Shanghai McCoy
Member
That reminds me of one of Bill Mauldin's "Willie and Joe" WW2 cartoons only it was a rat not a squirrel.Head shots? Or do you break down the shoulders so they can't charge?
That reminds me of one of Bill Mauldin's "Willie and Joe" WW2 cartoons only it was a rat not a squirrel.Head shots? Or do you break down the shoulders so they can't charge?
I think I will chime in and second the pellet gun idea. I have taken many squirrels at out to 50 yards with my .22 pellet rifle. Even those monster 2 lb Grey tuft ears that are sooo cute and yummy. They are arguably the best game meat in North America. Clean em when they fall though or the hide glues itself to the muscle when it cools.
The fox squirrel (Sciurus niger), also known as the eastern fox squirrel or Bryant's fox squirrel,[2] is the largest species of tree squirrel native to North America. Despite the differences in size and coloration, it is sometimes mistaken for American red squirrels or eastern gray squirrels in areas where the species co-exist.[4]
The opening poster was concerned about the possibility of a miss traveling over a mile to where he knew not where.We grow big squirrels 'round these parts. I use a .375 H&H
Actually, one could concoct a shot load for a .375. I guess. Or a round ball? Hey, a .22LR round ball load would slow down very fast, not travel far or retain much velocity/energy. Now if we could just get the manufacturers to produce such a round. !!![trying very hard to pretend to take .375 H&H for squirrel serious]
Fixed it for youIf a .375 Holland & Holland were fired at squirrel behind a tree, I would worry about where that bullet might eventually land.
Truth, although with a case capacity the size of a milk bottle, might be a trick getting a squib-load to work!!! Imagine three grains of unique in a .375 H&H case!Checking .375 H&H Magnum cartridge at Wikipedia
Bullet Diameter: .375"
That matches the .375" lead balls I bought for my cloned 1851 Navy Revolver.
Best reason I ever heard to use dacron to hold the powder in place in the cartridge. Powder, wad, dacron, round ballTruth, although with a case capacity the size of a milk bottle, might be a trick getting a squib-load to work!!! Imagine three grains of unique in a .375 H&H case!
Yep, necessary in that "case" for sure. Get it? The case of the cartridge case!! Oh I crack myself up.Best reason I ever heard to use dacron to hold the powder in place in the cartridge. Powder, wad, dacron, round ball
Ballistics are still ballistics, try something lighter, 20-32 gr, start as light as you can and work up until you find something that groups to your liking, lighter bullets lose steam faster. If it were me? Shotgun. If I couldn't: cci and Norma both make copper rounds that should tank quickly, then there's the stingers. Best of luck.Thank you for clarifying, you are exactly right. It's the travel I am concerned with.
I should also probably add, for the one I hit in the head at about 7 yards, I did not find an exit wound. I didn't dissect the head to go looking for a bullet to confirm, but it was enough to suggest to me that mini-mags are not "too" powerful from an actual lethality perspective. If the bullet was able to get stuck inside the skull, I feel pretty good about the power level from a "DRT" perspective. Even then though, I imagine I could go with a lighter round and get the same essential result.
Thanks for the comments, everyone. I think the next squirrel hunting trip, we'll include the venerable H&R single shot 20 gauge.
Standard Velocity CCI would probably be more than good enough. It would also be quieter with a suppressor as it's subsonic.I know this topic has likely been beat to death, and I've read other threads from other forums on the topic, but would like input.
I went on a successful squirrel hunt with a friend this weekend. This was my only my second time hunting and the first time I've taken any game myself. I went home with two squirrel's worth of meat. Had a blast. Looking forward to going again.
We were shooting on the property of an acquaintance who was kind enough to let us on. The property used to be a golf course, and has since been overgrown and repurposed for crops. It's fairly remote, with not a lot of structures nearby. I was using a .22 LR bolt action with a 4x fixed scope, shooting CCI 36 grain Varmint Mini-Mags. This rifle and ammo made for some pretty clean kills. I shot one squirrel in the head from about 7 yards away just at the base of a tree. The other one I shot was about 20 yards away, and up in some branches. I hit him in the upper side, and had an exit wound out the base of the neck.
What occurred to me, however, is that I think this ammo is probably overkill for squirrels -- at least at these close ranges, and for making tree shots. Even though I was cognizant of the direction I was shooting at all times as relates to nearby structures in the vicinity, shooting a rifle at an upward angle into a tree like this feels like it breaks conventions of firearm safety, even though it's just a .22. If the bullet doesn't hit a squirrel, a tree, or something else to dissipate its energy and modify trajectory, I know that bullet is capable of flying a good mile or more, depending on angle. I think I can be more responsible here. At the very least, if I am going to use a .22, I feel like I can pick a better round.
So let's say I want to keep using a .22 LR bolt action. Let's say I'm not interested in moving to a shotgun or a pellet rifle. What ammo would you recommend for tree shooting inside of 40 yards or so? Just enough juice to easily down a squirrel, while anemic enough to limit over-travel with missed shots. Would CCI Quiets be the ticket? .22 Shorts? What do you like to use?
Thanks.
They'll also peel the head of any cat dumb enough to grab one!Monster grey squirrels?
Obviously you've never tangled with a KS Fox Squirrel, this picture was taken moments before this Bull Fox Squirrel pounced on an unsuspecting hunter, the man required multiple stitches and therapy after the attack. They're highly territorial and when enraged are not to be taken lightly:
Thank you for clarifying, you are exactly right. It's the travel I am concerned with.
Actually, The 17Mach2 would be ideal for Wyoming. I had an Anschutz 1502 17Mach2 which was an excellent squirrel rifle. Of course head shots are best, if not always possible when shooting longer shots. I set personal best long shot records. with it. I got one squirrel at 125yds. Killed lots of them at 50-75 yds. Decided to sell it since I have several great squirrel rifles and got a good price out of it. The ammo can be hard to find, but is currently readily available.What I always wanted for squirrels was a 20gr 17cal at about 1100fps. Or less. The 17m2 always seemed like too much of a good thing.
Open sights or scope? What about a backup gun?We grow big squirrels 'round these parts. I use a .375 H&H
Open. Can’t risk a scope malfunction with a tree rhino bearing down on you. Backup is a .475 Linebaugh.Open sights or scope? What about a backup gun?