Rabbit rifle

10/22 with a 2-7 or fixed 3x or 4x. Shots are going to be under 50 yards right? No reason for anything else IMO.
 
My favorite rabbit gun I own is a Marlin 981T. It wears a small diameter suppressor that allows use of the tube mag. Does really well with heavy standard velocity and "subsonic" labeled ammo.

View attachment 258372
I have a special place in my head for the 981T. Was my very first rifle. That suppressor sounds awesome for this rifle!
 
I usually go out at night and spotlight them, legal here in Texas. My rifle of choice is a Marlin model 25 and shorts. Works just fine. My springer pellet gun is too heavy to lug around or it would get used also.
 
At least Marlin and Henry made .32 levers. Marlin was .32H&R. Henry does the 327. I don't know about cycling .32 S&W.

A T/C Contender barrel is probably available on gunbroker or ebay right now. It'll probably be .32H&R or .327. Those will fire S&W but no idea about accuracy. A Contender will satisfy any want for trying something unusual because you can always order a barrel made.

As all this involves handloading, maybe which .32 case you load doesn't matter. No big deal to ream the revolver cylinder to .32H&R neither. People were reaming 16-4s to 327 before word got out and the prices skyrocketed. Probably shouldn't go too far with that.
 
Other than a 32 cal. Cap and ball gun I don’t think I’d chase rabbits with something that big intentionally. I use a Henry 22 mag with a fixed 4 power Simmons scope. Out to 200 yards it is dead nuts accurate and really doesn’t do any more damage than a regular 22.
 
As long as they are non expanding you are right, but good luck finding those. You hit a rabbit with a 22 Mag expanding bullet and you will have a explosion.

If you hit the heart/lung area it doesn't matter. No real meat loss.

But you certainly don't need that kind of power. I shoot rabbits on my property with a .25 FX Wildcat airgun. It puts out about 50 FPE at the muzzle. Rabbits hit in the chest out to 60Y go nowhere - usually one kick/flop and that's it.
 
Back
Top