Breaking the rules of a true squirrel hunter

[bandit1250]

Yesterday right before leaving the woods I knocked my CZ 17 Mach 2 over as it was leaning against the tree beside me. It didn't fall to the ground but the Burris scope took a pretty good hit on the side of the objective. So I went out this morning after seeing what the weather was going to do. Soon as I parked the car I saw a squirrel sitting up about 20 feet in front of the car. Then I got out to put my hunting jacket on and get my rifle from the trunk of the car and seen two more squirrels heading out of there in a hurry. So I went down in the woods and sat down for no more than 2-3 minutes and saw one digging in the leaves. I could only see the tail on the other side of the log and several times his head would pop up for a look around. So I got on my shooting sticks with the CZ and got ready. Up come his head and I squeezed one off and didn't even scare him. So I worked the action slowly and missed again. He stayed right there and the third shot missed. So that was the last straw for me. I headed back to the car and put the CZ in the trunk. That is when I broke the squirrel hunters rule on never using shotguns on squirrels. Out of the trunk came the Remington 870 Wingmaster from the '70's with the 30" full choke plain barrel with 2 3/4" chamber. Things changed pretty fast with the shot gun over the rifle I had knocked the scope out of adjustment on. Running across the ground or through the trees the squirrels were no match for the 12 ga. with the 3 3/4 Dram PMC loads with 1 1/4 ounces of #5's. Five shots and 5 squirrels. Could have killed more but with what I already had at home and the five I had just got that was enough for now. May have been cheating to use the 12 ga. but I have a close friend who only hunts deer with a bow but loves to make squirrel gravy so I took him all 11 I got this week from the couple trips to the woods. He was more than just happy when I took them to him. Hope my fellow squirrel hunters on the forum will forgive me for shot gunning squirrels.

[JEBar]

back home in the mountains of NC, shotguns weren't taboo .... in fact, for some folks they are the premier weapon used by squirrel hunters .... the main problem with using one is the cost of the ammo

[BigAl52]

What shotgun

[Vaquero]

Take a 410 next time.

RP

[Mags]

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No need. But I use a .410 exclusively for squirrel.

... Hope my fellow squirrel hunters on the forum will forgive me for shot gunning squirrels.

[Vaquero]

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No need. But I use a .410 exclusively for squirrel.

... Hope my fellow squirrel hunters on the forum will forgive me for shot gunning squirrels.

Picked up a cheap one in a single shot, a future present to one of the grandsons.
Might try it out on a tree rat, so I can say I bloodied it.

RP

[Mags]

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Oh! You might end up buying another for yourself.

...
Picked up a cheap one in a single shot, a future present to one of the grandsons.
Might try it out on a tree rat, so I can say I bloodied it.

RP

[Vaquero]

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Oh! You might end up buying another for yourself.

...
Picked up a cheap one in a single shot, a future present to one of the grandsons.
Might try it out on a tree rat, so I can say I bloodied it.

RP

Well, if ya want the truth, I did buy two.
One for me to play with and another for the SIL.
But this one will end up with one of the three grandsons.

RP

[Mags]

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I should have known

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Oh! You might end up buying another for yourself.

...
Picked up a cheap one in a single shot, a future present to one of the grandsons.
Might try it out on a tree rat, so I can say I bloodied it.

RP

Well, if ya want the truth, I did buy two.
One for me to play with and another for the SIL.
But this one will end up with one of the three grandsons.

RP

[Vaquero]

Hey Mags, got 'em both for $226 shipped and transfered.
$110 for one, & $106 for the other.
What's not to like?

RP

[Mags]

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2fer! ya that was a deal to envy.

Hey Mags, got 'em both for $226 shipped and transfered.
$110 for one, & $106 for the other.
What's not to like?

RP

[North Country Gal]

Bandit, you took them on the run with the shotgun, so no criticism from me. Love the way you shared them with your buddy, too.

[markiver54]

back home in the mountains of NC, shotguns weren't taboo .... in fact, for some folks they are the premier weapon used by squirrel hunters .... the main problem with using one is the cost of the ammo

I have not purchased any 12 ga shells in a long time, but last time I did, they were very $ cheap.
Has something dramatically changed?

[JEBar]

haven't bought any 12 ga high brass shells in many moons so I have no clue as to cost ... would expect them to still be a good bit more than the cost of a 22LR bullet

[bandit1250]

haven't bought any 12 ga high brass shells in many moons so I have no clue as to cost ... would expect them to still be a good bit more than the cost of a 22LR bullet

I have cases of 12 ga shells I bought back in the early 2000's when I worked in a sport shop. I paid around $3.00/box when buying by the case. They are high power 1 1/4 oz. loads by PMC and RWS Rottweil. Very good loads but not really popular in most shops. I really don't put a price on my hunting enjoyment. It is only a few months of the year season is in. I spend my money on guns and ammo instead of booze, smoking and gambling like a few of my not really close friends. They are not close friends because their habits don't work well with mine. Never did drink and never ever smoked or gambled so my ammo didn't cost any where near what they have wasted in their lives on their habits. I can still buy mid-powered loads for a 12ga. here for under $6/box. Also I can shoot my 12 ga. for quite a bit less than a 410 and I don't like 410's any way. Shotguns for me start at 28 ga. and end at 12.
My 17 Mach 2 ammo is over $8/box of 50 so that isn't as cheap as 22 LR but in the open woods is like hunting with a laser compared to the trajectory of the 22 LR so it is worth the difference to use the Mach 2 especially after the woods opens up more after the leaves come down. Every one has their gauge they prefer in shotguns and mine has always been the 12 ga in the older Model 870 Remington. Happy hunting!

[JEBar]

Every one has their gauge they prefer in shotguns and mine has always been the 12 ga in the older Model 870 Remington.

back in my younger days my squirrel and rabbit hunting was in the mountain hollows around our home in western NC .... small pastures and farm/garden fields surrounded by native growth timber .... homes certainly weren't thick but folks lived all around .... for squirrels I used a 22LR rifle (have never owned 17 or22 mag) or 12 ga .... occasionally I would use a 22R revolver .... I well remember seeing the Range 1 Mile warning on the 22LR box and I took it seriously .... while watching squirrels moving in the treetops, I kept thinking about how far a bullet from my 22 would travel before coming down who knows where ... for that reason, most of the time, I hunted with a shotgun

[Vaquero]

Most of my squirrel hunting was done with 12 ga, as that an old Marlin 30-30 were all I had back then.
Heck I was in my 30's before I ever owned a 22, now I have a passle of them.
But I don't hunt squirrels any more.
The wife don't eat 'em, so I don't bother with them.

As far as the shotguns go I'm much more partial to the 20's these days.
I have a couple 410's but they will be going to the grandsons before long.

RP

[Tcallbuilder]

Wait...no shotguns for squirrels...is that a rule?... man Im in trouble.
Early in the season i use a 20ga shotgun, after the leaves fall the .22. I reload shells for the20ga to cut cost, not really about the money tho, just like to handload.
Nice looking bunch of bushy tails there, good eating too. Congrats.

[bandit1250]

[quote=Tcallbuilder post_id=115847 time=1575636984 user_id=3278]
Wait...no shotguns for squirrels...is that a rule?... man Im in trouble.

Not a rule carved in stone. In my area with a lot of places with the big open woods it is a rifleman's favorite place to be in squirrel season with a rifle especially after the leaves are down and the woods really opens up. Most squirrel hunters here are rifle guys.

[Mags]

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No rule here. I use a .410.

Wait...no shotguns for squirrels...is that a rule?... man Im in trouble.