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Q:
Do you squirrel hunt with a .22 or shotgun and why?
Question by BBD19. Uploaded on March 08, 2009
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Answers (44)
I use a scoped .22 because it is great practice for deer season, and it kinda makes you feel like a sniper/assassin. I have never felt like shooting a squirrel off a branch with a shotgun is very sporting, besides .22 ammo is cheaper and you can take longer shots. Meat recovery is also better with the .22 because if you shoot for the head, there is no damage. 6 and 4 shot tends to ruin quite a lot of meat.
I with agree hunt_fish_sleep and I also use a scoped .22.
I use a scoped .22, I think that a shotgun is way too much for something that small.
I have used shotguns but they just rip them up so I like to use my .17 HMR.
a scoped .22, a shot gun just ruins to much meat.
great answer kolbster
.22, either rifle with scope or pistol with open sights. It allows me to practice my woodsmanship for deer season, it ruins the meat if you shoot them with a shotgun, and it also is a lot less sporting.
Open sight .22 with a head shot. Using a sight is to easy. I went bowhunting for them once, but that was too expensive. Lost 2 arrows, one broke when it hit a stump, and the other went up the tree with squirrel and never got it back. I figured it was a dumb idea afterwards.
I use a shotgun because it seems that most of the time the squirrels are running on the ground. If I know that they will be cutting in a hickory or pig nut tree I will use a .22LR.
A shotgun. It is quick and easier to hit the animal with
.22 with no scope cause it is more of a challenge.
plus i dont have a shotgun!
I use a 22 with red-dot sight. You can actually eat the squirrel! Plus it's not even sporting to shoot them with a shotgun.
I use both depending on my mood.
I'll use either one. Just depends on what else I'm hunting at the time.
I use a Ruger Single Six in 22 Magnum, Iron sights.
Usualy my shotgun but some times I like to go out with my .22
Early season with heavy tree cover (season opens 8-15 in GA) I will use a muzzleloading shotgun. As the leaves thin and they move from cutting hickory nuts to acorns I will use a small bore muzzleloading rifle or .22 as the mood strikes me. In late season when they are cutting Poplar buds I typically use a scope sighted .22 as shots can be on the longish side and I'm affected more and more by over 40 vision!
Remington Nylon 66!
It depends. I know that a .22 will travel upwards of two miles so I only use it if I'm in the mountains. Around an civilization I alway carry my benelli.
both though ussaly its just me and my marlin
I always use both simultaniously. Of course I have a Savage combo gun in .22/.410 so I can choose a .22 on the ground or the .410 if the critter is in a tree.
.22 because a shotgun is easy kills a .22 is more challenging
22. You don't blow them to bits as much so you can see what you shot.
You can also shoot them at longer ranges.
.22 the 12ga destroys the bird feeders!LOL but seriously, depends on my mood and the season usually take the .22 cheaper and LOTS quieter. in my woods if I cut loose with the howitzer it tends to run the other critters off and I gotta go home and put hotdogweenies on the grill instead of tree rat
I personally don't like the taste of lead so I take the .22 (instead of the shotgun) everytime. Clean head-shots put more meat on my plate. However, I do take a lot of rodents with my .20 cal pellet rifle too.
Ruger 10/22 in .22lr is my favorite great practice for deer season.
10/22 all the way
22. is probably the best, but if youre on a small property, like me, a 10/22 has alot of power and them bullets go pretty far, so houses are to close to use a 22. i dislike using my 20. gauge, but its the only thing that wont shoot too far.
I went squerrel hunting with a .22, once I have a shotgun that I could use but I dont
I agree witht he above...a scoped .22 works well.
I shot .22 LR. A shotgun is overkill and takes away the challenge in most shots.
I use a .22 bolt rifle with iron sights. It makes it more challenging than if you used a shotgun. Shotguns are nice if the squirrels in the tree or running a lot though.
you can but i use a pelet gun
.22 so it is actually a challenge. It is way to easy to hit a squirrel with a shotgun. I don't even use a scope.
I use a shotgun because I live in southern michigan and we can't use rifles below the saginaw area. When I hunt them at my cabin I use both. Use a shotgun more though because of the thick brush.
mostly my shotgun.
I prefer a .22. It has more range, and is more precise.
I usually used .22 for hunting squirrel and I been using it since I was a little eight years old!!!
I have all of you beat, I use a .32 caliber flintlock. Probably the funnest hunting, even though you dont kill many.
i use a ruger 10/22 with iron sights
I started hunting them with a 20 guage whenever I was a young teenager. I soon went to a scoped out .22 and now i switched to a .22MAG just for long range accuracy. I agree that a shotgun tears up to much of the meat,but I let the youngun's use a shotgun and harass my hunting partners when they show up with a scattergun. LOL!
.22 iron sights is the fun way to go
I use a Ruger 10/22,it's a hoot to shoot.
I use my marlin xt-22 with a tasco 3-9x40 scope and go for headshots it spoils no meat
Post an Answer
I use a scoped .22 because it is great practice for deer season, and it kinda makes you feel like a sniper/assassin. I have never felt like shooting a squirrel off a branch with a shotgun is very sporting, besides .22 ammo is cheaper and you can take longer shots. Meat recovery is also better with the .22 because if you shoot for the head, there is no damage. 6 and 4 shot tends to ruin quite a lot of meat.
I have used shotguns but they just rip them up so I like to use my .17 HMR.
great answer kolbster
.22, either rifle with scope or pistol with open sights. It allows me to practice my woodsmanship for deer season, it ruins the meat if you shoot them with a shotgun, and it also is a lot less sporting.
Remington Nylon 66!
.22 because a shotgun is easy kills a .22 is more challenging
I personally don't like the taste of lead so I take the .22 (instead of the shotgun) everytime. Clean head-shots put more meat on my plate. However, I do take a lot of rodents with my .20 cal pellet rifle too.
Ruger 10/22 in .22lr is my favorite great practice for deer season.
10/22 all the way
22. is probably the best, but if youre on a small property, like me, a 10/22 has alot of power and them bullets go pretty far, so houses are to close to use a 22. i dislike using my 20. gauge, but its the only thing that wont shoot too far.
.22 so it is actually a challenge. It is way to easy to hit a squirrel with a shotgun. I don't even use a scope.
I with agree hunt_fish_sleep and I also use a scoped .22.
I use a scoped .22, I think that a shotgun is way too much for something that small.
a scoped .22, a shot gun just ruins to much meat.
Open sight .22 with a head shot. Using a sight is to easy. I went bowhunting for them once, but that was too expensive. Lost 2 arrows, one broke when it hit a stump, and the other went up the tree with squirrel and never got it back. I figured it was a dumb idea afterwards.
I use a shotgun because it seems that most of the time the squirrels are running on the ground. If I know that they will be cutting in a hickory or pig nut tree I will use a .22LR.
A shotgun. It is quick and easier to hit the animal with
.22 with no scope cause it is more of a challenge.
plus i dont have a shotgun!
I use a 22 with red-dot sight. You can actually eat the squirrel! Plus it's not even sporting to shoot them with a shotgun.
I use both depending on my mood.
I'll use either one. Just depends on what else I'm hunting at the time.
I use a Ruger Single Six in 22 Magnum, Iron sights.
Usualy my shotgun but some times I like to go out with my .22
Early season with heavy tree cover (season opens 8-15 in GA) I will use a muzzleloading shotgun. As the leaves thin and they move from cutting hickory nuts to acorns I will use a small bore muzzleloading rifle or .22 as the mood strikes me. In late season when they are cutting Poplar buds I typically use a scope sighted .22 as shots can be on the longish side and I'm affected more and more by over 40 vision!
It depends. I know that a .22 will travel upwards of two miles so I only use it if I'm in the mountains. Around an civilization I alway carry my benelli.
both though ussaly its just me and my marlin
I always use both simultaniously. Of course I have a Savage combo gun in .22/.410 so I can choose a .22 on the ground or the .410 if the critter is in a tree.
22. You don't blow them to bits as much so you can see what you shot.
You can also shoot them at longer ranges.
.22 the 12ga destroys the bird feeders!LOL but seriously, depends on my mood and the season usually take the .22 cheaper and LOTS quieter. in my woods if I cut loose with the howitzer it tends to run the other critters off and I gotta go home and put hotdogweenies on the grill instead of tree rat
I went squerrel hunting with a .22, once I have a shotgun that I could use but I dont
I agree witht he above...a scoped .22 works well.
I shot .22 LR. A shotgun is overkill and takes away the challenge in most shots.
I use a .22 bolt rifle with iron sights. It makes it more challenging than if you used a shotgun. Shotguns are nice if the squirrels in the tree or running a lot though.
I use a shotgun because I live in southern michigan and we can't use rifles below the saginaw area. When I hunt them at my cabin I use both. Use a shotgun more though because of the thick brush.
mostly my shotgun.
I prefer a .22. It has more range, and is more precise.
I usually used .22 for hunting squirrel and I been using it since I was a little eight years old!!!
I have all of you beat, I use a .32 caliber flintlock. Probably the funnest hunting, even though you dont kill many.
I use a Ruger 10/22,it's a hoot to shoot.
you can but i use a pelet gun
i use a ruger 10/22 with iron sights
I started hunting them with a 20 guage whenever I was a young teenager. I soon went to a scoped out .22 and now i switched to a .22MAG just for long range accuracy. I agree that a shotgun tears up to much of the meat,but I let the youngun's use a shotgun and harass my hunting partners when they show up with a scattergun. LOL!
.22 iron sights is the fun way to go
I use my marlin xt-22 with a tasco 3-9x40 scope and go for headshots it spoils no meat
Post an Answer