Went Small Game Hunting for the First Time in Years Today

[35 Whelen]

I don't watch much TV, but after watching a particular episode of Duck Dynasty last year, I decided I was overdue for squirrel stew. Deer season's over, so I figured today was the day.

50 yd. sight in session went better than expected:



Then the 1 1/2 mile walk to the creek.

When hunting, things don't always go as planned do they? I saw two deer, two Tom turkey's, a possum, a cottontail and ZERO squirrels. The cottontail was the unlucky one:



And tomorrow night, my wife will get her first taste of battered and fried cottontail!

35W

 

[witchhunter]

Mmmmmmm fried rabbit....

 

[LRShooting]

Nice shooting...... For some reason, none of my 22s will ever shoot all that well. At least not with most ammo. I know I shot my marlin 25 at 40 yards with cci stingers and had 5 bullets touching. Barely, but they were. Everything else groups horrible. Nice rabbit though, I can't seem to find any around here. MDC reported spiking heights of coyote and bobcat populations the last few years and its showing. Still quite a few squirrels around tho.

 

[35 Whelen]

Thanks. This particular rifle has always been just crazy accurate but especially with bulk Winchester HP's. Pictured is a five shot group and after the first two shots, I kept thinking the next would open the group up, but it never happened! My Ruger 10-22 and my Savage 24 won't shoot nearly that well, so you're not alone.

It never occurred to me to shoot a cottontail and I had actually started back to the house when I jumped him. Saw another right in front of the house but the grass is too tall and I couldn't keep up with him as he ran.

35W

 

[Blue68f100]

22's seam to be the most picky when it comes to ammo. I have found 1 that my guns really like pistol and rifle. It's AE AE22 which is a HV 38gr HP copper plate. For some with this ammo my gun will shoot dime size groups at 25 yrds and quarter size at 50 yrds if I do my part. The bad thing is that the ammo comes in 40/box not the normal 50. So I only use if for hunting. A brick of 400 sells for around $26. They also have the 40gr too. Looking on Fed site they only use the load on one other Fed ammo which I have not been able find.

Fried rabbit sounds tasty.

 

[jrdolall]

I have been amazed at the number of people that show up to hunt squirrels and bring an assortment of ammo from Walmart. My old 10-22 will group just about any ammo fairly well while my newer model isn't that good with any ammo. I normally hunt with a Winchester and use stingers as they group very well at 50 yards using this gun.
People think I am a good shot when in reality I take the time to match my gun to the correct ammo. An assortment is fine for ringing steel at 25 yards but I like to make clean kills on animals.

 

[loose noose]

I've had the best luck with Federal Bulk 36 grain HP ammo and then CCI HP ammo in all my .22's whether rifle or handgun. Especially for cotton tail rabbits, also back in the Midwest for squirrel.

 

[MCgunner]

Quite excellent, but that squirrel sure is funny lookin'.