what choke for rabbits?
Modified works well it depends on how far away you are shooting at them from though.
01-13-2007, 09:31 AM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,085
RE: what choke for rabbits?
Gooseslayer...Perfect rabbit choke for a 12 gauge..??
Not enough info...Depends on what kind of cover you are hunting and how far your average shots are...
I could not imagine ever needing to use a choke tighter than modified for rabbits..Bunnies fold up easily and even a light field load of 6s in a modified choke will kill a rabbit cleanly at 40 yards.. A solid hit at a more normal range of 10-20 yards will churn your target into "bunnyburger"...
In the thick cover that I hunt, a 30 yard shot is a long one..At such close quarters, an improved cylinder, skeet, or even a straight cylinder bore will be easier to hit with and will mess up less eating meat than a tighter choke..
Personally, I prefer a .410 bore for most of rabbit hunting, since I hunt very thick cover at close range.. My "heavy gun" for rabbits is a 20 gauge side by side choked IC/MOD usually with 7/8 oz. of #6 shot...
Not enough info...Depends on what kind of cover you are hunting and how far your average shots are...
I could not imagine ever needing to use a choke tighter than modified for rabbits..Bunnies fold up easily and even a light field load of 6s in a modified choke will kill a rabbit cleanly at 40 yards.. A solid hit at a more normal range of 10-20 yards will churn your target into "bunnyburger"...
In the thick cover that I hunt, a 30 yard shot is a long one..At such close quarters, an improved cylinder, skeet, or even a straight cylinder bore will be easier to hit with and will mess up less eating meat than a tighter choke..
Personally, I prefer a .410 bore for most of rabbit hunting, since I hunt very thick cover at close range.. My "heavy gun" for rabbits is a 20 gauge side by side choked IC/MOD usually with 7/8 oz. of #6 shot...
01-13-2007, 06:26 PM
#6
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 12
RE: what choke for rabbits?
I used a 12 ga. mod. choke when I was my own dog, but my faithfull hunting buddies, Chip and Layla ( hard hunting beagles) have caused me to change my tactics. My perfered and most used gun is a Remington 870 pump .410 full choke for head shots. I love cooking lead free bunnys!
01-14-2007, 05:16 AM
#9
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location:
Posts: 2
RE: what choke for rabbits?
I shoot primarily snowshoe hares up here in Ontario and they are of course larger than cottontails. I find a 20ga. loaded with #6 and my double barrel o/u choked IC and MOD works just great. I actually find that the IC is even better as most of my shots are within 30 yards anyways.
01-14-2007, 09:26 AM
#10
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,085
RE: what choke for rabbits?
Lucky 13...I've used my IC/Mod 20 gauge doublefor snowshoe hares also, and it seems nearly perfect for them..Like you I probably shoot 90% of them with the IC barrel ....
Tommy mac.. Yeah... All of my rabbit hunting is done ahead of a beagle...My partner and I don't shoot rabbits on the jump andrefuse to shoot a rabbit until it has circled at least once ahead of the dog, and often we let them go by a time or two before we shoot them..Like you, I like the .410 because it works well in that hunting situation and it does not fill the eatin' meat full of shot.. My .410 is a Spanish made side/side , a nice, light,trim little gun and I try for head shots at close range...
Tommy mac.. Yeah... All of my rabbit hunting is done ahead of a beagle...My partner and I don't shoot rabbits on the jump andrefuse to shoot a rabbit until it has circled at least once ahead of the dog, and often we let them go by a time or two before we shoot them..Like you, I like the .410 because it works well in that hunting situation and it does not fill the eatin' meat full of shot.. My .410 is a Spanish made side/side , a nice, light,trim little gun and I try for head shots at close range...