Originally Posted by
dontSweatTheSmallStuff
So I'm going to be rabbit hunting this upcoming winter, and the guy teaching me has a very "if it's not illegal or stupid, figure it out yourself" kind of thinking-not a bad thing, just not helpful here.
We, later I, won't be using dogs, and we'll be going through the VT woods looking for cottontails and snowshoe hare. I'm looking for two things from the animal: some meat, and relatively intact pelt. I got it in my head that I want to tan them and make one of those bomber hats with the canvas outer and the fur inner. I've currently got a .30-30, and I'm going between that and getting a 12 ga shotgun to use. Would a 150 grain reduced load, like the Rem managed recoil, to the head of the rabbit do the job without making something nasty of the meat? Or would the 12 ga with #6 shot be better/how much impact would it have on the pelt?
Thanks!
A 30-30 for rabbits! that isn't even a consideration, take your shotgun, rabbits run and shooting on the ground at a running rabbit is not a good thing to do, it is one thing of you limit yourself to sitting rabbits and head shooting them and quite another to be throwing lead at them on the run with a rifle. It sounds to me like you need a new person to teach you because if this one will not help you make good decisions you don't need him.