off rabbits when all you can see is ears.

I do occasionally shoot rabbits at night but to be honest its not my preference, just a personal thing. Used to do it for hours on end as a kid with a ute and lights and shotties, a blood bath. Industrial level rabbitting. These days a late afternoon/ evening is more fun for me, with a good plan and some advance prep.

Agree with the guys saying to shoot in daylight if possible, especially if public thoroughfare is a possibility.

Depending on where you are, be conscious that rabbits and cats eyes shine difference colours, so (unless feral cats are a legitimate target where you are) you aren't shooting the farmer's little miss fluffy.

If you are shooting there for a while, make an effort to notice how the seasons change the foliage/ ground cover and what that means for where rabbits go/ hang out.

The thing I found that made the biggest positive difference for me was sidelining my LED lenser (P7.2), in favour of an 8 dollar AliExpress LED torch using 18650 batteries.

The el cheapo was just so much more powerful. I ended up getting two, mounting one to the scope, using one handheld to sweep paddocks every now and then to pick up eye shine, and a low power headlamp for finding my way around.

I went out for a few nights spotlighting with a very experienced guy.

He'd spot the rabbit with the light, the rabbit would sit or run.

If it sat, he zapped it through the scone with a 22. ( he was a commercial shooter, doing petfood, so didn't do body shots.)

If it ran, he swung the light in front of it till it was out of the beam, then it would stop.

He'd keep doing this till he had it still, then swing the light back on and zap it through the scone.

Depending on the ground as well, rabbits and hares have a tendency to stop at fence lines and other obstacles to look back at you to see if you're still chasing/a threat. I have also had success making them stop and look back long enough to take a shot by whistling/yelling at them

I find that they learn your route too so I tend to mix it up a bit to catch them unawares.

Went out for a walk tonight and of course because I had the .22 saw a lot less rabbits than previous nights!
Got 3 and recovered 1. They dash of into the gorse and disappear quickly even when hit well, spent an hour looking for the ones I got.
The recovered one is now brinning in the fridge.
Realized I need to practice more shooting standing and shooting quicker.

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If your going to use the meat, as soon as you can, squeeze it's stomach to push the pee out.

Yep gutted it with the push method as soon as I got over to it

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Just take out some salt and sprinkle that on there tails. There dead easy to pick up after that.

Originally Posted by Chur Bay

Shoot the easy ones in the late afternoon. Once you get to know the place come back with a spotlight. I used to have a quick scan of the paddock then off with the light and walk closer. When I think im in range turn the light on.make your shots count as when you miss you end up with light shy bunnies.

Thats good advice. If you have the light mounted on the rifle and use a really good headlamp youve got it all covered. Also works well with a shotgun in scrub at night. Move slowly at night though, theres always a wee drop off you havnt noticed..