squirrel hunting safety

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

What caliber is considered the maximum for shooting roundball at squirrel?

I'm thinking in terms of safety since squirrel hunting often necessitates shooting skyward. I've got a number of kids interrested, but .32s and .36s are harder to come by than .45s & .50s. So if I could "load down" a .45 that would simplify things. This is typical central Wisconsin farm country where houses are roughly 1/4 mile to one mile apart.

 

[hanshi]

Even loaded down I think I'd want a tree or limb behind any upward shot using a .45 or .50. A mould and a little lead will give you hundreds of .311" or .350" balls.

 

[Britsmoothy]

You need a smoothbore Mr :hatsoff:

 

[roundball]

Killed a few with a throttled back .45cal Flintlock using 30grns Goex 3F myself. And to me, there isn't enough meat on the front half of a squirrel to worry about head shots only...so IMO a .50cal would be just as good, dead is dead.

 

[larry wv]

I have killed them with most calibers. Like Roundball said I try to keep the ball in the front of the Squirrel. Use good judgement where the ball will end up with a 32 or 54. A small caliber is better but I would use any caliber rather than not go. Larry

 

[Rat Trapper]

A 32 loaded with 20 grains of Goex 3F will produce about the same amount of damage as a 22 LR. A 36 with 40 grains will take the whole head clean off and 30 grains is about the same.

 

[Robert Egler]

I don't shoot skyward with a solid projectile of any caliber unless there's something behind the squirrel.

 

[coloradoclyde]

I have used both 45 and 50 and would not hesitate to use larger. It is simply a matter of knowing your target and beyond. Where I live the terrain is rolling hills to hilly and if I can see the horizon and my sights are below it a ball will not go beyond it.
My shooting is very disciplined, I pass up many squirrels because I don’t like what’s behind them. I shoot most on the ground or less than 5 feet from it.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Perhaps the point I should have made is that a house 1/4 of a mile away is within range of every gun you mentioned. Even a .22 short will go that far so caliber is irrelevent.
It's a matter of safe practices not caliber.

 

[B.Habermehl]

I have to agree with CC. The first thing we teach in hunter Ed besides treat every gun as loaded even if you are sure it isn't, is be sure of your target and what is beyond. I only take shots with tree trunks or ground as backstops. I never shoot upward into the tree branches. No matter what size round ball, it is capable of doing damage when it comes down more than a quarter mile away. Even shot can travel many hundreds of yards. BJH

 

[Vaino]

My favorite squirrel load in .45 is 30 grs 3f and it has killed many 100s of squirrels. The country I hunt is sparsely settled farmland and I've shot squirrels at all angles.... on the ground, in the treetops and every height in between and have never met a squirrel that I didn't shoot at irregardless as to where it was. Have been doing this for 74 years and have never heard or encountered any complaints. The above load is really a "squib load" and the travel distance is very short...especially when shooting upwards.

Here's a true story that happened when I was 16.....my buddy and I were squirrel hunting w/ homade surgical tubing slingshots and heard and saw a rock land near by. Looking around, we saw 2 guys 100 yds away w/ Roman slings hurling rocks at us. Told my buddy.."watch this" and I pulled back and let fly....to our amazement, we could see the .50 cal. lead ball in flight and it was headed straight for one of the guys. He saw it coming but didn't move and it hit him in the upper forehead and down he went. We stuck around long enough to see that he got up and they both took off. Stupid act, you bet, but when young we do stupid things. No excuses whatsoever.

Don't think my "squib load" would even do what my slingshot did w/ a lofted ball......Fred

 

[huntinguy]

This is typical central Wisconsin farm country where houses are roughly 1/4 mile to one mile apart.

That answers you question. Shot, light load and small shot.

The second part of your post makes the first part irrelevant.

 

[satx78247]

The "bottom line" is: Do NOT fire until/unless you are SURE that you won't hit an unintended target.
(There are way too many "tree rats" out there to take needless chances.)

just my opinion, satx

 

[fusil de chase]

X2 on the smooth bore.

 

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

Sigh...

I actually was hoping to avoid the "need" for a new gun. There just ain't no way the budget will allow for so many more smoothbores - even if I get those cheap suppository guns.

 

[Leopard cur]

I'd load up the 45 light on powder. Make sure there is some wood for a back stop or take shots at the rats on the ground. Just use what you have and be careful.

 

[Sean Gadhar]

A 32 loaded with 20 grains of Goex 3F will produce about the same amount of damage as a 22 LR. A 36 with 40 grains will take the whole head clean off and 30 grains is about the same.

I've only had my .32 a short time & our pine squirrels are small, so take this with a grain of salt. I think my .32 with 25 grains dose at least .22 mag hallow point damage. So if trapper is getting .22 damage then 5 grains is a Big Deal in a .32. If I hit below the neck, mostly all I get is back legs & skin flap

 

[coloradoclyde]

I use a 45 and a friend of mine who hunts with me uses a scoped .22 mag or a .17hmr and he always ends up wasting something on a squirrel.
I think it is because he takes shots that I would pass up.

 

[BigBoreBLR]

We worry about the guy who patches a hole in their roof.

I have a grey roof with one brown shingle. I am that guy.

Don't be the other guy.

 

[coloradoclyde]

My shooting is very disciplined, I pass up many squirrels because I don’t like what’s behind them. I shoot most on the ground or less than 5 feet from it.