# Favorite Jackrabbit Gun



## Last Man Standing

What is everybody's favorite setup for hunting jacks? I'm curious if more people use .22's or 12 ga's. Or if they do like me and my buddies and have equal amounts of both. For all you 12 GA guys, what kind of load do you prefer? Have you experimented with different chokes at all?


----------



## Critter

I haven't hunted rabbits with a shotgun since the late 70's. My favorite rifle is either my Ruger 10/22 or which ever high power rifle I am trying to get used to shooting. It is surprising at how much of a better shot you become with your deer rifle when you have been shooting rabbits with it during the summer or whenever you are hunting them. Also if you want to save them for the frying pan you need to get a little bit better and start head shooting them. It makes for a interesting hunt.


----------



## Bax*

Most often I shoot my .22 Mag Henry Goldenboy. It gives me enough range to reach out and touch a jack on the run, but doesnt cost an arm and a leg to shoot. Plus I dont have to worry about where my brass fell!

My second pick (as of late) is my Ruger 77/22 in .22 Hornet. It is pretty light weight to carry around, but gives me some great versatility on shots. The only hard part about it is that follow up shots are slow as it doesnt always like to feed new rounds quickly.

I very very very rarely use a shotgun on jack rabbits. I just dont feel like the challenge is there. Cottontails will get a shotgun blast though


----------



## TEX-O-BOB

.17 HMR


----------



## Al Hansen

Mossberg Tactical. 20 in. barrell and 8 shot. I like the lead #4's. I have not used it in a few years. I've probably shot more jacks off the Wyoming P-dog fields right after setting up the bench and you catch one moving around at about 100-400 yds. The .204 or .223 does a number on them.


----------



## Last Man Standing

I didn't even think of the .17 HMR. I bet that does pretty good work on a jack. Bax*, I don't know what kind of rabbits you've been after lately, but I so scarcely run into them that a scattergun seems fair. Plus they're usually so far out that a 12 GA seems like more of a challenge than a .22. It always seems like I see a ton of em when I don't have a gun, but when I'm armed they're no where to be found. Nature has a good sense of humor I guess.


----------



## DallanC

.22-250


-DallanC


----------



## Bax*

Last Man Standing said:


> I didn't even think of the .17 HMR. I bet that does pretty good work on a jack. Bax*, I don't know what kind of rabbits you've been after lately, but I so scarcely run into them that a scattergun seems fair. Plus they're usually so far out that a 12 GA seems like more of a challenge than a .22. It always seems like I see a ton of em when I don't have a gun, but when I'm armed they're no where to be found. Nature has a good sense of humor I guess.


Jack rabbit hunting is quite possibly my favorite hunt so I spend a lot of time out looking for them. There have been times that I have had to charge them just to get them to run to make the hunt challenging. If they are just standing there, I prefer not to shoot at them at all (just personal preference) because it doesnt feel very sporting in my eyes. Jacks on the run are my favorite.

But to answer the question of what kind of rabbits I hunt - I like to hunt the ones that no one else knows about 

Here is my most recent rabbit hole:
[attachment=0:3rthrdzb]IMG_0446.JPG[/attachment:3rthrdzb]


----------



## sawsman

TEX-O-BOB said:


> .17 HMR


+1 !



Bax* said:


> Here is my most recent rabbit hole:


Rabbit hole? that looks more like sheep country!


----------



## Bax*

sawsman said:


> Bax* said:
> 
> 
> 
> Here is my most recent rabbit hole:
> 
> 
> 
> Rabbit hole? that looks more like sheep country!
Click to expand...

You'll need to come on a real rabbit hunt with me sawsman. I find that really rough country holds some of the biggest jack rabbits I have personally ever seen.

I went here the end of March and saw more jacks than most people will see in a life time around Vernon!


----------



## ridgetop

I like my 7mm mag. but it does get kind of expensive. I have a marlin .22 I need to shoot more often.


----------



## Last Man Standing

ridgetop said:


> I like my 7mm mag. but it does get kind of expensive. I have a marlin .22 I need to shoot more often.


I can imagine. I've always wanted to know what my .300 win mag would do to a bunny, but money always holds me back.


----------



## Kevin D

Favorite jackrabbit gun?? Anything with open sights. Sure, a lot get away, but is that so bad?? It's all about the shooting for me. Guns that always make the trip on a jackrabbit hunt include my Winchester 1892 in .25-20, my Browning 92 in .44 Mag, and my .45 Colt revolver.


----------



## Last Man Standing

Kevin D said:


> Favorite jackrabbit gun?? Anything with open sights. Sure, a lot get away, but is that so bad?? It's all about the shooting for me. Guns that always make the trip on a jackrabbit hunt include my Winchester 1892 in .25-20, my Browning 92 in .44 Mag, and my .45 Colt revolver.


You take out some big guns for such little critters. I imagine a .44 and .45 colt are pretty devastating to a jackrabbit.


----------



## Flyfishn247

22-250

Though recently I have started taking my bow. It teaches patience and allows the population more of a chance to rebound. One thing for sure though, we don't allow shotguns in our group, that is just a slaughter.


----------



## stimmie78

I prefer a .22.... My .270 sure is fun though.. a big puff of fur and that's it!  I haven't used a shotgun on a rabbit in years... I never could understand why someone would want to. A .22 to the back of the neck so they do a flip is all it takes.


----------



## Kevin D

Last Man Standing said:


> [quote="Kevin D":2xasvnen]Favorite jackrabbit gun?? Anything with open sights. Sure, a lot get away, but is that so bad?? It's all about the shooting for me. Guns that always make the trip on a jackrabbit hunt include my Winchester 1892 in .25-20, my Browning 92 in .44 Mag, and my .45 Colt revolver.


You take out some big guns for such little critters. I imagine a .44 and .45 colt are pretty devastating to a jackrabbit.[/quote:2xasvnen]

Perhaps, but I don't really plan on eatin' em. Besides, I have some light loads for rabbits and other varmints. The cast bullets out of my .45 colt are traveling about 700 fps, hardly fast enough to flatten the lead hitting against a concrete wall. My .44 mag loads are going around 1,100 fps but if the light is just right, you can still see the bullet in flight.

BTW, these happen to be my favorite guns on pot guts as well


----------



## Bax*

The cool thing about hunting jacks with high power rifles is that it will make you a better shot with your high powered rifle. You really learn to make the shot count when you dont want to waste expensive ammo on follow up shots


----------



## DallanC

Bax* said:


> The cool thing about hunting jacks with high power rifles is that it will make you a better shot with your high powered rifle. You really learn to make the shot count when you dont want to waste expensive ammo on follow up shots


+1

-DallanC


----------



## Wind In His Hair

Last Man Standing said:


> I can imagine. I've always wanted to know what my .300 win mag would do to a bunny, but money always holds me back.


Speaking from experience.....a cloud of fur and a blood filled crater.


----------



## Critter

Now the last cotton tail that I shot with my .340 Weatherby just lost his head over the deal. All I could find of it was pieces of ears and some blood. 

It is kind of hard to justify shooting a bunny with a 225 grain slug that cost almost $2.00 for a reload, but they are too good of eating to pass up.


----------

