Posted: 9/19/2012 3:30:12 AM EDT
| I love the day small game opens. For the last I don't know 5 years now maybe 4, I have used a 17HMR to hunt squirrel. At first I used TNT rounds that blew heads off and gut the squirrels for me, after a few of those shots I went to VMAX they shot like laser beams and found myself shooting squirrels as far as I could see them. But the vmax was so clean I found myself looking for squirrels that hid under logs and ran 20yards with mush for a brain. The XTP 20gr is a mix of the two, pin hole entry like vmax and exit hole like TNT rounds. The 17HMR to me "This is my opinion" does way less damage then 22mag. Last year I started to use my fausti 12ga o/u and like how I was limited in range 40 yards was my max with #6 shot and Full choke. The biggest issue I had was noise and the fact that it was cheating if they are less then 25 yards. Now I'm interested in pistols for squirrel, I was thinking TC single shot pistol in 17HMR. Anyone? Oh this year I seen some kid shooting one of those umarex 22lr rifles not the MP5 it looked like my brothers rifle while he was in basic I think M16A4. Can those really be worth hunting with? |
If I am out in the sticks just for squirrel I take a .410, usually a side by side. You are shooting rats, tree rats, doesn't take much to get the job done. I have laid to rest many a squirrel with a .22, but in any area close to residence the safety factor can be questionable shooting them out of trees. If your gun collection lacks a .410, then a 20 gauge with a soft 1/2oz load or 12 gauge with an easy 3/4 ounce load will suffice. With the bigger bores, I would perhaps open up the choke a bit.....
You know how to tell a real squirrel hunter...? One eye will watch the trail, the other will watch the trees.... 
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