.223 to much for squirrel hunting?

Re: .223 to much for squirrel hunting?

Well there would be meat left...just a nickel size hole and guts hanging out on the exit side lol

Now a 3006--well I tried that for shitz and grins once and the squirrel went BOOM!...and there was squirrel on every tree up to a 4 yard radius or so and all I found was it's tail and a leg...damn I was one sick SOB to do that...
 
Re: .223 to much for squirrel hunting?

Skeet,
I must have some serious problems or be doing something wrong, I enjoy hunting and shooting with a rifle, not so much with a shotgun, sorry my dad never took me squirell hunting when I was young, and I have only spent a total of maybe 9 weeks in america in the last 12 years (I do go hunting everytime I am there, for what ever is in season) so I have limited hunting experiance even though I enjoy it so, and I never read the book "how to hunt squirell" so I never learned at an early age what happens when you use a .223 for squirell hunting, although, I had my suspisions and thats why I asked. I am sorry that I am not as knowlegable about the subject as you. but I will read up on the subject without asking stupid questions from now on.
 
Re: .223 to much for squirrel hunting?

stupid is is stupid does. .308 is artillary to a cottontail. at 10 yards i was wearing a still beating bunny heart and it snowed fur for a few minutes. i was a bit dissapointed cuz i love eating thumper. i just thought if i just hit him in the head then boooooommmmm! dont hunt rabbit and deer same day without switching arms.
 
Re: .223 to much for squirrel hunting?

Strider-I am about 2.5 hours from your location, I have chased tree rats here since I was old enough to hold a gun. .22 LR has always worked well.

Squirrel pot pie is pretty good also.
 
Re: .223 to much for squirrel hunting?

I doubt your 2.5 hours from where I am
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wichita kansas is where I grew up and where my family is and when I come back that is where I go, so thats what I claim, but I am not located there....
It seems that a .22 would be the right choice, I was just currious about the other.
Thank you all for your input.
 
Re: .223 to much for squirrel hunting?

You're talking tree squirrels, right? I wouldn't recommend that.

If you're talking gophers (ground squirrels) at a distance, a frangible .223 can be a blast (pun intended).
 
Re: .223 to much for squirrel hunting?

Squirrels dont have alot of meat on them (in PA at least). If I were to hunt them I wouldnt waste meat with a shotgun. 22lr to the head imo or youre wasting your time. I havent hunted them in more tha a decade though because of the work vs reward (meat).

If youre just looking to shoot small animals, without regard to meat yield, shoot groundhogs with your .223, in areas where it is legal.
 
Re: .223 to much for squirrel hunting?

We can't eat our squirrels out west and they aren't in trees. .204 is my favorite for those (!) followed by the 17 hmr. Fun.
(Having said that, I just knocked a barking ground squirrel out of a tree top this morning with my hmr. Weird!)

If I were concerned with ricochet, I would not go with a 22 lr. Those things are ricochet machines.

The 17 hmr very rarely ricochets (spelling?) but may have a bit more range than you might want. Perhaps a HM2? No personal experience with those.

A 410 seems like it would fit your requirements pretty nicely.
 
Re: .223 to much for squirrel hunting?

People like you are the ones that look down the berrel to se if it's loaded or not.You need a red rider bb gun at most...
 
Re: .223 to much for squirrel hunting?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: strider09</div><div class="ubbcode-body">What are your thoughts? If you were wanting the meat is a .223 to much for squirrel hunting? what about a .204?
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Head shots.
 
Re: .223 to much for squirrel hunting?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Surgeon-Shooter</div><div class="ubbcode-body">People like you are the ones that look down the berrel to se if it's loaded or not.You need a red rider bb gun at most...</div></div>

that's cold man
 
Re: .223 to much for squirrel hunting?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: dlc356</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Unless they're this big I'd stick with a rimfire
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squirrel-untitled-2.jpg
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LOL, it amazes me how often I see these pics, they were taken by a good friend of mine He has some serious rage issues with squirrels after they ate a new set of wires in his Scout. I've never seen a guy kill so many squirrels, but there are still more around his house than ever.


Hunting squirrels with a .223 is like using a ballpeen hammer to kill ants.
 
Re: .223 to much for squirrel hunting?

My old man is so tormented by the New England grey squirrel, he smuggled a pellet gun into the soviet republic of tax-achussets (state motto; Is this legal?) and chafes at the hoops he has to leap through to buy "ammo".

He is mad at me because I told him is wasting food by not eating them! He asked me in response,"What about your god damned cats? do you eat what they kill?"

Of course that's just the senility talking...

This is without a doubt the funniest thread I have ever read.
 
Re: .223 to much for squirrel hunting?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Red_SC</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: dlc356</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Unless they're this big I'd stick with a rimfire
wink.gif

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LOL, it amazes me how often I see these pics, they were taken by a good friend of mine He has some serious rage issues with squirrels after they ate a new set of wires in his Scout. I've never seen a guy kill so many squirrels, but there are still more around his house than ever.


Hunting squirrels with a .223 is like using a ballpeen hammer to kill ants. </div></div>

Red,
Tell your buddy I love the pic. I got it in an email a year or two ago and it still cracks me up. Because of your comment about ants w/ a ballpeen I have to go refill my drink and change my shirt...
 
Re: .223 to much for squirrel hunting?

I shot a squirrel today 3 times with a .338 lapua and still didn't kill the damn thing. I'm buying a .50 cal tommorow!!! Hahahahaha
 
Re: .223 to much for squirrel hunting?

Actually..... I shot a squirrel with a .223 varmint round just behind the neck. It was gruesome what it did to it. Essentially the entire skull was removed from the squirrel with only one eye in a mangled pelt left north of the shoulder blades and one limb was missing. The rest of the squirrel was in tact. I suppose if you hit it in the head while he was parralel to you it would work, but if it was looking at you or you hit it from behind, you wouldn't have enough of the squirrel left to identify what it had been. lol.
 
Re: .223 to much for squirrel hunting?

You guy's act like you never heard of adapting to the situation.Maybe a .223 is all he has.Lyman 60 gr. cast lead/g.check-13 gr's imr-4227 = decisively dead but good eatin.
 
Re: .223 to much for squirrel hunting?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: bsp212</div><div class="ubbcode-body">You won't have any meat left with a .223.

If you like to watch them explode on the other hand.......</div></div>

.223 won't make the squirrel explode. 8mm on the other hand...
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Let's just say from personal experience that 8mm is a little overkill. Works fine if you're doing pest control and that's all you got though
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Re: .223 to much for squirrel hunting?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: venham</div><div class="ubbcode-body">You guy's act like you never heard of adapting to the situation.Maybe a .223 is all he has.Lyman 60 gr. cast lead/g.check-13 gr's imr-4227 = decisively dead but good eatin. </div></div>

Oh, a reasonable guy approach. Sensible of course, but unfunny...
 
Re: .223 to much for squirrel hunting?

If you really want to kill a squirrel with a 223 go ahead ( If you are atleast 5 miles away from any homes.) Just don't plan on finding any good meat to eat...Shotgun is my first choice and can be used within 500 yards of any home without any danger (with squirel sized shot). 22LR, 17HMR, 17 mach2, 22mag can be used but then you have to extend your distance to about 2 ? miles to be a safe distance from harming anyone else. If you want to just destroy tree rodents then by all means be safe..SmokeRolls
 
Re: .223 to much for squirrel hunting?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 7mmRM</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Norcal Phoenix</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Damn you guys eat them? </div></div>

Fuck yes! They are without doubt a treat. Fried squirrels and squirrel and dumplings are some of the finest table fare one can eat.

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Yeah but only if you have cat head biscuits.
 
Re: .223 to much for squirrel hunting?

See I agree with the op ive never shot up into a tree to get a squirrel I always shoot down at them but I have like ten tree stands I deer hunt out of so I climb in and five minutes later I start seeing them usually every stand is good for 3 squirrels or so. My favorite gun is a 17hmr its just super accurate, and of course what fun is squirrel hunting without head shots