Squirrel Hunting

[cesna250]

this will be my first year of squirrel hunting. I'm pretty excited, just not quite sure what rifle or shotgun to use. Give me some suggestions please..

 

[SEIndSAM]

this will be my first year of squirrel hunting. I'm pretty excited, just not quite sure what rifle or shotgun to use. Give me some suggestions please..

Any decent .22 with a scope will work fine. There is another thread out there about a Savage .22 Bolt-action on sale that would be great for squirrel.

https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/long_guns/223027-savage_mk_ii_at_dicks.html

 

[cesna250]

Any decent .22 with a scope will work fine. There is another thread out there about a Savage .22 Bolt-action on sale that would be great for squirrel.

https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/long_guns/223027-savage_mk_ii_at_dicks.html

I have a 10/22. I've always been paranoid about having a scope because sometimes you have to raise, point and shoot as fast as you can. Sometimes you lose your target when you try to spot it through the scope that fast. Does that make sense? Or maybe I'm just paranoid i don't know.

 

[Expat]

Nothing wrong with a shotgun. I took a lot of squirrels with my full choke 870 20 ga. You have to be pretty careful about your bullet path with a .22 and a backstop behind the critter. Seems like someone in the state gets killed every year by an errant bullet.

 

[SEIndSAM]

I have a 10/22. I've always been paranoid about having a scope because sometimes you have to raise, point and shoot as fast as you can. Sometimes you lose your target when you try to spot it through the scope that fast. Does that make sense? Or maybe I'm just paranoid i don't know.

Sure it makes sense, I have always used a scope because growing up I always used my Dad's .22 and it had a scope. Dialed back to 4x, I never had any trouble acquiring the target, but to each his own. If you already have a 10/22 that should work fine. I prefer .22 over a shotgun so as not to ruin the meat.

 

[SEIndSAM]

Nothing wrong with a shotgun. I took a lot of squirrels with my full choke 870 20 ga. You have to be pretty careful about your bullet path with a .22 and a backstop behind the critter. Seems like someone in the state gets killed every year by an errant bullet.

What size shot was you using Expat. Seems like when ever I had squirrel felled with a shotgun I was always spitting out buckshot. Maybe we was using the wrong sized shot??

 

[Expat]

What size shot was you using Expat. Seems like when ever I had squirrel felled with a shotgun I was always spitting out buckshot. Maybe we was using the wrong sized shot??

Shot is a fact of life when shotgunning
That goes for rabbits, birds, ducks,etc.

I usually used a high brass 5 shot. Sometimes 6 later in the season when you can jump shoot a lot of them on the ground.

 

[hammer24]

I have a 10/22. I've always been paranoid about having a scope because sometimes you have to raise, point and shoot as fast as you can. Sometimes you lose your target when you try to spot it through the scope that fast. Does that make sense? Or maybe I'm just paranoid i don't know.

Target acquisition is part of learning how to use a scope. Squirrel hunting isn't really like wingshooting birds. They'll stop long enough to get a shot. The lower the power (4x) the faster the target acquisition. I've never been a "shotgun for squirrels guy", nothing wrong with it, but I've always done quite well with my scoped .22.

 

[HICKMAN]

Hunted with a 10/22 as a kid, scope was mounted on rings that you could look through for up close shots.

 

[DWS]

Shot many of those tree rats in my youth using both a 22 and a shotgun. Had the most fun with the 22 though. Precision shooting was more my thing.....

I later graduated to using my bow - now thats fun......

 

[Mackey]

Shot many of those tree rats in my youth using both a 22 and a shotgun. Had the most fun with the 22 though. Precision shooting was more my thing.....

I later graduated to using my bow - now thats fun......

Yes, they ARE tree rats. Should be open season all year.
I know it sounds crazy, but a good air rifle with scope is better than you might think. The newer break barrel rifles will "reach out an touch someone" and not alert the whole forest. .22 cal is preferred.

 

[DWS]

Yes, they ARE tree rats. Should be open season all year.
I know it sounds crazy, but a good air rifle with scope is better than you might think. The newer break barrel rifles will "reach out an touch someone" and not alert the whole forest. .22 cal is preferred.

Thats not crazy at all - I always wanted to pick me up one of those break barrels but never had the extra coin.

I started my hunting ventures with my crossman .177 in the woods behind mom & dads. Shot my first rabbit with that baby. Treked around the woods for a couple years with that trusty airgun and was very successfull before graduating to the 22.....

 

[patience0830]

Any accurate .22 will work. Accuracy is defined as 1/4" at 25 yds. 3/8ths at 50 is better. I like HP bullets. I find I get fewer crawl offs than with solids. Pick an ammo your gun shoots well.
.17 mach2 is, IMHO the best round for squirrels. Bullet is designed to come apart on impact so fewer ricochets. Faster than .22 and a bit louder but headshots make for very dead squirrels. And the rifles are typically pretty accurate.

 

[snapping turtle]

The savage model 24 is the finest of the tree rat guns. 20 or 410 under 22 or 22 mag. You have the best of both worlds at the flick of a button. Scope it low power and you can use the scope on the shotgun without a problem.

I just use a 22 handgun or my model 39a rifle almost always for tree rats. I have no sling on the rifle so the pistol comes along most of the time. easier to carry and I can do well with it but it is not your average 22 pistol.

I can't find a holster for it so I use an old laptop bag. An apple something to drink a tree rat call and the pistol. Easy to walk around with and light weight. That pistol can shoot very well.

 

[Cyclonehoytt]

This is my first squirrel season as well I'm thinking I'm gonna bring a 410 new england single shot and a pellet gun. if I like the pellet gun I may look into buying a 22

 

[billcollector]

I use squirrel season as a warm up for deer season. I use my bow, if i can arrow a squirrel through the head....a deer is not challenge!

 

[dwh79]

Shotgun 4 shot or 5 shot is what I use high brass. I don't have any real problems with shot in my meat.

 

[Haymaker]

I haven't hunted squirrels in a few years but I've used shotguns from 410 - 12 ga usually #6 shot. I've used 22 rifles and handguns but always concerned about bullet travel if I had an errant shot. I even used my bow and the cool thing about that is the fact a lot of us can hunt the same squirrel all season. Though I did manage to knock down a couple with the recurve a few years ago.

 

[Huzrjim]

Ditto on starting in my youth with a shotgun and progressing to .22 later in life. Haven't hunted in years, but would probably choose the scoped .22.

I started with a single shot 12ga full choke, progressed to an 870 12ga, and finally my Dad's old Winchester model 74 with a 3-9X scope.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

If you decide you want to just go squirrel killin', rather than squirrel huntin', then use what the pros use: 7mm Rem Mag.

-J-