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VincentCorrea
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Post subject: Re: favorite squirrel caliber/load Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 7:19 pm |
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Presentation Grade |
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Joined: Mon Jul 25, 2011 4:42 pm Posts: 525 Location: New Jersey
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I always use a 12 ga with a modified choke and 1 1/4 oz of 5's, I've even shot them close with this load and it didn't screw them up. I am always on public land hunting them, and they are very wary, so most shots are 25 yards and up.
_________________ "Heavens to Murgatroyd"
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44-40 Willy
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Post subject: Re: favorite squirrel caliber/load Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2012 2:09 am |
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Joined: Wed Dec 21, 2011 8:52 pm Posts: 125
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When the leaves are on the trees, I use a 16 gauge high brass #6s. Otherwise, I use a Rossi pump 22 with a tang sight. I have used my 44-40 and low velocity cast bullet loads.
_________________ Remington 11-48 Recoil operated like God and John Browning intended.
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BBK
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Post subject: Re: favorite squirrel caliber/load Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2012 4:25 pm |
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Diamond Grade |
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Joined: Sat Sep 11, 2010 1:42 pm Posts: 1890
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20 gauge federal game-shok heavy field 1oz of #6.
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sq hunter
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Post subject: Re: favorite squirrel caliber/load Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2012 2:30 pm |
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Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2012 9:15 pm Posts: 61
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double 410 w/ #6's or 22 lr henry lever action, or spartan combo 410/22lr.
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lossking
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Post subject: Re: favorite squirrel caliber/load Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 8:59 am |
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*Proud to be a* |
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Joined: Sat Feb 19, 2005 7:25 pm Posts: 9290 Location: Louisiana
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Decisions, decisions. The squirrel season opener will be here in about 3 weeks and I don't know whether to take my 12 gauge O/U with 1 oz. #6 in the bottom barrel choked imp. cyl. and 1 1/4 oz. #5 in the top barrel choked imp. mod., or my 16 gauge pump with 1 1/8 oz. #6 in the fixed mod. barrel, or my 20 gauge autoloader with 1 oz. #5 through the imp. mod. choke. They are all very effective for squirrels. So many guns and so little time to hunt.
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Wildwood
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Post subject: favorite squirrel caliber/load Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 10:53 am |
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Joined: Sat Feb 04, 2012 9:06 am Posts: 588
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I hunt mostly in "shotgun only" areas with shots around 25 yards or less. I think I will start off this year with the double .410. 2 1/2" # 6 in the right barrel and 3" # 6 in the left barrel.
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lossking
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Post subject: Re: favorite squirrel caliber/load Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 1:24 pm |
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*Proud to be a* |
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Joined: Sat Feb 19, 2005 7:25 pm Posts: 9290 Location: Louisiana
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My brother-in-law swore by his bolt action .410 for squirrels.
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QuarterChoke
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Post subject: Re: favorite squirrel caliber/load Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 11:00 pm |
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Joined: Wed Jul 16, 2008 10:36 pm Posts: 714 Location: Wyoming
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When I lived in Virginia I did quite a bit of squirrel hunting. I found that a Model 24 Stevens in 22LR/410 bore was a very useful gun. I always used 3" shells with #6 shot.
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Wildwood
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Post subject: Re: favorite squirrel caliber/load Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 2:26 pm |
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Joined: Sat Feb 04, 2012 9:06 am Posts: 588
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QuarterChoke wrote: When I lived in Virginia I did quite a bit of squirrel hunting. I found that a Model 24 Stevens in 22LR/410 bore was a very useful gun. I always used 3" shells with #6 shot. I've got an old one in the Savage model 22/.410. Some think the combination could be the almost perfect squirrel gun. One similar to it was the only gun I remember my grandfather having. He kept squirrel on the table for many years with that gun.
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Mnshooter
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Post subject: Re: favorite squirrel caliber/load Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 7:09 pm |
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Joined: Sun Oct 21, 2007 11:08 am Posts: 1872
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 My little 25 poor boy flintlock is kinda fun. Uses #3 buckshot as a ball. DP
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lossking
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Post subject: Re: favorite squirrel caliber/load Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2012 8:45 am |
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*Proud to be a* |
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Joined: Sat Feb 19, 2005 7:25 pm Posts: 9290 Location: Louisiana
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cjbecker
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Post subject: Re: favorite squirrel caliber/load Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2012 1:53 pm |
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Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2012 3:49 pm Posts: 17
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Marlin 39a with tang peep sight and Remington 36g 22lr, hopefully soon i can start using my marlin 1894c with some light 357 rounds and always head shot them.
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Team Mookie
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Post subject: Re: favorite squirrel caliber/load Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2012 12:14 am |
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Field Grade |
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Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2012 11:24 pm Posts: 66 Location: O-H-I-O
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+1 for Mach 2
_________________ Go Buckeyes
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OnHoPr
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Post subject: Re: favorite squirrel caliber/load Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2012 6:56 am |
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Limited Edition |
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Joined: Tue Apr 19, 2011 4:59 pm Posts: 328 Location: SE MI
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I've always wanted to get a small bore percussion cap, buckskins, and go down to the Ozarks to hunt squirrel, but never got around to it. To get to the OP, IMO, tall timber and fox squirrels are probably best with the .22. In brushy timber and grey's a shotgun is probably more effective. I suppose it all depends on your hunting style and the terrain that you are hunting.
_________________ http://www.oneholeproducts.weebly.com FOR YOUR ACCURACY ACCURIZING SLUG SHOTGUN KITS FOR CANTILEVER (INTEGRAL) SCOPE BASE SLUG BARRELS May your hands be warmed on a frosty day.
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smbob
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Post subject: Re: favorite squirrel caliber/load Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2012 6:14 am |
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Joined: Fri Aug 31, 2007 7:37 am Posts: 146
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Dove Hunter wrote: LOL, that was him, "back in the day". He'd have probably used an RPG if he thought it would work better. I don't care what you say, now that's funny there! Robert
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Draco
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Post subject: Re: favorite squirrel caliber/load Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 7:53 am |
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Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2012 6:53 pm Posts: 6
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By far my favorite squirrel gun is my Anschutz 1418 .22LR. I prefer subsonics, Aguila 38gr.
If I have to use a shotgun, I take a Browning Sweet 16 loaded with 6 or 7 1/2 shot. But I'd rather not, it makes squirrel cleaning messier and I hate biting on shot.
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HighlandLofts
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Post subject: Re: favorite squirrel caliber/load Posted: Sat Dec 15, 2012 10:12 pm |
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Joined: Thu Dec 06, 2012 1:44 pm Posts: 50 Location: Western Washington
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There are a lot of nice post to this thread, I'm happy to see there are a lot of 22 guy's out there. If I had to choose only one type of hunting for the rest of my life it would be SQUIRREL's with a small caliber rifle. Although I did buy two Ruger Mark 2 target handguns in 22 caliber. I've used the 22 calber for over thirty years. I also bought the Marlin model 882 stainless steel, laminated stock in 17 hmr and topped it with a scope. My old 22 is a Marlin 882 - 22 mag. blue barrel/wood stock with a 3X9 scope. If I were in a postion where it was shotgun only I'd take my 20 gauge Steven's SXS with high base #5 shot, or my Ithaca model 66 single shot with a vent rib Mod. choke with #5 shot. I just bought a Ivers Johnson 20 gauge with a solid steel ribbed barrel that I'd use as well. This is an old shotgun, it has Ivers Johnson Gun & Cycle Works on the side. I have the Ivers Johnson Single shot 12 gauge solid steel ribbed barrel and the Ivers Johnson 410 with a plain barrel All with "Ivers Johnson Gun & Cycle Works" I'm looking for the 16 gauge Ivers Johnson with a solid steel ribbed barrel.
I bought a Traditions 50 cal./36 cal. that I need to get out & shoot. Small gameing would be fun with the 36 Caliber. Pat
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Rama
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Post subject: Re: favorite squirrel caliber/load Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 5:19 pm |
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Joined: Tue Jun 25, 2013 11:15 pm Posts: 3
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A high powered air rifle (magnum breakbarrel springer or pre-charged pneumatic) also works great, with the bonus that ammo is very cheap, shooting is very quiet, and you can even build a legal target range at home in many suburban areas (though not all of them). Most people like .22 cal (for springers) or .25 cal (for PCP guns) for small game hunting, but it can be done with a high powered .177 cal air rifle.
For overall effectiveness and versatility though, yeah, a .410 shotgun or .22 LR are probably the way to go for squirrels.
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brewer12345
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Post subject: Re: favorite squirrel caliber/load Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2013 8:28 pm |
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Joined: Sun Nov 11, 2012 1:14 pm Posts: 256
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A fun, but rather elderly thread!
I hunt public land exclusively. Where I am limited to shotgun only (including my best honey hole), I like a 20 gauge O/U with 1 ounce of #5 shot. Where I have my choice, I either use a scoped Marlin 39A with Aguila subsonic hollow points, or a combo gun with the Aguilas for the .22 barrel and 1 ounce of #5 for the 20 gauge shotgun barrel. I recently grubbed up a .22/.410 Spartan/Baikal and I think that is going to be a very fun squirrel gun with the Aguilas and a 3" shell of #6 shot.
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Colonel26
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Post subject: Re: favorite squirrel caliber/load Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 8:11 pm |
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*Proud to be a* |
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Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 10:18 pm Posts: 3978 Location: Kentucky
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I'm in the process of training my feist pup right now and I needed a squirrel to get her interested. Down to the creek I went with the old double barrel Ithaca 16 gauge stoked with 1 oz of 6 shot. DRT.
_________________ “There are things in the old Book which I may not be able to explain, but I fully accept it as the infallible word of God, and receive its teachings as inspired by the Holy Spirit.” Robert E. Lee
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