squirrel hunting

[apoallo]

what does everybody use for squirrel hunting? I started using my .17 HMR this past weekend and the exit holes are almost overkill. looks like the tree rats ate a firecracker and then it exploded in its neck

[Pygmy]

I used a .17HMR for a couple of years, but it is a "head shots only"  rifle...

I now have a .17 MachII...Great little squirrel rifle and less destructive than it's larger cousin, but ammo is nearly impossible to find now.Fortunately I got a lifetime supply when I bought the rifle.

I use a shotgun in early season when the leaves are heavy or until I have a pretty good supply of squirrels in the freezer.  Then I switch to the rifle and use either the H&R  .17 Mach II  ( 4X Leupold)  or my old faithful Ruger 10/22( 4XBurris Compact)..  The 10/22 is currently sighted in with Remington Target standard velocity long rifles.

[thphtm]

Pellet gun, quiet and effective. Even have taken chucks and fox with my 25 cal.

[BKhunter]

Use my ruger 22. 

[Uncle Nicky]

Usually a double barreled shotgun with #4 shot.

[Elmo]

12 gauge with #6 steel shot.  22LR.  .25 pellet air gun.  I've had similar results from my 17HMR.  Squirrel was almost ripped entirely in half on a double lung shot so I stopped using it.

[ApexerER]

Ruger 10/22......Took the shotgun once...didn't feel like there was much sport in that...

[Pygmy]

Well ain't you SPECIAL ?....

[Will_C]

Don't get out much anymore. When I was young and serious about killing squirrels I used a 16 gauge Ithaca 37. Over the last few years I take one of my .22 handguns and a 20gauge Remington 1100, so that I'm ready for a grouse or a turkey.

Will

[Gencountyzeek]

Took my 10/22 out today, wanted a tree rat for lunch. Hogue over mold stock and a E.R. Shaw spiral fluted bull barrel. Cheap bushnell 3-9 on it. It worked out today. Fried up some squirrel for lunch.

Edited October 13, 2016 by Gencountyzeek

[airedale]

Squirrel season is long and over the season's many months the hunting conditions change and change a lot. In September all the leaves are on the trees and distances for the most part are short and clean clear shots are few, like Pygmy I will be using a shotgun early while the leaves are on. As fall progresses and the leaves start coming down I switch to rimfire rifles and use mostly standard velocity 22 LR ammo. When all the leaves are off and there is snow on the ground the open woods will then offer some pretty longs shots, I switch to high velocity 22 LR ammo and will sometimes use the 17 HMR or 22 Mag.

This Remington 541S 22 LR is my favorite late season Squirrel rifle, me and this old girl have killed a lot of them.

Edited October 15, 2016 by airedale

[turkeyfeathers]

On ‎10‎/‎13‎/‎2016 at 2:48 PM, Gencountyzeek said:

Took my 10/22 out today, wanted a tree rat for lunch. Hogue over mold stock and a E.R. Shaw spiral fluted bull barrel. Cheap bushnell 3-9 on it. It worked out today. Fried up some squirrel for lunch.

Nice looking rig. Love the Claw slings   They never slip off the shoulder !

[LJC]

12 ga 4 shot 

Or 22 lr 

Or 22 pcp airgun 

The pcp airgun makes  less of a mess of them  lately my preferred gun of choice

[Gencountyzeek]

10 minutes ago, turkeyfeathers said:

Nice looking rig. Love the Claw slings   They never slip off the shoulder !

Thank you. Next I'd really like to get a browning t bolt in 17hmr.