Squirel in birdfeeder, .177 cal social work

[halvey]

Thanks for the info. It sounds like that will work. Yup, pretty much a pellet gun, but I bet better accuracy. Most of my shooting will be at less than 30 yards, so I assume my drop will be only minimal.

 

[Stand_Watie]

The nearest range that I tested it at was 35 yards. I got a 4 inch drop on the super-colibri at that range, and the CCI ammo was right on. In case you're curious what I was doing, I was trying to figure out how far the stuff would fly at it's maximum range, to figure in which directions I could shoot into the air without having to worry about hitting a neighbor.



35 yards

Colibri ------- 4 inches low average
CCI --------right on the money


50 yards

Colibri --------18 inches low average
CCI --------2 inches low average

75 yards

Colibri --------36 inches low average
CCI --------11.5 inches low average

100 yards

Colibri -------- Unknown/off target completely
CCI ---------29 inches low average

 

[christophera]

Actually, it probably has to do with overpenetration. Many of us live in the city, suburbs or small plots in the country. You can't shoot squirrels with a .22 or .410 there. The pellet gun is your only choice. Unfortunately, pellet guns don't always offer clean kills. Sure head shots are nice. But the reality is many pellet guns get 4" groups at 7 yards.

Pellet and BB guns are considered firearms and are ILLEGAL to shoot in urban growth boundries in the state of Oregon. You might want to check your local laws. This law even includes blow guns.

 

[PBIR]

I had a Crossman pump I bought new for about $50 in 1996, caliber .177

I drilled about 8 Nashville,TN squirrels with upper chest cavity shots that produced clean, one shot kills. They were ruled squirrel non grata once they began nesting in the attic of the apartment I was renting downtown - sounded like a pride of lions scratching on sheet metal at 3 in the morning, not pleasant at all. The yard was cleared and no more restless nights for me or the neighbors.


-P-

 

[NRA4LIFE]

I have to disagree with some of the information on this thread. I have a Gamo 440 Hunter model with the 4X scope. At 50 feet I can shoot sub-dime sized groups, easy. I have killed several large bird feeder raiding limb rats with chest shots that killed them instantly. They never even twitched by the time they hit the ground. The same goes for rabbits. I have killed at least 20 of them with one shot. Again, all of them dead by the time I could reach them. And as far as spine shooting a deer, Unless it's high in the neck or near it's head, that does not kill a deer. I think all of us who have ever mis-directed a shot from the lung area know what I mean. Most often that results in a bellering cripple.

 

[Denver]

O.K., now I am curious. Could a variable in the one-shot-one-dead-squirrel equasion be the projectile itself?

For us pellet-gun-weilding hunters, what shape pellet were each of you using in your successful campaigns? Wadcutter, pointed, hollow point, extra-heavy (8 grain round nose, for instance), or something else?

I have had the misfortune of having to shoot a hapless squirrel dozens of times with the old Crosman 760 Powermaster, using wadcutters. I finally had to employ the services of a nearby cinderblock "fired" from about five feet. Gory but effective. (And not the dance you wish to be doing with sensitive neighbors around! "Don't mind me! I'm just mashing a squirrel for dinner! Want some?")

I haven't tried the colibris or the cb caps on game, yet. I've shot them at the range, only to look at my single six to see if it had malfunctioned because there was NO discernable recoil or report in that noisy environment!

 

[Jo Mama]

Update

I have to give those squirrels some credit. They aren't as dumb as I thought they were. My Dad had a birdfeeder that was tied up in a tree with some string and the little buggers chewed through the string so the feeder would fall and they could get the seed out. So he used some wire and rehung the feeder and the little buggers chewed the branch that the feeder was on and dropped the feeder again. He has now killed off all the dumb ones and now just has a few smart ones left, or maybe just caggy.

 

[JesusCow]

Hmm.. Mini-14 used on this one

Now if I could just get it down from the tree. T'was very lucky and interesting way it landed!

Two additional pictures (2 different angles) - 1 2
And a video (almost got it down) - small video - 1.3mb MAN, it didnt want to come down! did it?

 

[JohnKSa]

I know people who can shoot squirrels all day with a pellet gun and never have to use two pellets on one squirrel.

It's not because they're using great pellets or airguns...it's because they're great shots!

 

[PBIR]

what shape pellet were each of you using in your successful campaigns? Wadcutter, pointed, hollow point, extra-heavy (8 grain round nose, for instance), or something else?

IIRC correctly I had the crossman point tip .177's that you could buy at Walmart. If not, they were regular crossman wadcutters.

 

[christophera]

What about bb's? You guys use them on Squirrels? My nephew and I were getting really good groupings with my Crossman pump pistol.

 

[Bridger]

I don't know about squirrels, but I've been using a GAMO Shadow 1000 on my chipmunk problem. Headshots are easy and they go down quick. Some twitching, but that's more from the headshot than anything.

I think the pellets I'm using are .177 beeman brand hollow points, the gold plated ones.

 

[PBIR]

What about bb's? You guys use them on Squirrels? My nephew and I were getting really good groupings with my Crossman pump pistol.

I always used pellets. Although I can remember cleaning many a sparrows clock when I was a kid with BB's (they like to nest in the eaves, chimmeny, etc of your house - makes a real mess. Always seemed to be effective against their frames, most were dead before they hit the ground.