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Just a little research before I stock up seeing as Im new to this calibre.
What .17 HMR ammo are you using for bunnies out to around 200 yds? Are ballistic tip or hollow points better for accuracy?
The bunnies will be taken for eating so I dont really want to turn them inside out

I use the 20 grain HP. Works fine on rabbits, but hares often need a second shot.

Never had any issues with the hornady ballistic tipped rounds.

And er, no animal should require a second shot.

Gh0st wrote:And er, no animal should require a second shot.

The .17 HMR while a good round, is not a death ray. When ranges get a little longer, or winds get up a bit, and shot placement cannot be guaranteed to be ideal, a larger or tougher animal sometimes does not expire immediately from the first shot. So rather than watch them spin around on the ground in agony, I give them a second shot.

DaveB wrote:

Gh0st wrote:And er, no animal should require a second shot.

The .17 HMR while a good round, is not a death ray. When ranges get a little longer, or winds get up a bit, and shot placement cannot be guaranteed to be ideal, a larger or tougher animal sometimes does not expire immediately from the first shot. So rather than watch them spin around on the ground in agony, I give them a second shot.

dude, if theres a reasonable doubt tbat wind etc will not get the results you want then dont take the shot, move closer....

Agreed with above, If you have any doubt your shot cannot be placed where all reasonable doubt is removed that it will dispatch your quarry..... Don't take it.

Its not fair on the quarry.

Shot placement can move if a fraction of a second before you pull the trigger the quarry moves resulting in a wounded animal at that point a second shot is the most humane thing to do.

No doubt, i dont think anyone can predict quarry movement, i think what we are saying is trying to avoid the margin for error by keeping your shot within a more acceptable distance to conditions and quarry.

If you can't see the individual hairs on the fur then don't take the shot.

And I do, but sometimes events occur which cannot always be predicted. Never had an issue with rabbits, but some of the hares were quite large and tough, and in spite of my best efforts, sometimes required a second shot.

Ideally I wouldn't have been using a rimfire at all. I have a heavy-barrelled Savage 110FP in .223 which I would have preferred to use instead. However safety would not permit the use of a larger calibre. This was some years ago now. This was not sport or hobby - it was a task. There was an order to destroy 'vermin' when and where found. We used a combination of poison and shooting. In my book shooting was more humane, even if I did need the odd second shot. That particular poison is nasty stuff by all accounts.

Moot point anyway, as that particular facility is now closed and the rabbits, hares and what-have-you are welcome to it.