Squirrel Hunting Rifles
For hunting squirrels any centerfire or rimfire varmint rifle from .17 M2 to 6mm Remington will do just fine, this is the case for the ground squirrels. Choosing the best caliber depends on the weather conditions (especially the wind) and the range from which the hunter will fire the weapon. The above mentioned .17 M2 delivers 88 ft. lbs. of energy at 100 yards and shoots flat enough to be useful at that range. The .22 LR in hyper-velocity varmint shooting form with 32-33 grain HP bullets like the Remington Yellow Jacket loads or the CCI Stinger will deliver just about the same energy but limited by the more curved trajectory to a MPBR of about 90 yards. These cartridges come at an affordable price but the major downside is that they are extremely sensitive to wind drift.
Among squirrel hunting enthusiasts, the .17 HMR and the .22 WMR rimfires are very popular and will do a very good job at killing squirrels. For the .22 WMR the maximum distance from which a hunter can efficiently make a shot would be around 125 yards and for the .17 HMR the distance is approximately 165 yards. The .17 HMR cartridge and the varmint rifles chambered for it are among the most accurate rifle/cartridge combinations available. Many hunters affirm that using a heavy barrel varmint rifle is totally unnecessary because many standard .17 HMR hunting rifles do a better job than lots of specialized varmint rifles.
The above mentioned information should be taken in consideration only for the ground squirrels because for the tree squirrels the situation is quite different. The tree squirrels are considered to be small animals and a frangible varmint bullet (including the ones fired by the .17 M2, .22 WMR and the .17 HMR arms) are way too destructive if one of these bullets hits the squirrel’s body at short ranges (which is the case for almost all squirrel hunting situations). The .22 LR HVHP is more efficient in comparison with the .22 WMR or the .17 HMR (using FMJ bullets).
Moving on to the rifle compartment, any accurate .22 rifle will do just fine for hunting squirrels. The rifle needs to be as accurate as possible because the head of the squirrel is very small and you will need to be as accurate as one can so that you have a better chance of taking down these small animals. Experienced hunters recommend purchasing a scope for the squirrel rifles, some suitable scopes for squirrel rifles would be a fixed 4 power rimfire model or a 3-9x power rimfire model.
Last but not least, handguns can be used for hunting squirrels. Taking into consideration the fact that squirrel hunting is basically a short range proposition anyway, using a handgun is not as big a handicap as it might look at a first glance, but the shooter must be experienced in order to obtain good results. Some handgun models suitable for hunting these small animals would be the Colt Diamondback, the Ruger Super Single Six or some Browning recent models. Using a handgun will add a little extra fun in your squirrel hunting adventures but this particular style of hunting is less efficient in comparison with using a rifle.
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We are going to offer you a small list of rifles that both amateur and experienced hunters have been using for years on their squirrel hunting adventures.
Ruger 10-22 CRR
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Specifications:
• Caliber: .22 LR
• Capacity: 10 Rounds
• Finish: Blued
• Stock: Hardwood
• Barrel Length: 16 1/8″
• Groove: 6
• Overall Length: 34”
• Weight: 4 ½ lbs
• Features: 10/22 Compact rifle features a compact, rifle-style stock with a short, 12 3/4″ length of pull, 16 1/8″ barrel, fiber-optic front and rear sights, a flat butt-pad, and a clear magazine with red rotor
CZ 452 Varmint
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Specifications:
• Ammo: .22 LR
• Magazine Capacity: 5
• Magazine Type: Detachable
• Weight: 6.8 lbs
• Overall Length: 39.3”
• Barrel Length: 20.9”
• Barrel: hammer forged, blued, heavy
• Stock: walnut
• Trigger: ADJ
Marlin 917M2
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Specifications:
• Caliber: 17 Mach 2
• Capacity: 7-shot clip magazine
• Action: Bolt action; thumb safety; red cocking indicator
• Stock: Monte Carlo walnut finished hardwood stock with pistol grip; tough Mar-Shield finish, swivel studs
• Barrel: Heavy 22″ (4 grooves)
• Overall Length: 41”
• Weight: 5.5 lbs.
Remington Model 552 BDL Deluxe Speedmaster
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Specifications:
• Caliber: 22 Short, Long, Long Rifle (LR)
• Barrel Length: 21”
• Magazine Capacity: 15 LR
• Overall Length: 40”
• Average Weight: 5 ¾ lbs.
• Drop At Comb: 1 3/8”
• Drop At Heel: 2 5/8”
Savage Arms 93R17 BVSS
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Specifications:
• Caliber: .17 HMR
• Overall Length: 1.003mm
• Barrel Length: 527mm Heavy Varmint
• Weight: 2.270g
• Magazine Capacity: 5 rounds
• Trigger: Accu Trigger
• Stock: Grey laminated
Winchester Wildcat Bolt Action 22
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Specifications:
• Caliber: 22
• Barrel Length: 21”
• Overall Length: 38 3/8”
• Length Of Pull: 13 ½”
• Drop At Comb: 15/16”
• Drop At Heel: 1 3/16”
• Weight: 4 lbs. 8 oz.
