rabbit load and choke?

[George P]

I am not skilled enough to hit a running rabbit in the head with full choke without damaging the meat but very much admire those that can. For those less skilled and are still doing the rabbit butt shots Improved Cylinder and/or Modified might be well worth the consideration.

A few trips to your local skeet field or even better - a sporting clays layout where they have a rabbit station should help

 

[Axis II]

I will say my buddy hasn't hunter rabbits in probably 8-9yrs with dogs and this beast of a rabbit shot across that creak bottom at 50mph and my buddy hit him with a 28ga on the run about 40yards away. I was very impressed. We are going back out in a few weekends to try it again and hopefully i get a shot on something and we shall see how the chokes do.

 

[MCgunner]

I/C Mod.....number 6 shot field loads.

 

[BigBore45]

That's a lot of lead considering I kill rabbits in my backyard with a solitary .177 pellet from my air rifle. Who wants to clean that many pellets? If you're good at hitting them in the head, then use a 410

I'm pheasant hunting. Rabbits are targets of opportunity, I said I use a 22lr when just rabbit or squirrel hunting.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I am not skilled enough to hit a running rabbit in the head with full choke without damaging the meat but very much admire those that can. For those less skilled and are still doing the rabbit butt shots Improved Cylinder and/or Modified might be well worth the consideration

I'm not either. PLUS I'd rather be ready for upland game AND flush a rabbit....than be limited to a rabbit. For example, if I kick up a wild woodcock, OR a chukkar that escaped from the game preserve next to where I hunt, and I cut loose with a full choke, then I'll get a nice pile of bloody feathers. Using one of my two double-trigger SxS shotguns, I can go with the first trigger and bag the bird, and when we kick up a rabbit I can go with the second trigger and the modified choke and bag a bunny..., of course if I miss the bird and the range has opened up, I can go with the second barrel and the modified.

<why not just wait and let the range extend and then use the full choke?> Woodcock tends to be in the woods for me, and by the time it's far enough away there are too many trees, and other upland birds that I kick up are found as I'm kicking brush next to the edge of the woods....so they go short distances and fly into the trees in most cases. I don't get the range opening up enough.

LD

 

[Bull Nutria]

My favorite rabbit gun also serves as a quail and woodcock gun. It is a Win model 12 --16ga cylinder bore choke. it was my grandpa's quail gun. For rabbits I prefer 1 or 1 1/8 oz #6. For woodcock I prefer 1.25 oz of #9. I reload my own woodcock loads. I have learned that woodcock will flush in the heaviest cover imaginable, it doesn't take many shot to bag a woodcock. #9 pellets provide a dense wide pattern that will bag woodcock thru brush and leaves at 30 yards. 7.5 shot is a good compromise is you are in areas where woodcock and rabbits may be taken.

Bull