9 replies to this topic

[Bisley]

Getting the itch pretty bad. Sure hope I see lots of bunnies on my scouting trip next weekend so I can do some more of this. But maybe not with the .243 again

[True2ThySelf]

Well I guess that's one way to field dress a rabbit

[Frank]

Now isn't that just plain ole over kill, Bob? I really shouldn't say that, as someome's likely to take me seriously &/or start a (mythical) over kill debate. lol Sorry, I couldn't help myself (again).

Anyway, I hope your scouting trip is a good one. I'm hoping to get out sometime within the next 3 or 4 weeks or so. We'll see?!

[Air Rifle Hunter]

Did you use that big round because it was flying through the air to attack you? It looks like an "All-in-One" type of bullet. Kill and gut all in one. Now if you can just get it to skin the rabbit too.

Anyway, I hope to get out July 1st, which I think is a Sunday, to see if I can bring home some cottontails. My new hunting buddy and I are going on July 4th, at least I think we are, to get some of his first California bunnies for his dinner. He'll be using a .22 Henry underlever with iron sights though, so we'll see how many he gets in the bag. I've decided that I'm going to take out my .22 Marlin for it's first hunt in 40 years. The old gun used to go on rabbit and deer hunts with my grandfather (killed many a varmint too), but I'm the only one that has shot it in the last 40 years and only at paper so far. I'm hoping to make my grandpa proud by bagging a few bunnies with it this season.

Well, I wish the best to all of us as the new 2012-2013 season starts in July and may your hunting be fruitful and safe.

[sean]

i hope to get my first CA bunnies this year

[Bisley]

I guess it might have been a bit overkill . It was that time of year just before bird season, so when we would go out scouting birds we would also take out jacks for a guy I knew that wanted all he could get to feed his family. I used to take at least six rifles and switch to the next one every time I killed a rabbit. Unfortunately, the cottontail popped up while I had the .243 in my hand . And the rest is a messy history.

Good luck with the powder burner ARH, that should bring back some memories. Hope we see lots of pics and stories from you.

Well I guess that's one way to field dress a rabbit

Not quite, you field dress a rabbit with 87gr V-max's in the .243. This one was untouched for the photo and actually how it looked when I walked up to it. I don't really like posting all the gory pics as it can give a bad impression to some, but it amazed me what this 87gr pill did to a jack.

[zippy1970]

Bisley :

Looks like you butterflied it .

[Hibs]

They don't call them ballistic tips for nothing!

[Air Rifle Hunter]

Yuck! What a mess!

[Bisley]

Bisley :

Looks like you butterflied it .

That's exactly what happened. I have had his happen twice, this one and once when i took a head shot just after it ducked. That one was butterflied the other way, right down the spine. I can only guess it hit bone immediately and that is why the excess damage. The V'max's are usually ugly, but not like this. And the worst part is that these are not the worst ones I have had. I started using my first plastic tipped bullets in early 2000's and can honestly say I have never had one fail to expand. I guess plastic is good for some things. This is also why I just laugh (and show this picture) when I hear about V-max's making splash wounds on dogs and not killing them (in the .243). I ain't buying it for a second.

I should also say that I don't, and haven't, used the big guns in a long, long time for rabbit. When I was giving away jacks, he would make stew or dice it up and make tacos anyway, so it really didn't matter much. But now that I am eating them, it is a lot cleaner and more meat friendly for sure. A kind of double standard I guess?