What .22LR ammo for squirrels?

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  • Indyal

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    I haven't squirrel hunted since I was a teenager but want to start again. Plan to use a cz varmint rifle. I have read that subsonics are good. I want to sight in this month. Any suggestions?
     

    natdscott

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    How good are you?

    In that rifle, Eley Target would be my choice.

    -Nate
     

    snapping turtle

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    Each 22 is going to like something better than others and a few will shoot about anything well. Some hunters go for head shots only. Some chest shot only.

    My marlin 39a is one that shoots about anything well. The browning pistol shoots federal 510 the best but I am running into the last few boxes of the stash. The ruger 10/22 somehow loves Winchester wildcats.

    So so if you like head shots only then solids in 40 grain whatever groups best. If chest shots a hollow point 40 whatever groups best.
     

    patience0830

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    Not far from the tree
    I've shot a boxcar load of squirrels in my 57 years and I will not use solids. Too many crawl offs. Squirrel head is a small target. I've seen 'em shot in one eye and out the other with solids and run right back up the tree. You're aiming for a dime inside a 50 cent piece. A difficult shot under the best conditions at 50 yds. HP gives you much more energy in the squirrel. Subsonic H/P will kill all the squirrels you want. Head and chest shots. They'll also expand and drag about a foot of intestine out on a gut shot. Nasty, but the squirrel usually doesn't get far. HV H/P like cci minimags give you a little more energy on target but don't shoot as well out of my guns.
    Know your rifle and practice on some walnuts so you know where it hits at the top of the tree, as well as on level ground. 40 yds up in tall oak, bottom of the creek to the top of the ridge, you'll be about 3" high if sighted in on level ground at 25 yds. I've shot over my share in that situation.
     

    natdscott

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    ...if you like head shots only then solids in 40 grain whatever groups best.

    Bingo.

    I've shot a boxcar load of squirrels in my 57 years and I will not use solids. Too many crawl offs. Squirrel head is a small target. I've seen 'em shot in one eye and out the other with solids and run right back up the tree. You're aiming for a dime inside a 50 cent piece. A difficult shot under the best conditions at 50 yds.

    Know your rifle and practice...

    I guess I disagree. On a line between the two, split the distance between the eyeball and the ear, and put a round right thereabouts. I haven't found an animal yet that would tolerate it.

    No, it's not a shot for everyone, but it's very make-able. You don't think your average shot distance is 50+, do you?

    That last bold bit is very important, but I'd suggest that patience is an art form of at LEAST equal importance in the woods.

    -Nate
     

    gregr

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    I had been shooting Winchester SuperX .22 Long Rifle High Velocity in 37 grain, but, Bradis had a sale a bit ago on Winchester SuperX .22 Long Rifle Power-Point Copper Plated, 40 grain, so I`m going to re-zero with this cartridge, for squirrels.
     
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    Indyal

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    Thanks for the suggestions,guys. I have read that solids with truncated tips work better than round nose. At 25 yards I can have nearly one hole groups and at 50 yards I can shoot dine sized or smaller with several brands of ammo and a sandbag bench rest. Obviously field conditions will have bigger groups. Surprisingly, match ammo has not been a lot better than target stuff. My rifle shoots Eley target and Aguila subsonic well. Thinking of trying chi small game ammo
     

    patience0830

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    Bingo.



    I guess I disagree. On a line between the two, split the distance between the eyeball and the ear, and put a round right thereabouts. I haven't found an animal yet that would tolerate it.

    No, it's not a shot for everyone, but it's very make-able. You don't think your average shot distance is 50+, do you?

    That last bold bit is very important, but I'd suggest that patience is an art form of at LEAST equal importance in the woods.

    -Nate

    I'm not surprised, disappointed, or offended Nate. Your game, your rulez. My game, my rules. Dead is dead. I just offer up what works best for me. Waiting for the best shot is a skill not easily mastered by most. I practice all year off an improvised rest killing starlings and walnuts in the yard and a 50 yard dime sized group under those conditions is darned unusual. Not all my shots are 50 yds or better, but enough of them are that I WANT the extra energy that a hp imparts.
     

    snapping turtle

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    If I must take a limit then it is rifle and hollow points mostly out of the marlin 39a or a Mountie.

    What i I like is the buckmark "silly wet" pistol and stalk and shoot. And yes they can fall and then climb back into the tree and die. Hate that so since the federal I normally use in it should change. Maybe the federal game shock will group we'll have about five boxes of that stocked up. I love pistol hunting for them.
     

    Brad69

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    My Savage MarkII likes the Aguila match.40 grain no issues with one shot kills.
    I hunt the very southern part of the HNF my ranges are from 10ft to a self imposed limit of about 50 yards or so.
    My favorite areas are most remote areas I can find so I take more Gray than Fox.
    I like to work creek banks and dry creeks I think I enjoy it more than any other hunting.
     

    gregr

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    My Savage MarkII likes the Aguila match.40 grain no issues with one shot kills.
    I hunt the very southern part of the HNF my ranges are from 10ft to a self imposed limit of about 50 yards or so.
    My favorite areas are most remote areas I can find so I take more Gray than Fox.
    I like to work creek banks and dry creeks I think I enjoy it more than any other hunting.

    I used to hunt the HNF in what they call the Deem Wilderness Area. We`d park there by that neat old Fire Tower. Killed an awful lot of grays there. Great memories.
     

    patience0830

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    My Savage MarkII likes the Aguila match.40 grain no issues with one shot kills.
    I hunt the very southern part of the HNF my ranges are from 10ft to a self imposed limit of about 50 yards or so.
    My favorite areas are most remote areas I can find so I take more Gray than Fox.
    I like to work creek banks and dry creeks I think I enjoy it more than any other hunting.

    Definitely my favorite type of hunting. I can carry a limit of five out of the woods by myself and have all five processed and freezer ready in 15 minutes. . . Sooooo unlike deer hunting.:yesway:
     

    patience0830

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    If I must take a limit then it is rifle and hollow points mostly out of the marlin 39a or a Mountie.

    What i I like is the buckmark "silly wet" pistol and stalk and shoot. And yes they can fall and then climb back into the tree and die. Hate that so since the federal I normally use in it should change. Maybe the federal game shock will group we'll have about five boxes of that stocked up. I love pistol hunting for them.

    I kinda miss my Buck Mark Silhouette. Current favorite is a DruLov single shot free pistol.
     

    natdscott

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    I'm not surprised, disappointed, or offended Nate.

    I chuckled at this!

    Pretty uncommon on the internet, actually. So much so that you just about set up to be defensive when you directly disagree with someone, as though that's such a terrible thing.

    I will say I shot a BUNCH of squirrels with a .22 WMR and Remington 33's. THOSE were more frequently (and could be) 75+ yards. Hit's a good rifle. Head shots only, and you're really better to keep it towards the front; I've seen jacket frag end up in between the shoulders, as unlikely as that may seem.

    -Nate
     

    snapping turtle

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    The buckmark "silly wet" loved federal 510 lightning found some new 510 and was very pumped up.
    In a few stores time I was able to pick up federal boxes of 510, 719, 720, am 22 and 730.

    510 Seems to be pretty junky now comparing in to the four older boxes I have left in the stash. Lord knows how long that stuff has been around but I had many bricks now down to four boxes and some loose stuff in an Altoids tin.

    No science involved but you could both see and feel the difference in velocity of the newer 510 stuff from round to round and it would not group very well. Could have been a bad lot. Could have been made different than the older stuff. Could have just been lucky with the older rounds and got a very good batch. But my feeling is as follows.

    the old 510 was what seems to be like the 719 is now. The 719 boxes seems to group right like the old boxes of 510 and all seemed to pop consistently like to old 510 boxes. The new 510 you could hear feel and see on paper that they were not consistent in something.

    The 730 and 720 both show nice accuracy with the sillywet for hollow points just not as nice as the old 510 or 719. The am 22 shot very well but it is a nice slow round but worked the action very well.

    maybe federal changed up somethings either over the yeArs or with the high demand in last few years. If you happen to shoot 510. Let me know if you are getting some weird grouping or lack of consistency. Shot it first middle and last of the rounds and something changed of it is just a Friday afternoon or Monday morning batch.
     

    Goodcat

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    I shot Eley .22lr Hollow Subsonic. I shot suppressed, hence the subsonic. They are powerful enough that even a body shot kills them either instantly or within a few seconds, no long death. Hollow point mushrooms perfectly every shot from rounds recovered from squirrel.
     

    DanO

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    I use a CZ 452 with a Nikon .22LR BDC scope. made for HV .22 rounds. I use Aguila HV 30 gr. hollow points. In my other rifles and pistols it's Remington Yellowjackets, a truncated cone HP. Never lost a squirrel with either round.
     
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