Reply With QuoteThere is a slight delay from pulling the trigger to impact. A squirrels brain is small compared to its head, just a twitch can change the poi.
Registered User
Would appreciate thoughts and opinions from those of you who shoot squirrels, I've done a fair bit of squirrel control over the years but alway used .177 and generally H&N baracuda hunter (the hollowpoint version). Similarly these are my favourite pellets for ratting.
So this morning went out with a .22 PR900W using JSB express. It's fairly new gun but I've put plenty of practice in with it over the past few weeks and know i'm good out to 30 yards.
Checked zero before I went out, shot from rested using sticks and lrf to check distance.
Second squirrel of the day - dropped with a very distinct crack of a head shot from 25 yards. It hit hard and was bowled straight off the feeder and dropped out of sight behind a log. Normally I like to get to my quarry fairly quickly to confim its a clean kill, but I didn't even rush as I was utterly convinced from the impact noise that it had been killed instantly.
Then just as I got near the log the squirrel bolts about 20ft across the ground, straight up an ivy covered tree and disappears. I couldn't catch any sign of injury but it ran flat rather than the usual bounding.
I hate having runners and can't remember the last time I had a squirrel run. It's left me wondering how the shot went astray, if the squirrel moved just as i took the shot or if I'd just be best returning to the .177 hollowpoints.
Last edited by capt hindsight; 14-11-2022 at 09:06 PM.
cz trigger breaker
There is a slight delay from pulling the trigger to impact. A squirrels brain is small compared to its head, just a twitch can change the poi.
Rabbit Stew, no artificial additivesexcept lead.
IF THE MUD REACHES YOUR KNEES GET OUT OF THE FIELD QUICK.
WANTED. UNF MOD.
Registered User
Was wondering about that, and they are pretty twitchy. Using .177 for pinpoint accuracy on rats may hold relevance here.Originally Posted by Bellycrawler
Registered User
Must admit I tend to use .22 on squirrels - either HP or roundhead. I'm no anti-.177 snob though, but I have found that squirrels can indeed be very twitchy and 'trust' I will do a cleaner kill with .22. Now any movement in the squirrel may be exacerbated by the slower .22 speed (sub 12 ft/lbs), but I tend to find the overall knockdown force of the larger pellet on the skull more reliable/forgiving. That's my personal experience, but obviously loopier trajectory can also work against you with this tiny target. .177 for rabbits though is my preference these days. Anyway, you've had previous success with .177 so maybe put this one down to, despite your best efforts, an anomaly... Trust in your pellet/gun combo is a must for everyone, but maybe don't overthink things too much or it could interfere with confidence in your shooting.
Registered User
It happens.
I personally do not shoot Squirrels beyond 25/30 yards with my sub 12 .22 Rapid and will only shoot if a good head shot is highly likely and with no cross wind, because, Squirrels are very tough little critters and just off target is not near enough.
What ft/lb is the air rifle putting out can I ask?
Registered ̶D̶i̶a̶n̶a̶ User
There is no such thing as a guaranteed clean kill. Part of being a hunter is knowing that from time to time you are going to be the cause of an intelligent animal to suffer and have a horrible death, this is why most people don't like to hunt unless they really have to. I think that a lot of hunters get Cognitive dissonance, Just in case anyone is not sure what I mean.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance
Registered User
It's producing 10.7 ft/lbs with express.
The third squirrel dropped stone dead with head shot from facing forward and had an exit wound at top of skull.
I've not been squirrel hunting for a while but have recently rejoined my local red squirrel group having stopped doing squirrel control in 2019 when i got cancer. Having just started again I've possibly been a bit keen to take my shot. Letting them feed for longer and become more relaxed would probably help. The critters did seem quite nervous today, quite twitchy and thinking about it not a single one approached from the ground, when the past three times I've been to the woods to I've seen some them of them at ground level.
Registered User
Free choice :
Imo Medium/ Low power FAC 16/18 ftlb’s 22 optimum for Squirrels with heart shots - any central chest shot is a sure thing
Or headshot with 20 cal - flat and bigger hole than 22, I don’t favour 177 for squirrel’s (I did shoot a lot with 8.4 jsbs years ago) and moved on from that to the above findings -
I’ve shot hundreds and tried everything to reach my conclusions
Looking for TO-6 Trigger unit unmessed with or T0-6 kit for 34
Registered User
There are good reasons behind Deer Stalking being taught with heart shot with something with enough power - apply same logic
If using ‘low power’ non ticket airgun - not generally the best thing for hunting - you want as bigger hole as accurately as possible on a squirrel especially - that’s not 177
Looking for TO-6 Trigger unit unmessed with or T0-6 kit for 34
I'm happy with mine
im afraid these things happen now and again
Registered User
IMO: The only thing that kills cleanly is accuracy.
Not calibre, not shape of pellet or weight.
FT and HFT shooters use .177 Dome head pellets for a reason, they produce the tightest predictable groups at varying ranges and hold over/under is easier to gauge.
I always use the same pellet that I use for HFT and always head shots even out to 45 yards.
Suspect your pellet landed on its armour plated back and just knocked the wind out of Cyril the Squirrel.
Again squirrels do freeze a lot, presenting a large eyeball as a perfect target.
Take your time, breath and hit ya mark.
VAYA CON DIOS
Registered User
Definitely hit head/face, was facing towards me at angle of around 45 degrees. I shoot regularly and if anything tend to be calm and slow when taking rabbits, far to many rabbits skip off just as I line up my shot.
I bought this .22 specifically with squirrels in mind and to keep as a conventional scoped gun - the other two guns are fitted with different types of NV.
Registered User
That's pretty much the crux of it, I try not to shoot milky does but still happens - even this time of year.
Registered User
That shouldn't happen though, sorry, I haven't had a runner or a flier for that long I cant remember.
As long as it is accepted that "occasionally" it happens then it always will.
I have had runners etc. in the past and used to shoot with people who used body shots which creates lots of runners and fliers.
Then we started FT and then HFT.
Made me into a totally different shooter.
Adopted the head shot only policy no matter what I shoot and at what range, which stopped the flier and runner almost instantly.
It is often said on here that a 5p piece is group size required and hat you need to hit that every shot at your chosen range.
Forcing this level of accuracy almost eliminates runners.
I'm not that arrogant to know that a miss does happen occasionally, but should be that seldom it isn't worth mentioning or accepting that "it happens".
Not wanting to sound too rude, but if the pellet landed on the head, with enough force to knock him off the feeder, and you heard the skull crack, causing brain trauma, then the Cyril does not get up and run away.
VAYA CON DIOS
Registered User
No one has said that it happens often and if it can happen at all I think it needs mentioning.
Original poster was struggling to accept it happening to him like I suspect we all do and hopefully we all try to minimise it happening again by taking action such as reducing the range, pick your shot better etc etc.
Posting Permissions