Airgun for squirrel shooting? (30 feet max.)

but also to stay away from the high-end competition target guns which have the imperative to optimize accuracy over velocity
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Not quite. Target air pistols my not be THE most powerful ones, but are almost always quite near the top (around 500 FPS in .177), as it has been found that lower velocities keep accuracy down. I think that Crosman sole target offering, the 1720T PCP, is also their most powerful one, at around 750 FPS.
 
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but also to stay away from the high-end competition target guns which have the imperative to optimize accuracy over velocity
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Not quite. Target air pistols my not be THE most powerful ones, but are almost always quite near the top (around 500 FPS in .177), as it has been found that lower velocities keep accuracy down. I think that Crosman sole target offering, the 1720T PCP, is also their most powerful one, at around 750 FPS.
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It is generally held by dedicated air-gun hunters that the velocity produced should be about 1,000 fps. The velocities you mention are way below that.
I have a HW 55, which is a intermediately priced target rifle. I tested it on chickens that I normally killed by shooting in the head with a .22 long rifle. I found that even with a head-shot, the HW55 did not produce a fast kill. I was told on a Air Gun forum that my rifle was likely only to produce about 850 fps inasmuch as it was a dedicated target rifle. Air Gun Digest likewise recommends 1000 fps or more, for hunting squirrels.
 
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I used to plug squirrels, mice and rats with my Beeman 400. Absolute precision shooter and could easily nail them right in the eye. It sounds like you snapped your finger when you fire it and zero recoil because of the gliss system.
 
I have shot several with a 1,200 fps air rifle and frankly was not impressed. Can you kill them, sure, is it anywhere near as clean a kill as a .22, no. Perhaps a .22 air rifle with decent velocity would be better.
 
Can you kill them, sure, is it anywhere near as clean a kill as a .22, no.
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When hunting furred prey with a typical airgun, central nervous system hits (brain/spine shots) are required for clean kills. Just to be clear, I'm not talking about the PCP airguns that shoot the rough equivalent of bullets at blackpowder velocities and power levels.

Even the hypervelocity .177 airguns will be disappointing when compared to a .22LR if shots are taken at the body of the animal. Airgun hunting is all about precision--don't expect them to perform like firearms when it comes to terminal effect.
 
So how is one brain shot not as clean a kill as any another brain shot? Every brain shot I've ever seen results in a DRT (dead right there) kill which is as clean as it gets.
 
Heck if I know. I have shot several right through the head with a .22 that jumped all over the place and took quite a bit of time to die. Solids, not hollowpoints. Grey matter exposed and the whole 9 yards. The ones I pegged through the head with the .177, in general, took longer. Most shot through the brain with either dropped dead, but I have had more issues with the pellet gun.

Maybe the squirrels around here are more tenacious, or just use less of their brains in everyday activity, and therefore need less to get away once shot.

The .40 longrifle kills them dead as all get out, but can tear things up a bit even with a reduced load. It certainly is an elegant weapon for the purpose though. I prefer the Marlin .22 for efficiency, but when it is leafy and green the 12 gauge 870 is the go to gun.
 
The pellets being used make some difference too. Some are higher tech with everything from cheap crossmans to alloy, pointed, hollow point and the ones with the BB in the butt for extra shock power.
There's some good vids on YouTube of the .50cal dragon claws. Suitable for deer hunting I would suppose.
 
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Def some sort of pump pellet rifle. You can vary the amount of force needed with number of pumps given.

A high quality rifle like an RWS that shoots 1000+ fps might be dangerous in a close urban enviro. Doesn't take much at 30ft max target distance.
 
Air pistol: 900 fps, .25 cal. pellet

dahermit has told me that he found a 900 fps air pistol in the Pyramyd Air catalog that shoots .25 cal. pellet. It is a "precharged pneumatic" (not spring-air) type of air pistol.

That would seem to meet the general criteria discussed by several posters above.

He points out, it is pricey though, at $431.

As I attempted to make clear earlier, for my specific situation, an air rifle is not possible.

So I may look at the Pyrmyd Air catalog and find an air pistol in this rough order of specs. Anyone ever used one of these type of air pistols for shooting squirrel?
 
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At 20-30 ft I second the idea of a sling shot. Easy to get proficient with at those ranges and very quiet. I also second the question of WHY? If a conventional firearm isn't an option then you're probably trying to take squirrel where you're not allowed to shoot them (at least with a firearm). In any case go with a sling shot. Even a low priced sling shot will easily take squirrel at that distance. You just need to practice so you can hit your target.
 
I don't know what they're going for these days, but in it's day the BSA Scorpion was about as powerful an air pistol as one could get. My dad had one. They are a bit of a beast but they are pretty cool and quite accurate.
Inside of 10 yards with a head shot on a bushy tailed rat, it should do nicely.

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dahermit has told me that he found a 900 fps air pistol in the Pyramyd Air catalog that shoots .25 cal. pellet. It is a "precharged pneumatic" (not spring-air) type of air pistol.
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PreCharged Pneumatics (PCPs) tend to be very easy to shoot and very accurate. They can be very loud, so you need to consider that aspect.

In addition to the cost of the pistol, you will need some method to charge the tank. Either a high-pressure pump of some kind, or a separate fill tank and a business in the area who can refill the tank when it is exhausted.
 
I have a .22 Benjamin that works well on squirrels. I have a .177 that shoots at 700 to 750 and it will kill them, head shot works the best with it. A body better be in the heart/lung area and they will run. Bought the Crossman gas .22 pistol and it has to be ahead shot and it may take another shot to the head at close range to finish him off. The .22 at about 650 to 700 is much more powerful than the .177 at same vel.
 
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