You can’t convince me a .30 isn’t the best round ever made for squirrels. I’ve yet to shoot one with the Wildcat that even flinched.
Hours worth of tree rats.
- Thread starter SMH
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I was out last evening and had 3 in 15 minutes. Then it took another hour to get 2 more. I prefer a .25 but I plan to zap some with a .30 this season. No head shots for me so I get some twitching or a small scurry. I plan to vital the ones I shoot with the .30 also. I can’t wait to compare.
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Don’t you just love it!
I’ve shot them with my wildcat in .25, then Daystate Wolverine in .177 and a Weihrauch springer in .177
And the mad thing was, even with proper shot placement I don’t know why but the .177 was just as effective
I’ve never tried with a .30 but I’m open to any caliber with them
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My .25’s have filled the freezer on more than a few occasions. I do headshots , unless it’s just impossible, but the .30 definitely hits the cutoff switch faster !
Nice shooting!
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Here’s what’s interesting. When I snuck into my spot, I only saw one squirrel. When I popped him, and that’s what it sounded like, the other two started barking and gave away their locations. So they got dead. I know how loud it is when I smack one with a .25. I can’t imagine what a .30 polymag is going to sound like. I‘m curious if it will be such a loud pop that it will shut down the woods briefly like when you use a .22lr.
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I use the Hybrids, and ain't no denying the impact. But, I didn't feel that it ended my hunting for the day.
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I’ve thought about this but currently not legal to use anything over 22 in PA.. if they every open that up I’ll skip 25 and go straight to 30.
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I can see why you'd like .30 for squirrels, especially Fox squirrels (tough SOBs).
I started with a .25 but mostly use a .22 now. The difference in damage is crazy between .22 and .25. I can't even imagine what the insides look like after a hit from a .30 pellet?!
I started with a .25 but mostly use a .22 now. The difference in damage is crazy between .22 and .25. I can't even imagine what the insides look like after a hit from a .30 pellet?!
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Would you outline what power and what projectile you used in each caliber that gave you such a big difference?
Thanks,
Matthias
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You gotta remember, new rifles and calibers are made to appeal to us, since the squirrels have no money. Dead is dead. I think the most compelling factor in deciding on a squirrel rifle is how well you shoot the specific rifles. A .30 in the guts is a cripple, and a .177 in the head or heart is dead squirrel.
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@JungleShooter
I guess it's not crazy when you look at the numbers....
I used a .22 CPHP 14.3 and a .25 H&N Baracuda Hunter 25gr(?) both about the same speed of 870fps or 24FPE vs 42FPE.
The .22 is a nice clean hole in the meat of a squirrel while the .25 is a ragged bloody mess, I guess the extra FPE are the real difference.
I guess it's not crazy when you look at the numbers....
I used a .22 CPHP 14.3 and a .25 H&N Baracuda Hunter 25gr(?) both about the same speed of 870fps or 24FPE vs 42FPE.
The .22 is a nice clean hole in the meat of a squirrel while the .25 is a ragged bloody mess, I guess the extra FPE are the real difference.
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@JungleShooter
I guess it's not crazy when you look at the numbers....
I used a .22 CPHP 14.3 and a .25 H&N Baracuda Hunter 25gr(?) both about the same speed of 870fps or 24FPE vs 42FPE.
The .22 is a nice clean hole in the meat of a squirrel while the .25 is a ragged bloody mess, I guess the extra FPE are the real difference.
Thanks for the data.
That's helpful when making my own power adjustments.
I'm a generous person and I'd hate for my quarry to think I was shortchanging them on impact energy.
I'm also interested in hollow point expansion — which depends especially on impact velocity: The Baracuda Hunter has some real potential. What are your typical ranges with it?
Matthias
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I've been concentrating on my P35-177 shooting H&N Baracuda Match 10.65 grain pellets about 900 fps. I shot 5 with it, then switched to my P35-22 shooting 21 grain H&N Baracuda Match about 830 fps and took 5 and I am now back on gathering data with the 177. I happened to shoot two squirrels with the two guns in exactly the same spot out of the same tree. The squirrels were facing away laying on a branch and I shot them behind the near side front leg and the pellet went out of the body in front of the far side front leg. The 177 pellet was under the skin and the 22 pellet exited the squirrel. The 177 squirrel took a step or two and fell dead. The 22 squirrel fell dead immediately. I've taken 18 squirrels with my P35-25 shooting 20 grain H&N FTTs about 875 fps for about 32 fpe - almost identical fpe to the 22. The only two that ran at all were hit in the front of the chest and the pellet was under the skin behind a rear leg. Almost shot through the squirrel length wise. The 22 at the same fpe penetrates further so I think it would possibly exit. But I suspect the squirrel would still run a few feet. Side to side is better placement. I also shot a squirrel with the 25 too far forward on the head to hit the brain. But it died immediately. When I picked it up the skull was crushed. I think more fpe penetrates deeper and larger calibers do a bit more damage. With good placement, it doesn't matter much if at all. Bit if I am a little off, it seems to help to be shooting at least a 22 and to have 30+ fpe. I think the bigger guns also seem to drop the squirrels at least a little bit faster. I have no doubt that would be true for a 30 but logic suggests the law of diminishing returns would apply. My personal opinion is a 22 or 25 at 30+ fpe is plenty for clean quick kills. But if you want to use a 30 I have no issue at all with it. I am also looking forward to getting a few more with my 177 and switching back to the 22 to gather data with it.
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I’d love to tell you, but all of mine are head shots. It’s an instant cutoff on every squirrel.
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I’ve shot them from 25 FPE to 80 FPE, but all head shots. All I can attest to is the .30 cuts them off instantly every siingle time. The .22 and .25 did most of the time, but wasn’t always the case on a big fox squirrel.
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"@JungleShooter
I guess it's not crazy when you look at the numbers....
I used a .22 CPHP 14.3 and a .25 H&N Baracuda Hunter 25gr(?) both about the same speed of 870fps or 24FPE vs 42FPE.
The .22 is a nice clean hole in the meat of a squirrel while the .25 is a ragged bloody mess, I guess the extra FPE are the real difference.
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I'm up to 9 with my 177 and 9 with my P35-22. Last one was with my Prod which has only a little over half the fpe as the P35-22 and that squirrel fell immediately from a high shoulder body shot. I think it exited. 1 lb male. I like my P35-177 and Prod for backyard shooting because they do the job and won't carry as far if I miss. But I think squirrels drop a little quicker with my 30+ fpe 22 and 25 calibers. With good placement they all work. I do not use expanding projectiles, just simple domed pellets. A little more than half my shots are head shots so there are lots of DRT body shots in the mix too. Including the last one.
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I like a 25 over 22. The 25 just has more authority. I'll take the shot I'm given and sometimes that's chest and neck. The 25's do better in those situations. I have a 30 that is shooting around 100 ft lbs. It will knock a red squirrel 5 feet backward off their perch. The 30's do damage similar to 22 long rifle HP's. They are excellent for chest shots. A thirty will pop their eyeballs out on head shots.
With that said I have killed more with a FWB 124 than anything I own. Shot placement though is critical with a rifle in 177 IMO.
With that said I have killed more with a FWB 124 than anything I own. Shot placement though is critical with a rifle in 177 IMO.
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