Squirrel hunters w pistol apply here plz!

This pistol has served me well for many years.
Squirrel gun. Raccoon gun. Rabbit gun. Barnyard pest gun and good ol'plinker.
It is a mkll ruger bull barrel circa 1985ish.

(Don't let my unimpressive target fool you....the gun is a good shooter)
I am a ruger guy so my choice was predetermined when I wanted an auto pistol. Along about the same time my good friend bought a 6" buckmark. It is equally good shooter but his came with a rail for optics.(I think the ruger does too,now). I have 0 experience with the s&w offering. I'm sure it is good too.
If I were starting over now, I would get a stainless MKIV 7½ and put a good red dot sight on it and be done.
It's never a bad idea to buy a browning either.
Another option is a ruger charger. It's a fun little gun. Optic ready.
My rambling probably didn't help much...
The ruger MK line has a huge following and aftermarket accessories galore.

These Rugers are all tack drivers: But go Mk4 for easy takedown:

Henry added for fun factor….

Absolutely a red dot optic. I've had double cataract surgery and as a result I have okay distance vision but up close I need readers, but they only work to a certain distance, making sight picture with traditional irons challenging to impossible. With a dot optic I'm using my distance vision and can clearly see the dot as well as the target. This is my Ruger Mk III Hunter with 3 mil Vortex.

Get a Ruger.

Get a BuckMark...

I have no input into this subject, but it does interest me as next year I will either be living in PA or WV and I plan to retake up squirrel hunting. As a kid I used a S&W model 17 and a .410 shotgun. Now I would look to a scoped semiauto as well.

How do you gents carry these pistols?

Subhematoma said:

Buckmarks come with a rail.

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Most if not all Rugers do too. They and the screws come in the box. The rails can be attached without removing the rear sight, or alternatively, the sight can be removed and the rail turned 180 degrees and mounted farther back.

Any barrel length is sufficient. Get the one that ballances and points best for you.

Pat Riot said:

I have no input into this subject, but it does interest me as next year I will either be living in PA or WV and I plan to retake up squirrel hunting. As a kid I used a S&W model 17 and a .410 shotgun. Now I would look to a scoped semiauto as well.

How do you gents carry these pistols?

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For mine I bought a Tactical Solutions kydex. Accommodates the pistol with any mounted optic and can be configured for either left or right carry and belts up to 2". Believe it will fit all the Mk series autos.

Those are some neat rigs, Guys! I guess I'm old school but I carry a Thompson Contender with a 10 inch heavy barrel and a 2X Leupold pistol scope. Its bulky to carry but I use a shoulder holster.

Ruger or Browning, I've owned multiples of both for decades and I've never been able to put one over the other. It's purely personal preference and for a long time, mine was Browning. I can't get along with the standard Ruger grip angle. It wasn't until the MKIII version of the 22/45 that I found a Ruger to live with. I've also been hunting small game with pistols since childhood. A 5.5" barrel is plenty. Longer will just gain a little weight for off hand stability. For me a small game gun needs a scope and a 2x is perfect. I started with this one in 1989.



This Bullseye model has fired the smallest groups I've ever fired with a handgun.



My first 22/45 was intended as a holster pistol.



Then I got into suppressors.

Last few years during squirrel season my Ruger Single Six has been carried on a small belt holster when out in the woods changing SD cards on trail cams. Sort of a multi-tasking thing to combine squirrel hunting with trail cam duty. Only had a few opportunities for one in iron sighted rimfire handgun range and have yet to score on squirrels that way but it's fun to try. Now I'm also starting to rethink my options concerning sights, and even getting a rimfire pistol more optics friendly. The Single Six can use 22LR or 22 Mag. depending on which cylinder is in it but has no rail or other suitable option for something like a red dot. The OP mentioned being able to holster something with a red dot or optic and if a suitable holster can't be found I used to tote the Single Six in a fanny pack worn on my hip. Left the top of it partially unzipped for easy access and it could handle a rimfire pistol with a red dot if I had one. For my iron sighted Ruger the small belt holster proved to be easier and more convenient for an iron sighted handgun. I'm still waiting to see a picture of a pistol & deceased squirrel in this thread. If I had one it would be posted here, LOL.

I have a Vortex red dot on a Ruger MKII Target. I also have trouble with my vision shooting irons. I believe with a 2 MOA red dot ( 1'' at 50 yards) one could expect head shots at 50 yards. I've never hunted squirrels so have no idea the ranges involved. I could drop them at 100 yds with my CZ 455, but that would be cheating.

I like using my Kel-Tec CP33 with the mags loaded to full capacity (33 rounds) to fend off the tree rat invasions. They are evil and hell bent on world domination, they will attack in hordes.

Many a Semi I see. Yet only need a shot or two for the furry tree climbing rats. Plus a revolver can shoot shorts, and Longs. I’ve seen that ammo lately when all Long rifle is gone from the shelves

I also have an older H&R 949 for when I want to hunt squirrels with a revolver.

If I am reading your post correctly, you are in search of a dedicated hunting pistol. IMHO....This is different than a EDC or "kit" gun. You worry about an inch or two of barrel length, yet don't care if the optics add weight or make it awkward to carry or draw. The squirrels will not be challenging you to a fast draw, nor will you be whipping out the pistol and shooting at them on the run. Get a gun that fits your hand and is accurate. You owe this to yourself and your quarry. Get a holster that makes for carrying the gun all day comfortable. Chasing squirrels sometimes means running thru the woods to see what tree they run up, or requires long walks between the long sits. Make sure the holster secures the firearm well. I spent days helping folks look for handguns that dropped out of their $12 Uncle Mikes on a leisurely walk thru the woods. Probably about the same amount of availability out there for the Brownings or the Rugers. Make buying a holster a investment for the future. Being a pistol, over all lengths because of barrel lengths are not as drastic as a revolver. If you are new to shooting handguns for accuracy, the longer barrels will help, even with optics. Because of the small size of the barrels, an inch or two is not going to make a huge amount of difference as opposed to a .44 mag revolver. As for using a rest with your handgun, odds are for a target as small as a squirrel head, unless you use a rest of some kind, you will be going home empty handed quite a bit. Resting against a tree is what I try to do. I always carry some sort of "sticksd" when hunting deer with my revolvers. They make for a walking stick when needed too. Shooting a handgun accurately enough to consistently hit a target the size of a quarter(kill zone on a squirrel head) at 30 yards....takes a lot of practice. But that's the challenge of hunting with a handgun, whether it's for squirrels or deer. It's not for everyone.

I have a Ruger Single-Ten for squirrels. No need for a semi on squirrels. Has a Burris FastFire 3 on it, with the 3 MOA dot. Can choose what part of the rat's head to hit. The clincher is that it accepts any non-mag .22 rimfire ammo in existence, so I can go super-quiet with CB caps or anything else. Even a BB gun will kill a squirrel hit in its head. Plus, the easiest way to hunt them (for older people like me) is to do some research in advance (trees for food, etc.) then simply sit down and wait 15-30 minutes for them to ignore you. Then just pick them off.

beag_nut said:

I have a Ruger Single-Ten for squirrels. No need for a semi on squirrels.

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The CP33 is for when the hordes of evil tree rats invade town and try to take it over.

I don't know why so many do not believe me when I tell them squirrels are evil and out to take over the world.


Actually I have a Crossman 1377 pump air pistol for in town use.

12Bravo20 said:

I don't know why so many do not believe me when I tell them squirrels are evil and out to take over the world.

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I believe you, I've seen it!

They are Crazy animals indeed, not sure about evil. Yet when ya see em jump from one skyscraper tree to the next or Run across the road in front of cars and trucks at 60mph, Titerope walk across electric wires……. Makes me wonder, and I do want to shoot em!

Lnf Crzr said:

They are Crazy animals indeed, not sure about evil. Yet when ya see em jump from one skyscraper tree to the next or Run across the road in front of cars and trucks at 60mph, Titerope walk across electric wires……. Makes me wonder, and I do want to shoot em!

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I have seen them plant Oak trees on both sides of the road on sharp curves to mess with motorcycles too. Its no fun laying into a curve to find the road covered in acorns.

They do need to be Removed from Earth.

S&W Model 41

S&W model 17 w/8 3/8" barrel. A squirrel killing machine. Currently sporting a red dot.

Also considering selling it.