[broham]

What shotgun ammo would you suggest for cotton tail. Mainly shot size.

[rcmodel]

#5 or #6 or 7 1/2, although just about any smaller size will work.

Rabbits are very easy to kill, and big charges of heavy shot just tear up more meat then necessary.

Good old 1 oz or 1 1/8 oz #8 target loads kills them as well as anything without totally distroying them.

rc

[61chalk]

We usually like using #6 shot. Dad was a crack shot an always got up towards the
head....I never led enough an always got them in the butt where all the good meat
was....I can still hear him cussing me....those were the good ol days...

[MCgunner]

Sixes, nuf said. :D

Use a quick pointing shotgun. I haven't hunted rabbits in quite a while, but my 20 would be awesome. I've taken 'em from .410 to 12 gauge and always used 6s.

[Moose23]

Whatever you use for small gamebirds (dove, quail) will work. Just shoot up whats left from bird season. If you're shooting in front of dogs, definitely go with the scattergun. But try a scoped 22 if you are walking/stalking. You might be surprised. Head shots are a LOT easier than you might think.

[wankerjake]

It all works but I like #6 the best

[possom813]

Whatever's left in the bag. I've been loading up some mixed shot my dad had laying around, it's 7, 7 1/2, 8, 8 1/2 that's been mixed together over the years.

I've got about 20lbs of this shot and have about 200 loaded shells. They've got a pretty decent pattern out of all of our 12 gauges. It's not as consistent as the 7 1/2 I load up for dove season, but I've used it during the season with good success as well.

[mljdeckard]

I've recreationally killed a bajillion jacks with bulk S&B 7-1/2. I've only killed a few cottontails, there is a season for them here, I would probably use whatever load I was already carrying for upland game.

[stonecoldy]

I grab #6 field/game loads as a first choice for Eastern Cottontails, and they're usually 7/8 oz. loads for a 20 gauge. Cottontails seem to be more fragile than squirrels and a few decent sized pellets in the front end are enough.
I loaded up a bunch of field loads of 1 and 1/8 oz #5 shot for my 12 gauge for brushy cottontail loads and haven't been able to try them out yet, so can't give a report on those, but expect good results.

[Tim the student]

I use #6 also. Works well.

[Onmilo]

I like 1 1/8 #5 shot which is near impossible to find in factory loads now and I have to handload them.

I like #5 shot because it kills the rabbit quick and are easy to find and dig out of the meat.

I have already split one tooth on an errant piece of shot and have no desire to do that again! :)

[Marlin 45 carbine]

I use #6 if a quail or grouse comes up it does good for them too. this is my 20 ga.

[WVMountainBoy]

Always used 6 shot

[Sergeant Sabre]

I started using 7 1/2. The small pellets wouldn't completely penetrate the rabbit and ended up lodged in much of the meat. There were also a lot of them. I've moved to #6 shot. That has made things better. Less shot, plus more through-and-through penetration meant less shot in the meat. Still a lot of pellets in the rump where most of the meat is though, since I tend to hit them there. I may move up to #4 to further reduce the pellet count left in the meat.

[highorder]

I have been using .410 2 1/2" #6 with success in the back yard. :)

[RMc]

I use my standard 1 1/8th ounce target load subsituting #4 shot by volume.

Why #4? The pellets are large enough to pass completely through a rabbit and I don't like to bite down on a lead pellet!

[devildog32713]

a youth bow and an untipped carbon arrow is very lethal to rabbits, I know this from expirence, hehehe, backyard safari, as for shotgun shot? here is my choice:

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_10200053____SearchResults

basspro is cool, they let you buy one or two boxes of ammo, before commiting to a case like Cabela's does

[Barny]

I usually use #6 in 20 guage. I learned yesterday that #5 hard in 2 3/4 isn't suited well for rabbit:o:banghead:

[FLNT4EVR]

I've always used #6 with good results.

[ArmedBear]

I wouldn't go smaller than #6, for ethical reasons.

It took several shots of #8 to finally put down a rabbit that I hit squarely with the first shot. I won't use #8 any more.

[Matrix187]

#6 for sure. But, I usually use a .22 LR Ruger MKIII pistol /w 5 inch bull barrel.

[Bud Tugly]

A .410 with #6 shot is deadly on rabbits and doesn't spoil the meat.

[Deltaboy]

High Brass #6 all the way.

[Kernel]

I like the 7 ½ shot in the Fiocchi Low Recoil 20 ga round. IMO it‘s the ideal rabbit load.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productnumber=995610

With an extra full choke, let's me "head shoot" rabbits out to 30 yds, or so. The load is so low powdered it'll barely penetrate the skin. I think the impact knocks the rabbit out, more than anything.

Makes for good eating. Very easy to pick the pellets and fur out of the surface of the meat, since it’s to low-powered to penetrate deeply.

[SeekHer]

I use #5 for most everything from ducks to grouse, so that's usually what I'm shooting although I do like #2 for bunnies...we shoot them, because of the lay of the land at farther distances then when pushed by basset or beagle hounds so the heavier shot gets out there and kills...I also don't like popping a whole bunch of pellets out of the meat before I cook it and with #2 you get far less pellets and surprisingly less damage then you imagine...

First tried it on a field goose shoot when this cottontail kept bopping our decoys so at about 45 yds I nailed him...three pellets to the chest, a few more to the head (which we don't eat) and that was it...

If we're pushing them with hounds we'll use only ½ oz of #5 shot--you're shooting at about 10 to 15 yards, what for do you need 1 or 1½ oz loads for, then again we all reload...

[45crittergitter]

Cottontail #6, Big canecutter swamp rabbits, #5 or #4.

[qman2]

I use small stuff, like 7 or 8 shot. But someone had a good point. The #4 goes right through them and you don't bite down on it.

.22 is better though, for head shots if they're not runners. If you have both then have someone use a .22 and the other a shotgun. Then you get to shoot both runners and non. That's how we roll.

[qman2]

I just edited my sig and it doesn't show up. Anyone know why?

OH, never mind.