Rabbit Shooting, Hunting Tips with a Ruger 10/22

Rabbit Shooting, Hunting Tips with a Ruger 10/22

Let’s face it, not everyone has an entire weekend to go deer hunting. Young kids, people with limited land to hunt on, or even people who just don’t like sitting in a tree may still love hunting. Well, rabbit hunting is about as accessible as you can get.

Nearly everyone these days has the ubiquitous semi auto .22lr rifle. Usually a Ruger 10/22, but sometimes a Marlin model 60 or Savage Autoloader, whichever your pick there’s no reason to not grab your gun and get in the field. Thermal scopes can be useful if hunting during the dark is a part of the plan. You’d get that extra magnification and clarity needed during the night. Just ensure you have scanned the features of the thermal hunting scope thoroughly before getting one.

Here’s a few tip and tricks for rabbit hunting with a light and fast autoloading .22lr, especially a Ruger 10/22, and how you can enjoy your time in the field and be more successful.

Top Tips & Tricks for Rabbit Hunting

1. Follow All Laws & Best Practices

Most states have very liberal guidelines for rabbit hunting, but you still need to know what’s allowed and what will get you a citation. Get the correct license for you state and local government, know how close to buildings you can hunt, and know what you can and can’t do.

Also, consider using safety equipment while hunting. Normally when deer hunting you only fire one or two shots. Using a 10/22 for rabbit hunting means you’ll be firing several shots, certainly use hearing and eye protection! Be a good sportsman and pick up all of your brass as well.

2. Use Good Ammo

Hunting with a 10/22 means you’ll need good ammo. The ammunition needs to be able to cycle the action and needs a tough enough bullet to not explode on impact. Brands like CCI Maxi-Mag are excellent but bulk .22 Lightning ammo is not recommended for hunting. Bulk .22lr ammo is notorious for being unreliable, dirty, and under powered. Noting ruins a fast paced hunt like bad ammo. A copper plated, high velocity ammo is preferred, even if you’re using a suppressor.

3. Use a Sight

Get a good fast sight on your 10/22. Nothing beats a red dot for close in shots like rabbit hunting, but a low powered optics is better for shots out to 50 yards. The best things about the Ruger 10/22 is how easy it is to mount a low cost optic and take full advantage of it’s handling and shooting.

4. Aim to Save Meat

If you’re hunting down south, rabbits don’t have as much meat as their northern cousins. Aim for the head and try to save as much meat as possible. On larger rabbits, especially with cheap ammo, it’s entirely possible to hit a rabbit and have it run off into the weeds to be lost. If you have a dog, excellent! If not, choose your shots very carefully and be as ethical as possible.

5. Get Some Friends Together

Rabbit hunting is a great way to get friends together. The fast pact of the hunt, the plentiful number of game animals, and excellent opportunity means it’s perfect for new, young, and older hunters alike. Oftentimes, the best part of a small game hunt is the barbeque afterwards!

If you’re skittish about hunting, have a young family member, or someone who is interested in homesteading and self-reliance, rabbit hunting is a perfect way to introduce a love of the outdoors and an appreciation for mother nature.

Controlling other populations like groundhogs, crows, squirrels, and invasive species are easy with highly effective weapons like Ruger 10/22’s. Just get your hands on some good ammo, the correct license, and get in the field.

 Author BIO — McKinley Downing is an avid shooter & firearms instructor. He shoots, hunts and is a patriot in the sense that he enjoys pissing off gun grabbers and an anti-hunters. He has worked with and around firearms for several years, and enjoys talking to anyone interested in learning more about firearms and their 2nd Amendment rights. He currently writes for several online outlets on the use of guns and ammunition, you can find more articles from him on https://ioutdoorpursuit.com/