Favourite squirrel ammo?

[_walter_]

Yes poop placement is everything but I’m thinking of the times when we miss the brain or vitals and I really need them to get wrecked enough not to be able to make it into the neighbors yard.

Traditionally I’ve accepted the hades as tried and true but recently I’m seeing that h&n hunter extremes do the same but hit even harder on the initial impact. Was doing experiments today on baby oranges and was super surprise at Crosman destroyer creating a huge exit explosion even at a lighter weight and h&n power had a thick consistent wound channel unlike the rest as if a drill went through soil. Yes all in 177 but in the caliber of your preference has anyone done any tests for damage and lethality?

 

[starlingassn]

best pellet will be the most accurate one IMO


if youre looking for better terminal performance,
maybe try some slugs.

 

[bdzjlz]

The most accurate pellet in my guns is always the go to. I have tried many of the specialty pellets and the only one I can get accuracy with (at least in several of my rifles) out to 50 yards and beyond is the Hades.

At 40 yards and less I am not sure it matters as most pellets will shoot within a group the size of a squirrel’s head.

From my experience, the Predator polymer tipped pellets seem to have the most terminal effect and are generally accurate enough at <45 yards.

Having said all of the above, I lost count along time ago of the countless game and pests I have taken with well placed shots from super accurate rifles matched up with the tested Diablo pellets they perform best with.

With airguns, it is all about shot placement in my book.

 

[gendoc]

the JSB 10.34gr pellet does very well in my HW100 carbine
out to my power limit of 35yrds.

 

[Northwoods22]

I've been using 16.1 gr Seneca pellets out of my Diana 48 for squirrels at ranges of 30-40 yds. Taken around a dozen reds, mostly headshots, and a couple solid body shots through the shoulder area. All were clean quick kills.

 

[dens228]

I use 34 grain JSB Redesigns. They always perform very well for me.

 

[Pfddi]

177 Wolverine R I use the 10.34gr JSB - just dead accurate. NSA .178 12.5gr for slugs

22 BRK Sniper XR - I'm lucky in that the CPHP 14.3gr are really accurate. NSA 20.2gr .217 work well for slugs

25 RW HP - The FX/JSB 33.95 are my normal goto - just spot on to 100 yards.

30 Vulcan 3 700 - AVS 62gr slugs

 

[nervoustrig]

For inside of about 40 yards, a wadcutter or semi-wadcutter (Hades, Baracuda Hunter Extreme, etc.) is devastating.

Getting sufficient accuracy at 50 yards and beyond with any of these isn’t unheard of, but uncommon enough that in most cases it will be a frustrating effort to find one that does. I’m going with a dome 100% of the time.

Regarding hollow points, in a decade of airgunning and pest control, the only pellet I’ve ever encountered that actually expands on live game (not gel or clay or other simulated medium) and is sufficiently accurate at useful distances is the .22 Daisy hollow points. Some example groups at 30 yards:

Previously, my experiences with Daisy pellets were positively horrid, so to say this result was surprising would be an understatement.

Pellet recovered from a gray squirrel, delivered to the vitals (struck only soft flesh, no meaningful bone):

Next to an unfired pellet for comparison:

 

[Fenian]

Honestly, once any pellet is placed correctly all pellets will do the job. I’ve used a .177, Daystate Wolverine, and had as good a result as a .25 FX Wildcat.

I’ve used Predator polymags, which expanded really well, and JSB pellets with minimal expansion, but the result was honestly the same. This is all under 50 yards, beyond that I can’t comment

 

[Ezana4CE]

Using domed pellets, I have no need to use Hades, Polymags, hollow point pellets, or slugs. I have used the others on squirrels and I like the results I have gotten from domed diabolo pellets above all. I want to kill them and eat them, not make them look like they ate a firecracker or were shot with a .17 HMR. The exception would be Crosman Premier Hollow Point pellets because they are very affordable and shoot well out of one of my Prod. No testing. I hunt squirrels with .22 and .25 caliber guns. I prefer to use .25. They don’t tend to survive those shots.