Best setup for squirrel hunting

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[/URL][/IMG] Savage 24 is my squirrel,grouse and rabbit gun.22 on top for when they're sitting still and the 20 ga when they're moving.
 
"I prefer head shots, as I feed most of them to my friends hawks."

I'm more interested in your friend having hawks. Photos? How does he keep them and what does he do with them?
 
What about ammo?
Perhaps.22lr CB's are the answer for less damage?

Likely hit more like a hammer than a bullet that fragments,haven't tried yet myself but I am sure someone has?
 
racer55 said:
What about ammo?
Perhaps.22lr CB's are the answer for less damage?

Likely hit more like a hammer than a bullet that fragments,haven't tried yet myself but I am sure someone has?
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After four decades of squirrel hunting it is my opinion that a standard velocity or HV-HP is a better way to go for squirrels. Squirrels are much tougher than other small game species... hit in the center head, anything will work, but if you are off a little bit, you risk loosing the animal...
 
I run a scope with mil dots on my .22, it allows for different aiming points for different distances or velocities. You could try something like that or one of the"calibrated" .22 reticle scopes to compensate for the rainbow trajectory.
 
P.S - for all the guys recommending low power scopes (especially fixed low power), you have never tried to put crosshairs on a squirrels eyeball at 75 yards through a tangle of beech branches. I like a variable with at least 12X on the top end... 14X or 16X or 18X is even better... when hunting leave it on the lowest power setting and crank it up when needed.
 
hoytcanon said:
After four decades of squirrel hunting it is my opinion that a standard velocity or HV-HP is a better way to go for squirrels. Squirrels are much tougher than other small game species... hit in the center head, anything will work, but if you are off a little bit, you risk loosing the animal...
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Ask and ye shall receive-thanx
 
SHELL SHUCKER said:
I've relied on my CZ 452 Scout for grey squirrels, coons, feral cats and for cleaning out starlings & pigeons from folks barns. Fitted with a Nikon 1.5-4.5x glass this rifle is deadly inside 80 yds. on little critters & golf balls.:)
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I like this setup.

jdx23 said:
"I prefer head shots, as I feed most of them to my friends hawks."

I'm more interested in your friend having hawks. Photos? How does he keep them and what does he do with them?
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Falconry, he runs a small business with them. Keeping seagulls away from buildings, dumps, air ports ect...

He has a barn, converted horse stalls into hawk pens. Feeds them small game or when he has to (when I'm not hunting enough) rats/mice from pet stores.

He cuts tree rat tails off and does the same with rabbits and their ears as he doesn't want the birds honing in on small game. Wants to keep them working on keeping the sky and roofs clear.



hoytcanon said:
P.S - for all the guys recommending low power scopes (especially fixed low power), you have never tried to put crosshairs on a squirrels eyeball at 75 yards through a tangle of beech branches. I like a variable with at least 12X on the top end... 14X or 16X or 18X is even better... when hunting leave it on the lowest power setting and crank it up when needed.
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I find myself in fairly thick bush, I rarely get a shot more then 50 yards unless they are out in the field munching corn. 20-40 is average for me, I try to get as close as I can before having to shoot.

In early season it is no issue, because they are so busy eating they will stand still. So getting nice and steady and zooming in for a great head shot is much easier. Mid Season and late season, they don't really sit around much for you. I don't bait them as I hunt so many properties for them. So its quick snap shots when they pause. Ie why the 9x is to much sometimes.
 
hoytcanon said:
P.S - for all the guys recommending low power scopes (especially fixed low power), you have never tried to put crosshairs on a squirrels eyeball at 75 yards through a tangle of beech branches. I like a variable with at least 12X on the top end... 14X or 16X or 18X is even better... when hunting leave it on the lowest power setting and crank it up when needed.
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When it comes to squirrels, I need the rush of looking my game in the eye and seeing into it's soul Mark Sullivan style.....

Knowing I could get rushed and shaken down from one of these "mini tree bears" in search of my trail mix at any minute just adds to my heightened sense of anticipation.......

This dictates a 30 yard or less hunt...... for me, this means my Ruger Targis .177 air rifle with a 2-7........

Make no mistake..... like their bigger less elevated bear cousins, they are conditioned to respond to a gun shot in search of a gut pile feast..... the stealth of the .177 is not to be underrated..... especially at 1150 fps......
 
I use a Mossberg 22LR open sights WITH another hunter because squirrels like to run and hide on the other side of the tree. A few years ago 2 of us took down 30 of them in two days they were destroying a large fruit orchard.
 
Superbrad said:
When it comes to squirrels, I need the rush of looking my game in the eye and seeing into it's soul...

This dictates a 30 yard or less hunt...
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Canadiankeeper said:
I find myself in fairly thick bush, I rarely get a shot more then 50 yards unless they are out in the field munching corn. 20-40 is average for me, I try to get as close as I can before having to shoot.
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You guys would never get a shot in these parts... very rare to get shots under 50 yards in the open beech forests, more common to see 60-80 yard shots... and I have nailed a number in excess of 100 yards... these little buggers are SPOOKY... not your average city park squirrels. Even when they cross into the pines, shots are in the 50 yard range... it has been years since I took a 30 yard shot.
 
hoytcanon said:
You guys would never get a shot in these parts... very rare to get shots under 50 yards in the open beech forests, more common to see 60-80 yard shots... and I have nailed a number in excess of 100 yards... these little buggers are SPOOKY... not your average city park squirrels. Even when they cross into the pines, shots are in the 50 yard range... it has been years since I took a 30 yard shot.
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neither are mine, I wear full camo and face covers. Have to creep around slowly, or sit and wait for them. Most brush is dense around here though so anything over 50 is RARE.

I would think I would get more open with nice open woods lol
 
I have the perfect style. Take my Xbow into the bush climb my stand. They see me an think I'm deer hunting. Then I snipe them with my 22 and cci quiets lol. Most shots are 15-20 yards where I hunt. I do like my 17 mach 2 for those 30 yard shots. Plus you can't argue the performance of the mach2
 
hoytcanon said:
After four decades of squirrel hunting it is my opinion that a standard velocity or HV-HP is a better way to go for squirrels. Squirrels are much tougher than other small game species... hit in the center head, anything will work, but if you are off a little bit, you risk loosing the animal...
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I just did a count, & this year marks 50 yrs. since I started squirrel huntin'. (Fook me, I'm old.:sok2)The rifle I used for the first 3 years was a Slavia 620 airgun. I lost no squirrels hit with that bugger and most shots were in the heart/lung zone. They were the smaller red squirrels back then, as the greys had not moved into my area until years later. Any wounded ones that hit the ground were quickly snagged by my black lab when needed.

Although I use .22 rimfire for most squirrel missions, I just love busting greys with big game rifles using cast bullets loaded to .22 LR velocities. First off, this gives me lots of extra hunt time with my larger bores and is great for staying in tune with each rifle I use. Secondly, the results of a good hit on a tree rat can be rather entertaining using "heavy artillery". (Of course, one must ensure as safe backstop such as a hill or holler to catch the projectiles or be in thickly treed areas when shooting at level or slightly above.)

Lasty fer me at least, every pet cast load for my rifles that shoot "minute of squirrel" at 80 yds. for pests and plinking, have been lovely deer dumpers for me at that and closer ranges & at velocities not exceeding 1400
fps.

This year will be fun to use my Husqvarna M46a in 9.3x57 & me Model 70 Win in .458 mag.;)
 
SHELL SHUCKER said:
I just did a count, & this year marks 50 yrs. since I started squirrel huntin'. (Fook me, I'm old.:sok2)The rifle I used for the first 3 years was a Slavia 620 airgun. I lost no squirrels hit with that bugger and most shots were in the heart/lung zone. They were the smaller red squirrels back then, as the greys had not moved into my area until years later.
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Red squirrels and greys/fox squirrels are completely apples and oranges... we shot hundreds of reds with pellet guns... you can walk right up to them... you can't get away with that with a grey or fox... a precise rimfire has proven to be the best all around squirrel medicine.
 
Those red tree rats get "IT" with what ever is handy at the time. They can't tell the difference and my dog loves squirrel, whole or splattered!!!
 
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