What's the Proper Way to Hunt Squirrels?

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I grew up on a farm in Alabama. My dad taught me to hunt squirrels with a shotgun, shooting bird shot, aiming center mass. That's how I did it for years, and we'd spit the birdshot bbs on the plate as we ate the squirrels. That can't be the best way...

While in the military I was trained to shoot properly, and I came out of their with expert rifle and pistol medals. I'm a damned good shot with anything I get in my hands.

So, with that said, I'm thinking that I'd like to kill a few squirrels, on my own land, for fun (to eat) .

What's the best squirrel hunting setup? Ruger 10/22? Ruger MK4 Hunter? I already own both...

Open sights? Red dot? Scope?

Head shot? Center mass?

I also have a new .177 pellet rifle, with scope, that I recently bought to teach my kids on. I'm sure that would do the job too... It's powerful, but I haven't sighted the scope in yet...

I have 30 acres, in the country, covered in fat, happy squirrels. They aren't even scared of me. They eat my deer corn, bird feeders, and goat feed. I can walk up within 15 feet of them before they run away.

How would you hunt them, in my situation?

Thanks guys!
 
Are these squirrels unique?
I ask because my dad taught me to go out with a 12ga and blast away with bird shot. That can't be the best way to come home with good meat.

I'm just looking for tips on how to do it the right way.
 
Ok, so .22 seems to be the consensus.

Should I shoot open sights, red dot, or scoped for the best head shots?
 
Ok, so .22 seems to be the consensus.

Should I shoot open sights, red dot, or scoped for the best head shots?
That depends on your eyesight. What I used to could do with open sights, I do better now with magnification
 
That depends on your eyesight. What I used to could do with open sights, I do better now with magnification
I hear ya. I've never worn glasses, but at 37, things are starting to get a little fuzzy.

I think I'll get a low power scope. And MAYBE find an optometrist and get an eye exam MAYBE...

Any recommendations for a good scope for a 10/22 take down under $200?
 
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This thread needs a poll!

Tip: DON"T shoot (at) them with a snubby revolver loaded with .38 speckle snakeshot on your porch. There's just enough rifling (apparently) to provide El Squirrelo with a Cone of Protection while eliminating any skeeters, box elder bugs, or tiny evil spirits hovering near him.

.22 to the head is a much better solution. Also, you can wear RayBans and pretend you are a '70's movie hitman.
 
This thread needs a poll!

Tip: DON"T shoot (at) them with a snubby revolver loaded with .38 speckle snakeshot on your porch. There's just enough rifling (apparently) to provide El Squirrelo with a Cone of Protection while eliminating any skeeters, box elder bugs, or tiny evil spirits hovering near him.

.22 to the head is a much better solution. Also, you can wear RayBans and pretend you are a '70's movie hitman.
I do have an old pair of aviators around here somewhere...
 
I hear ya. I've never worn glasses, but at 37, things are starting to get a little fuzzy.

I think I'll get a low power scope. And MAYBE find an optometrist and get an eye exam MAYBE...

Any recommendations for a good scope for a 10/22 take down under $200?

I grabbed the Magpul Stock for mine and the barrel mount for a red dot. Nice light set up. Something along those lines should handle squirrels. At 50 yards it is pretty accurate.
 
Get a good scope, specific for a 22. Unless you are ultra good you won't be shooting at 100 yds. Also, if your 10-22 is anything like the one I shot last weekend, do something to the trigger. I think Volquartsen has some trigger parts that you can install and should drop the trigger pull down to around 3.5 lbs. You'll enjoy it a lot more.
 
Get a good scope, specific for a 22. Unless you are ultra good you won't be shooting at 100 yds. Also, if your 10-22 is anything like the one I shot last weekend, do something to the trigger. I think Volquartsen has some trigger parts that you can install and should drop the trigger pull down to around 3.5 lbs. You'll enjoy it a lot more.

Yep, a new trigger is a good thing in a 10/22.
 
How would you hunt them, in my situation?

with an awesome forum buddy by your side..I’m available if needed. I’d hate for you to feel left out.
 
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Yep, a new trigger is a good thing in a 10/22.
Mine already has the Ruger BX trigger with 3lb pull. It's crisp.

Now I'm looking for a low power scope to put on the picatinny rail on top of the reciever.

Any scope recommendations?
 
I use 10-22 or pellet. If I’m really bored the Glock with 22lr conversion.

22lr will often blow right through them, so head is ideal. Hollow points help for sure. The .177 for me has almost invariably taken 2 hits to put them down.

I think velocity from the handgun with 22lr is going to be perfect recipe (8 inch AR 22 pistol probably good too). On public land the tree rats are insane and absolutely hate you for the most part. With your situation, this time of year, hang around for one bouncing around on ground near you and POP.
 
Mine already has the Ruger BX trigger with 3lb pull. It's crisp.

Now I'm looking for a low power scope to put on the picatinny rail on top of the reciever.

Any scope recommendations?

Nope. I have a dot on mine. I’d probably find the smallest fixed 4x or 6x I could for it if it were me. 10/22’s are pretty small. I like scopes that ‘fit’ their rifles. But you may differ.
 
Nope. I have a dot on mine. I’d probably find the smallest fixed 4x or 6x I could for it if it were me. 10/22’s are pretty small. I like scopes that ‘fit’ their rifles. But you may differ.
I have an extra Bushnell TRS25 and an extra Vortex Sparc not mounted on anything. They are both good red dots, but they both sit high above the iron sights on the 10/22 takedown. I'd have to change my cheek weld to see through them.

Would you recommend either of these, or something totally different?

Thanks!
 
I have an extra Bushnell TRS25 and an extra Vortex Sparc not mounted on anything. They are both good red dots, but they both sit high above the iron sights on the 10/22 takedown. I'd have to change my cheek weld to see through them.

Would you recommend either of these, or something totally different?

Thanks!

I been very happy with the 4x Truglo on my squirrel guns.cheap, light, decent clarity.

Anywhere from $35-$50 depending.

https://www.truglo.com/optics-scopes/4x32-compact-scope.asp
 
Mount a .22 specific scope that has the parallex adjusted for short yardage. Zero with CCI minimag hollowpoints and aim for the eye unless you like the brains then a heart shot will be the better.
I ain't eaten no brains... That's disgusting...

Then again, the idea of eating tree rat ain't that wonderful either. Haha! But I will.
 
I’ve hunted with shotgun and .22, and I felt .22 the most ideal.

My dad taught me to hunt with a buddy if possible. Walk about 50 feet in a line. Squirrels will circle a tree to get away from the guy up front and makes a perfect shot for the guy in the back.

As far as set up, I’m going to say that’s a personal thing. Use whatever you are most accurate with considering you are aiming for a spot about the size of a pea.


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I gave up on high speed hollow points some time ago. Now I shoot either CCI SV or SK STD +. If you do your part and hit the head, it don't take a HV round to do the job. Plus, the SV are a lot more quiet. Looks don't kill squirrels so put some glass on it that you can see them with and get a good site on the head at 50 yds. +.
 
Lol, fry them up in some scrambled eyes and you just may change your mind about the brains.
I hope you meant SCRAMBLED EGGS...

I'm definitely NOT gonna eat brains and eyes scrambled together. That sounds infinitely worse. Hahaha.
 
I have lots of .22 rifles from the Depression Era, as well as a few from after wwII. Each of them I like to think have shot lotsa squirrels.

I like to shoot CCI Quiet-22s in bolt action, lever action and the four semi-autos that will cycle them.

The most successful squirrel rifles I have are a 1959 Remington Model 512 tube fed bolt action with a 25" barrel and a 1950 Weaver K3 scope,
and a 1929 Remington Model 24 semi-auto with a vintage tang peep sight.
But I haven't yet tried the Winchester 9422, the Remington 521T, Winchester 69A or the Nylon 66.

I really enjoy using the various nearly silent loads that are commercially available. That makes squirrel hunting a whole lot of fun!
 
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Last time I hunted squirrel though, we did it with rifles leaned against a tree, a big fire, some food and some whiskey. Damn good hunt if you ask me
 
I gave up on high speed hollow points some time ago. Now I shoot either CCI SV or SK STD +. If you do your part and hit the head, it don't take a HV round to do the job. Plus, the SV are a lot more quiet. Looks don't kill squirrels so put some glass on it that you can see them with and get a good site on the head at 50 yds. +.
I used to hunt with the solids and also the subsonics but every once in a while a squirrel would do the death grab and never turn loose of a limb, the CCI minimags in hollowpoint drop them dead to the ground.
 
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