Squirrel hunting 22lr vs pcp

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@Vetmx with that said then I also think it’s important to consider why you hunt them. If you’re eradicating pests then I’d imagine your perspective and approach would be different from hunting for sport. If hunting for sport, are you out to be challenged by the animal (weather or the environment) or are you competing with other hunters to see who reaches their bag limit first?

The way we are taught or learn to hunt also comes into play. For me, most often shooting has been a small part of the hunt. More emphasis was placed on locating game. Coming up we used to use dogs to hunt larger animals. I still get a kick out of that part. Now I play the role of the dogs in locating animals. Nowadays if I don’t see any game animals and I’m not craving a particular type of meat, then just getting out into the woods is relaxing to me. Now that I hunt more with airguns, overcoming the challenges of hunting with them has become a part of the hunt that I enjoy. Sure I could take an overpowered airgun out and have more success, but to me that’s like a grown man fist fighting a 10 year old. I prefer a more even fight.

I’d love to hear about how things go for you using different airguns. I look forward to you sharing your hunts and photos in the forums. Which of your airguns did this topic inspire you to try?
 
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This was a list I made after a hunt we did using both an Airgun and 17HMR. The guns used were and Evol Standard.22 and a Tikka TX1
RIMFIRE PROS
  • Fairly inexpensive initial cost to purchase rifle
  • Capable of ranges out around 200 yards fairly easily
  • 200+ FPE
  • Lightweight
  • Excellent Durability
  • Low Maintenance
  • Higher velocity for moving targets

RIMFIRE CONS
  • Ammo can be limited, expensive and cannot be reloaded
  • Loud
  • Unreliable (rimfires prone to misfires) This happened several times on the trip
  • Depending on how much ammo you carry it can get heavy

AIRRIFLE PROS (This may only apply to the rifle used)
  • Pellets/Slugs inexpensive and easier to find over rimfire and can be made by the user
  • Capable of ranges out to 200+ yards
  • Lightweight and Short
  • Excellent Durability
  • Excellent Reliability
  • Quiet
AIRRIFLE CONS
  • Expensive Initial Cost
  • Limited Air Capacity (Need a hand pump or other reliable air source to fill in field)
  • Lower velocity requires a bit more lead ahead for moving targets
As I mentioned before I really think the upper hand can be from experience in hunting over weapon of choice.

Cheers,
Dana
 
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I’m headed to my camp this weekend to hunt archery. I’ll be using an Impact compact for mid day squirrel hunts. But here in PA I think I’m going to use my Zbroia this year. It’s traditional rifle ergos make it really easy to shoot from all positions. It’s a 880fps 16gr gun so I’m going to let go of the whole big caliber, fast and slug thing and just enjoy a sweet little comfortable gun. And probably head shots.

0783048A-D9FC-4493-90FB-4518DBEA811D.jpeg
 
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@Vetmx Thats a beaut! Headshots are the way to go when they present themselves. After hunting squirrels with a more powerful .25 caliber PCP, placement with a .22 became more critical in my experience. Also consider that my .22 produces half the power that my .25 produces. Enjoy your weekend hunt. We still have 8 days to go here.
 
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Stan ln KY .
Kentucky’s fall squirrel season, a 191-day split season that kicks off the calendar of fall hunting, opens by regulation on the third Saturday each August.

The 2022-2023 season dates are Saturday, Aug. 20 through Nov. 11. Then the season re-opens Nov. 14, and runs through Feb 28 2023
 
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When you guys compare the 17 hmr to air remember that's a 22 mag case very loud and not in my opinion a reasonable squirrel load. The 17 hmr Mach 2 is a 22 stinger case, same noise level as 22lr but much lighter, faster, flatter than standard 22lr. And in my opinion the pinochle powder burner small game round. 17 grain bullet looses energy fast, much safer when shooting upward than even a air powered slug.
 
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moodyblues said:
It’s not comparing airguns to firearms per say, it’s comparing two weapon platforms at doing a specific job. It’s more like comparing a compound bow to a longbow, they’re both doing the exact same thing just one of them has a way more kickass energy source. I love that you prefer a rimfire for really getting after it, I love all my 22s and wouldn’t give any of them up. In the public land river bottoms I hunt, I do better with an Airgun. The squirrels I hunt are pressured and the woods are thick, perfect combination for an Airgun.
I don’t think you can say an Airgun is out of its league in the squirrel woods. It may be out of its league in your squirrel woods, but in mine and a few others it’s perfectly at home. I left the question vague knowing there’s all different types of squirrel hunting, and that some guys will prefer the 22lr or 17hmr and I agree with your reasons for choosing them.
Also I hunt with a proper squirrel gun, not an impact which is awesome but resembles a hunting arm as much as a boat anchor does. Again I give up nothing but power to the 22lr. The squirrel gun I carry most handles as well, shoots as accurate, is dead silent and I can shoot up in the air in any direction. My CZ 455 is excellent in every way, but it won’t get me as many squirrels as my NP03. Not dogging on the rimfires, but to say the Airgun is out of its league is a little goofy to me.
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I would most certainly hunt with an airgun, no reason why they cannot get the job done, given the right setting. I just agree with one of the above posts where he said that if he nailed a squirrel with a .22 LR, versus some air rifles, it's a hard lights out drop...not any flopping around.

I am still too new at using the air gun to take on a serious hunt, plus I would need to upgrade some of my air gun equipment...have too much cheap stuff to feel solid about my shots, but this is not the case with firearms for me. Been into it way longer, and have a lot of experience with them and some nice stuff.

I have two air rifles that I believe the guns themselves are up to the task, but I need to get off my butt, and get some better optics on them.
 
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I've shot squirrels with a 12 gauge turkey load, a 22 lr, and 17, 22, and 25 caliber airguns. I wasn't carrying the 12 gauge to squirrel hunt but when a squirrel appeared and a turkey didn't.... A shotgun with 6 shot would be more reasonable but isn't very interesting to me. A 22 lr is more interesting but is still a lot of gun for a 1 lb (plus or minus) animal. If I hunted really open country where all I expected to get were long shots, I'd probably use one of my 22lrs. But it is now possible to get air rifles to similar velocity/energy. I do not anticipate shots past 50 yards and haven't taken any yet. My 22 and 25 caliber air rifles at 30-40 fpe are plenty. I think the little 177 will be fine too, possibly at a little shorter range and possibly with more head shots. I need to kill more with it to be sure. The 20 I've shot with one of my 25s has convinced me they are fully adequate for one shot kills with minimal if any running.

My most accurate PCP is more accurate than either of my 22lrs. The trajectory of the lr is better for long shots but the accuracy of the PCP is better. My PCPs weigh about 6.5 lbs including their scopes so they are not heavier than my 22s. Most are bullpups so they are much more compact.

I may switch back to a lr at some point but for now I plan to just use a PCP for squirrel hunting.
 
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We're a little different up here, can't use dogs for any kind of hunting whatsoever.

I live on the edge of a 40,000 acre WMA, it's very popular, all sorts of people hunt it, you can hear 22 long rifle all day long on the weekends during small game season.

I have a good half dozen holes in the side and the roof of my pole barn which is the closest building I have to the WMA, I'll look to be 22 long rifle but no damage to anything inside the pole barn that I can tell. Most likely people shooting squirrels through the oak trees that border the WMA from within the WMA.

When I hunt it, I take my PCP and let the other hunters, mostly young people, drive the squirrels towards me with their noisy 22lrs.
 
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There’s really something to be said about hunting pressured public land. That’s all I hunted growing up, and I still do about half my hunting on corp of engineer or state hunting land of some kind. Your tactics have to change completely be it deer, pigs, squirrels or rabbits. If you can consistently kill animals that are pressured by other hunters you’re in an elite class of hunters in my opinion.
That sucks about you barn getting peppered by 22 rounds, I hope your house is more protected from the incoming artillery. 22lr squirrel hunters should get a good look at a satellite map when going into unfamiliar land, don’t know how else you could familiarize yourself. Not that it’s going to happen, but I know around me there’s no telling where a house may be tucked into the woods.
 
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