Squirrel Loads

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Last Post 09 April 2023

CBA Member

Tom-in-Pittsburgh posted this 08 March 2023

Just finished leafing through my Jan/Feb ‘23 “Fouling Shot” & enjoyed Terry O’Neill’s article on working up cast squirrel loads for his Savage 99.

I have always been intrigued by the idea of using “mouse fart” cast loads for squirrels out of some of my centerfire rifles, including a .243 I have that’s a sporter built around an ‘03 Springfield action.

Well, if you want to do that, you have to live somewhere other than Pennsylvania! Although we rank second of all 50 states when measured by the total number of hunters, it’s illegal to hunt small game here with anything larger than a .22 rimfire! You can use shotguns and some air guns - and woodchucks are an exception - but you can’t use a centerfire rifle of any caliber on squirrels!

And we still can’t hunt deer with a semi-automatic rifle, either. So my vintage Remington Model 8 still sits waiting. And I’m 75, so time is running out…

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Tom Acheson posted this 08 March 2023

Ignore the photo of the governor…

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MarkinEllensburg posted this 08 March 2023

I enjoyed that too. At least you are able to hunt squirrels there. Washington state is one of the few without a huntable population of squirrel. Not much for rabbits either. We do have varmints that can be shot but nowhere near as plentiful as squirrels of the midwest and east. While I was in college we had a local pawn shop that had a number of Savage 99's. Have not seen many since. I wasn't in the market for such back then.

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David Reiss posted this 09 March 2023

Also very much enjoyed the article. Of course here we can use what we want, but .22's are the norm.

Mark - It's very sad in which most (not all) gun shops are heading, all black no brown.

David Reiss - NRA Life Member & PSC Range Member Retired Police Firearms Instructor/Armorer
-Services: Wars Fought, Uprisings Quelled, Bars Emptied, Revolutions Started, Tigers Tamed, Assassinations Plotted, Women Seduced, Governments Run, Gun Appraisals, Lost Treasure Found.
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delmarskid posted this 09 March 2023

Center fires aren’t allowed for squirrel in Wisconsin either.

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Urny posted this 09 March 2023

Last time I read the Missouri regulations that same prohibition against use of centerfires for squirrels allied here too, except that a hunter hunting own property is free to use centerfire. So, we can use our centerfires in our 45 acre wood, but if we cross the street (unpaved county road) to Andy and Sue's place, we are back to rimfires.

The new fouling shot was in the mailbox yesterday when we got back from Kansas. I will read it today.

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CBA Member

Aaron posted this 12 March 2023

Come to NC. At the university, I watch 30+ squirrels at each pecan grove. They are so bad, they gnawed through my gas line on the van after a few hours. I'll get you some video of these rascals at play. You could get them with rocks. They eat pecans 4 feet away from me on tree limbs. Devils!

With rifle in hand, I confidently go forth into the darkness.

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CBA Member

shootcast posted this 12 March 2023

I duplicated 22 rf with the Lyman mold. Round nose I think 44 gr.? I should have bought the 45 flat nose. This in my Hornet Contender Carbine. Also tried 25 caliber same rifle. The 25 hammers them even at rim fire velocity. Doesn’t seem to damage much edible. Only shot a couple. Just had to try it.

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Idahocaster posted this 13 March 2023

My best squirrel level load is a 90gr semi wadcutter 32 revolver bullet with 4.5 grains of Trailboss in a marlin 336 30-30. No recoil, almost as quiet as a .22lr, will hold 1 inch at 30 yards, and cycles through the magazine.

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Aaron posted this 13 March 2023

Here ya go…. Today at university

https://youtube.com/shorts/ViHvklUwTb8?feature=share

With rifle in hand, I confidently go forth into the darkness.

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CBA Member

longhunter posted this 14 March 2023

When the 22lr shortage was going on I worked on cast for two rifles. A CZ Bruno in 22 Hornet and a Winchester Low Wal in 25-20 SS.

Both with work, would be a small game rifle if need be. I'll go find the loads and add them to this post!

Jon

Jon Welda CW5 USA Ret.

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Standard Member

bullshop posted this 01 April 2023

"""Mark - It's very sad in which most (not all) gun shops are heading, all black no brown."""

You guys are shopping in the wrong gun shops. There is one in Dell MT that specializes in vintage single shots and vintage and custom muzzleloaders. They have more cows than people and enough public land to get lost in or shoot to any distance your heart may desire which ever you prefer.

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RicinYakima posted this 01 April 2023

A little far for me to drive, 609.9 miles and 8 hours and 35 with no stops.

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Eutectic posted this 08 April 2023

I loved visiting MT but like Rick it is just a dream. Wish you were next door to GA.

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Bud Hyett posted this 09 April 2023

My dream in 1965 was to live in Montana, life intervened. I was on my way there when hospitalized for a month and decided to return to college. College was a good decision, but the career path was not in Montana.

I finally got to visit Montana by driving through in 1996. I felt a kinship and decided this would be my retirement homer. Being raised on a farm in Illinois, my retirement goal is to live somewhere that when a headlight burns out on my truck, it's the high beam.

The RCBS 45-325-FNU bullet with a light charge of Unique in my 1876 .45-60 should be a squirrel stopper.

Farm boy from Illinois, living in the magical Pacific Northwest

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RicinYakima posted this 09 April 2023

By the time I could retire, Montana was not possible. I was in Helena on the first day of summer, June 21st, and it snowed four inches. In May the wind is a steady 30 MPH and November zero degrees and the wind 40 MPH. It is beautiful for the 20 days of summer.

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delmarskid posted this 09 April 2023

I’ve lived in Wisconsin nearly 70 years and Montana winters scare me a little.

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Lee Guthrie posted this 09 April 2023

News to me (prosecuted conservation offenses for over 25 years), but then what could go wrong with pointing a long range rifle towards the sky and pulling the trigger? My .22 Hornet and .218 Bee are great with light cast loads, and I've "barked" quite a few tree rats with a .45-70 and cast bullets, but ..........

Unfortunately there are a lot of people out there that would use a -30-06, .308, or 6.5 Whatever with factory jacketed ammo. Not to mention the myriad of newbies that would use an AR with 30 round mags loaded with Milsurp ammo to blast at rats running along a limb.

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Standard Member

bullshop posted this 09 April 2023

So then why not be more specific with your laws? Why not have them read "" only with cast lead alloy bullets at muzzle velocities not exceeding 1300 fps"" ?

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