Squirrel Rifles | Squirrel Hunting Guns

Small game hunting is extremely popular in North American and the main reason for this popularity is because squirrel hunting is practiced all over the continent. Statistics show that hunters shoot more squirrels than doves, quails or pheasants which shows that this type of hunting is extremely desirable in the US and Canada. Some say that the main reason behind this situation is because squirrel hunting is one of the easiest forms of hunting and is preferred by the lazy type of hunter.
 

Squirrel Hunting Guns

Squirrel hunting guns can be found at any local gun shop or on the Internet. There are many options to choose from; any rimfire varmint rifle is suitable for this type of hunting, like the .17 M2 or the 6mm Remington. Regarding the caliber, it should be chosen by taking into consideration the weather conditions, to be more precise, the wind; and the distance from which the hunter will take the shots. The .17 M2 delivers approximately 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 approximately 90 yards.

Squirrel Hunting Shotguns

A squirrel hunting shotgun choice should be based upon the amount of recoil and power for distance. The most common choices would have to be the 10 gauge, 12, 16, 20, 28 and the .410. The first one, the 10 gauge, offers the most power and recoil and the last one, the .410, has the least power and recoil. The most common choice among squirrel shotguns would have to be the 12 gauge. Our visitors have come up with a few examples of firearms recommended for this type of small game hunting, here is what they come up with: Remington 870, Mossberg 500, Mossberg 410, Winchester 1300 and the Mossberg 930.

Squirrel Hunting Rifles

It goes without saying that the .17 HMR and the .22 WMR are by far the most popular for squirrel hunting. For air rifle squirrel hunting, the .22 WMR is efficient at a distance of max 125 yards or so, and for the .17 HMR, the distance would have to be around 165 yards. Experienced hunters affirm that a heavy barrel varmint rifle is unnecessary for squirrel hunting and the .17 HMR will do just fine, even better in comparison with specialized varmint rifles. Our reviewers have come up with a few examples of a reliable squirrel hunting rifle: Ruger 10-22 CRR, CZ 452 Varmint, Marlin 917M2, RemingtonModel 552 BDL Deluxe Speedmaster and the Savage Arms 93R17 BVSS.

Squirrel Hunting Scopes

Squirrel hunting scopes are a total must in the gear of every respectable squirrel hunter and it does not have to be a very expensive model to do the job. A standard 4x32 fixed will do just fine. For those of you that want a variable scope, a 3-9x32 or a 3-9x40 should fulfill your needs. Here are a couple of examples some experienced hunters recommended for using with a squirrel hunting rifle: Leupold 4x33, Weaver RV7 2.5-7x28, fixed Weaver 4x32, Simmons 3x9 and even a 4x Tasco scope.

Nobody can affirm that there is such a thing as a best squirrel hunting rifle, but there are a couple of models that come very close to this statement. After a long debate with the staff of the website and with a couple of experienced hunters and reviewers regarding the best squirrel hunting guns, the answer would have to be the CZ Model 452. The gun is supplied in several interesting variations. Starting with the least expensive and working up these are the Scout (beech stock with 12" length of pull, 16.2" barrel, $242), Military Training Rifle (24.8" barrel, beech stock, $272), Silhouette (22.5" barrel, synthetic stock, $378), Style (22.5" barrel, synthetic stock with satin nickel barreled action, $378), Lux (24.8" barrel, Euro-style walnut stock, $378), American (22.5" barrel, classic-style walnut stock, $378), Varmint (20.9" heavy barrel, walnut stock, $407), and FS (20.7" barrel, full length Mannlicher-style walnut stock, $436).

Squirrel hunting guns have come a long way in the last decades, and now the hunter has the possibility to choose from a wide array or rifles and shotguns, divided by quality and price, basically there is a gun for everyone. The choice is very important which is why it should be done with great care. And it is not all about the rifle, the caliber, the ammo is just as important which is why great care should be paid to every single detail.