A Dozen Deviants Dispatched. .177 for body shots?

[pipa 299]

this is so correct darcy, alot of people think body shots are anywhere on the body? but the vital area is heart and lung area, do this with either 177 or 22 and its game over! i claimed my 1st squirrel with a clean body shot with my hw100 177 it dropped stone dead,

chris

[The Duncan 802]

I think it also depends on the animal. When I refer to body shots I really mean 'engine room' - heart and lungs.

Squirrels at sensible ranges have little defence to a .177 pellet drilling into their engine room. Ribs don't stop the pellet either.

Full grown buck rabbits? different scenario and there I would definitely stick to a headshot.

I agree with Phantoms point about kits too. I've seen em bounce for several minutes after being brain shot; the cranium being more or less empty! So an engine room shot seems to switch them off faster.

With body shots, the simple problem is, that if the shot falls low, a gut shot occurs and that means a more drawn out death is inevitable, no matter what pellet calibre you use.

But if you go for the cranium, a low shot means usually hitting the neck, which means at the very least, paralysis and the opportunity for a swift follow up shot. If the shot was really bad for the cranium and it falls even lower, then the engine room may be hit; dead critter. (and more practise needed!).

I would take an engine room shot on a squirrel though, if the cranium wasn't on for a clear shot.

 

Good post, good bag and a good debate started!

 

Cheers

 

Duncan.

[J Darcy 5,871]

A good debate chaps....keep it going.

[rossi_j 99]

I disagree j.d . . . . .

 

I recon if you shoot a pidgeon up the arse with a .243 its still going down :laugh:

 

 

o.k, so whats better .22 or .177 . . . .

 

I take head or body shots as and when they come, just got to judge it for yourself, for me personaly there is someting satisfying about clean head shots so usualy favour those, but as i said before, take them as they come

 

Nice shooting,

 

 

[pest hunter 151 15]

Eather a hart shot or a head shot will kill but the hard part of a hart shot is that you cant see it.

[tegater 789]

I see it that not everybody has a high skill level with a rifle/air rifle, and the user must know their, and their rifles limitations. Both types of shot have their limitations, and a squirrel with a busted jaw, or a crow with a smashed off beak are going to suffer equally if not far more than a gut shot animal. I dont think it is as easy as to say one is better than the other.

As for the young bunnies bouncing around. One thing is for certain, they may not know they are dead, but they are just as dead as any other animal that is dead. They just react differently to the shot.

Good interesting post.

[longy0710 2]

Very good post JD

 

I agree that with certain animals (Magpies/Ferals/Squirrels) than an engine room shot is not only as effective but also easier to place the pellet correctly as these quarry move around alot.

 

Rabbits on the other hand, i feel the KZ is big enough to always head shoot with out question.

 

Just bought Si's old .25 ultra and i can tell you, they dont run off if you hit them with a 20gr HNN!! But the placement still has to be right!!

[jazmin 44]

Is the proof not there already in the pic posted if its top end heart lung or neck (like my last one) in .177 its going to do its job.To many people read too much and take it as the done thing

Edited November 19, 2011 by jazmin

[andyfr1968 772]

I've always gone for body shots on squirrels, rats, magpies and ferral pigeon as a matter of course and I always will.

 

As has been said, so long as the correct part of the animal's body is hit then it's dead, .177, .20, .22 or .25.

[old timer123 367]

use to be 22 crazy as a kid bags were all ways small but taught me how to shoot with hold over an all that now im a fully paid up member of the 177 brigade an my bags are bigger lol accuracy over power any day... a think 22 an 25 would really be for the fac for the flatter tragectory but if like me you arent an fac holder then the 177 takes some batting.... not to say i havent racked em up with the 22 as i have an i must admit i learnt more from using 22 as you have to choose shots more an learn to shoot with more hold over on long range targets... i think all calibres have there place in hunting an its nice to think back an see how youve progressed from when you was a kid an a mere novice lol think im still a novice tell you truth just my bags have got bigger by one or so lol