I take the BRK Ghost .30 caliber out to the ranch in pursuit of jackrabbits. Join me and I’ll tell you what I think of this gun in the field!
Introduction
Rabbits and hares are cyclic, and their populations can fluctuate depending on rain, predation, and disease. On my last trip to Texas, I had noticed a marked drop in numbers, but now, a year later, rabbits could frequently be seen along the roadside when driving onto the vast property. There are two species of rabbits hunted in this region: the cottontail rabbit and the blacktail jackrabbit, the former being a true rabbit and the latter a hare. In fact, there are two subspecies of cottontail: the Eastern cottontail, weighing in at about 2.5 lb, and the smaller (1.5 lb) desert cottontail. The jackrabbits are significantly larger, typically weighing over 6 lb.
Small game hunting here requires a gun that can transition from fast close-range to rested long-range shooting. Based on past experience, my intention was to cover a lot of territory on foot, and I reckoned that most shots would be inside of 50 yards. However, I also expected that long-range opportunities were likely to pop up and wanted a capable rifle. My requirement was a compact, easy-to-carry rifle offering a high shot count, in addition to being very accurate and powerful. The BRK Ghost seemed like a solid choice. The .30 caliber version of the rifle had entered my collection a few months earlier, and though it was impressive on the range, I had yet to hunt with it.
The BRK Ghost
The Ghost is one of the modular bottle-forward guns that have gained popularity in recent years, and I found this example of the design to be exceptional on several levels. Using JSB Diabolo Exact 44.75 grain pellets, the Ghost was set up to deliver about 25 shots at 80 fpe. While the large plenum and adjustability make it possible to dial the power up to 100 fpe, for my intended application, I chose to skew the setup towards a slightly higher shot count. The very smooth cycling sidelever action, paired with a reliable and easy-to-load 8-shot magazine, results in fast and accurate shooting. As mentioned, the gun is compact (33.6” in length with a 23” barrel), which makes it quite comfortable to carry in rough terrain and easy to deploy in heavy brush.
The trigger on the Ghost is also very impressive; it is fully adjustable for weight and travel and breaks like the proverbial glass rod. I also believe the trigger shoe is one of the most tactile designs I’ve shot in a production gun. An MTC Optics King Cobra 6-24 x 50 F1 first focal plane scope was mounted on the rifle, and this package works for me whether I’m shooting at 40 yards or 125 yards. With the question of the gun and optics addressed and the setup sorted out, I was ready to hit the trail!
Cottontail Hunts
The next morning, I drove a couple of miles along one of the ranch roads to an area covered in palo verde, cactus, and prairie grass. Climbing out of the Bronco and collecting my gear, I saw a cottontail make a break for cover. Once organized, I headed in the direction the rabbit had bolted, using the brush for cover. Moving forward and looking over the top of a palo verde, I saw the cottontail sitting in the shadows amongst the grass and cactus. Bringing the Ghost to shoulder, I let the crosshairs drop on the rabbit’s head a short 15 yards away and squeezed the trigger. I find that these close-range shots are often more difficult to judge than long-range, but at least it was a clean miss. Following along, I squatted down and looked under the tree branches, spotting my prey about 50 yards away. The rabbit had paused, secure in its natural camo, and was alert for danger. I brought the gun up and, using my knees for support, lined up the shot. This time, I watched the bunny crumple at the rifle’s report, cleanly anchored.
Over the next hour, I worked my way through this area of denser vegetation, bagging a couple more cottontails. As the cover thinned out, my hike continued, but I didn’t see another cottontail. They tend to prefer early morning shadows and denser brush, and whether due to the later hour or the sparser landscape, the cottontails had vacated the area.
Jackrabbit Hunts
Moving along, I caught a glimpse of motion to my right and spotted a jackrabbit that, rather than the long hops and lightning-fast bursts of speed most commonly seen, was carefully sneaking away, putting trees and clumps of cactus between us. He was acting like a wily old whitetail buck in stealth mode. I turned and started after him in a slow-motion stalk. Using the same vegetation for cover, I moved forward, and the rabbit moved away, keeping about the same distance between us. I think he knew I was there and following, but this big hare kept moving when in the open. Finally, after not seeing him come out from behind a small stand of brush, I peeked over the top of a stunted palo verde and found the jack sitting in a clearing at about 60 yards. I swapped the camera for my rifle and brought it up to shoulder as I dropped down behind a hill of dirt and dead branches. The Ghost seemed to pull right into my center of gravity and provided a stable position for the shot. I find that as I get older, my offhand hold is not as stable as it once was, so I’m constantly assessing my confidence level before taking the shot. But I felt locked in and knew my shot would fall where I aimed, which was the back of the hare’s skull. I shot, he dropped, and a minute later, I was walking over to claim my game.
The grazing land is marginal in this area, and an excessively high jackrabbit population can have an adverse impact on livestock. However, this year was very wet with lots of rain (in the context of a desert ecosystem), so there was a lot of grass and jackrabbit populations were healthy but not over the top. These rabbits are not as good table fare as cottontails, and I therefore limited my take. I hiked and set up a couple of good stalks, using my camera more and rifle less. But by the end of the morning, I’d bagged four cottontails and two jackrabbits.
Advantages of the .30
The BRK Ghost served me very well on this hunt. The accuracy, power, ergonomics, and cycling speed all added up to make this an outstanding small game gun. The decision to opt for the .30 caliber version was a good one. This caliber hit hard and was dead accurate, dropping the big jacks with head or body shots (out to 90 yards) and taking the smaller cottontails without excessive meat damage. Yet this same gun would later prove capable of anchoring a feral hog, providing a multi-use hunting rig. The .30 was definitely more gun than necessary for rabbits, including the big jacks, and was very effective at longer range. A .25 would have done almost as well, but it’s the fact that the .30 provides a solid platform for hogs or predators that really sold me.
Closing thoughts
I’ve been working with pellets and slugs in this gun and will be coming up with some detailed feedback on what I found, using both to hunt small and medium sized game. Again, if you have thoughts on guns, ammo, accessories you’d like to see discussed, let me know! I hope your all enjoying the warmer weather and getting out to shoot! We’ll catch up again in a couple weeks, hope to see you back!
