Pellet first shot/kill problem

[James M]

Went out last night to remove a bunny or two from the church yard and had a nightmare. I hit a rabbit nice and square in the side of the head at about 25yds and it ran off. It stopped about 60yds away still looking fit and well. I had the rimmy with me to go into a connecting field so I droppedit with that. I shot it in the body with the rimmy just to have a look at its head. Now there was definite puncture wound from the pellet but no exit. I'm using an AAS410K .22 with AA pellets.22 (obviously, the others fall out of the mag.). I chronoed it over 30 shots last night 11.68lbs average. I looked at another i shot at 30 yds the hole was in and out.
I shot another this morning 15 yds and that ran off but dropped after about 25 feet. I know when you head shoot they do have strange reactions but again there was only penetration on one side. Should I go for heavier loads ar what else can be going wrong? I cant see that the power is altering as the zero never shifts if i'm paper punching.

Help Please

[hillbill]

I also have a 410K .22. the aa fields are 16 gr which IMO is plenty.If you want more weight then then you would have to compensate for a lower velocity and a more pronounced trajectory.I've found that the aa fields work nice for me.But if your doubting the pellet then you dont have full confidence in your combo.I may get some different views to this but Eley Wasps 5.5 mm are damn accurate in mine and also put out a little more ft/lbs, 11.87 last time i put a string through my skan chrono.So maybe you could give them a go and see if it works for you.I've had the odd rabbit go on a mad un after i've placed a pellet in its brain but you've just got to remember that there are just so many variables with each individual shot no two will ever be identical

[Godd]

Not entirely connected with the question, but? I did the same with a bunny, head shot at around 25 yds and it actually moved just as I squeezed the shot off. Anyway(using rapid 7)I always reloaded asap and as I reloaded I instinctively I suppose squeezed another shot off at the running bunny (Running right to left)and it dropped like a stone! I picked it up and like before it had a perfect hole a little above the eye and another just at the base of the skull!? Now was my first shot out because the rabbit moved? and the hip shot the one that did the damage? Or vice versa?? I will never know I suppose!!

Chris

[dazzpol]

Funny in a strange kind of way, I shot a rabbit with a head shot using my .22 MFR (AA field 16grn) at about 25yrds, the bunny rolled over and twitched. When I went to retrieve it I couldn't see a wound of any description at all. I checked the body to see if I'd got it there and still nothing.

Strange

Dazz

PS the rifle is putting out 11.7ft/lbs

[Micky Spillane]

Just a thought on this one, remember pellets do suffer from inconsistencies, even the best of makes can't give 100% from a tin of 500. Don't blame it on yourself. In the words of the profit **** happens.
Drink good English bitter beer and shoot safe.
Micky Spillane

[Saddle Tramp]

Had they same problem, week ago last wednesday. 8 times I hit them and all head shots at less than 30 yards. SPECTACULAR bounce each time, flip up and around 180 degrees, lay, apparently dead for a split second then an ultra quick scramble, back into the wee hole in the base of the gorse and back into the warrent, too quick and too short a distance for a coup de grace. Using H&N FTT's in .20

Cronoed the Career 707 at 11.8 ft.lbs whilst setting the scope at 30 yards. Did it again AFTER and its was STILL 11.8 ft.lbs. On Thursday gave the gun to the local gunsmith, who stripped it down and found a badly worn transfer port & O ring, which he replaced. Been out with the rifle since, same Golf Course and the same location. 30 shots, 10 for sighting purposes, 5 misses and 15 hits. NONE got away this time!

I do hope that they enjoyed their Rabbit & veggy pies at the Club, the two the cook gave me, sure melted in the mouth. On me way out to the same place now, 2045 pm, this time testing me D141M and lamp.


Saddle Tramp.

PS. I'm a lazy so & so, using a fold up camping chait, £7.99 from Argos and a Knoblock Tripod.

[maxis500]

Originally posted by dazzpol
Funny in a strange kind of way, I shot a rabbit with a head shot using my .22 MFR (AA field 16grn) at about 25yrds, the bunny rolled over and twitched. When I went to retrieve it I couldn't see a wound of any description at all. I checked the body to see if I'd got it there and still nothing.

Strange

Dazz

PS the rifle is putting out 11.7ft/lbs

Often I find that the better the shot, the less the apparent damage or bleeding. I've always put this down to the fact that the perfect "instant lights out" brainshot does exactly that, shuts down the CNS and heart almost instantly, which means very little bleeding, often just a tiny trickle down half an inch or so from the entrance wound. When I see this, I know it has been a good shot.

[icarus]

I've hit rabbits with a dead-on head shot, perfect positioning and they have still flipped and jumped around for 30 seconds until I've chopped them behind the neck, they can't run away but I'm sure its not just nerves making them flip about.
Then again I've hit rabbits in exactly the same place and they just fell over sideways stone dead. I even had one that I thought I'd missed because it never moved but just looked like it was crouched down, when I got up to it it was dead with a neat hole in its head.

I shot a magpie recently and took off the top of its head and it still flew off, it dropped after 50 yards but that was one tough bird.

[Steyr]

I find this difficult to understand.

On paper, I can single hole or keep it as tight as a 5 p peice and I know I am hitting where I am aiming. My hunter rig is damn accurate and I am well acquainted with it.

I hate wounding and like to make it a lights out deal if I can but I have had several shots that have required a second one + down the spout.

Last shoot was a good case in point. Light woodland - first bunny 35 yarder cross hair on bonce affair. Kneeling shot - no twigs en-route heard the thwack but it just kept walking about!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Second shot didn't seem to have any effect either and 3rd shot was to the engine room. End of story.

On inspection, the head shots seemed to have been text book placements but !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Later, saw ears poking out of the top of a hollow 30 yard stander. steadied X hairs, gentle squeeze, follow through keeping rifle on aim after the shot had gone and bang - down it went on the spot ? It didnt even spring up as it knew I was there but thought I couldnt see him.

Rabbit number three spotted at 50 - stalked to 30. very steady kneeling shot smack on target. Hell of a THOCK on impact but blow me if it did't just turn around and walk to a burrow. Admittedly it happened to be standing right by it but I didnt know this till I got to the spot concerned.

I shoot .177 for the benefit of the flatter traj but I am thinking of going .20 or .22 for the extra energy it might impart.

Any ideas as to why good shots (prima facia) are not doing the business. Where do people aim on the target Brain box or neck/spinal nervous systyem ?


Steyr

[scottywong]

have had same prob in past (good head shot then they run off)i use hw97 .22 changed pellets to superfeilds with semi dumb dumb tip and now they go down straight away.think its aenergy transfer instead of going straight through thing.
scotty

[si72]

alot of good points made so far i agree with scotty im sure its down to transfer of energy on inpact rather than penetration. case in point i shot a large hare last weekend at 30m+ it did a little foxtrot for 3 secs then fell over dead on inspection there was next to no penetration but with 22grns it must be like being hit in the head with a hammer. I used to use 177 but had too many run aways and in the dark its just not funny. It may sound calous but i dont aim for the head much unless i have to i go for the heart lungs etc this is a better way of stopping them running away. possums on the other hand require the head shot other wise they just slope off. tough little buggers.

[Gary C]

We shot 22 the other night and picked up 20. All head shots with FAC air rifles. I have found that it depends on whether the rabbit has seen you and is alert.

The fight or flight reflex can kick in on a "Dead" rabbit and it will run a few yards. We were near long grass and brambles and a couple just flipped into there.

In terms of heart / lung shots. I will do it with a rimmy and it stops them every time, but 12ft/lbs and 16 grains this is totally unsuitable and will leave a lot of wounded animals. I studied this using a 40 ft/lb ripper and Biz mags - too many runners.

[si72]

shorley shome mishtake mate we are not limited to 12ft like in uk our rifles are full power i think mine is more like 15-16 but look it up if you like i could stand corrected. but belive me they do not run away after being hit with 22grn h&n. they mostly stagger then fall over dead. any way if they dont they dont go far normally (cant use back legs if this is the case) pellets r cheap just give them another 2 cents worth.

[napier]

seems like a few of you guys are forgeting the shape of a bunnies skull....hit it square it goes down....hit it on an angle the pellet deflects...still major damage but not instant kill...next time you get a kill feel the shape of the skull...this might explain the so far unexplained...

[Steyr]

Damned good point napier - hadn't thought of that. Have to start about course of least resistance if on an angle.