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Post by stalkingbear on May 6, 2009 14:59:17 GMT -5
How many like the .22 for squirrel hunting? I know I get a HUGE thrill from squirrel hunting with .22s. Here lately there's been a lot of converts to the .17HMR & the .17 HM2. In a way I can understand that but mostly I personally feel the .17s has a very limited application when hunting. In MY opinion, the light, fragile bullets are too small to reliably take down larger varmints such as coyotes, but are too explosive when hunting edible small game like rabbits & squirrels. They simply tear up too much meat. Sure the .17s are exquisitely accurate, but look at the cost per round of ammo. I don't know about yall, but I like to hunt & plink with the same rifle, and the .17s just cost too much to plink much with.
As a side note, I have used the .22 magnum to squirrel & rabbit hunt with before. The trick to using the .22 magnum on edible game is to use the 40 gr FMJ bullets. They won't tear up any more meat than a .22LR HP but offers twice the range. What do yall use?
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Post by greenbudsmoker4201 on May 6, 2009 20:54:36 GMT -5
i havent fallen in to the 17 craze i still like the long proven 22lr or 22 mag myself for small game like rabbits ive killed lots of deer in the past with my 22magnum it was that or my old single shot shotgun its known as bullet placement up here in maine the 22mag is leagle for deer hunting but now my 22mag is for plinking or rabbits i use my 30-06 or 7mm rem mag now
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Post by Travis on May 6, 2009 23:25:36 GMT -5
I've used a .22 L.R. / .22 Mag. with "Dummy" rounds {non H.P.} for small game, but I mostly use a 12 ga. FULL choke with #5 birdshot for small game anymore. 2 3/4" low brass usually does the trick.  When I have used a .22, I tried to make all head shots at best as well. Knock out the brain and the animal will drop to the shot most times. To me the .17's are HIGHLY over rated. Too much speed and tears up too much meat. Kinda like the 9mm "Euro Pellet" theory. That is for another subject entirely of course. LMAO! |
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jeffs
Junior Member
Posts: 80
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Post by jeffs on May 9, 2009 19:31:10 GMT -5
I agree with y'all. I tried a 17 HMR on jackrabbits and all it did was tear huge hunks of meat out of their sides while they ran off and maybe from 20 to 100 yards later collapse and kick for a long time before dying. A 22 mostly drops them and kills them much quicker. For prarie dogs or squeakers (ground squirrels) they're probably fine. They're smaller, less tenacious, and inedible.
Like Travis, I have used shotguns with good success on rabbits, also. I go for #4 bird shot. I've never had one do anything but keel over and maybe twitch a bit.
- Jeff
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Post by roguebowhunter on May 9, 2009 23:04:35 GMT -5
for edible animals like greys i like my 20 ga O/U w/ 7 1/2 or 8 .. but for digger squirrels and the likes i LOVE my 17hmrs... more accurate and explosive than the 22lr.. Don
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Post by Travis on May 10, 2009 19:40:23 GMT -5
Just got a call from my Mom this evening. She told me she took a rabbit with my Dad's .22 Magnum Mossberg M-640 KA in their garden, she shot it mid section with a H.P. CCI Maxi Mag +V and gutted it entirely. Dad had to get his slippers on and chuck it over the Gov't fence in back of their house along U.S. Rt. 15. WAY TO GO MOM! HOOAH!!!! ;D NOTE: Mom is a crack shot with a 12 ga., .22 Mag., and with a .30-30 Winchester M-1894 too. GOD Forbid she get's ahold of my .30-06!  Dad and myself have taught Mom how to shoot too.  P.S., I was wrong on my 12 ga. loads, I use 2 3/4" HIGH brass, sorry for the confusion folks! They are still #5 birdshot too. If I have to wade thru heavy stuff, I'll use 3" #5 also for long shots too. Jeff, if you can locate #5 birdshot and if your shotgun likes it, I recommend it highly! |
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Post by greenbudsmoker4201 on May 17, 2009 12:47:49 GMT -5
#5 birdshot is all that i reload i like them for everything from rabbits to turkey loads im useing that kiss rule for shotgun reloading its all # 5shot for both my 12ga and my 16ga
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Post by stalkingbear on May 18, 2009 13:15:31 GMT -5
The only thing I use shotgun on is running cottontails & bird shooting. I use .22s for squirrel & sitting rabbits in snow when I can spot them before they take off. My yote gun is an dpms AR15 with burris 4.5x-14x in .223.
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Post by Travis on May 18, 2009 16:15:12 GMT -5
I like the #5 birdshot too. Dad has used it for decades and it seems to work well for us. We don't use #4 or #6 if we can help it.
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When I have used a .22, I tried to make all head shots at best as well. Knock out the brain and the animal will drop to the shot most times. 
Dad and myself have taught Mom how to shoot too. 