shooting a squirrel (with a rimfire) while deer hunting (with a 44Mag handgun)

flyingtigerusa

Six Pointer
I tried CCI quiet-22 (710 fps in muzzle) in my 28 inch CZ 452 UL, it's so quiet. and it is very accurate.


So carrying this rifle and a 44 Mag Pistol, sitting on a tree stand, will the shooting of squirrel keeps the deer away?

Anybody has tried the same setup?
 

apexhunter

Ten Pointer
IMHO if you want to squirrel hunt then squirrel hunt- if you want to deer hunt I would forget about the squirrels...especially if you are pistol hunting where shots will be inside 100 yards. The thing is you never know when Bullwinkle will show himself or how long he might be within spitting distance before showing himself. You stand a great chance of ruining any possibility of killing a nice deer (or any deer) with the movement and noise from shooting a squirrel; even with "quiet" ammo. There is ample time after deer season to chase limb rats so if your goal is a deer I'd leave the rimfire at home.
 

Black Jack

Four Pointer
Funny you should post this. I now carry my AR-15 (5.56) with me when I squirrel hunt.

A few weeks ago I was walking the woods line looking for squirrels and had a nice shooter buck that was bedded down jump. He was about 5 yards deep, ran about 15 yards deep and give me a broadside look for about 2 minutes. All I had at the time was my Ruger 10/22. Fast forward to the next weekend and I am in my ground blind setup. It was a very successful hunt, 6 squirrels taken. It was about sundown and I thought I was going to have to look for 2 that had dropped in some brush. Something in my head told me to give it 5 minutes. Not 3 minutes after my last shot did I have 3 does and a button buck walk through at 15 yards (or less). This was enough proof for me to carry the AR (it is light weight, easy to maneuver in the 2 point across the chest position, and shoots are going to be under 100 yards most under 50). I don't have a "hunting" handgun nor do I trust my skills enough with for shots over 10-15 yards.

BTY I am shooting Eley Subsonic.
IMG_2742.jpgIMG_2744.jpg
 

GotNoRules

Ten Pointer
I would say it mostly depends on how much action yours woods gets throughout the year and what they are used to. If it was me, I wouldn't. But it all depends on your personal preference.

There are days where I want to kill every dang squirrell in the woods!!
 

Smitty010203

Twelve Pointer
This is funny because at a few spots I hunt I got so annoyed by the number of squirrels I started carrying the .22 pistol. I mostly use it on the way in or out and only at particular places where its a long walk with a lot of squirrels on the way. Or in swamps where there are snakes. Funny thing is I almost stepped on what appeared to be a copperhead on saturday. I ended up moving him with a shooting stick I had on me thinking how I wish I had a way to kill him ( I was putting a blind where he was sitting) After I moved him he went in some water and the second he did I remembered this pistol was on my hip the whole time. Man I felt stupid.

Shooting CCI Standard velocity.. (Minus the Light/laser, that was just on during the photo for some nighttime shooting)
 
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Triggernosis

Triggernosis

Ten Pointer
Black Jack said:
Funny you should post this. I now carry my AR-15 (5.56) with me when I squirrel hunt.

A few weeks ago I was walking the woods line looking for squirrels and had a nice shooter buck that was bedded down jump. He was about 5 yards deep, ran about 15 yards deep and give me a broadside look for about 2 minutes. All I had at the time was my Ruger 10/22. Fast forward to the next weekend and I am in my ground blind setup. It was a very successful hunt, 6 squirrels taken. It was about sundown and I thought I was going to have to look for 2 that had dropped in some brush. Something in my head told me to give it 5 minutes. Not 3 minutes after my last shot did I have 3 does and a button buck walk through at 15 yards (or less). This was enough proof for me to carry the AR (it is light weight, easy to maneuver in the 2 point across the chest position, and shoots are going to be under 100 yards most under 50). I don't have a "hunting" handgun nor do I trust my skills enough with for shots over 10-15 yards.

BTY I am shooting Eley Subsonic.
Click to expand...
Jack, what AR15 and 2-point sling do you use?
 

Black Jack

Four Pointer
Smith & Wesson M&P15 with Nikon P223, and a 10 round magazine. The sling is a MAGPUL MS4 on the factory M&P swivels.

When I say "in the 2 point across the chest position" I mean the sling is on the right shoulder cross the chest and back under the left arm. Don't know what it is "Officially" called but I love this position. You can carry it barrel down (front and left side) or on the back barrel up. Makes it very easy to switch around if you are going into thick brush or low hanging limbs. In the barrel down position it is very easy to shoulder which is where I usually carry. It doesn't get in the way when I am carrying the 10/22 either.
 

GSOHunter

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
I've had deer walk out into a lane after shooting before to see what is going on. They can be stupid like that.
 

ncnat

Ten Pointer
Don't think it really matters. I've had an 8 point and a spike come to a corn pile that had 7 dead squirrels in it and another time I shot a squirrel and had a 4 point run to me.

In Maryland 2 years ago under a depredation permit we killed 5 deer within 5 yards of each other and more still coming through after shooting them within 50 yards with a 25-06 and a 30-06.

I've had 3 deer come into a fire break and killed 2 of them and had it been legal I would and could have killed the third.
 

Buffet Trout

Twelve Pointer
22LR said:
Those Velocitors are very accurate from my rifle, can't find them anymore. Were do you get yours?
Click to expand...

I bought a couple cases about 5 years ago bc they were the best 22 ammo I ever used...they hammer small game and coyotes very well
 
Wolverine

Wolverine

Spike
I don't deer hunt, only squirrel with silenced air rifles. A buddy of mine was complaining about squirrels barking at him while in his stand. I lent him a .22, 12 foot pound energy (fpe) air pistol. He was skeptical, after his first time in the stand with it, he came home with three squirrels. Two off the same tree with consecutive shots. Several weeks later he text me a pic of the buck he shot with his bow, and another squirrel. A silenced .22 airgun shooting 12fpe will easily take a squirrel out to 30 yards. They're quiet enough I use them inside barns on pigeons and rats without spooking the other pests. Also, because the ATF doesn't classify airguns as "firearms", no silencer permit is needed. In fact most airguns come with removable silencers.
 
ScottyB

ScottyB

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Been skirl hunting w my 22 rifle before and carrying my Model 7 .308 on my back….. killed first skirl and a nice 8 in the first 5 minutes…..just sayin….
 
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