What characteristics do you like in a squirrel rifle?

[Skychief]

What do you consider important features for a great squirrel hunting rifle?

 

[Trench]

A light rifle, maybe no heavier than 7.5lbs. A nice, crisp set trigger. No buckhorn rear sights for sure and perhaps a silver front sight to stand out in low light agains those furry little heads.

 

[BrownBear]

I'm going to shoehorn my own experience with snowshoe hare into your question. Though I've never seen a hare in a tree, the qualifications are much the same.

Based on many years of squirrel hunting with other arms before coming to Alaska, I'm sure my ideal hare rifle has the same characteristics I would want in a squirrel rifle:

Great balance for offhand shots at small heads, a great trigger, highly visible sights and superb accuracy. After that, the details are negotiable.

 

[Vaino]

My squirrel rifle which suits me well is .45 cal., a 7/8" x 42" lg bbl, flintlock, sights are partridge type w/ a .100 wide front blade inserted w/ a silver inlay having it's face at a 40 degree angle and a rear notch that's twice as wide as the front sight as viewed when shooting. This LR is slightly muzzle heavy but isn't burdensome for this type of hunting. The crisp trigger pull is 2# using a simple, single trigger. Caliber, style, whether perc or flintlock are less important than the sights...small targets demand optimum sights....Fred

 

[rabjr]

What do you consider important features for a great squirrel hunting rifle?

A copy of a gun made in your area 200 years ago. Like mine, had to be a New England Style half stock with tapered barrel.

 

[longcruise]

I shoot squirrels with whatever I happen to be carrying. Mostly big bores, so the head shot is required. Would be nice to have a dedicated squirrel gun though. Even if squirrels are never hunted!

My choice would be a .25 or .32 or somewhere in between

 

[roundball]

What do you consider important features for a great squirrel hunting rifle?

Just in case you might have used the word 'rifle' out of habit...an excellent alternative to an actual 'rifle' that you might want to consider is a .54cal/.28ga smoothbore...mine has taken squirrels out of a tree at 30 yards with a load of #5s, and no worries about where a PRB might come down in the distance.

A terrific side benefit is that the .54cal/.28ga turns out to also be an excellent deer gun with a PRB load, and I filled all 6 deer tags with it the first year I got it.

Lastly, it gives you the flexibility to switch loads on the same day's outing from deer to squirrels to deer, etc...very versatile

 

[Tom Black]

It has to be accurate enough to head shoot squirrels at 25 yards. A swamped barrel with coned muzzle, excellent DST's, good sights. An LOP that fits me. Good balance and not to heavy. Fourty calibre. And pretty.
Tom Black
Cantucky

 

[Britsmoothy]

:shocked2: Wow, that is purty :hatsoff:

Brits.

 

[Problem Child]

It has to be accurate enough to head shoot squirrels at 25 yards. A swamped barrel with coned muzzle, excellent DST's, good sights. An LOP that fits me. Good balance and not to heavy. Fourty calibre. And pretty.
Tom Black
Cantucky

Dang...that some big squirrels.

 

[Pork Chop]

Could be just a small gun and kit! Beautiful rifle though!!

 

[Dave K]

What is important to me? Just a little nose heavy so it "holds" well and of course a comfortable sighting position. I am not too fussy on a squirrel gun as far as off the shoulder butt plates or on the shoulder style. I do like 40"+ barrels and any cal. from 32 to 40 is fine with me. Of course your favorite may be different from mine.

 

[Tom Black]

This picture was made during our Spring squirrel season last June. The upper squirrel is a young one. The bottom is just a normal size adult grey. This time of year they are really fat and sassy. Now our fox squirrels are some big squirrels and make the greys look small. About the only way you can eat them is to throw them in the crock pot for about 8 hours.
Tom Black
Cantucky

 

[Britsmoothy]

:haha: Reminds me of the old feller that advised me on how to cook an old canada!

Place the bird in a tin with two house bricks, roast for 9 hours basting the bird and bricks regular. When cooked throw the bird and eat the bricks :haha:

Brits :thumbsup:

 

[paulvallandigham]

Remember that wild game has very little FAT in the muscles themselves. So cook the meat to medium rare, or when the blood and fluids are basically pink to clear in color, and don't cook the meat and harder or longer than that. Then you will have tender meat.

I have cooked " tough " game by wrapping the meat in dough, with vegetables, butter, seasonings, and wine, or apple juice, and baking them in the over until the top of the crust is browned. ( The moisture inside the package keeps the meat moist, and the dough soft until it has steamed out through the dough. Only then can the heat of the oven brown the dough.) It comes out as tender- and a lot more tasty-- as when its slow cooked in that crock pot. :hmm: :thumbsup:

 

[ozark57]

"Squirrel and dumplins" is the old family stand by. Cut the meat into small pieces and cook like C&D. Soak overnight in vineger if you have a lot of acorns.
Stays juicy and tender.

 

[D Sanders]

My squirrel rifle which suits me well is .45 cal., a 7/8" x 42" lg bbl, flintlock, sights are partridge type w/ a .100 wide front blade inserted w/ a silver inlay having it's face at a 40 degree angle and a rear notch that's twice as wide as the front sight as viewed when shooting. This LR is slightly muzzle heavy but isn't burdensome for this type of hunting. The crisp trigger pull is 2# using a simple, single trigger. Caliber, style, whether perc or flintlock are less important than the sights...small targets demand optimum sights....Fred

My thoughts exactly but in a .36 cal.

HH 60

 

[hanshi]

A flint SMR .36x38"x3/4". I wouldn't fuss too much if it was .32. Gotta be light weight and a straight barrel is fine. A swamped barrel would be okay, too, come to think about it. It can be very plain, like the one I have, or fancy.

 

[rabjr]

Having a nice tapered barrel made to order in .36 would be nice too.