Large-bore centerfire small game

[vincecyr]

What boolits(and what velocities) tend to be favored for use on bunnies and similar sized fare. I'm just curious, especially in the larger calibers.

[megasupermagnum]

Very accurate, and in the head is ideal. A round nose, or even a spitzer if you have it, at a very low velocity will produce the least amount of damage.

[Springfield]

Seems liike overkill to use large bore on bunnies.

[White Oak]

My 356win will shoot one hole groups at 25 yards with a RCBS 35-200FN using a lite load of Titegroup at 700fps. My 15 year old son has honestly shot a 15 shot string that were all touching. It would be super fun and effective on small game.

[brewer12345]

I've shot rabbits out of a 357 lever using 38 special at standard pressure. At 800 FPS or so the RNFP boolit doesn't expand and it drills a 36 cal hole through the bunny. A bigger slug would do the same, just make sure your load is accurate and low velocity.

[cp1969]

Seems liike overkill to use large bore on bunnies.

It does to me, too. That's what .22's are for. If you use a SWC bullet, it won't damage the meat too much but the noise is too much.

[richhodg66]

What do you define as a big bore? Something like the Lee soup can .30 caliber works great. Even a .35 could duplicate a mid range .38 Special wad cutter pretty easily.

For those who think it's over kill, such loads are a lot less destructive than a .17 HMR or .22 WMR. Try it sometime.

A .30-30 downloads real easy and is a great small game round.

[Outpost75]

I use .30-30 down-loaded to .32-20 equivalent with 4 grains of Bullseye and 100-grain plain-based .32 revolver slug.

[vincecyr]

What do you define as a big bore?

Sorry. Should have specified. Say .36 cal and up, but especially interested in .44 and .45.

[missionary5155]

Round ball is a favorite for us We use range scrap sized to about .002 over groove. Push into a case so the "flat" sized part is in the case. Case should be sized just enough to have resistance. Then a little lube on the exposed nose.
5 grains of Unique. More or less to noise level and velocity. Cheap and fun !
Mike in LLama Land

[Kylongrifle32]

I have use similar loads in a Ruger 44 Blackhawk for frog and turtle hunting. Take a Speers .440 caliber black powder round ball and run it thru a Lee .430 sizer die. This swages the bullet down giving it a little bearing surface in the sides and crushes a flat base on the ball. Load in a 44 spl case with 4.5 grains of Unique. If your standing in the shade and shoot into the sunlight just right you can see the bullet travel thru the air.

[Thumbcocker]

.433 round ball rolled in liquid alox seated very deep in the case over 3-5 grains of fast powder (red dot, bullseye, 700x etc.). You will have to raise the rear sight way up on a handgun but they can be very accurate.

[GhostHawk]

.30-30, or 7.62x39 or .300BO with 4-6 grains of Red Dot and a smaller cast bullet like the Lee .314 90 gr Truncated cone sized down to .311 shoots great in every .30 I've tried it in. You really don't need MORE than that. So the only reason to go bigger is for personal protection vs deadly game.

And IMO hard to beat shotgun for that game. And a few 7.5's- 6's will pop bunnies, squirrels just fine.

[Doughty]

You mean like this? .45 Colt, velocity just shy of 1000fps.

[vincecyr]

You mean like this? .45 Colt, velocity just shy of 1000fps.

Boolit?

[Doughty]

Is there something besides boolits? It's a 280 grain boolit from a mold I made. Similar, sort of, to a LBT WLN.

[Doughty]

The photo is a little "miss" leading. It might appear that at the shot, the hare was broadside to me and that I aimed center mass and hit a little high. It was actually sitting looking at me, pointing slightly to my right. I aimed for it's right eye and "miss"ed slightly to my left, hitting it in the back and killing it just as if I had hit the head. No more than a fork full of meat lost.

[NoZombies]

My best results (least meat damage) use light bullets and low velocities. RB's work well. light HBWC's in .38 spl works great.

But really I mostly use the .22 ladybug or .32 long at this point for almost all of my small game hunting.

[Texas by God]

I've killed many a squirrel and cottontail with round balls in 30-30, .44 mag, and .45 ACP revolver. .310", .433", and .454" rb's with a coat of LLA over a pinch of Bullseye. Not overkill- just right kill. I'm currently looking for .380" and .413" RBs to work up .41 mag and .38-55 fun.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[Larry Gibson]

Sorry. Should have specified. Say .36 cal and up, but especially interested in .44 and .45.

Handguns, rifle or both?