Squirrel runner

[capt hindsight]

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.

[Bellycrawler]

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.

[capt hindsight]

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.

Was wondering about that, and they are pretty twitchy. Using .177 for pinpoint accuracy on rats may hold relevance here.

[ashf9999]

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.

[Roy D.]

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?

[capt hindsight]

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?

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.

[Barryg]

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.

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