Squirrels and shotguns

kilerhamilton

Old Mossy Horns
Obviously they will do the trick. What is your favorite shotgun to tote in the squirrel woods, favorite shell and shot size?
With my first .410 as a boy, full choke and 3" #6s. Squirrels didn't stand a chance.
I'm thinking about carrying my 12ga single shot this weekend and testing some 7.5 shot and 6 shot with a turkey choke at some distance. 40-50yds.
If it will roll a squirrel I'm sure O bird shot would roll a long beard.
Since I am more proud of a turkey and don't get many opportunities to capitalize on a turkey I'm defiantly not going to shoot at one with low brass bird shot. If the squirrels are thick enough I want to test some high brass #5s 2 3/4 1.25oz shot on some long range squirrels. All these look good on the pattern board so I am not shooting at critters unethically. Surely a squirrel and turkey head are close in comparison? What do you all think.



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lasttombstone

Kinder, Gentler LTS
May be a good test but shooting a squirrel with a 12 ga. is a waste of good meat. You should be able to get all the info you need for turkey from the pattern board and use the .410 for head shots on the squirrels.
 

45/70 hunter

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I have an old bolt gun 410 with changeable chokes. With the full choke and 6's or 7.5's squirrels are in the pot to 25 yards, but at 30 yards they just run off. The patterns open too much with this gun. My short barreled 870 20 ga with a full choke has dropped them at 40 yards with 6's and 7.5's. I'd bet with the turkey choke I could do 50 yards easily. I'm hoping to dust off my old 20 ga single with a fixed modified choke, shooting 7.5's and wear some out this weekend.
 

Combat Diver

Eight Pointer
I prefer to hit the squirrel woods with either a .410 or 20 ga. Lighter weight in toting that thing. 12ga will weigh more and generally carry more shot at the same velocity.


CD
 

kilerhamilton

Old Mossy Horns
I have an old bolt gun 410 with changeable chokes. With the full choke and 6's or 7.5's squirrels are in the pot to 25 yards, but at 30 yards they just run off. The patterns open too much with this gun. My short barreled 870 20 ga with a full choke has dropped them at 40 yards with 6's and 7.5's. I'd bet with the turkey choke I could do 50 yards easily. I'm hoping to dust off my old 20 ga single with a fixed modified choke, shooting 7.5's and wear some out this weekend.

Where are you located? Are you going to hunt public?


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45/70 hunter

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Where are you located? Are you going to hunt public?

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I used to live near Jordan Gamelands and had private land access to a sweet spot, but that got sold :(.
I now live in Raleigh. I hunt a small place north of Louisburg these days....
 

old dog

Spike
I use a o/u .410, 5 shot in the full choke barrel and 6 shot in the modified. If it's thick cover or at the edge of my range I go with the 5/full first. If it's open and close I go with the 6/mod..My favorite that I used early season is a 80 year old belgian side by side. It only takes 2 1/2 inch shells so is limited, but is very light. My son uses a 12 gauge, I don't want to tote that thing, but he's got 50 pounds on his old man.
 

stanley

Four Pointer
any of the shotgun and shot combinations will work just fine. i like high brass 7 1/2 shot it drags less hair into the squirrel.
 

TKL

Four Pointer
I use a 12 gauge 870 with a full choke and no. 6 shot when squirrel hunting with the dog. But we have some really tall trees where we hunt.
 

bshobbs

Old Mossy Horns
I like the #6 game loads for squirrels out of the Browning 12 ga. I have a .410 pump and its been in the closet for 30 years. Factory defect, just havent' gotten it fixed. Something I definitely need to do this year.
 

Greg

Old Mossy Horns
12 GA with turkey choke and #6 shot. It reaches out pretty far into tall trees.
 

Lee

Six Pointer
I missed a chance at a H&R single shot 28 gauge a while back. I always thought it would be a great walking gun for squirrels.
 

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
I missed a chance at a H&R single shot 28 gauge a while back. I always thought it would be a great walking gun for squirrels.

it isn't great, it is EXCELLENT!

had one as a kid back 1975-1979,,,,,loved it for squirrel,,,,it was pretty much my go to squirrel/grouse gun once I had to break snowshoes out each winter,,,,,sold it to partially finance my activities during the two months between graduating high school and joining the Army :cool::skeerd:

bought another 20 years later,,,,reckon won't ever sell it,,,,,,,
 

Mack in N.C.

Old Mossy Horns
Even though I have 3 pumps I prefer a single shot. And I never shoot 7.5's ...They don't penetrate good enough on a tough squirrel hide on long shots. I shoot high brass 6, 5's or 4's 2 3/4 inch but carry some 3 in as well if one is waaaaaay up s tree. Prefer 20 gauge but I shoot em with 410,20,16 and 12's.
 
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apexhunter

Ten Pointer
A group of us hunted with a guy in Northampton Co with 4 German Feist squirrel dogs. He carries a Benelli M2 20 gauge with a red dot sight shooting 2-3/4" #6 shot through a super tight turkey choke. Everybody else had rimfires, mostly 22lr with a 17 Mach 2 and one with a 17HMR but if the squirrel bolted before somebody got off a head shot he could roll them off the limbs on a dead run at treetop height. He said his setup throws a 12" or less pattern at around 40 yards and I watch first hand just how deadly his combination was on running limb rats. I personally prefer rimfire for squirrels but if they are sketchy and run versus trying to hide a properly choked sub gauge shotgun is very proficient.
 
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tk26

Six Pointer
Anyone wanna walk Jordan game land Saturday if the rain holds out?


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I think Carson and I are going to go somewhere if it isn't raining. Shoot me a text or call if you want and we can figure out a place to go.
 

turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
16 was my favorite forever but it finally wore out no I use Moss with high brass 6 shot. I do take the Remm 22 out on occasion but I grew with shotgun so that's mostly my preference
 

JJWise

Twelve Pointer
Obviously they will do the trick. What is your favorite shotgun to tote in the squirrel woods, favorite shell and shot size?

I've always used a 12ga because I didn't own a 20ga till a few months ago. I like my Mossberg 500 for just about everything, but I tend to take my H&R Excell Auto when squirrel hunting because it's lighter and I can get a faster follow up. I like 2 3/4" #5 or #6 low brass, but I've been known to use cheap 3" turkey loads.
 
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