Spotlighting bunnies and foxes(warning graphic pictures,if you DONT like DONT LOOK)

irish murphy · 01-28-2008, 01:30 AM

I went spotlighting lastnight after a 7 week break.Out with a couple of good mates.Wasnt very productive but as always its good to get out.The grass has grown very long on this place since i was there last.Made it very difficult to see any bunnies,and also made driving around very hard.Spent the whole night in low 4wd dodging rocks in the long grass.After a few bunnies were shot we spent a bit of time whistling foxes.Here are some pics from last night.The warning is for the last few pics of the fox being skinned.IF YOU DONT LIKE GRAPHIC PICS DONT SCROLL DOWN.If you do and dont like them dont whinge you were warned.

me with a bunnie

another bunny for me.This one i didnt hit.I tried to smash it with the 300wm at 20m and aimed a little low,the projectile exploded in front and gave the bunny bad shrapnel killing it.

My mates smiling fox

a bunny hit with the 22/250

mates fox fox

next time i take some skinning pics i will take a bit more time in the whole process and pics will be clearer.

jaeger · 01-28-2008, 02:25 AM

Wish we could spotlight rabbits here. The farm I hunt on has such a rabbit problem and we mearly make a dent during small game. Good shootin what were you using. (rifle?)

irish murphy · 01-28-2008, 02:32 AM

Arent you fellas allowed to spotlight?What a shame,its one of the best ways to shoot bunnies.

The rifles used on the night were mainly 223 and 22/250 but i just have a muck around with my 300mw.

jaeger · 01-28-2008, 02:41 AM

Only for racoon and opossum. You can however in NJ get a farm NIGHT HUNT PERMIT and spotlight deer but that is few and far between. I keep a old stevens 84d bolt .22 in my truck for rabbits when I go deer hunting and usually come home with at least 2 rabbits and well a deer here and there.

irish murphy · 01-28-2008, 02:46 AM

You shoot the bunnies after you have a deer.

jaeger · 01-28-2008, 02:51 AM

sure. love to have variety in the freezer. Plus its fun to shoot them.

PistolCity · 01-29-2008, 07:21 PM

Jaeger I would kill for your problem. Ive got dogs but cant seem to find enough rabbits. Ive only seen 8 all year and only killed 1 having a horrible year shooting. Time to get back to the clay courses. Maybe someday I'll be in your neck of the woods with a truck load of hounds...

ShawnF · 01-29-2008, 11:35 PM

great pics irish, ya have too put more up!

irish murphy · 01-30-2008, 04:27 AM

Thanks shawn,and no worries.I just got broadband speed back hahahahha.

300RUM · 01-30-2008, 10:42 AM

Thanks for the pics. I would like to see more skinning pics if you get a chance. We had rabbit for supper last night, fried 8 bunnies made gravy, biscuits, fried taters!
Cant beat that!

just_a_car · 01-30-2008, 06:51 PM

Man, that 22-250 sure destroyed that bunny. With all that fecal matter, I would imagine the meat was a total loss.

irish murphy · 01-31-2008, 03:03 AM

If we want some to eat we head shoot them,but most of the time its just seek and destroy.Most of what we shoot is feral,which is different to where you are.Most if not all of what you shoot is native.

Midas · 02-03-2008, 04:34 AM

Awesome pics Murph! I especially liked the bunny shot with the .22-250

irish murphy · 02-03-2008, 04:38 AM

Thanks for all the positive comments fellas.

mleist · 02-03-2008, 04:53 AM

hey murph do you use stock loads or do you use handloads? the reason i ask is i hand load and im looking for something a little better then what i have been loading. i like the exploding effect!!!

irish murphy · 02-03-2008, 05:05 AM

All the loads bar the 223 are handloads.My mate was running the 22/250 and i had the 300wm.But i can let you know what im running in my 22/250 and 222 if you are interested.Only i will have to liken them to hodgdon loads.The powder i use is aussie made and its also repackaged and sold to you fellas as hodgdon.Let me know what you are shooting.

mleist · 02-03-2008, 05:40 AM

im loading mine with 38.5 grains powder with a 55gr v-max from hornady i believe, and im using magnum primers, it is ok but im looking for a little better

irish murphy · 02-03-2008, 05:59 AM

I am figuring that is for 22/250.What powder are you using?Must be close to H380?Or even H414?
I am using the equivelent of hodgdon benchmark,which in the aussie ADI powders is called benchmark 2.

32 gns of it under a nosler 55gn BT.My mate is using 60gn SP.I dont know what load he is using and wont guess what it is.All this data isnt of much use to you anyway mate.You would be mad to load anything without working up to it.All rifles are different and like different loads.

mleist · 02-03-2008, 06:31 AM

ill try and post up some pics of some good hits with those BT's ill try and get some video of them too!

White Dog · 02-03-2008, 03:38 PM

Wow I'm Ok With your Pics,But do you know that the anti's see what we put on here That could be Amo for them.I quess you don eat easter Bunny Stew? Good luck.

01-28-2008, 01:30 AM	#1
irish murphy Banned Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Canberra,Australia Posts: 1,028 Blog Entries: 5	Spotlighting bunnies and foxes(warning graphic pictures,if you DONT like DONT LOOK) I went spotlighting lastnight after a 7 week break.Out with a couple of good mates.Wasnt very productive but as always its good to get out.The grass has grown very long on this place since i was there last.Made it very difficult to see any bunnies,and also made driving around very hard.Spent the whole night in low 4wd dodging rocks in the long grass.After a few bunnies were shot we spent a bit of time whistling foxes.Here are some pics from last night.The warning is for the last few pics of the fox being skinned.IF YOU DONT LIKE GRAPHIC PICS DONT SCROLL DOWN.If you do and dont like them dont whinge you were warned. me with a bunnie another bunny for me.This one i didnt hit.I tried to smash it with the 300wm at 20m and aimed a little low,the projectile exploded in front and gave the bunny bad shrapnel killing it. My mates smiling fox a bunny hit with the 22/250 mates fox fox next time i take some skinning pics i will take a bit more time in the whole process and pics will be clearer.

01-29-2008, 11:35 PM	#8
ShawnF Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Buffalo Wyoming Posts: 140	great pics irish, ya have too put more up! __________________ shoot low they might be crawling

01-30-2008, 06:51 PM	#11
just_a_car Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Edmonds, WA Posts: 3,742	Man, that 22-250 sure destroyed that bunny. With all that fecal matter, I would imagine the meat was a total loss. __________________ CETME Owners Group - Founder AK-47 owners Group - Member The Mosin Men Group - Member

02-03-2008, 04:34 AM	#13
Midas Troll B' Gone Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Springdale, Arkansas Posts: 3,939 Images: 2 Blog Entries: 6	Awesome pics Murph! I especially liked the bunny shot with the .22-250 __________________ "Recoil lasts for a second, gravity lasts forever"

01-28-2008, 02:25 AM	#2
jaeger Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: NJ Posts: 437 Images: 3	Wish we could spotlight rabbits here. The farm I hunt on has such a rabbit problem and we mearly make a dent during small game. Good shootin what were you using. (rifle?)

01-28-2008, 02:32 AM	#3
irish murphy Banned Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Canberra,Australia Posts: 1,028 Blog Entries: 5	Arent you fellas allowed to spotlight?What a shame,its one of the best ways to shoot bunnies. The rifles used on the night were mainly 223 and 22/250 but i just have a muck around with my 300mw.

01-28-2008, 02:41 AM	#4
jaeger Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: NJ Posts: 437 Images: 3	Only for racoon and opossum. You can however in NJ get a farm NIGHT HUNT PERMIT and spotlight deer but that is few and far between. I keep a old stevens 84d bolt .22 in my truck for rabbits when I go deer hunting and usually come home with at least 2 rabbits and well a deer here and there.

01-28-2008, 02:46 AM	#5
irish murphy Banned Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Canberra,Australia Posts: 1,028 Blog Entries: 5	You shoot the bunnies after you have a deer.

01-28-2008, 02:51 AM	#6
jaeger Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: NJ Posts: 437 Images: 3	sure. love to have variety in the freezer. Plus its fun to shoot them.

01-29-2008, 07:21 PM	#7
PistolCity Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Indiana Posts: 170	Jaeger I would kill for your problem. Ive got dogs but cant seem to find enough rabbits. Ive only seen 8 all year and only killed 1 having a horrible year shooting. Time to get back to the clay courses. Maybe someday I'll be in your neck of the woods with a truck load of hounds...

01-30-2008, 04:27 AM	#9
irish murphy Banned Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Canberra,Australia Posts: 1,028 Blog Entries: 5	Thanks shawn,and no worries.I just got broadband speed back hahahahha.

01-30-2008, 10:42 AM	#10
300RUM Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: KY. (like the jelly) Posts: 66	Thanks for the pics. I would like to see more skinning pics if you get a chance. We had rabbit for supper last night, fried 8 bunnies made gravy, biscuits, fried taters! Cant beat that!

01-31-2008, 03:03 AM	#12
irish murphy Banned Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Canberra,Australia Posts: 1,028 Blog Entries: 5	If we want some to eat we head shoot them,but most of the time its just seek and destroy.Most of what we shoot is feral,which is different to where you are.Most if not all of what you shoot is native.

02-03-2008, 04:38 AM	#14
irish murphy Banned Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Canberra,Australia Posts: 1,028 Blog Entries: 5	Thanks for all the positive comments fellas.

02-03-2008, 04:53 AM	#15
mleist Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: colorado Posts: 15 Images: 4	hey murph do you use stock loads or do you use handloads? the reason i ask is i hand load and im looking for something a little better then what i have been loading. i like the exploding effect!!!

02-03-2008, 05:05 AM	#16
irish murphy Banned Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Canberra,Australia Posts: 1,028 Blog Entries: 5	All the loads bar the 223 are handloads.My mate was running the 22/250 and i had the 300wm.But i can let you know what im running in my 22/250 and 222 if you are interested.Only i will have to liken them to hodgdon loads.The powder i use is aussie made and its also repackaged and sold to you fellas as hodgdon.Let me know what you are shooting.

02-03-2008, 05:40 AM	#17
mleist Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: colorado Posts: 15 Images: 4	im loading mine with 38.5 grains powder with a 55gr v-max from hornady i believe, and im using magnum primers, it is ok but im looking for a little better

02-03-2008, 05:59 AM	#18
irish murphy Banned Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Canberra,Australia Posts: 1,028 Blog Entries: 5	I am figuring that is for 22/250.What powder are you using?Must be close to H380?Or even H414? I am using the equivelent of hodgdon benchmark,which in the aussie ADI powders is called benchmark 2. 32 gns of it under a nosler 55gn BT.My mate is using 60gn SP.I dont know what load he is using and wont guess what it is.All this data isnt of much use to you anyway mate.You would be mad to load anything without working up to it.All rifles are different and like different loads.

02-03-2008, 06:31 AM	#19
mleist Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: colorado Posts: 15 Images: 4	ill try and post up some pics of some good hits with those BT's ill try and get some video of them too!

02-03-2008, 03:38 PM	#20
White Dog Registered User Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: NY Posts: 13	Wow I'm Ok With your Pics,But do you know that the anti's see what we put on here That could be Amo for them.I quess you don eat easter Bunny Stew? Good luck.