How much to hunt?

[Antoni]

So I’d like to hunt with a Diana 250 .22 that has a FPS of (advertised) 740, but on three GTA forums someone got chronograph results going 780 with 14 grains, although I’m skeptical if that was after it stopped to diesel or if that’s what it was right out of the box. Is this enough to hunt rabbits, squirrels, crows, pigeons, and other small game humanely? 

Mod edit: moved to hunting section 

 

[Brian10956]

As long as you hit them in the kill zone at 40 yards or less you should be OK. As a kid I killed what your looking at with a red rider but at 20 yds or less.

 

[c_m_shooter]

Yes we hunted with .177 Daisy 880, and Crosman 2100 when I was your age at half that power. I used to carry a crosman 1377 incase I needed a follow up shot because I felt bad watching them wait to die and was too squeamish to pick them up and pop their necks. Countless pigeons, rabbits, squirrels and a few groundhogs. My folks made me cook and eat anything I shot and I am glad for it now, I tell people I can cook anything.

 

[Antoni]

Yes we hunted with .177 Daisy 880, and Crosman 2100 when I was your age at half that power. I used to carry a crosman 1377 incase I needed a follow up shot because I felt bad watching them wait to die and was too squeamish to pick them up and pop their necks. Countless pigeons, rabbits, squirrels and a few groundhogs. My folks made me cook and eat anything I shot and I am glad for it now, I tell people I can cook anything.

Good for you, bet you you had the luxury of having a pro hunting family, sadly not the case here tho I want to change that. Going to read a lot about how to skin, butcher, and prepare various animals. Hope I’ll learn to do it and become a expert at preparing meat after I hunt so I don’t have to pay for a butcher to do what I could do for free.

 

[c_m_shooter]

Shortcut if you don't know any recipe for whatever critter you get home. Get it skinned, cleaned, remove the head and cut into quarters or so. Doesn't have to be picture perfect, just clean. Pretty much anything can be cooked in a slow cooker with cream of mushroom soup and a minced onion with salt and pepper. Serve over noodles or mashed potatoes. Learned that after chewing forever on the first groundhog, those are the toughest little beasts you can imagine. I still take a few rabbits from the garden after they've had their spring litters here in the yard and put either 2 deer or a deer and a pig in the freezer for my wife and I every year. Stay after it and don't get discouraged. Look up the "Dangerous Book for Boys" it has good stuff that modern kids miss out on a lot of nowadays in the suburbs.

 

[Antoni]

Shortcut if you don't know any recipe for whatever critter you get home. Get it skinned, cleaned, remove the head and cut into quarters or so. Doesn't have to be picture perfect, just clean. Pretty much anything can be cooked in a slow cooker with cream of mushroom soup and a minced onion with salt and pepper. Serve over noodles or mashed potatoes. Learned that after chewing forever on the first groundhog, those are the toughest little beasts you can imagine. I still take a few rabbits from the garden after they've had their spring litters here in the yard and put either 2 deer or a deer and a pig in the freezer for my wife and I every year. Stay after it and don't get discouraged. Look up the "Dangerous Book for Boys" it has good stuff that modern kids miss out on a lot of nowadays in the suburbs.

Thanks! Will take the advice!

Happy Easter!

Antoni