hey, i want to get into hunting squirrels more than i was, do any of u guys use shotguns? how does the meat look after u hit em? and what gauge, choke and shot size do you use? i was thinking 12 gauge full choke with 7.5 shot. thanks for any help u can offer. these look like fun things to hunt if i got into it more.
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I'm a farm boy who likes guns and hunting, don't you dare make fun of me.
#4 shot, 12 ga. Full choke may be a bit much unless you take long shots. Harder to hit on run w/full choke. Recommend IC.
Meat just has small holes. Be sure to spit out pellets when eating, and dont bite hard....LOL!
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Hope you dont have to learn the hard way! ALR out...
99.9% of the time I hunt squirrels with a 12ga. 870 Express I replaced the modified choke with a full one.
This combination works best for me.
I also use #6 shot.
How does the meat look ? Welp it's gonna have some BB's in it. I guess you could try to pick them out but you can also spit them out too.
You'll see tiny holes where the shot went in and you'll also see some bloody spots.
What Gags me is when you put an eye out...I don't like looking at that.
I shot a Deer one time with Buck Shot and one of the balls busted out an eyeball.
That matted mustard stuff oozing out looked aweful !!! Still wanna squirrel hunt ???
I used to use a .410 with high brass #6 and was a good dinner getter combo. I have been using scoped rifle for so long now have fallen behind on the trusty shotgun! All is not forgotten and with my recent outing with Jerry squirrel hunting earlier than I normally do I believe I will be taking the scatter gun with me next trip to the timber! Stepson has the old .410 single shot so I think I am going with the 20ga... but picking a round may be something... its got a modified choke and was thinking of using high brass #6 like 338rum is running.
I do know that scopes while kick @ss no matter when can adjust on lots of leaves and with a moving squirrel them buggers can be tricky to get your cross hairs on... (LOL just used my screen name in a sentence). I really think the shotgun may be the proper choice for early squirrel in my ever changing play book! I know for a fact that I coulda nailed several the other day if I would have had the shotgun instead of the scoped rifle.
__________________ Most of my life I've spent hunting,... the rest of it I've just wasted
If you really didn't want to worry too much about the kind of metal(i.e. lead) you'd be munching on, consider using steel shot. A modified choke makes the shot act like it's a full choke. Also, steel shot doesn't deform, so you just look for the holes in the meat and dig out the steel shot. No slivers of lead to worry about.
My "go to" gun for early season is a 20ga NEF single shot, break action. However, I also frequently use a Remington SPR94 .410/.22LR shotgun/rifle combo. While hunting with that piece I keep the selector switch on .410 as most shots are usually elevated. However, I don't generally care for spitting lead out of my food, so when it's appropriate, I'll select .22LR and go for a head shot. But by far I use shot (#6 or #7 1/2) in taking the majority of my squirrels. BTW, early season is my FAVORITE time to hunt the little buggers and a shotgun is the better tool to employ then. When trying to fill my game bag, it's much easier (and more fun) to stalk up close to a cutting bushy-tail or one foraging among the branches when all the cover is still present. Sure! Nothing wrong with using a shotgun - from .410 to 12ga, I've used them all.
msj
__________________ "I yam what I yam, and that's all that I yam!" (Popeye the Sailor)
My vote goes for shotgun early season with #6 shot game loads and I break the 17 hmr out for late season unless I'm going with a dog. And since I'm currently training a dog right now, I guess my 17 hmr is gonna take a back seat this season! And I give all my tree rats away, so I don't worry about spitting shot out.
All the above comments are good I've shot 'em with about everything i own . best advice i can give is choose a weapon you feel comfortable with. your shooting squirrels not cape buffalo. most important thing is to enjoy your day in the great outdoors!!
I wish that Cool front that we had for 3 weeks ago would come back. I'd be hunting right now.
I've got a Pardner Pump action 20ga. and a Mossberg 930 semi-auto 12ga. w/24'' barrel I want to try out on squirrels.
The 930 came with a turkey choke so I bought all the other chokes to see what I can make the 24'' barrel shotgun do to squirrel.
I'm hopeing I can make this Turkey shotgun a squirrel getter with one of the chokes I bought...A.H
I wish that Cool front that we had for 3 weeks ago would come back. I'd be hunting right now.
I've got a Pardner Pump action 20ga. and a Mossberg 930 semi-auto 12ga. w/24'' barrel I want to try out on squirrels.
The 930 came with a turkey choke so I bought all the other chokes to see what I can make the 24'' barrel shotgun do to squirrel.
I'm hopeing I can make this Turkey shotgun a squirrel getter with one of the chokes I bought...A.H
No joke!!! As soon as season opened, the cool front disappeared!! What's up with that? Maybe the cool weather will stick around a little bit after this rain moves out. Not too bad outside right now, just coming home on my lunch break before I go back out. Just the sprinkles now.
When my brother and I hunt together, (which aint to often since I changed states on him) he runs a Rem1100 12G with #7s or #8s and a Mod. choke while I use a .22LR with iron sites...I've just never been to keen on shotguns for squirrels. The only time really I use a shottie is when hunting close to populated areas, then it's usually a single shot (because it's lighter).
__________________ I'm here for a good time, to h*ll with the red wine, pour me some moonshine!
It just occurred to me, if there were squirrels out in the woods where I hunt that were armed with shotguns, then I think I'd rather take up another hobby.
__________________ "I yam what I yam, and that's all that I yam!" (Popeye the Sailor)
