Model12Win
Moderator
Hmm... maybe! That would seem like a good compromise. I think I'll live it be for now, but I may still want to shorten it. But if I do cut the barrel, will it cause the gun to shoot high etc.?
Chopped 20 gauge for squirrel?
- Thread starter Model12Win
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Hmm... maybe! That would seem like a good compromise. I think I'll live it be for now, but I may still want to shorten it. But if I do cut the barrel, will it cause the gun to shoot high etc.?
bamaranger
New member
think so
Yeah, I think lopping the tube will leave the gun mostly a short range hunting proposition. Like maybe 20 yds at best. Yeah, no doubt you can kill a squirrel, sitting, in the open, on the ground, past that. But.......? We have some 12 ga Cylinder choked guns show up at our 3 gun matches, and much past 20 yds, their ability to consistently knock down plates and break stationary clays is pretty apparent. I'd think a 20 ga, with its smaller payload, will be more of the same. Squirrels up in the trees, protected by leaves and limbs, will need more choke. How much more is debateable. For a GP, do all gun, modified choke seems about right.
A 26" barreled single shot is going to be pretty handy and short to begin with, much shorter than any repeater, due to the lack of any receiver that would house the action/bolt.
I'd leave it alone. Wouldn't want a "sawed off gun" for self defense either, but that's another post.
Yeah, I think lopping the tube will leave the gun mostly a short range hunting proposition. Like maybe 20 yds at best. Yeah, no doubt you can kill a squirrel, sitting, in the open, on the ground, past that. But.......? We have some 12 ga Cylinder choked guns show up at our 3 gun matches, and much past 20 yds, their ability to consistently knock down plates and break stationary clays is pretty apparent. I'd think a 20 ga, with its smaller payload, will be more of the same. Squirrels up in the trees, protected by leaves and limbs, will need more choke. How much more is debateable. For a GP, do all gun, modified choke seems about right.
A 26" barreled single shot is going to be pretty handy and short to begin with, much shorter than any repeater, due to the lack of any receiver that would house the action/bolt.
I'd leave it alone. Wouldn't want a "sawed off gun" for self defense either, but that's another post.
Model12Win
Moderator
Okay guys, I got the gun today!
After reading your posts, I've decided to not cut this gun down, at least not for a while. It is reasonably compact as is. It's got a modified fixed choke... will that be enough for squirrel in the woods of eastern Kansas?
I plan to buy a slip on ammo sleeve for the buttstock of the gun, and using some 2 3/4" #3 buckshot loads for home defense. When I hit the woods come squirrel season, I'll probably use #6 birdshot game loads on them.
Any recommendations are still welcome, are these good loads for the purpose?
After reading your posts, I've decided to not cut this gun down, at least not for a while. It is reasonably compact as is. It's got a modified fixed choke... will that be enough for squirrel in the woods of eastern Kansas?
I plan to buy a slip on ammo sleeve for the buttstock of the gun, and using some 2 3/4" #3 buckshot loads for home defense. When I hit the woods come squirrel season, I'll probably use #6 birdshot game loads on them.
Any recommendations are still welcome, are these good loads for the purpose?
Model12Win
Moderator
Great! My gun has a fixed modified choke. How will that do for squirrel? Will it make a tight enough pattern?
Model12Win
Moderator
Okay! Last year I bought some paper targets with squirrels on them at a local gunshow. I think I'll pattern them. At what range should the gun be able to hit the squirrel? How many pellets need to hit the squirrel? Any good loads to start patterning with?
Sorry for all the questions guys... I've never squirrel hunted, but it's been something I've really wanted to do for several years now. This might sound silly, but I've never hunted a day in my life. Heck, I haven't even taken a hunter's safety course though I'm now signed up for one.
I just keep hearing about how fun it is to squirrel hunt, and how toothsome squirrel meat is. I just want to be sure that I'll have a good gun with the right ammo when I hit the fields later this year!
Sorry for all the questions guys... I've never squirrel hunted, but it's been something I've really wanted to do for several years now. This might sound silly, but I've never hunted a day in my life. Heck, I haven't even taken a hunter's safety course though I'm now signed up for one.
I just keep hearing about how fun it is to squirrel hunt, and how toothsome squirrel meat is. I just want to be sure that I'll have a good gun with the right ammo when I hit the fields later this year!
I will chime in that #6 is probably a good place to start. You might try a few brands.
- Some of the cheapest "small game" ammo might be around $6 or 7 and will be pretty soft lead, which might work okay, but may not.
- Spending $10 to 12 for some #6 pheasant loads will get you harder lead, which may pattern tighter due to less deformation.
- The next step up would be premium plated, buffered shot at around $14 or more. It should yield the most uniform patterns, but you don't know for sure without patterning. I often can't see much difference between in patterns between plated shot and cheaper hard lead shot.
* The Federal Flight Control stuff Greybeard mentioned (as found in their Prairie Storm ammo) would likely give you FULL choke patterns out of your MOD choked gun. It's available in 2-3/4" and 3" versions, but in the 3" version, you'll basically be back to 12 gauge recoil.
You might try #5 shot as well. If it patterns well, it could give you a little more oomph for treetop shots. Some people even use #4, but pattern density could be getting too thin at longer distances. #7-1/2 shot is too small IMO for bigger squirrels. It'll kill them, but they might make it back to their nest/hole/den first.
- Some of the cheapest "small game" ammo might be around $6 or 7 and will be pretty soft lead, which might work okay, but may not.
- Spending $10 to 12 for some #6 pheasant loads will get you harder lead, which may pattern tighter due to less deformation.
- The next step up would be premium plated, buffered shot at around $14 or more. It should yield the most uniform patterns, but you don't know for sure without patterning. I often can't see much difference between in patterns between plated shot and cheaper hard lead shot.
* The Federal Flight Control stuff Greybeard mentioned (as found in their Prairie Storm ammo) would likely give you FULL choke patterns out of your MOD choked gun. It's available in 2-3/4" and 3" versions, but in the 3" version, you'll basically be back to 12 gauge recoil.
You might try #5 shot as well. If it patterns well, it could give you a little more oomph for treetop shots. Some people even use #4, but pattern density could be getting too thin at longer distances. #7-1/2 shot is too small IMO for bigger squirrels. It'll kill them, but they might make it back to their nest/hole/den first.
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After years of using 20 gauge for hunting all mannor of birds, bunnies, and squirrels, I finally settled on #6 for everything. One ounce loads are my favorite. Bigger shot just seems to cut the density too thin, and what's the good of longer range penetration if no pellets connect.
A load of sixes will drop a squirrel at thirty yards, and that is further than most brushy areas allow you to see. My favorite twenty which I no longer have was a 870 cut to 24 inches and re-beaded. It patterned beautifully, and was -- a thirty yard gun.
If I had a spot where I was presented with longer shots, I'd take the twelve ga. with fours. jd
A load of sixes will drop a squirrel at thirty yards, and that is further than most brushy areas allow you to see. My favorite twenty which I no longer have was a 870 cut to 24 inches and re-beaded. It patterned beautifully, and was -- a thirty yard gun.
If I had a spot where I was presented with longer shots, I'd take the twelve ga. with fours. jd