Squirrel rifle

[halfmoanut]

Don't own any rifles that would be exceptional for grey squirrels but want to buy one. Accuracy being number one. Will scope it and use it later to teach grandsons to shoot. Give me your choices? Maybe even a 17cal?

 

[sdneil]

Very hard to beat a Savage mark 11-in .22 or .17--great rifles for the money, excellent accuracy!

 

[RonAKA]

Savage Mark II with AccuTrigger and heavy varmint barrel should do the trick. They are reasonably priced and with target ammo very accurate. The ammo selection is much broader with .22LR, and that is certainly enough cartridge for squirrels.

I have a BTVS and shoot ground squirrels (gophers) with it. They are not a big target, especially when the wind gets going. Longest shot so far has been a paced off 140 yards.

 

[snert]

Remington 541s or 541T in 22LR. Anschutz...pick your pleasure. CZ in 22LR or 17 MAch2 for tree squirrels. All will be dandy.

 

[SS427]

I agree with RonAKA - Savage Mark II 22 LR. Very accurate and won't break the bank. I own the BV model and even with cheap $16 per box of 525 Remington golden bullet ammo it shots very good. 17 HMR is just too expensive to use as a plinking rifle, especially with kids. All the other suggestions are good rifles, but I wouldn't spend that kind of money for your purpose unless you are loaded with cash. I would stay away from an auto. I've never consider it a good idea to teach kids to shoot with an auto, but that is just me.

 

[distinguished]

I'd look for a good used Ruger 77/22 or a Remington 541t. The Ruger has better magazines and you can change barrels easily. The Ruger stock seems to be a little smaller so I think it would have a better fit for youngsters. Although the 10/22 costs less, I think it is best to start with a bolt action so that they will learn the importance of accuracy. With a semi-auto it is easy to get carried away with just blasting ammo.
There are other choices that will serve the purpose but I have used these with excellent results on game and paper.

 

[ab_bentley]

I would put my name on a 17M2. If may be dying but it's not dead. I just picked up a CZ 452 American and 2000 rounds of Eley for under 600$. Put a 3-9x40 scope on it and you have Squirrels worst nightmare. I have built or own several very small center fires for Squirrel hunting, 22 Squirrel, 20 Mink, 22 Mink, but the 17M2 beats them all IMO. I would opt for a CZ or Cooper and a few thousand rounds and you'll be set for a few years, and when or if the M2 does die you could still buy all of the cheap ammo people don't want or can't use. ADam

 

[750k2]

+1 on the mach2
I have many big$ .22's that have sat since I tested the M2 out.
I have only hunted with my 1702,Lilja Finn and relined 510 since.
Anyone who has really tried it has become a convert.
4 yrs. and have not taken a rat with my .22's - still plink with them
but when I'm in the woods it's with the M2.
When the ney sayers started stabbing the M2 I laid in about 3 lifetimes
of ammo so kill it if you want but it is the best rat cartridge ever devised.

 

[joejo]

i have a very nice 90-95% ruger 77/22 for sale. blued walnut nice checkering. its a great squirrel gun. its light and short, not to mention it shoots very well with cheap factory ammo.

 

[katokoch]

This is a 10/22 with a Clerke barrel and some slick trigger parts. I finished the stock recently. The scope is a Mueller 8.5-25x that I got for target shooting and decided to have some fun with. It worked pretty well on the squirrels this winter. The same barreled action has shot some pretty nice looking groups in a benchrest stock.

 

[benchracer]

I'm going to throw out an unconventional suggestion here that I hope will provide some food for thought. First, check out the following link:

http://www.jamescalhoon.com/

Check out the "informative articles" section under the title: "To Bee, or 223, is that the queston?"

If you are a handloader, I would highly recommend acquiring a savage model 11 in 223. It is available as a youth model as well. If you shop carefully, one can be had used for $300-$400 or about the same as it would cost you to buy a mid-quality rimfire.

Using information from the above referenced article as your starting point, you can cast your own bullets and produce very accurate handloads that duplicate rimfire type ballistics. Done this way, brass life is virtually infinite and you can roll your own rimfire class loads for the same money or less than it would cost you to buy regular .22LR ammo. If you are someone who likes to shoot match ammo in your .22's, the cost savings and performance advantages are considerable.

Additionally, as your son's shooting skills grow, you can step up to .22mag class loads, .22 hornet level loads, or normal 223 loads without having to buy another rifle and scope.

IMO, the flexibility and economy of doing this sort of thing make for a pretty compelling idea.

 

[snert]

I'm going to throw out an unconventional suggestion here that I hope will provide some food for thought. First, check out the following link:

http://www.jamescalhoon.com/

Check out the "informative articles" section under the title: "To Bee, or 223, is that the queston?"

If you are a handloader, I would highly recommend acquiring a savage model 11 in 223. It is available as a youth model as well. If you shop carefully, one can be had used for $300-$400 or about the same as it would cost you to buy a mid-quality rimfire.

Using information from the above referenced article as your starting point, you can cast your own bullets and produce very accurate handloads that duplicate rimfire type ballistics. Done this way, brass life is virtually infinite and you can roll your own rimfire class loads for the same money or less than it would cost you to buy regular .22LR ammo. If you are someone who likes to shoot match ammo in your .22's, the cost savings and performance advantages are considerable.

Additionally, as your son's shooting skills grow, you can step up to .22mag class loads, .22 hornet level loads, or normal 223 loads without having to buy another rifle and scope.

IMO, the flexibility and economy of doing this sort of thing make for a pretty compelling idea.

I have done this with a 222 and a 220 Swift. Both shoot groups at 50 yards with a 40 grain bullet that looks like one big .224 hole. The 222 is easier to work with, and I generally use Unique, about 4 grains, and a standard primer.

 

[tdnichols]

The reason I can't do this with my hornet or 223 REM is because I have to use rimfire on Public Hunting land..private I use reduce loads in both 223 and hornet

 

[JabaliHunter]

Are they the same tree squirrels (grey squirrels)?

If so, I have hunted them since a kid with .22LR Eley match (short barrel, subsonic with sound moderator). Great sport