# Squirrel tune ups??



## Huntinbull (Apr 10, 2004)

How many of you have gotten the squirrel rifle or shotgun out and begun practicing and polishing up on you rmarksmanship? Got my Ruger 10-22 out the other day and proceeded to smack water bottle caps out to 40+ yards. Also hitting 1 1/2 inch targets out past 60. Figure Im good to go.

Been hearing a lot of squacking going on recently. BREED! Breed for all your worth little tree rats!!!

Huntinbull


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## Bassin' Buckeye (May 22, 2009)

I keep mine .22's out all year round, and just picked up an Anschutz and put a Leupold scope on it.........my gun purchases are now done for a while! But if I miss I REALLY only have myself to blame now! ONLY 2 Months to go.


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## Lewzer (Apr 5, 2004)

> Been hearing a lot of squacking going on recently. BREED! Breed for all your worth little tree rats!!!


I saw three squirrels yesterday evening training on the big branch outside our kitchen window. They are definately breeding now.
Don't worry Misfit. I won't post the pic.


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## Huntinbull (Apr 10, 2004)

Seems like from March through about late June I fish more than target shoot. Still hunt a G-hog occassionally in that time frame, but target shooting wanes. Shooting really gears back up about mid to late June. Patterning some heavy shot loads for summer yotes in my new semi-auto 12. Looking for a imp cyl tube or even skeet for buckshot. Seems my Mod tube spreads the pattern some with the #4 buck. 

Huntinbull


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## flthednut (Feb 17, 2007)

Yeppers, Dialed in and ready. I have noticed where I was shooting that there are walnuts on the trees there. I'm not sure about the mast on hickories and pig nut. I noticed at work there are 3 hicks that were loaded last year but bare this year. So maybe some hot spots from last year may not be good this year. I believe that I'll just have to get the bug suit and bino's out, and do a little Recon, fer don't cha see. How about the rest of you, are ya ready? Is the mast looking good in your area? Happy hunting to all.  !#


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## Bassin' Buckeye (May 22, 2009)

So what type of gun and ammo do you guys typically use, I have tried dozens of different types from the hollow point to the flat nose, to round, and of course each of my .22's shoots well with a different manufacturer and velocity.


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## Huntinbull (Apr 10, 2004)

My 10-22 shoots lots of ammo well. CCI Mini-mags with 40gr HP are about the best HP round , with Rem Golden bullets second. Used Std Velocity 40 gr LRN year before but had to factor distance closer than I liked, due to the slower speed and different trajectory. The Golden bullets and Minimags both hit about the same out to 60 yds or so. Use my 22mag with 40gr HP maxi-mags from CCI. they shoot good out past 70 yards, but only for head shots. does some damage to the body on a center of mass hit. Cannot believe how much even 22 ammo has gone up. Might mean less practice for me this summer and fall. 

Early season I use handloads in my 12 and 20 gauges. 1 1/8 oz of mixed 6 and 8 1/2 shot. Makes for a great pattern in my Modified choke 12ga. out to 40+ yards. Use 3/4 oz 6's and 3/8 oz 8 1/2's. 1 oz in the full choke 20 ga with even amounts of 6's n 8 1/2's.

Huntinbull


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## Bassin' Buckeye (May 22, 2009)

For my 10/22 I had moderate success with the CCI but someone I respect suggested trying the Winchester Super X 1280 fps HP, and I found I held a better pattern, I read that you can send your scope back to the manufacturer to have the paralax adjusted to 50 yds, I may do this for this gun, I am actually going to contact Nikon to see if that is true. I have an old Marlin that shoots very well with the Eley Semi-Auto Standard Velocity, but it is a round head and unless I have a very clean shot it doesn't seem to do a lot of damage. With the Anschutz I like the Eley Tenex 1075 fps, and it is somewhat a flat head on that, I have yet to hunt with it and can't wait!!,, it also did pretty well with the Lapua, but that gun shoots anything pretty well. 

I usually have them sighted in for 40 yards for early season as I resign myself to be thoroughly frustrated as I know I have spent 30 minutes trying to get a shot, but I like the challenge! I usually have them sighted in with the more expensive ammo and then I will find the same velocity in a lesser expensive typically to target shoot, since I don't have the skill to shoot a half inch group off hand anyway at 40 plus yards. I do run the ballistics on them from 10 yards out, so I know my hold overs for any approximate range out to about 60, since typically later in the year when you would have longer shots my attention changes over to things that fly and hop come November!


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## flthednut (Feb 17, 2007)

I've got a few different .22's. I used to like the semi autos but the last few years I have fell in love with my bolt actions. As for ammo, each rifle has a taste for something different.. My bolt action seems to like subsonics, it likes Eley, CCI, and Remingtons, but it also likes some high velocity loads as well, like SKjagd, Lapua, CCI mini mags. All of them Hollowpoints I also have a HM2 that is partial to the Federals, that are no longer made, then CCI & Eley. The thing just doesn't like the hornady or Remingtons. It's a good thing I bought a good bit of that federal. Should keep me hunting for quite a few years. !#


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## Oh-ducky (Jan 17, 2007)

Its been a long time since I've hunted squirrel, but this makes me want to take out the old 10-22 and give it a try.


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