Advice needed on lamping with shotgun

[Gimli 0]

Be very grateful for any advice about lamping for rabbits with a shotgun. I did a recon of the area I'll shoot over tonight and there were scores of rabbits around. So I'll be back next week with my missus to operate the lamp while I shoot. But should I get there at dusk and settle down to wait for the dark, then put the lamp on, or arrive after dark, use the lamp to work out where the rabbits are feeding and then switch off for a while and wait for them to settle again?

 

I've not shot at night before, so not sure of the best strategy. All advice gratefully received.

 

[Guest JohnGalway]

I agree with taking out the easy ones. Because with shotguns they cop on fast, so get as many as you can in the start if it's a control job.

 

The ground I used to rabbit on is very open, sandy beach type soil, had some very small but useable valleys, no trees/hedges or even grass ffs. I'd work my way up one valley, then down the other. Dark windy nights are your best friend, especially the wind as it cuts down the noise. Often shot one rabbit, had another run up to him, shot him, then another run up to him and get shot as well. I don't really have patience to wait around to be honest. When they get lampshy, it can be worth your while to be around at dawn/dusk with a rifle, pick off another few.

 

Netting them is another tactic that I am sure, though not used it myself, would be very productive.

 

(I don't want to turn this into a which is the better lamp thread, just offering my personal opinion here). I lamp alone mostly, I don't know what kind of lamp you use but at the time I had a Lightforce 140 Lance, you can get an underbarrel shotgun mount for this lamp that work very well even on running shots. They'll fit most if not all semi, sxs and o/u shotties.

[allgame 0]

use a red lens just found out they'd be great fo shooting and id reackomened 35 to 50 watt dont go over

[Gimli 0]

thanks chaps - will, when you go on your own do you have one of the lamps that ataches to your gun? When doing the recon last night (I did take my shottie just in case) I found that by the time I'd focussed the lamp on a grou of rabbits, I didn't have time to aim the shotgun before they were gone.

 

Do you ever park up, get out of the car and then use the car headlights to light them up, switching the headlights on after a long gap after parking?

[Deker 3,450]

Always interesting to see different views, but it is to be expected because Bunny etc has different behaviour patterns at lots of my sites.

 

Personally, I hardly ever lamp with a shotun mainly due to the noise.....

1 Bunny is easily startled by the noise and dissapears for longer

3 The noise at night can travel for literally miles (neighbours)

 

.....and I personally believe there are much better tools for night shooting bunny to produce bigger bags:

 

Anyway..this is the situation round most of my shoots, every piece of land and all the bunnies are different so good luck.

 

Hints for lamping are simple:-

Know your land and surrounding very well before you even think about it!

The rest has been said..

 

All the best.

Deker

Edited January 24, 2008 by Deker

[foxdropper 17,092]

The ranges you would take with a 12 bore arnt too far off what a 3inch .410 will do .The hush power models are very well suited to this type of lamping .I had one for years 'til i graduated to the rimfire and shot a fair few .Like any sort of lamping though ,you will need to vary the time and approach to get best results .Good luck .