Seriously taking squirrels with 12ft lb?!

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jt-outta-cali said:
I just chrono’d 3 of my pcps and came out to about 12,16,20

I’m working within 20 yards and I feel like 12 is too underpowered. Even at EIGHT yards. How the heck are our UK brothers making due ???
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They make do with “shot placement”… You’ll be amazed at what can be done within reason with 12 FPE. My 18 FPE Atomic XR is my favorite and very deadly PCP.
 
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Struckat said:
12fpe is plenty.
25 yards or less, a dome with 7fpe will pass through a nutter noggin. HW30 work in a pinch.
I always think I need more power, but it’s about making a good hit.

12fpe and less has been killing squirrels long before more powerful options existed.
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L.Leon said:
They make do with “shot placement”… You’ll be amazed at what can be done within reason with 12 FPE. My 18 FPE Atomic XR is my favorite and very deadly PCP.
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Shot placement is definitely key. I personally wouldn't take this shot but we have a guy on Reddit who has taken a few raccoons at 10yds with his ATN equipped 30S. If you put your shot where it needs to go, you need suprisingly little energy to take game cleanly.
 
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My HW30 is tuned to a massive eight foot pounds with the H&N Field Target Trophy .177's at the muzzle. I took this buck at thirty yards so figure six to five foot pounds probably. DRT.

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I kill squirrels routinely with my .177 11 fpe HW100, using the 10 g pellet at 700 fps. My yard safe shooting zone is about 35 yards, and it is deadly within that distance. I've had only one unexpected messy hit, and it was a head shot. Apparently the angle was such that the pellet deflected rather than entered the skull, and it required a second shot. But that was a freak occurrence, and otherwise, head and chest shots have been consistently effective. Your 12 fpe rifle has plenty of power.
 
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Struckat said:
12fpe is plenty.
25 yards or less, a dome with 7fpe will pass through a nutter noggin. HW30 work in a pinch.
I always think I need more power, but it’s about making a good hit.

12fpe and less has been killing squirrels long before more powerful options existed.
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That’s in a perfect world.. most of us are not Predator With laser beam Tracking
I’ve got 12 fT lb guns and have had more dead run off with squirrels than with a average 20 ft lb slightly off placement, shoulder hits are a guaranteed run off with .177 .. I’ve shot the same squirrel twice in a month and recovered .177 lead from the animals. The extra ft lbs does more damage to bone structure and hemorrhage , as well as shock. Which knocks them out of the tree.

I KNOW AS HAS BEEN PREACHED HERE , SHOT PLACEMENT IS EVERYTHING..

if a squirrel was 100 lbs I would NEVER go into the woods as , YOU COULD NOT KILL HIM.
 
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A.G.R said:
That’s in a perfect world.. most of us are not Predator With laser beam Tracking
I’ve got 12 fT lb guns and have had more dead run off with squirrels than with a average 20 ft lb slightly off placement, shoulder hits are a guaranteed run off with .177 .. I’ve shot the same squirrel twice in a month and recovered .177 lead from the animals. The extra ft lbs does more damage to bone structure and hemorrhage , as well as shock. Which knocks them out of the tree.

I KNOW AS HAS BEEN PREACHED HERE , SHOT PLACEMENT IS EVERYTHING..

if a squirrel was 100 lbs I would NEVER go into the woods as , YOU COULD NOT KILL HIM.
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You're doing it wrong. Simple as that.
 
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I've been successfully killing squirrels cleanly with 6-12fpe guns for going on 30 years. Almost all of those were .177s.

The argument of "I've had them run off" can also be said for a round nose .22LR at 98fpe. Been there and done that too.

A small caliber air rifle does not kill by shock or whatever other word you want to call it. It's penetration, plain and simple. The fact that they can also run off due to a poor shot with a .22LR proves this to me.

At 35 yards, a .177 leaving the muzzle at 12fpe will pass clean through the vitals of a squirrel and be through the far side, or just under the skin.

I don't know when squirrels got armor plated and unkillable with anything less than 32fpe, but it sure hasn't happened in my lifetime.
 
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thumper said:
I've been successfully killing squirrels cleanly with 6-12fpe guns for going on 30 years. Almost all of those were .177s.

The argument of "I've had them run off" can also be said for a round nose .22LR at 98fpe. Been there and done that too.

A small caliber air rifle does not kill by shock or whatever other word you want to kill it. It's penetration, plain and simple. The fact that they can also run off due to a poor shot with a .22LR proves this to me.

At 35 yards, a .177 leaving the muzzle at 12fpe will pass clean through the vitals of a squirrel and be through the far side, or just under the skin.

I don't know when squirrels got armor plated and unkillable with anything less than 32fpe, but it sure hasn't happened in my lifetime.
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thumper said:
You're doing it wrong. Simple as that.
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What’s wrong with shooting a 20 ft lb gun.. if you read the post you would get it.. most will not talk about the run offs, but sit here and brag about their 2, ft lb guns at 88 yard kills… I’ll keep doing it wrong while you sit and brag about your hidden run offs For another 30 years …
 
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A.G.R said:
What’s wrong with shooting a 20 ft lb gun.. if you read the post you would get it.. most will not talk about the run offs, but sit here and brag about their 2, ft lb guns at 88 yard kills… I’ll keep doing it wrong while you sit and brag about your hidden run offs.
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Nothing at all wrong with using a 20fpe gun.

If you are using a 12fpe gun at a reasonable range, and having "run offs", you're doing something wrong.

And what you're doing wrong, is not going to be instantly solved with a 20fpe gun.

I'm not bragging about anything, and any hunter will tell you it doesn't always go perfectly with any weapon. Myself included.
 
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I will not take a shot I deem to be a risk. Now what is risky to me may not be to you.

Pretty posers only, even with 35fpe (my big gun)

I don’t see any bragging, let’s not put text in others posts.
And if you read the posts, no one is talking about extended range.

My preference is 15ish fpe for most tasks, not because of the extreme power, but rather that gun is my favorite.

The OP is talking 12 fpe, plenty good.
 
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jt-outta-cali said:
I just chrono’d 3 of my pcps and came out to about 12,16,20

I’m working within 20 yards and I feel like 12 is too underpowered. Even at EIGHT yards. How the heck are our UK brothers making do ???
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Check of vermin hunters on YouTube, these guys are from the UK and specifically make head shots on everything. They are remarkable marksman.
 
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