![\"\"](\"http:\/\/198.154.244.69\/hunting\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/rabbit_1.jpg\" "\\"rabbit_1\\"")
<\/a>Lining up the HW 100 on an Arizona cottontail, this gun was light, compact, deadly accurate, and a great all around hunting gun!<\/p><\/div>\n
Cottontails are not hard to kill, I used to joke that if you shot close to one it would roll over dead from a heart attack, but shot placement is still the key.\u00a0 I do prefer headshots because there is less meat damage, and if you are around burrows or dense thickets a chest shot might let them get enough distance to be lost. However, when hunting in the sparse desert I have no problem taking the chest shot, especially when using higher power and larger caliber guns. A .177 or .22 doing around 12 \u2013 18 fpe is about perfect for 40 yards, though if you get to know your gun you can reach out a bit further. If you step up the power to a 30-40 fpe gun you can reach out a lot further, but for me part of the fun is working in close to my quarry. If you are going to shoot at longer distances make sure to practice with the gun\/pellet combo you intend to use, with the objective of dropping the pellet into a 1\u201d kill zone with each and every pull of the trigger. Practice off sticks and from the positions you\u2019ll be using in the field, rather than off a bench.<\/p>\n Jackrabbits are much bigger than cottontails, and the same guns are applicable, though I do prefer a .22 or .25. I\u2019ll actually use my.30 caliber predator guns, as they work great and let me keep my field shooting sharp under the same conditions encountered when coyote hunting \u2026.. I\u2019ve actually shot coyotes when I\u2019d started out for jackrabbits on occasion. I like to spot and stalk jackrabbits looking for the tell tale sign of their huge ears before closing in. These big desert hares will sometimes try to sneak around behind you like a smart old whitetail buck, which makes it seem more like a big game hunt at times!<\/p>\n Right on up to the daystate Wolerine .303 for these long range jackrabbits. The furthest shot of these two was about 120 yards.<\/p><\/div>\n Some of the guns I\u2019ve been using on my rabbit hunts this year include the FX Gladiator .22<\/a>, FX Verminator .22<\/a>, the Weihrauch HW 100<\/a> in .22, the Benjamin Discovery in .22, the Daystate Huntsman Classic<\/a> .22 and the Daystate Wolverine .303<\/a>\u2026. but over the years I\u2019ve used literally hundreds of springers and pcps and almost any accurate airgun over 10 fpe will work if you make the appropriate shot selection.<\/p>\n Before setting off on a rabbit hunt, check the local regulations; in almost every state the cottontail is a game animal with limits and a season, though in most of it’s range jackrabbits are considered a varmint in most of their range \u2026. However a license is typically (but not always) required anyways.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Another one of those species I love to hunt with an airgun are rabbits, which from a global perspective are probably the most pursued quarry taken with airrifles. The Brits are fanatical bunny hunters, and even though we have a many more small game and pest species available here, we\u2019re not too far behind! The … Continue reading <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>