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Squirrel Hunting, .22 or .410

3K views 13 replies 9 participants last post by  squirrelhunter 
#1 · (Edited)
I have squirrel hunted since I was 7 yrs old, (not as much lately),

I started out as a kid using a bolt action 410 shotgun, that I dont even know what ever happened to it.

I killed ,probly, 100s of squirrel with it.

Even after I got home from from a stint with uncle sam, I still used it,

Then came the kids, homeowning, raising family, didnt get to hunt much.

Then about 20 years ago I started hunting tree rats with a .22 single shot rifle, which I no longer have either.
Then about 10 years ago I tried hunting them with a .22 pistol, and found that I could also hit them with a good pistol, at closer range , which is harder . letting them come in close.

Last few years Ive gotten half blind:rolleyes:, and now,when I go to the woods for squirrel, I have taken afew with this little , inexpensive .22 shooter.


http://postimage.org/

http://postimage.org/

I might go back to to a410, if I start coming home without dinner.


Jim
 
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#2 ·
I have squirrel hunted since I was 7 yrs old, (not as much lately),

I started out as a kid using a bolt action 410 shotgun, that I dont even know what ever happened to it.

I killed ,probly, 100s of squirrel with it.

Even after I got home from from a stint with uncle sam, I still used it,

Then came the kids, homeowning, raising family, didnt get to hunt much.

Then about 20 years ago I started hunting tree rats with a .22 single shot rifle, which I no longer have either.
Then about 10 years ago I tried hunting them with a .22 pistol, and found that I could also hit them with a good pistol, at closer range , which is harder . letting them come in close.

Last few years Ive gotten half blind:rolleyes:, and now,when I go to the woods for squirrel, I have taken afew with this little , inexpensive .22 shooter.






I might go back to to a410, if I start coming home without dinner.

Jim
I've always used a .22 rifle. Pre-teen it was a Stevens bolt action magazine fed repeater with a peep sight - deadly, that was - or a Winchester Model 61 pump with open sights - not so deadly, but pretty good. By the 70s I had a Ruger 10/22 with a 4 power Bushnell scope. The squirrels didn't have a chance - but they were hard to find by then in the woods (more of them in the villages).

In my neck of the woods we have small bad tasting red squirrels and the larger gray squirrels (good eating) that were imported from England several centuries ago. I'm guessing that where you are the fox squirrels predominate.
 
#3 ·
We have a mix of grays and Fox (red /),

The Fox squirrels are much bigger and good eating.
I will take the grays also, they seem to taste a little better,but harder to kill, they small.

Ill take either, battered , fried , with a sideee order of biscuits and gravy.

With my old blurry vision, even with that 2.7x 28 scope, I may have to go back to a 410.:rolleyes:



Jim
 
#4 ·
We have a mix of grays and Fox (red /),

The Fox squirrels are much bigger and good eating.
I will take the grays also, they seem to taste a little better,but harder to kill, they small.

Ill take either, battered , fried , with a sideee order of biscuits and gravy.

With my old blurry vision, even with that 2.7x 28 scope, I may have to go back to a 410.:rolleyes:

Jim
Ooh, that meal description sounds good. Ma used to serve biscuits and gravy and whatever meat was available, alternating with her version of chicken pot pie - which was basically biscuits on top of fricasseed chicken and gravy - several times a month. When I worked in the South I ate biscuits and sausage gravy for breakfast at least twice a week. You could say that biscuits have made me what I am today - if you wanted to knock biscuits.

My vision was, ah, considerably less than perfect until a couple years ago, when the cataracts got smokey enough for the lens replacement. Now my distance vision is better than it's been since I was twelve. The surgery is about as safe as invasive surgery gets, and Medicare is good for it.
 
#6 · (Edited)
Years ago I used a model 61 Winchester with open sights to shoot grey squirrels. Then I switched over to a Remington 541S with a Weaver 40th anniversary 4X scope. I still have that rifle and haven't shot it in years but it was deadly. One time I shot a black squirrel. I thought he was black because it was time for walnuts and they would get black with the walnut outer shell. I picked him up and noticed he had silver colored eyes. I had never seen one before. About 5 years ago we were in Akron, Ohio, and I noticed that the squirrels there were all black. Small but totally black. I don't know if they are a native species to that area or if there is something awry with their DNA. I should have mounted that black squirrel I shot but I didn't. Today I am kind of sorry I shot it but I will never forget it.
I always tried for a head shot since there is not much meat on a squirrel but the thought of biscuits and gravy is a great thought! We used to take them to a local restaurant we had breakfast at and a gal named Norma would cook them with biscuits and gravy and she always told us, she would cook them but there would be some shrinkage. The "shrinkage" was cut of her share of the meat. That was a fair deal as far as we were concerned.
Tommy
 
#7 ·
Years ago I used a model 61 Winchester with open sights to shoot grey squirrels. Then I switched over to a Remington 541S with a Weaver 40th anniversary 4X scope. I still have that rifle and haven't shot it in years but it was deadly. One time I shot a black squirrel. I thought he was black because it was time for walnuts and they would get black with the walnut outer shell. I picked him up and noticed he had silver colored eyes. I had never seen one before. About 5 years ago we were in Akron, Ohio, and I noticed that the squirrels there were all black. Small but totally black. I don't know if they are a native species to that area or if there is something awry with their DNA. I should have mounted that black squirrel I shot but I didn't. Today I am kind of sorry I shot it but I will never forget it.
I always tried for a head shot since there is not much meat on a squirrel but the thought of biscuits and gravy is a great thought! We used to take them to a local restaurant we had breakfast at and a gal named Norma would cook them with biscuits and gravy and she always told us, she would cook them but there would be some shrinkage. The "shrinkage" was cut of her share of the meat. That was a fair deal as far as we were concerned.
Tommy
If we have lots of black squirrels here in Portland,along with fox and grays,but out here in the country there's only fox,for some reason the grays and blacks are only in town. I hear there's tons of black ones up in Michigan too.

My first year,back when I was 13,I used a .410 but the following year I got a .22 rifle and have used .22lr every since,either in rifle or handgun. Now it's either my Marlin bolt action rifle with a Simmons 3-9x scope or the T/C Contender with 14" match barrel and T/C 2.5-7x scope.
 
#9 ·
Squirrel hunting. I did a lot of that years ago. You get more action than most other kinds of woods hunting.

I have used my .22 Single Six. If I want to come home with enough meat to eat, I need a semi-auto 12 Ga with a full choke.

The text book will tell you a modified choke is the correct choice. But a full choke works at any distance.
When you see one a little out of range, slip a #4 shot 3" Mag in and get em. For close shots, aim just off the nose and you'll head shoot em.

Haven't gone hunting with my scoped 10/22 yet. I may take it out when the weather cools off a little.
With a .22 I only take ground shots or up against the tree trunk shots. Don't like shooting a 22 LR up into the air.
 
#10 ·
Hey Fido,

I'm back till I get lost again. Thanks!!!!!!

No tree rats for my blind azz. i can't see them. I can hear them in the trees above me. They laugh at me and chatter. They run across the roof and chase each other too.

Never hunted them anyway. We don't have enough around here to make a meal. Not much for them to eat.

Your pistola looks good eough to do it. But, if ya can't see em......well?
 
#14 · (Edited)
Dang SH,
I sorta figgered you for a 12ga double barrel, get 2-3 with one shot , kinda guy..;):D




Jim
I tried that once when I loaned my rifle to someone else only it was with a 12 gauge pump,I don't have a double barrel. It was too easy and it tore them up too much,plus I don't like dealing with the buckshot :D . .22 head shots long range (like 50 yards) is what I like.:D
 
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