Squirrel Hunting - Hunter Safety Question

[Daddywagz]

Got a question regarding squirrel hunting, which I've never done but like the idea of. How is it considered good hunter safety to be shooting a .22 into the trees at a squirrel? Considering one should know have a solid backstop on a target animal, and even avoid sky-lined shots, how is it considered okay to be shooting into the air, or at best into foliage? Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[jmr40]

It can be done safely, if you choose your shots carefully. I wouldn't recommend shooting into the small branches, but If the squirrel is on the tree trunk it will serve as a backstop.

 

[buck460XVR]

Because of the small mass of the .22 bullet, falling from a high arc after it has lost it's initial velocity, makes the danger from it fairly low. IOWs, a bullet falling like this is less likely to severely hurt someone before it hits the ground than a bullet shot horizontal to the ground. Similar to being rained on in a goose blind with someone else's BBBs. That said, one still needs to be careful what direction they shoot in and be aware what's in the distance for a mile or so.

 

[rondog]

Use hollowpoints, those will slow down considerably after goin' thru they lil' heads.....

 

[gojuice101]

I've considered this several times as well. Some will say that a .22 bullet won't have enough power to do any damage, but that depends on arc angle. At a high arc angle, it may lose enough energy to be pretty harmless. However, at a lower arc angle it can maintain enough energy to do damage, and travel further. Personally, I try to keep my shots toward squirrels moving along the ground. If I do shoot up, I am aware of what is in that direction and make sure I don't shoot toward a house, and I try to make sure my shots are toward a trunk or thicker part of a tree.

In my area, the likelihood of a bullet dropping on someone is very, very low. But the possibility is still there and not something I want to be responsible for.

 

[blindhari]

Daddywagz,
You might consider going over to the air gun section. I have rebuilt an old 22 cal air rifle (subsonic) and discovered that one style of pellet seems to leave a small clean hole along with good groups at 40 yds, a tumbled hole at 60 yds and seems to hit the ground about 70-80 yds out. At 35 yds a tree rat or jackrabitt just seems to go down. Quiet, short range, accurate and fairly fatal out to 35 yds. It is an alternative to the price and expense of 22 lr.

blindhari

 

[matrem]

After hearing that 'zing' from branches one too many times, #4 or #5 shot is what puts em in our crock pot.

Only way I'd use one now would be as poster #2 said and use the trunk as backstop.

My brother has been using a .22 air rifle for the last two years and seems to be pleased with it.
I found out that .177s don't quite make the grade(at 700-1000 fps), as far as I'm concerned.

 

[MCgunner]

Depends on how crowded the area is, I reckon. Shotguns are cheating. I prefer .22 pistols.

 

[matrem]

Have yet to have anybody call me a cheater with their mouth full.

 

[oldillini]

Although I would love to hunt the little rats right from my deck ... see a lot more there ... I will not hunt with the .22 if there is a house within 1/2 mile and never towards an open space.

 

[MCgunner]

My Mk 2 and my fat self....

 

[1911 guy]

Be choosy about your shots. Take shots that result in a miss hitting a safe backstop such as tree trunk or at an angle that hits ground before sailing into parts unknown.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

A good reason to consider shorts, plus no crack to scare the game.

 

[MCgunner]

CB shorts are quite deadly to 25 yards. Kind of drop a bit beyond that, but are deadly. They move about 700 fps max and are quieter than most pellet rifles when fired from a rifle. I really have no use for air guns, but I'll admit that right now ammo is easier to find.

 

[natman]

It's part of the game to line up the shot so that there's a tree trunk in the background. If I really want a squirrel no matter what, I use a Savage 24 in 22/410. If I just can't get a shot with a solid backstop, I flip the selector to "shotgun".

 

[AABEN]

You can shoot them as long as your shot is up at a good angle! jest try to keep your shoots away from any homes. Where I live there is a lot of country and I do not worry about that. Good hunting.

 

[WestKentucky]

This is why I originally bought a 17hmr. So fast that it explodes with a hit to anything and the frag is so small it's harmless. Sold that gun because of what it did to squirrels.

 

[MCgunner]

Where I live there is a lot of country and I do not worry about that.

Yup, why I said "Depends on how crowded the area is". Not a real problem out here in the sticks.

 

[Daddywagz]

Groovy, that's about what I thought on the topic. Thanks everyone for their input, I appreciate it.

 

[loose noose]

That's why I usually used a .410 especially while hunting near farms where the big acorn trees grew, back in Wisconsin.

 

[Sniper66]

Any good hunter pays attention to what is on the other side of a target, whether it be a squirrel with a .22, a prairie dog with a .223, a deer with a .270, or a pheasant with a 12 gauge.

 

[MCgunner]

Any good hunter pays attention to what is on the other side of a target, whether it be a squirrel with a .22, a prairie dog with a .223, a deer with a .270, or a pheasant with a 12 gauge.

I guess that eliminates Dick Cheney being a good hunter.

Yeah, being aware of your background is a huge rule of hunter safety.

 

[Legionnaire]

natman beat me to it. My favorite squirrel gun is a Savage 24 .22Mag/20 gauge. Yes, the .22Mag is overkill on squirrels, but it does "reach out there" nicely. The shotgun barrel gets the call for treed squirrels.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

We hunted Squirrels for decades with 22 rifles and never hurt a thing but the Squirrels.

 

[twofifty]

I guess that eliminates Dick Cheney being a good hunter.

Yeah, being aware of your background is a huge rule of hunter safety.

collateral damage?