Hunting Rabbits with Catapults

[v-ness]

Hello guys,
I fancy adding the odd Rabbit to my cooking pot. I've read loads of the threads and think the best choice for me is the catapult. I have small kids and a rifle or air-rifle is possibly not a great idea to have in the house, even locked away. A snare is difficult as I couldnt guarantee to be able to get back out a couple times a day to check it. So a catapult seems like a good choice. There is a local farm I have permission to hunt Rabbits on, so that aspect is covered.
My question is- does anyone out there use catas for hunting? They seem to be extremely powerful, so is it a useful tool? Of course I wont go out until i'm absolutely certain I can dispatch the Rabbit cleanly and without causing it unnecessesary suffering.
Would love to hear the thoughts of the experienced guys out there
Cheers
Ness

 

[Melonfish]

TBH i wouldn't be comfortable using a catty, its too inaccurate to get a head shot each time and its that swift and painless kill your after.
i'd honestly say no don't use it, use an air rifle instead, at least you can get consistent head shots with it and confirm a swift kill.

 

[wattsy]

you don't need a headshot every time with a catty its been done over and over on this site. a fish hunter catapult would be your best bet mate they're half as powerful again as a uk legal air rifle and the best ammo is .44 calibre lead balls. you need a bit of practice to get accurate with it but once you've got your eye in its a very effective hunting tool, and any hit on the head or chest of a rabbit will drop it instantly. its roughly comparable to a human being hit by a 40mm shell

 

[Shewie]

Like wattsy says, practice practice practice until you're confident you can make the kill first time instead of just injuring the animal. I had an hours practice with mine yesterday and a bit of plinking last week with somebodyelses and I get a feeling it's going to take some time. At 25yds I was consistently hitting a 6" square board but even then they were fairly spread out.

 

[sam_acw]

As has been said, if you search around there are plenty of other threads on this.
On argument is that a catapult is not that accurate enough to hunt humanely with.
The other argument is that with a much larger, heavier projectile with greater force and momentum than an airgun pellet (by a big factor) accuracy is less important and any strike should be enough to dispatch the rabbit.

My personal belief is that the second argument is right but I'm not an experienced hunter.

 

[Matt.S]

I have small kids and a rifle or air-rifle is possibly not a great idea to have in the house, even locked away.

Any particular reason for this? Lots of kids are brought up with guns in the house to no detriment. Quite the contrary, an age-approriate introduction to firearms and the required responsabilites needed in order to handle them safely will stand the kids in good stead for the rest of their lives. Guns are an ideal and safe hunting/pest control tool -- that's why they're so popular.

 

[v-ness]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I guess I'll practice with the cata until i feel competent and then take it from there. For me- Guns and kids are better not mixed. That is a very personal thing though and although I can see Matts logic, its just not for me. I guess with any hunting weapon/ tool its personal choice and preference.
Cheers
Ness

 

[BarryG]

you don't need a headshot every time with a catty its been done over and over on this site. a fish hunter catapult would be your best bet mate they're half as powerful again as a uk legal air rifle and the best ammo is .44 calibre lead balls. you need a bit of practice to get accurate with it but once you've got your eye in its a very effective hunting tool, and any hit on the head or chest of a rabbit will drop it instantly. its roughly comparable to a human being hit by a 40mm shell

What's the effective range?

 

[Bushwhacker]

When you absolutely, positively got to kill every motherbleeper in the room, accept no substitutes.

 

[v-ness]

hahahhaha bushwacker. I thought of a Ferret, but the cost at the moment is a bit prohibitive

 

[Front Room Woodlander]

Four kids in this house, big box full of sharps, carving chisels galore, shotguns, rifles, air rifles, cattys and not an injury in sight. All about attitude and teaching.
Catty is fine for animals up to hare if, and it is a big 'if', you are accurate enough and in range. Hares can be squeaked in to range, pheasants can be taken from the roost rabbits stalked up.
Catty is the best small game choice for the professional poacher.
For freezer fillling go for a .22 rimfire

 

[Bushwhacker]

Hares can be squeaked in to range

Please tell me more about this. I know about squeaking a fox in but never a hare.

 

[BarryG]

Four kids in this house, big box full of sharps, carving chisels galore, shotguns, rifles, air rifles, cattys and not an injury in sight. All about attitude and teaching.
Catty is fine for animals up to hare if, and it is a big 'if', you are accurate enough and in range. Hares can be squeaked in to range, pheasants can be taken from the roost rabbits stalked up.
Catty is the best small game choice for the professional poacher.
For freezer fillling go for a .22 rimfire

What is the max effective range for the catty?

 

[GeoffWood]

hahahhaha bushwacker. I thought of a Ferret, but the cost at the moment is a bit prohibitive

They are cheaper than catapults! If they are any good, they cost nothing to feed either.

 

[Front Room Woodlander]

Same as squeeking a fox. Mimic the distress call of the hare / rabbit and hares have this morbid facination about others in distress, just like humans, and will come see. I generally would not trust accuracy to more than twenty yards and have the knock down power needed, nearer is better. If you are intent on taking small game for the pot, without the use of a gun, have you considered snares?

 

[_mark_]

pistol & safe?

 

[wattsy]

the furthest i'd shoot out ot with a catty is 30 yards but practice is important and most shots are taken at no more than 20. as has been said if you want a reliable way of getting dinner on the table then get an air rifle and teach the kids about it so they don't play. air pistols are pretty much useless for hunting low power and inaccurate

 

[Barn Owl]

I managed to break the elastic off a catty the other day,so i'm not even going to bother trying them anymore except for close target plinking maybe.

I'd rather be sure of the kill with an air rifle personally.

 

[_mark_]

air pistols are pretty much useless for hunting low power and inaccurate

I don't agree.

 

[T1Viper]

I don't agree.

Me either this old boy on youtube proves a catty is just as accurate as any gun.

[video=youtube;9ieWrWLjii0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ieWrWLjii0[/video]