Squirrel rifles

B

brybenn

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
53   0   0
Location
southern ontario
I know squirrel season is a long way off but im curious as to what everyone uses to harvest their tree rats. My main choices are a pair of savage mark 2s. 17 mach2 gv and a 22lr fv in a mdt lss chassis.
My style is to hole up and snipe them as they go by. In years past i enjoyed stalking them but after a couple years of recovery from knee injuries and a torn achilles tendon ive got to enjoy the fun and challenge of sniping. This year ill be good enough to stalk them again so ill get out with my rossi 37 or 9422
 
We only have the small North American red squirrels in my area and we can’t hunt them, from what I gather they are native to the province and are protected seeing as there is no open season listed for them. Grey and Fox squirrels are listed in schedule C and we can hunt them without a permit but I’ve never seen either in my region. :(
 
I prefer a scoped .22lr bolt action, anything will do but I currently use a CIL 310 (Anschutz) with a Leupold 1.5-5x20.
I also had really enjoyed using a Brno No.1 with a Leupold 2-7 Rimfire, fine reticle is very nice.
I prefer a hollow point bullet as I found they are more lethal with less wounded runners that hole up.
This upcoming season I plan to do a few squirrels hunts with my 28ga O/U as well, something different for them tree rats that jump limb to limb.
 
the HM2 is the perfect squirrel caliber gun combined with a decant scope, head shots only. i sold me CZ hm2 years ago and kind of regret it. now i use a cz scout 22lr 16 inch barrel with a 2 to 7 burris scope and could probably use more magnification.
i walk the woods slowly looking around and when i think that spot looks squirrely enough i sit against a tree , wait 5 min and use a squirrel hand call. it really gets them going and they come out of their hiding holes fast and mad.
ive had several surprises using the call. it can call in more than just squirrels ( depending how you use it)once i was dive bombed by an owl and another time i had a coyote running at me...sure got my heart going those times.
 
Last edited:
Butcherbill said:
We only have the small North American red squirrels in my area and we can’t hunt them, from what I gather they are native to the province and are protected seeing as there is no open season listed for them. Grey and Fox squirrels are listed in schedule C and we can hunt them without a permit but I’ve never seen either in my region. :(
Click to expand...

That's just as well, they're too cute to shoot, we see them playing in our yard like kittens. :)
cou:
 
Mount Sweetness said:
I prefer a scoped .22lr bolt action, anything will do but I currently use a CIL 310 (Anschutz) with a Leupold 1.5-5x20.
I also had really enjoyed using a Brno No.1 with a Leupold 2-7 Rimfire, fine reticle is very nice.
I prefer a hollow point bullet as I found they are more lethal with less wounded runners that hole up.
This upcoming season I plan to do a few squirrels hunts with my 28ga O/U as well, something different for them tree rats that jump limb to limb.
Click to expand...

I just put a leupold 1.5-5x20 on my cooey 64

Id like to load some black powder shells for my old charles daly damascus hammer gun for backing up some of my buddies who are new to hunting
 
phishroy said:
the HM2 is the perfect squirrel gun combined with a decant scope, head shots only. i sold me CZ hm2 years ago and kind of regret it. now i use a cz scout 22lr 16 inch barrel with a 2 to 7 burris scope and could probably use more magnification.
i walk the woods slowly looking around and when i think that spot looks squirrely enough i sit against a tree , wait 5 min and use a squirrel hand call. it really gets them going and they come out of their hiding holes fast and mad.
ive had several surprises using the call. it can call in more than just squirrels ( depending how you use it)once i was dive bombed by an owl and another time i had a coyote running at me...sure got my heart going those times.
Click to expand...

Love the 17mach2
 
Pocisk said:
That's just as well, they're too cute to shoot, we see them playing in our yard like kittens. :)
cou:
Click to expand...

Haha, yeah they’re pretty cute. However I have a wild game cook book with a large amount of squirrel recepies I’d love to try out, fox and grey are big enough to get some meat from. The NA reds are just too small for any meat.
 
I'm shooting a CZ 453 Lux with a VX-3 4.5-14X40mm AO... but I also shoot a Browning Buck Mark Sporter with a VX-2 2-7x28mm Fine Duplex Rimfire scope when backpacking or as a second rifle on multi-species hunts.
 
hoytcanon said:
Where I hunt, you don't get 20 yard shots... you are lucky to get 50 yard shots... seems like I am always shooting in the 60-70 yard range.
Click to expand...

Ah damn. Maybe throw out some corn, bird seed, or acorns or some kind of bait to get them in closer? Mix in some peanut butter and they should show up pretty quick.

Granted if you are just plinking while walking along random spots then yeah no point in baiting.

Arent squirel calls made from banging a couple coins together?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom