over - run with cotton tails here

I haven't hunted cottontails for close to 30 years around here.  Tularemia is rife throughout the southern third of the state, so I avoid taking the critters.  

Marie and I were in the eastern desert today, not quite half-way to Blythe from Indio and about 10 miles south of I-10.  We noticed the jackrabbit numbers seem to have rebounded from the past few years of low population.  Marie did kick up a mountain lion about 25 yards away, close enough to hear its paws clattering on the talus it was running across.  No hostilities commenced, the cat was outbound most ricky-tick......I'm sorry to have not seen the critter myself.  Marie was a mite excited, you could say--metal detector in one hand, daypack hanging off one shoulder, and P-228 in the other hand--walking quickly back to the truck looking behind her more than ahead in the direction she was going.  I don't often see Marie go Full Castilian Mode, but today's sighting produced it.  Wide eyes, rapid speech, but all English this time......you know The Inquisition and DefCon 4 are about to commence when all of these characteristics are narrated in Catalan Spanish.  At such times, I have found it advantageous to seek high ground--stay low--and keep dark.

A freshly shot cottontail make a meal to remember, more than one is better. Many years ago my late son Ryan and I were hunting around Zunino Reservoir and had a successful morning of it. The plan was to take them home, but hunger got the best of us, and we cooked them over a sage bruxh fire, the meat for us, the inards for our Chow/Shepard mix Finnegan. Even without salt, pepper, or spices those rabbits made a satisfying meal.

Thanks to another member here I have been able to re-acquaint myself with the 22 Hornet's good work via his Ruger #3 so chambered.  Speer 45 grain bullets have done well for me, causing grief and consternation to Nevada ground squirrels for the past 2 springs.  If using full-tilt loads, make head shots.......center-mass hits go "Hannibal Lecter" rather comprehensively, unless at extreme range.  Just before "closing up shop" in Ridgecrest 18 months ago, I got some delightful cast bullet work from this same rifle using Lyman #225438 (42 grains in Linotype) sized .225"......Carnauba Red lube/all grooves.......9.0 grains of Alliant 2400......sparked by Rem #6-1/2 primers in W-W brass.  Close to 2400 FPS, 100 yard groups (5 each) ran 1.4"-1.7", and held together to 200 yards for 3"-3.5" 5-shotters.  

Kinda proud of the uber-velocity/accuracy results in a small caliber centerfire.  For my next stunt, the 223 and 22-250 will get similar R&D with the RCBS 22-55-SP.  The bullet scaling to get the results from the 22 Hornet was a little time-consuming, but the end result justified it.  All that tin in the Lino sure does cast a pretty, uniform bullet--I used 1/2 of 1% variance tolerance, and the bell-curve for about 300 bullets was REMARKABLY close--70% of castings were within the determined mean (41.8 grains, +/- 0.1 grain).  I have a digital jeweler's scale that measures to the hundredth grain......kinda gilding the lily, but I was trying to prove a point.  No, this won't occur with my 9mm plinking ammo refills!  :-)  The mould is a single-cavity Ideal of advanced age, but in fine shape--a real joy to cast with, unlike some smallbore moulds.    

we had cottontail for dinner again today. Used up what I got a couple evenings ago. I shot 10 from my yard that evening. If we don't get them cleared out now there will be little hope for a garden come summer. I think there is still half a dozen in my yard I see often but the number is getting more manageable. This past session was not the first since the R months came there have been a couple previous so you can see we had a problem.
Now when the new hornet arrives I plan to hunt rabbits in earnest outside the confines of my yard as well. With the numbers proliferating as they are locally it wont be much of a chore to put up 100 pounds of rabbit in the freezer. The cottontails get saved for frying and the jacks go into sausage.

I don't remember that - or any reason for it.... now there are just too many and garden season is so important! BS Mom

yeah - it worked! BS Mom

I have had 5 of the Ruger mod 77 22 hornets, a couple of their #3 carbines, several smith built single shots, one of the newer Browning low walls, a CZ Lux and a TCR 83 . Of those two stood out above the rest for accuracy the CZ and the TCR.
I have high hopes for the nostalgic smith built Krag action 22 hornet I should be receiving soon. The seller said it easily shot moa and he was shooting only factory ammo. It has a Weaver K-6 mounted and should suffice nicely for a hornet.
Strangely there were two of these on GB at the same time. The other was professionally listed with a bunch of pictures and it sold quickly for over $800.00.
The one I went for was listed as a gun smith special and I think that turned people off to looking at it. The owner is not a professional seller and felt he no longer had need of or desire to keep this rifle so put it on the block.
He was asking more than I wanted to pay so I made an offer then he counter offered and we agreed. Total came to $410.00 shipped which seems reasonable if you search pricing on hornet rifles.
Being a fan of the Krag action as well as being a fan of gunsmith are of the first few decades of last century this one was quite appealing to me.
Another thing that piqued my interest was that this is listed as a two shot repeater and all other conversions to hornet that I have seen on the Krag action have been single shopts.
I am getting antsy to handle this rifle but likely have another week or so to wait since I paid with a personal check.
Anxiously waiting!

I guess I should clarify that my comments on accuracy was meant only for Ruger No. 3's. I've had Hornet's in Savage 23D and Winchester Model 54 that were excellent. The Savage was by some measure the most accurate of my Hornet's. I fired one of the Ruger 77 HB's in Hornet that was very close to the 23D. Very impressive. That Krag sounds like it will keep you busy and content for a while, Bullshop. I think that would be fun to play with.

Those 788's are a special case. My two, in 6mm Remington and .308 Winchester, were wonderfully accurate. The practice wife wound up with the 6mm and I sold the .308 to buy Christmas presents for my kids the year we parted. Sure do miss that .308.