Squirrel hunting : Shotgun or rifle ?

Squirrel hunting : Rifle or shotgun ?

  • Shotgun

    Votes: 13 29.5%

  • Rifle

    Votes: 31 70.5%
  • Total voters
    44
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I used a 12 guage growing up. Now I use a 22 revolver or a rifle. But it's also not important if I kill squirrel to eat like it used to be. If I actually HAD to kill my supper I'd likely still carry the shotgun.

red rick said:
I fry mine like chicken and make gravy with the drippings .
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That's the only way I've ever seen it eat up here in the Appalachian mountains.
 
crestoncowboy said:
I used a 12 guage growing up. Now I use a 22 revolver or a rifle. But it's also not important if I kill squirrel to eat like it used to be. If I actually HAD to kill my supper I'd likely still carry the shotgun.



That's the only way I've ever seen it eat up here in the Appalachian mountains.
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I slow cook'em. Boil and bone'em. The put the meat, onion, cabbage, veggies, salt and pepper, a beer and some water in a crock pot and put it on low all day. Slow cooked limb-rat stew. Makes them tender and yummy. :)
 
WestKentucky said:
Burgoo is very regional. If your in TN and are calling it Burgoo then I bet you are close to Clarksville. Burgoo is essentially a western Kentucky thing. Not much found above the Ohio, west of the Mississippi, east of bowling green, or south of Nashville.

and if I’m right, can you please mail me some RedTop Burgoo??? If your where I think you are then you know RedTop.
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RedTop does have good Burgoo. They always run out at the end of the day. Try The Woodshed in Hopkinsville. Their Burgoo is as good as Red Top. The Woodshed has great BBQ pit mutton too.
 
tercel89 said:
RedTop does have good Burgoo. They always run out at the end of the day. Try The Woodshed in Hopkinsville. Their Burgoo is as good as Red Top. The Woodshed has great BBQ pit mutton too.
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Woodshed is about 4 miles from where I grew up. I ate there at least once a month until I moved away, and usually more like once a week after I got old enough to drive there myself.
 
WestKentucky said:
Woodshed is about 4 miles from where I grew up. I ate there at least once a month until I moved away, and usually more like once a week after I got old enough to drive there myself.
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I always eat there for my birthday meal. I was about to eat there when all this virus mess started and they closed for eat-in. They will be open next week and I am happy !
 
I primarily use a 22lr. Too many pellets and we squirrel hunt with a dog so they tend to top out in the biggest trees. Just watch your shots and your good.
 
Axis II said:
I primarily use a 22lr. Too many pellets and we squirrel hunt with a dog so they tend to top out in the biggest trees. Just watch your shots and your good.
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Your post brought back some memories. My mom was very upset with me when she found out that I had trained her little Australian Terrier to be my squirrel dog when I was in High School. Dad just laughed and told me not to upset mom.
 
12Bravo20 said:
Your post brought back some memories. My mom was very upset with me when she found out that I had trained her little Australian Terrier to be my squirrel dog when I was in High School. Dad just laughed and told me not to upset mom.
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We use a Mountain Curr and he also tracks and trees coon.
 
12Bravo20 said:
Your post brought back some memories. My mom was very upset with me when she found out that I had trained her little Australian Terrier to be my squirrel dog when I was in High School. Dad just laughed and told me not to upset mom.
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If Mom's not happy nobody is happy:D
 
I met a guy who used the old Native American method of a knobbed stick. He'd find one with a big ole knob on the end, stand very still, then throw it at the squirrel when it was in range. He was a surprisingly good "throw (and pretty successful, too!) :D
 
I use a 20 gauge shotgun. Only because i can take shots at greys in the trees. Shooting a 22lr in the air is a horrible idea to me, least in this area.
 
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Even when the shot passes all the way thru, there is still the bloody/hairy shot trail. Squirrels have so little meat on them to start with, I hate wasting any of it. Yes a .22 takes more patience to wait for a good and safe shot, but isn't the title of this thread Squirrel hunting? I believe Mythbusters did an episode where they determined that small caliber bullets like .22, due to their small mass, are unable to achieve enough terminal velocity, when falling back to earth, to do any real damage. Maybe hurt your eye if you are looking up. You are more likely to injure someone shooting at a squirrel on the ground with a .22, than shooting at one directly above your head. Keep the arc of your shot over 45 degrees and you are safe.
 
buck460XVR said:
Even when the shot passes all the way thru, there is still the bloody/hairy shot trail. Squirrels have so little meat on them to start with, I hate wasting any of it. Yes a .22 takes more patience to wait for a good and safe shot, but isn't the title of this thread Squirrel hunting? I believe Mythbusters did an episode where they determined that small caliber bullets like .22, due to their small mass, are unable to achieve enough terminal velocity, when falling back to earth, to do any real damage. Maybe hurt your eye if you are looking up. You are more likely to injure someone shooting at a squirrel on the ground with a .22, than shooting at one directly above your head. Keep the arc of your shot over 45 degrees and you are safe.
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The harder copper plated shot also helps reduce the amount of hair drawn in too.

I wasn't going to say it earlier as I did not want to open that particular can-of-worms that early in the thread, but yes I believe it has been shown that a 22 LR bullet free falling at terminal velocity is non-lethal. The critical caveat is that the bullet needs to have been fired at very close to vertical so that by the time it reaches it apex it has lost very close to all of its horizontal velocity. Thus rendering its return to earth a free fall event with little horizontal velocity. I personally do this and love in the early fall laying under a big tall nut bearing tree that squirrels are cutting nuts in and shoot my 10/22 straight up taking the squirrels off the very highest thinnest branches (sometimes out of shotgun range). It's a challenge to get a window for the the shot through all the leaves but fun and IMHO a safe shot. I am sure others will disagree with me.
 
22lr with wolf match or better ammo. As a kid was federal lightning in my 1022. Moved up a bit to cz and custom 1022. Better ammo gives me more meat in the pot.
 
ericuda said:
22lr with wolf match or better ammo. As a kid was federal lightning in my 1022. Moved up a bit to cz and custom 1022. Better ammo gives me more meat in the pot.
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Same for me, Wolf Match or Federal Match and my Clerke bull barrel in my 10/22 is a wonderful squirrel killing combination.
 
My 60 and 10/23 both group better with Wolf ammo . It is a low velocity ammo and it will not eject most of the time out of my 60 . No problems ejecting out of the 10/22 ,
 
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