22 HP or Solid for Squirrels...?

[Vern Humphrey]

I just wish I had a place to hunt 'em. I'm not really a hunter, but I'd go after squirrels.....

I've done quite a bit of elk hunting in Eagle County, Colorado. Your little midget squirrels always try to carry me off -- to the point where I have to defend myself with either a .22 pistol or a Hammond Game Getter.

 

[Uncle Mike]

.22 solids... hit em' were you can. Shoot... the little vermin are hard enough to hit!

Fried squirrel, roasted duck, grouse... a crock pot full of ground hog....

Now THAT'S good eats!

 

[trickyasafox]

another bulk pack user. federal or winchester. the remingtons are a bit warmer than the feds and win (at least the lots I have are). They group well and it works.

 

[Savage Shooter]

I use one of 2 guns a winchester 9422 .22mag with hp or a marlin 60 .22lr with hp damage can be bad if you miss with the .22mag but I don't do that unless there very close because of where I sighted my scope at. With my marlin damage is rarly if ever a factor since I've had the gun so long and practice so much I don't usually miss unless I happen to hit a stick or something.

 

[Grey Morel]

I've had a couple run off never to be seen again, after I hit them in the chest with solids. I feel awful when that happens, so gave up on it.

Me too. I haven't lost one yet but, in my experience, about 50% of the fox squirrels I shoot need to be shot again when hit with a .22LR in the upper torso.

Last one I shot was crawling through a mulberry bush about 15 yards out, and a little elevated from my position. As a rule I take body shots on elevated targets, as they drastically reduce the chance of a miss, and therefore reduce the risk of sending a round sailing off into parts unknown. (4'th rule). This is how it went down:

Shot 1: Just behind his right shoulder; He barely flinched and i though I missed.
Shot 2: Another upper body shot went though the right shoulder. I know I hit him because he stumbled.
Shot 3: The animal stumbled again and fell from his branch, but caught himself with one arm. He was just hanging there staring at me. Shot #3 was to the head.

I've had body shots drop a squirrel in its tracks before, but that last one was just too much. It's head shots only for me from now on.

 

[moooose102]

it does not take much to kill a squirrel. i shoot them with a pelet gun, and they drop like stones. whatever you have will do the job nicely.

 

[bernie]

I will use just about anything, but my preference is standard velocity (not so loud, and it does not scare them as bad if you miss, and you might get a second shot) solids. The hollow points can mess up some meat. My current squirrel ammo is an old (20 year maybe) batch of Remington Target. I also use a tool that I bought to flatten the nose so it looks and acts like a wadcutter. It does not cause it to expand, but it does look like you hit the squirrel with a "hole punch" because it does not allow the tissue to expand around the bullet as it passes through. Works well enough for me.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Definitely hollowpoint if going for a body shot. Head shot, doesn't matter.

it does not take much to kill a squirrel. i shoot them with a pelet gun, and they drop like stones.

I have to disagree strongly with that. They are very tough critters, and a pellet gun shot needs to be a head shot, and preferably a heavy .22 pellet. I've seen them flip and flop until I step on their head with a head shot from a .177 pellet gun.