I need help with squirrels!

[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by Gary Cripps

.22 with a pup to bark um an keep them moving

I wish I had a squirrel dog, but it would corrupt my bird dogs

What you describe, Gary, is what I grew up with. Oh, for those days again.

[Reggie B]

.410 are harmless to squirrels in the top of Tennessee hickory trees. Use a long barrel 20 of course! oh and full choke is an asset.

[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by Reggie Bishop

.410 are harmless to squirrels in the top of Tennessee hickory trees. Use a long barrel 20 of course! oh and full choke is an asset.

Know anyone with such a gun? Our hickories are pretty tall here, too. Maybe we could work a guided hunt out.

[Milton C Starr]

The 10 gauge with #4s is a pretty good combo on squirrels for me.
It was almost like a jungle where I used to squirrel hunt, I think the #4s had a much easier time going through leaves and such than the #7.5s.

[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by Milton C Starr

The 10 gauge with #4s is a pretty good combo on squirrels for me.
It was almost like a jungle where I used to squirrel hunt, I think the #4s had a much easier time going through leaves and such than the #7.5s.

I like 4s and 6s for squirrels. Never used a 10 gauge—hmmm…

[10 bore]

7 1/2s is a lot of pellets to spit out

[J. A. EARLY]

I went for the first time in thirty years this February. Took a 20 gauge Parker and thought I would have my limit in an hour. Four hours later I had two. Most of the time they saw me first. Out of range. The twenty was not enough. Wished I had taken my Parker trap gun with high powered shells.

A 12 gauge double, one ounce of 6s in a right I.C. bore, high powered 1 1/4 ounces of 6s in the left full choke. Only a 20 or .410 on a rainy day where you can hear them shaking water off the leaves and they can't hear you walking up.

Used to squirrel hunt every morning before and afternoon after quail hunting.

[Milton C Starr]

Originally Posted by Garry L Gordon

I like 4s and 6s for squirrels. Never used a 10 gauge—hmmm…

4s with the 10 gauge hits them hard. I don't believe you can use too much shotgun really. Worst damage I've seen on a squirrel was a 17 hmr, blew it into literal pieces. Normally when I recover squirrels there's only a few pellets in the head. I've shot them with everything from
1 1/8oz loads to 2 1/4oz loads. Any shotgun load really will anchor them I say use whatever gun you enjoy carrying the most. If you don't like the heavy guns it's hard to go wrong with a 16 or 28 gauge for your small game hunting.

[Chris Pope]

I took care of a whole lot of squirrels with a Thompson Center Contender with a .410 barrel and 3" #6 shot. Seemed to pattern very well. If I had to choose a Parker would go with a my 28 ga repro mod/imp and #6.

[Richard Flanders]

Squirrel hunting for me as a teen was an exercise in practicing to be a sniper. I had an old Mossberg .22 bolt gun with a 2-6x scope that made it relative easy to make head shots at over 50yds. My best shot ever was taken from at least 60yds and when I picked the squirrel up I couldn't find a hole in it.... until a drop of blood and some small bone frags came out of one of his ears. That shot went in one ear and out the other. That's the kind of shot you never forget. I still have that Mossberg in the basement. It was my first gun and cost me just $35. It went well with the pristine 20ga Mod 12 we got for $40!!! Those were the days..... I think I only ever shot one squirrel with a shotgun as a kid. Used grandpa's 12ga full-choked mod 37 Ithaca.