Shot Placement On Tiny Critters....

[brawler1588]

So I have a backyard incognito setup dreamtac .177 tuned for 10fpe so 9.57gr at 700fps. Shooting is usually 30 yards and under mainly 20 yards. This setup is perfect can take anything from squirrel and under. Its so good I am not getting pass throughs even on broadside mice. With that said my question is on the smaller critters lets say chipmunk and under so rats, mice, chipmunk etc is a body shot better? I have learned today that because its so accurate and so small in size I found I just missed the lights out switch on a chipper and hit just below the brain. The mice and rat were good shots but again not sure if straight up vitals is best.

 

[A.G.R]

10 ft lbs is placement killing. No pass through usually. Fun to play with. But after 25 yards they loose a lot of potential.
I keep mine to 20 under head shots .. body shots are not high percentage quick kills..they are run offs to die stinking things up

 

[Squack]

I shoot mice in the chest to keep the mess to a minimum. Head shots always produced the highest amount of blood loss.

 

[SimpleGuy]

I shoot mice in the chest to keep the mess to a minimum. Head shots always produced the highest amount of blood loss.

That's the best part

 

[Ranchibi]

When I snipe rats....when they feed at the bait station, their heads move forward and back as they grab a morsel to eat so that movement extends their necks back and forth. So, if they are facing me when I shoot the head movement is negligible but when broadside I take vital shots most of the time unless they freeze which they occasionally do. But if pesting for ground squirrels whatever ethical shot I can take! LOL!

 

[Squack]

That's the best part

When you're killing them for biosecurity excessive body fluid is counterproductive. Mice are a common vector for diseases in livestock.

 

[Hal4son]

When you're killing them for biosecurity excessive body fluid is counterproductive. Mice are a common vector for diseases in livestock.

What bloodborn disease are you concerned about?

 

[SimpleGuy]

When you're killing them for biosecurity excessive body fluid is counterproductive. Mice are a common vector for diseases in livestock.

Yeah I don't eat them

 

[Squack]

When you shoot a mouse in a feed bowl/bin, you don't want all his bits splattered all over the feed; bad enough, he was in it. Feed costs money. Sick animals cost money.
Mice can bring in viruses, worms, and ameba. Some of these can require a month of treatment every day to cure.

 

[Hal4son]

When you shoot a mouse in a feed bowl/bin, you don't want all his bits splattered all over the feed; bad enough, he was in it. Feed costs money. Sick animals cost money.
Mice can bring in viruses, worms, and ameba. Some of these can require a month of treatment every day to cure.

That's fair.

I was questioning the shot placement to the body as superior to head shooting for rodents in regards to containing a biohazard. IMO- Head shooting would be less likely to open up things that you wouldn't want spread about and would likely contain virus, worms and ameba that reside in the paunch, intestines and possibly heart/lung. IMO- head shooting would release only blood and brain matter. Neither should be as likely to contain and spread those nasties.

Unless I'm missing something specific that is found in the blood/brain of rodents. Thus the question.

 

[beerthief]

northern IL i was told that rabies in Squirrels is only in the organs not in the meat /muscle ? don't know if true or not

 

[Hal4son]

@beerthief I had not considered rabid rodents. I read an article once that stated head shooting skunks should be avoided due to aerosolization of the virus. That may be a reach but body shots are less likely to stink up the yard. Another article stated the only confirmed report of aerosol transmission of rabies was found in splunkers in a bat cave. Robbin was missing.

Rodents around here have a reasonable risk of hanta virus which resides in urine, feces and possibly saliva. They all seem to have worms.

 

[beerthief]

the rabies thing was when i was a kid and told that most squirrels in the city carried rabies , later i was told by a hunter about the organs VS muscles concerning rabies . still do not know true answer .

 

[Hal4son]

@beerthief https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/transmission/body.html

Rabies is in the saliva, nerves and brain. "Rabies virus is transmitted through direct contact (such as through broken skin or mucous membranes in the eyes, nose, or mouth) with saliva or brain/nervous system tissue from an infected animal." - https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/transmission/index.html

Other organs, blood and muscle are not effected by rabies.

northern IL i was told that rabies in Squirrels is only in the organs not in the meat /muscle ? don't know if true or not

You could probably eat a rabid squirrel and be fine. The virus does not survive long in a dead host. Wild game both large and small and even barnyard chickens are generally "aged" somewhat to let the rigor ease it's grasp on muscle tissue destined for the frying pan.

I suspect that you were told the quoted line so that you'd eat what was put on your plate. I was also a picky eater in my youth.

 

[beerthief]

Thankyou , actually i was told that so i would not try to hand feed them and get bit .