Best Guns

[gun runner]

I like my auto 20ga browing light weight the old ones love it,But i did just pick up a sweet little 410 auto 1100 that iam going to try out .It suck that the shells are higher,but cant wait to shoot it.I have people already tired to get the 410 off of me,no sale

[island hare chas'r]

RUGER HUNTER 22 CAL. SEMI AUTO PISTOL WITH LAZER-RUGER SINGLE 6 22 CAL.REVOLVER 10 INCH BARREL- DOGS ALWAYS GET A GOOD LONG RUN AND WE DON'T HAVE TO LUG AROUND A LONG GUN IN THE CEDAR SWAMPS- WE ALSO DON'T HAVE TO SPEND ALL NITE CLEANING HARES.

[bucks better beagles]

Shotguns too heavy, pistols/rifles/ too dangerous. 12 gauge destroy too much rabbit. Long winded and unnecessary specs. Why not let these high priced dogs do the killing? After all, they do all the work. This way, you don't have to carry any extra weight, clean any shot up rabbits, and make the dogs happy.

[Casey Harner]

I shoot a Remington 870 youth model 20 gauge. Got this gun when I was 9 years old. I still shoot this gun and is my rabbit gun. I am gonna pass this gun down to my son or daughter.

[fatboy]

Performance wise the bigger is better, but rabbit shooting wise, depends on range you want to shoot or are able to shoot. I use a contender 14" 410 sometimes when the range will probably be 25 yards or closer. In areas where its more open and shots may be farther I use an 1187 12 ga. with an adjustable choke. If I want to shoot close range I open the choke for close shots, and may use a reload with less shot. I can ,by reloading and choke make the 12 shoot like the smaller gauages. but you can't get the smaller guages to peform as well as the 12 at longer ranges. And you can't get the 12 to weigh as little as the smaller guages. For most of us its about what we prefer to use, and the conditions like range, brush thickness and how bad you want to kill a rabbit. I hunted with a fellow last season that had a 20 ga. synthetic 1187 with a 3'' chamber that I thought made a nice all around rabbit gun for the area we hunt. He only used 2 3/4 in. shells , but the 3"option was there.

[bluemouse]

I hunt with a stick it depends on the day to what size I pick and the cover I hunt, the larger stick I use in heavy cover to get to the rabbit and break the briars. Gw your statement about if a rabbits to close let it make another circle would not cut it it here because its hard to see a dog at 20 yards here. 95% of the rabbits killed here are head shot or beat with a stick. Never have to spit BB's at the table. Just kidding about the stick thing but guys why are yall harking on gauges and shot, anybody who has hunted rabbits for long know that if you break the skin on a rabbit he will drop dead its one of the easy small game to harvest with little shot to induce death. to keep with the thread 16 ga single or sxs 90% of the time.

[bbg]

Nothing is as versatile as the 12guage. Lite game loads can be bought off the shelf that wont ruin rabbits. Heavy loads can be bought to handle any other game. If only one gun can be owned it has to be the 12... That said, my rabbit hunting gun of choice is a single shot .410 with a full choke. Its very lite to carry and can take rabbits at 40 yards. My daughter (who is my favorite hunting partner) knocks em down with a single shot 20guage modified choke.

[BLACKBART]

I PERSONALLY HUNT WITH A 410, 26 INCH FULLCHOKE, SINGLE BARRELL. BUT WHAT MAKES A GUN MY CHOSE IS IF IT FITS ME. HAVE OWNED SOME GUNS THAT SHOT A GREAT PATTERN, BUT WHEN I BROUGHT THEM UP FAST THEY WERE OUT OF LINE, A MISS! PICK UP A GUN AND LOOK AT SOMETHING, THROW UP FAST AND IF YOU ARE IN LINE THIS GUN WILL WORK FOR YOU. TOOK MY 410 TO A SKEET SHOOT AND WALKED AWAY WITH THE MONEY, WHY GOOD SHOT, NO. GUN FITS ME. LOTS OF ARGUEMENTS OVER KILL DISTANCE. KNEW A MAN HAD A 28 GAUGE 1100 THAT WOULD KNOCK A POP CAN OVER AT MEASURED 80 YARDS EVERYTIME, MANY TRIED WITH ALL KINDS OF 12 GUAGES AND DID NOT, THIS MAN WON A LOT OF MONEY ON BETS AND I DON'T REMEMBER HJM LOOSING.
REMEMBER THE SAME DOG DOESN'T SUIT EVERY MAN, THE SAME WOMAN EITHER, SO WHY WOULD THE SAME GUN.
PLEASE BOYS RESPECT ONE ANOTHER, AND REMEMBER NO ONE KNOWS IT ALL, OR HAS SEEN IT ALL.

[mooredog]

My Daddy always said " it does not matter what your shooting if you can't hit what your shooting at " use what works for you ! most of all have FUN WATCHING THE DOGS RUN !!!!!! LOL !

[bigdog]

mooredog! that statement couldnt of been said any better, 100% true.

[bucks better beagles]

Bart, are you saying that all one has to do to get a rabbit gun is have it "fit me" or them in this case? That a 410 in the right hands, can be just as dangerous to a rabbit as my $450 Remington 12 gauge? We don't have to worry about gauge, weight, barrel length, fps, high or low velocity loads, shot size, pattern density, pellet energy, chokes, pistol caliber, multiplicity of rounds, price, etc., etc.? Surely, this makes it too easy.

Is it possible that you may have taken home the money because of a little bit of hand/eye coordination? Could anybody have shot the same 1100, 28 gauge that your marksman did and knock a pop can over every time at 80 yards? I couldn't even see a pop can at 80 yards. Let alone hit it with any kind of consistency.

[gun runner]

hey blackbart how true you are,do not care what gauge you shoot if the gun does not fit you it does not work as well.I learn that in warefowl hunting could not under stand why i was missing all the time.But one of the older guys i was hunting with told me if you can not throw that gun up and be looking stright down the the gun it is no good for you.So i found a gun that suit me perfect and the ducks started fallen.Same a rabbit hunting when you throw that gun up it sould be right there every time

[Crow]

I shoot a remington 1100 20 gauge with improved cylinder. Been switching back & forth from #6's & #7 1/2's. The #6's obviously have fewer shot to end up in the rabbit but their higher mass equals more terminal energy so seem to do more damage than the smaller & lighter #7 1/2's but there are more pellets to fly & thus land in the rabbit. I apparently ain't good enough to consistently make head shots (but I do get lucky from time to time). Never really had issue with range. I have killed out to about 45 or 50 yards & won't shoot under about 10 yards. Used a 12 gauge for a couple years but couldn't find any loads or choke combo's that suited me as far as shooting up rabbits. Not saying they're not out there but with the price of choke tubes & shells I was unwilling to continue the search. I have reloaded shot shells in the past & this is a chore not a pass time for me. I just don't enjoy it. I can sit at the bench all day & reload rifle rounds but shot shells just irritate me, go figure, doesn't make sense to me either. As for "knock down power" I have failed to see much need in anything other than having enough to get through the hide & into the body. Like a previous post said, proly the easiest critter in the woods to kill (if you can hit it). Anyway, I've rambled enough about that, so I will say this. If anyone knows of a fair priced & quality 28 gauge O/U on the market or has one they would willingly part with let me know. Not looking for a beautiful show gun or some high dollar skeet model with gold & engraving everywhere. Just a good dependable O/U. Shoot what you like boys & girls, just as long as you're out there.

[BLACKBART]

B.B.B.
AS YOU KNOW, NO RULE FITS ALL PEOPLE. I SAY MY BROTHER TAKE A PELLET GUN AND BEAT A MAN KILLING RABBITS WHO WAS USING A 7 TO 8 HUNDRED DOLLAR BROWNING AUTO. WE KNOW THAT ALL THINGS ARE NOT CONSISTENT. I SAW THIS SAME BROTHER SHOOT AT A RABBIT ACROSS A HOLLOW FROM TOP OF MOUNTIAN TO BOTTOM OF OTHER SIDE 120 TO 130 YARDS. WHEN HE THREW UP TO SHOOT I JUST LAUGHED UNTILL THE RABBIT WENT TO GOING RIGHT AROUND AND ROUND. HE SAID I HIT THAT RABBIT. DOGS CAME UP AND CAUGHT THE RABBIT. WHEN WE CHECKED IT, IT HAD ONE SHOT RIGHT BEIOW THE EAR JUST UNDER THE SKIN. BOUGHT A 20 GAUGE REM. SPECIAL FIELD 20 IN. FULL CHOKE, COULD NOT KILL A RABBIT HARDLY AT ALL WITH IT. PROBLEM--GUN NO GOOD. NO, IT DID NOT FIT MY ARM LENGTH. SAME BROTHER TOOK THIS GUN AND KILLED 6 RABBITS ONE DAY AND NEVER MISSED A SHOT. THESE AND THE 28 GAUGE STORY ARE EXTREMES I KNOW.
BUT IF YOU BUY THE BEST GUN MADE AND CAN NOT HIT YOUR TARGET, WHAT HAVE YOU GOT.
AS GUNS ARE DIFFERENT, SO ARE MEN. IF YOU CAN DRIVE A VOLKSWAGON THROUGH THE EYE OF A NEEDLE, WHY BY A CADDILAC. PRESTIGE I GUESS. BRAGGING RIGHTS.
ALL I'M SAYING IS IF YOU HIT YOUR MARK CONSISTENTLY, AND QUICKLY, THEN YOU HAVE THE GUN FOR YOU.
I SAW YOU KILL SEVERAL RABBITS ON THE RUN WITH A 22.
TAKE YOUR GUN AND PICK A SPOT, THROW UP FAST AND IF YOU ARE LOOKING DIRECTLY DOWN THE BARREL AT THAT SPOT, YOU WILL HIT IT A LOT MORE OFTEN.
IF NOT TRY ANOTHER GUN UNTILL YOU FIND THE ONE THAT FITS YOU, BE IT A BROWNING OR A 75.OO 410 FLORIDA MADE.
ONE OTHER THING TO ADD, TIGHT SHOT PATTERN DOES NOT ALWAYS MEAN KILL POWER.

[smokedawg]

Browning A5 Light 20 gauge. 26 inch improved cylinder with low brass 6 shot.