Follow up shots for wabbits

[green river]

I shot a rabbit the other day with a 6mm air sniper rifle that goes 500 fps+. BB traveled around 20m, hit center mass and rabbit bolted away. Any tips for going after it or follow up shots?

 

[Soj51hopeful]

Ya, use a friggin 12 gauge.
Gosh!!!

 

[green river]

good idea. But this is in a neighborhood.

 

[Taudisio]

You shot it with an airsoft gun?

 

[green river]

correct

 

[Taudisio]

It probably did not penetrate the skin. Get yourself a pellet gun 600+fps. A wrist rocket works too.

Just out of curiosity, what grain .20?
Have you had it over a chronograph?

 

[green river]

BB was shot from an air gun so no grains. No, i did not have it over a chronograph.

 

[green river]

will a .25 cal 700 fps, 24 fpe work?

 

[Taudisio]

BB was shot from an air gun so no grains. No, i did not have it over a chronograph.

You can and should definitely shoot heavier BBs in an airsoft gun. .20’s are standard and sting, .40’s are typical in “sniper rifles” and you can definitely feel the difference.

I assume you are a youth, get a pellet gun for shooting backyard critters. I first started getting them with a daisy 880 which has ample power for rabbits.

 

[Taudisio]

will a .25 cal 700 fps, 24 fpe work?

A .25 cal pellet gun? Yes, may be a bit over penetration for a backyard. The fpe doesn’t matter so much unless you like in the uk where they are restricted to 12 joules iirc.

 

[green river]

thank you

 

[yfarm]

Years ago bought a chinese .177 air rifle at a gun show for $19.95, put a chinese scope on it as well. Had rabbits digging nests in the backyard, wife and a friend were having coffee in the kitchen, looking out over the backyard , saw a rabbit leap straight up about 2 feet and fall back seized and died. Wife says he must be at it with pellet gun. 25 yd head shot, that cheap one stroke rifle has killed rabbits, squirrels, land crabs and chased a lot of raccoons out of yards in the midwest and texas. Best $19.95 I ever spent. Sell now on ebay for about $80. Scopes are still cheap at $25.

 

[green river]

cool i am thinking of getting the daisy 880 as suggested by Taudisio. looks like good price for its value

 

[long hunter]

good idea. But this is in a neighborhood.

Then don’t shoot it at all

 

[Scoot]

I shot a lot of rabbits with a Daisy 880 when I was a kid. ...and squirrels, birds, and just about everything else. That's a far better option than you are currently using.

 

[MunsterMash16]

Echoing what others have said. I killed my first rabbit with a red ryder bb gun, so it is do-able. But "hunting" with an airsoft gun is not exactly what I would consider moral. You still need to be in possession of your small game license while doing so, and hunt during the season.

Now if the rabbit, or a squirrel was shot for being a nuisance, or making a nest under a deck/ shed, then I would make sure that I can get a headshot within 20yds. I'm sure that it would at least stun the varmint enough to go over and finish it off, but to summarize, there is a good chance that the 1 shot from the airsoft gun will likely not be lethal on its own.

 

[Taudisio]

Echoing what others have said. I killed my first rabbit with a red ryder bb gun, so it is do-able. But "hunting" with an airsoft gun is not exactly what I would consider moral. You still need to be in possession of your small game license while doing so, and hunt during the season.

Good point, but that also depends on what state, or even country they are in. This is an open forum.