What Distance to Hunt Squirrels?

H

Hallucinator

New member
I haven't hunted since I was 18. I remember picking the birdshot out of the squirrels my uncle shot. I'm thinking of using a scoped 22 magnum. I'm thinking about 50 yards would be right for me (I'm not a great marksman).

I'm interested in what distances some of you hunt at.
 
Most of my bushy-tailed rats have probably been taken at 20-40yds, certainly nothing over 50yds. At that range, the .22lr is just about perfect. With a .22Mag, you might be looking at quite a bit more tissue destruction than you want if you're planning to eat them. If you do go with the .22Mag, you'd probably be better off with FMJs instead of JHPs.
 
Most all of your shots will be under 50 yrds, esp. if you are not a great shot. Trying to hit a limb rat in the head at 50 yrds will make you a great marksman once you get it down pat. I would stay with a .22 lr though. I have had a 22 mag, but have never been able to justify the extra money required to feed it for squirrel. Inside 50yrds, if you hit him anywhere in the head or body will put him down.
 
When i think back to the days of shooting gray squirrels, i am reminded of the unsafe acts we committed. Were our shots backed up by a tree trunk to prevent the bullet from traveling 1 1/4 miles? No, we just never thought about that.
We don't hunt the stately squirrel anymore.

But if you just sit tight on a ridge and give the Grays a little time to get used to your presence you will have a ball.

Good hunting and be safe.
 
Indeed I can speak from experience on the .22Mag. It messes squirrels up bad. I traded mine for a 10/22 if that tells you anything. .22LR is perfect. I like to squirrel hunt from my deer stands. That way I'm shooting down instead of up into a tree. Shotgunning squirrels is no problem either. You may have to pick shot out. It may pass right through and lay up under the hide and fall out on it's own. Either .22LR or shotgun. I took many a squirrel with a .410 back in the day.
 
Air Power

Here in NJ we have a season on tree rats but in my town, farms and semi-rural, no one cares much if you take a few varmints out. I use...an air rifle. I use a Winchester 1000, scoped, and also a Crosman RepeatAir 1077, scoped. They are quiet and cheap, don't have the overtravel of a .22 rimfire and I can get a gray no problem.

Squirrel stew, yum!
 
When I went squirrel hunt last year, I was shooting from 20-30 yards mostly. You need to be one darn good shot to get those little fellas from 50 yards. I used 22LR and 17 HMR with good results. I had a scoped rifle, so I only went for a head shot and 17HMR had quite a destruction but since it was head/spine it didn't matter....they dropped like a brick and didn't even twich. Even with 22LR, some of my buddies that shot them centermass made a mess.
 
Sgt.Fathead, I have took may a squirrel with a pellet gun. I used to have a secret load that i would use on both limb rats and rabbit. I used to take a BB and lightly press it into the open end of the pellet. Kinda worked like a sable round. Looking back it doesn't sound too safe knowing what I know now. But we all know the things we come up with as kids. I do know that it would put down a rabbit.
 
I try to keep all of my shots within 50-60yds, but where I squirrel hunt I only have about a 300yd back-stop so I have to use CCI CB Long's.
 
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With a .22, the closer the better...

with its small report, you can get right under squirrels with no problem.
My partner & I, used to carry .22 revovlers and shotguns, preferred to use the revolver.

Favorite trick was, when squirrel laid out on branch to hide, one would cover while the other would kick the tree. Squirrels can move when they want to!!!
 
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