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 interestin