Favorite gun(s) for squirrel/rabbit?

[38-45 Special]

I love small game hunting and never miss a chance to do so. I know you could take a squirrel with a pellet rifle if you really had to, but I'm interested to see what your guys' go-to gun or guns are for squirrel and/or rabbit season.

I personally don't have much experience with rabbit hunting, but my go to gun for a ground squirrel is my Savage 64F. If I've gotta shoot high or if I'm shooting a bit further out, it's my Remington 870.

 

[earlthegoat2]

Here are some insights.

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/squirrel-hunting-shotgun-or-rifle.867716/

Squirrel in the beginning of the season I use a 20 ga shotgun with 5 shot. 22 Mag when the leaves fall.

I usually use 20 ga shotgun for any and all rabbit hunting but have taken a few with my Model 17 S&W 22LR.

 

[Highland Lofts]

When I lived back in Upstate New York I used my Marlin 882 bolt action 22 magnum for squirrels and my Stevens 20 gauge double barrel or my Ithaca model 66 - 20 gauge single shot for rabbits Nd occasional grouse.
I killed a ton of rabbits & squirrels with these three guns.

 

[Glockula]

My Henry lever action .22, rossi 92 with .38 specials and my good old single shot .410.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I prefer my flintlock, 20 gauge, trade gun.



LD

 

[Fyrstyk]

In my youth it was a Savage Model 24 .22 LR/410. It was the only gun I had and it was the best of both worlds as already mentioned. Now I use a 28 gauge black powder muzzleloader in the early squirrel season when the leaves are on the trees, and a .32 caliber flint lock muzzleloader for when the leaves fall. I like to stalk and spot and shoot rabbits when there is snow on the ground. I use my .32 flint lock for that too.

 

[Chuck R.]

In my youth it was a Rem Nylon 66 for squirrels, 20GA SxS for rabbits over dogs. The Rem Nylon 66 was the 1st gun I ever paid for myself.

Now I don't hunt rabbits, but for squirrels, it's an older Ruger 77-22 with Leupold 3x9 compact scope. Just had it out yesterday practicing on steel squirrel, rabbit, and crow silhouettes.

 

[entropy]

Mine was my Dad's Remington 572 with a Weaver 2.5x on it. Id' go out and sit in a patch of oaks and wait. Always make sure you have solid tree trunk behind the squirrel if shooting upward. I prefer 20 ga. for rabbits, though I've taken them with .22's, 16 ga. and 12 ga.

 

[Ole Joe Clark]

When I had beagles and rabbit hunted, I used my 20 gauge model 12 Winchester. I still would use it if I rabbit hunted, haven't hunted squirrels in years.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

 

[natman]

I have two, a Norinco JW15 clone of a Brno #1 and a Savage 24 in 22LR / 20 ga. The JW15 is for rifle work. It's rather crudely made, but it's quite accurate. I have nicer 22s, but the JW15 is so accurate and I don't care if it gets a few hunting scratches. The Savage is for squirrels when I really want to bring one home. I don't shoot rifles into the air, so the shotgun barrel gets used when I can't line up a shot with a tree trunk as a backstop.

 

[Patocazador]

My favorite is my Ruger Standard model .22 pistol. I've taken quite a few rabbits and squirrels with it.

 

[WestKentucky]

Single six with mag cylinder for critters with patience, Mossberg 20ga for those critters who feel the need to move around. The single six has a lot more pop with the mag cylinder, and seems to be more accurate as well, so it is the preferred critter gitter.

 

[Varminterror]

SxS .410... but the problem is finding a proper model.

In practice, I almost unilaterally use a .410 single shot, a 10/22, or a 17WSM Bmag when porting a long gun, and use a 17HMR revolver most days when wheelguning small game.