Is squirrel hunting with a 22LR ethical??

W

wpcexpert

New member
Now the question isn't "Is it enough gun". But does shooting squirrels, from the tree tops with solid ball ammo, violate rule #1 (Always be sure of your target and what's behind it.

Now I can't possibly count the number of squirrels that have rained down from the trees from my 22. But I also can't tell you how many shots didn't meet such squirrel.

What do think?

Not saying that I'm going to stop, just wondering. Am I the only one that shoots into the trees with a 22?
 
I too shoot with 22 into treetops. Where I hunt though there is no housing for several miles. All these years hunting I never really thought of that when I was squirrel hunting. I guess I only really thought about that with my larger caliber firearms. Just use a 410 if your worried. I have an old stevens 410/22 that is an excellent squirrel getter.
 
I won't shoot into treetops with a .22 unless it's a high angle. Anything less than 30 degrees I would think the bullet could have enough energy to hurt someone. I'm no physicist, but makes me feel safer anyhow.
 
Although I haven't hunted squirrels in years when I did I almost always used a .22lr. Much less damage to the meat than a scatter gun and no issue when hunting them in wood lands away from dwellings IMO.
 
for this reason, i only hunt ground squirrels ;)

the only gun i will fire into the air is a shotgun, i just cant justify risking it with longer range ammo.
 
I never had a problem with shooting into trees with a .22 but I hunt pretty far away from any houses. Besides a .22 is almost always going to hit at least one branch after it passes through or misses said squirrel.
 
Squirrels and trees are both near extinct where I live. But I consider it the American way to use the rifle. Scatterguns are unethical on squirrel, not to mention all the hazards of eating bird shot. I try to shoot the tree where it'll bleed the less sap.
 
I don't feel good about it around here. I am sure it is only a remote chance that I could hurt someone, but that last thing I want to do is end up with one of my misses hurting someone. I take only shots that provide me with a backstop, i.e shooting into creek bottoms and into trees situated on hillsides. Any other time, I use a scattergun.
 
Unless you shoot squirrels in a very small or low tree I can't believe there would be much of a danger. You can find a dozen or more articles on the danger of falling bullets but even the most optimistic assessments about the potential danger of a falling bullet wouldn't apply to a .22 cal. At 40 grains (2.6 grams) the energy simply would not be enough to cause an significant injury. Also, without the spin created by the rifling, the shape of a .22 cal bullet would mostly like like cause it to tumble on the way down, increasing drag and further reducing the terminal velocity.

You might want to watch out for low flying airplanes though.
 
100's of 1000's of .22 rounds are shot into the air every year. The count may actually be in the millions. When was the last time you heard of someone catching a round. More people die walking out to check there mail box every year.
 
I`ve posted this before. Got a 22 slug in livingroom wall by couch where wife usually sits. I live in the middle of a woods. It Came from a trespassing squirrel hunter not familiar with the woods he was hunting in. IMO, people`s ignorance is what makes 22 hunting dangerous.
 
Now I can't possibly count the number of squirrels that have rained down from the trees from my 22. But I also can't tell you how many shots didn't meet such squirrel.
Click to expand...

I've shot a few squirrels (ground squirrel variety) with the .22 LR as well as many a Jackrabbit. Bullet holes tend to be thru and thru on both--- about always, in my experience--hp's or rn.
 
I've done it all my life and as long as it is a significant woodlot, I will continue to do so. If on the other hand I was hunting a small parcel, close to housing, I would not do it. As others have stated, I have no knowledge that someone has been injured because of this. People die in car accidents every day and you don't (or I don't) hear people saying they will refrain from driving because you may accidently kill someone. No offense to the OP but this type of question seems like fishing on a hunting forum.:(
 
I've loads with both shotguns and .22's. I do my part to try to make sure my lead is not dangerous to non-target critters...
Brent
 
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