I've found that cottontail rabbits are easy to kill compared to most flying things; usually one pellet in a vital area does the job. Snowshoes and jacks are a different matter.
I always use #4s in a .410 when hunting ONLY cottontails. The big pellets kill them dead and leave an easy-to-follow trail in the meat for easy extraction, and there are far fewer to extract. Just in case you don't know, a #4 between your mollars is a sure bet for a crack, a crown, and several trips to the dentist with attendant bills. Find 'em all!
And #4s have a very different POI in a .410 than smaller shot. You need to figure that out BEFORE bunny hunting.
Not a good enough wingshot to use a .410 on wild birds of any kind. I save it for bunnies, snakes, and, with 000 buckshot, "things that go bump in the night." But I ALWAYS have a couple of .410s in the stable!
Last edited by Mike A.; 02/24/15 12:36 AM.