Squirrel hunting just started.

[ohlongarmisle]

For me anyway, I hunt when weather is cold and no leaves, shots are high up in hickory, red oak and beech usually, average shot 50, 75 yards.
Ruger 77/22 suppressed integrally, 1 pound Volquartsen trigger 3x9 Leupold, Winchester subsonic truncated hollow point made in Australia, can't get them anymore from what I know. I only shoot squirrels in the head, no body shots, as shown here, some fine tasty morsels here.

 

[del2les]

Good shootin'. I miss the old days of living back East and South and all the squirrel hunting. I have several great 22's, and a 77/22 that has been accurized, 1# trigger and wears a Leupold 2-7x that shoots the CCI Standard vel 40gr HP into tiny groups at 50yds.

Head shots are the true marksman's way to go!

 

[dogbuster0006]

I get just as excited about head shooting squirrels as hunting deer. I've upgraded rifles and now run a suppressed Christensen ranger with a 3.5-10 Leupold. I grew up with a Ruger 77/22 first gun I did trigger work and action bedding on. It still wears a 4x Leupold rimfire scope and has killed enough squirrels and rabbits to fill a truck bed over the years. I'm down to my last 500 40gr match hp and save them specifically for hunting. I can't calculate the pounds of lead that Ruger has slung over the years but she's been a **** good on for sure. Sure is fun running suppressed and killing a limit from one tree.

 

[crkckr]

I too have a 77/22 and while it did really well with one particular ammo (no longer made) in general, it wasn't a great shooter. I tried a lot of things but after some suggestions on the Ruger forum, I tried a bolt shim set from triggershims.com, a whopping $10, that cured all my 77/22 ills in one fell swoop! The thing is now a tack driver and is death on squirrels, making 50 yard head shots with just about any quality .22lr hollow point ammo, although it does tend to prefer American Eagle, which is good because I bought a case of it a few years ago and still have plenty!
Cheers,
crkckr

 

[dogbuster0006]

That shim kit is a life saver for sure I'd forgotten about that. It was indeed night and day difference.

 

[JustMe2]

I miss our squirrel hunts in Florida. Every year about 20 of us would setup a tent camp on the banks of a river and hunt for about 3 days eating our kills in the evening. We'd leave camp mostly in little aluminum John boats and make landings along the river to chase the squirrels. I also prided myself with only head shots. I used a Ruger 10/22 and Sako bolt. It ended because most of my buddies have now passed. Only 2 of us are still on this side of the ground.

 

[crkckr]

Getting old sucks in many ways!
Cheers,
crkckr

 

[DarryH]

I can't count how many squirrels I've harvested with a wide range of .22 rifles. I switched to iron sighted .22 handguns and didn't have to clean quite as many. These days I use an air rifle. I've used a lot of them in all sorts of power plants. I did the PCP route, but again, had to clean to many. These days I use a Beeman R9 in .20 caliber pellet. It is a spring piston powered barrel break action in .20 cal (5mm). It will hold an inch group to 40 yards easily. That's as far as I'll push it. Quiet and deadly, and no tax stamp required!! I love to eat squirrel, just always hated cleaning them.

 

[flyguy1]

The only thing I miss about living in Montana is hunting squirrels. We tried for neck shots though, as squirrel brains were hillbilly caviar. Didn't know about prions then. I ate many a brain and I am jsut fine am just fien am jistfine.

 

[BillLarson]

Nice work....
Great fried....

 

[crkckr]

If you have enough room, cleaning squirrels is actually pretty easy. Slit them from under the rib cage down to the tail end, making sure you don't get the bladder. Once that's done, grab 'em by the neck & front feet and give 'em the old shake, sort of like snapping a towel. Everything comes out at the same time... but like I said you need a bit of room because there can be splash back sometimes. It's just guts, it washes off pretty easy! Skinning them is the real pain, especially if you like the legs. Cut the head off, remove the feet and slit the skin on the legs from top to bottom. Grab by the spine, grab the skin with the other hand and give it a good yank and it should peel off like an orange! Natch! The possums & coon will be glad you use this method as it gives them a snack that evening!
Cheers,
crkckr