Author Topic: Springer ? (Read 6078 times))

cpool · « **Reply #40 on:** September 09, 2019, 09:10:30 PM »

I’ve found out the .177 will kill squirrels had pretty good luck the last week and a half it still makes me wonder if a .22 would be better. Thanks for all the advise

Hoosier Daddy · « **Reply #41 on:** September 10, 2019, 09:44:59 PM »

Congrats a .177 will take a tree rat. as well as a .22.
now ask yourself... "what about a .20?"

Ohhhh.... did I just go there?
(Enablers anonymous)

Hoosier Daddy · « **Reply #42 on:** September 10, 2019, 09:47:26 PM »

*Edit*
What ... me worry?

cpool · « **Reply #43 on:** September 10, 2019, 10:03:34 PM »

I’ve already been wondering about a .20

Hoosier Daddy · « **Reply #44 on:** September 10, 2019, 10:07:52 PM »

Muh Ha HAAAA.
Do it.
There is a following of that caliber for a reason.
... and I drank the kool-aid and really like the taste.

fwbsport · « **Reply #45 on:** September 11, 2019, 06:09:06 AM »

Arrow Up^!

You won't be disappointed learning a thing or two about the real .20 after you get it, and then you will understand. The dissers of the .20 didn't own one or made a point to throw a monkey wrench in the works for the tiny .177. They gave up!

BackStop · « **Reply #46 on:** September 12, 2019, 12:34:27 AM »

Quote from: Hoosier Daddy on September 10, 2019, 10:07:52 PM

Muh Ha HAAAA.
Do it.
There is a following of that caliber for a reason.
... and I drank the kool-aid and really like the taste.

But, will a .20 also "wax my cat"? LOL!

I think you really need a .45 for Squirrels so you don't have to worry about finding the carcass. (grin)

(ducking and running)

Mossonarock · « **Reply #47 on:** September 12, 2019, 09:54:58 AM »

Quote from: avator on September 08, 2019, 04:29:50 PM

Shot placement is key no matter what caliber you choose. Head or heart and lungs. You can shoot a squirrel in his hind quarter with a .25 or .30 and not stop him. They are quite resilient.

I saw a squirrel get its back half run over and smashed by a car. The squirrel then dragged itself off into the woods with its front legs.
Yeah, tough.

birdmove · « **Reply #48 on:** September 19, 2019, 01:03:29 AM »

What's harder to kill, a rat or a squirrel? I kill rats at 7 yards at night with my low end Crosman 760 and 8 pumps using RWS Meisterkugeln rifle pellets in .177. I'm going back to working with my old Crosman Phantom .177 springer, as I can eaisily extend my range to 10-15 ysrds or more.

fwbsport · « **Reply #49 on:** September 19, 2019, 08:00:59 AM »

I shot a squirrel a few days back, in my yard on my fir trees next to the fence. At the time I had the HW30S .22 target practicing and this squirrel proved himself to trespass into our yard where two Great Danes and a rescue pup play. I didn't want to shoot it but my head said the dogs are likely to get involved with this squirrel since the fence is over 6' high by a wide margin where a Great Dane might try to leap out of the yard. Marmaduke, my Fawn Great Dane puppy boy weighs 200 lbs without an ounce of fat, and all the dogs chase the squirrels when they see them.

So I shot half heartedly and the squirrel got hit in the body center of mass for the usual fast shot without trying to aim for a moving head and he went to heaven. I felt a bit dirty like I did in kid times shooting birds and other things starting out with the pellet rifle, and it took me four days to get over killing a squirrel believe it or not. I have bad memories of what pellet guns in the hands of boys can do because I was not "innocent" in being careful what kind of bird I shot.

I have seen squirrels run to their holes after being shot with .22 Long Rifle Hollow Points in BOTH lungs and know they can be harder to kill than a bigger rabbit.

Point is the HW30S .22 decked him with a body hit at 15 yards.

The HW30S in .22 is just like an R7 in .22 by the way--anyone got one? I'll attest they are BETTER in .22.

Yes get the springer from HW30S/R7 to R1/HW80. In this region there IS a springer that will more than cure your need for quality and longevity. I've already shot my .22 HW30S through two cans of .22s (500). It just works finer the more pellets that run through it. Breaking in the .25 HW95L has been JUST as enjoyable--all my springers are cherished and remember,

I AM THE SPRINGER MAN!

nced · « **Reply #50 on:** September 19, 2019, 08:56:53 AM »

Quote from: birdmove on September 19, 2019, 01:03:29 AM

What's harder to kill, a rat or a squirrel? I kill rats at 7 yards at night with my low end Crosman 760 and 8 pumps using RWS Meisterkugeln rifle pellets in .177. I'm going back to working with my old Crosman Phantom .177 springer, as I can eaisily extend my range to 10-15 ysrds or more.

My brother and I have hunted rats in the feeding barn of my uncles sheep farm and I shot all rats at close ranges in the head with my .177 R9 and never had a "run away". My brother on the other hand frequently hunted rats at the "sheep feeding barn" and advised me to only take head shots because he never double lunged a rat and not had it get back to the hole it came out of. Anywhoo, my brother claimed that a rat was harder to take out than a squirrel.

I do wonder if that is an "individual squirrel thing". I've had squirrels drop with a "double lung hit" from a hard lead .177 dome (full penetration) and not move more than a foot from where it hit the ground. I also watched my brother hit a grey squirrel through both lungs with a .22 hollowpoint and still travel about 20 yards before dying when starting to climb up an oak tree.

anti-squirrel · « **Reply #51 on:** September 19, 2019, 05:28:34 PM »

head-shots work. Always.

Never had one let me down on a squirrel whether a .177 barely pushing 10 FPE or my Mosin.

fwbsport · « **Reply #52 on:** September 19, 2019, 05:38:36 PM »

I stopped head shots sometime ago back when because it's like shooting deer with a beautiful rack in the head to explode what's the most individual portion of anybody animal or not. Heads are the center of the thinking and seat of the soul and such. I feel better not exploding brains and eyes and skull apart into a horror film. I'd rather shoot where I can get the shot either center of mass for full delivery of impact. If the caliber is too small to kill by this method at 15 yards by not hitting the brain then it is a worthless hunting or killing gun to me.

The last time I purposely shot a squirrel in the head was because I only had a Benjamin pump up .22 pistol and I doubted its ability to even reach the head!

anti-squirrel · « **Reply #53 on:** September 19, 2019, 05:58:48 PM »

I understand that view, john. I only hunt for food or fastest-possible-execution of the pest. No sporting shots here- never cared to store a dead-critter head (unless I run into a real jackalope!)The headshot does it fastest, even on the "fight-or-flight" squirrels. They may try to run but the brain is dead. I'll add that an accurate 12 FPE springer is 10-times more useful than a 20-FPE springer. When you can pre-call the eye-socket or ear-canal at 15, 20, or 30 or more yards and drill it, critter goes down.

Now I'll add that when I bow-hunt, I go for heart-lung shots.

AKM · « **Reply #54 on:** September 19, 2019, 06:16:13 PM »

Quote

I do wonder if that is an "individual squirrel thing". I've had squirrels drop with a "double lung hit" from a hard lead .177 dome (full penetration) and not move more than a foot from where it hit the ground. I also watched my brother hit a grey squirrel through both lungs with a .22 hollowpoint and still travel about 20 yards before dying when starting to climb up an oak tree.

I have experienced the same thing. Ground squirrels are even tougher.

Sometimes they will go right down with no movement what so ever. You think their dead and all of a sudden they get a second wind and start trying to crawl off.

Head shots do always work but the amount of blood and reflexes can be something else!

Bayman · « **Reply #55 on:** September 19, 2019, 07:58:20 PM »

Quote from: anti-squirrel on September 19, 2019, 05:28:34 PM

head-shots work. Always.

Never had one let me down on a squirrel whether a .177 barely pushing 10 FPE or my Mosin.

Squirrel head shot with a Mosin?
Dude I wanna hang with you!!

Bayman · « **Reply #56 on:** September 19, 2019, 08:14:20 PM »

Squirrel head shots with my 8lb 177 Hw30. All the time. Takes them out immediately, but there's always the dead chicken dance afterwards. It looks terrible to the soft hearted but the critter was immediately dead and felt nothing. All the theatrics are just nerves cooking off. In scale if someone shot a baseball through your brain, you'd flail a bunch but you never felt anything but maybe the initial impact. Head shots are by far the most "humane" way to shoot an animal. IF, you can make the shot. If you can't, double lung it. But know this it may drop immediately, but it will die drowning slowly in its own blood. Bottom line you shouldn't take bad shots on animals if you care about their pain.

joek · « **Reply #57 on:** September 19, 2019, 08:20:17 PM »

Quote from: Bayman on September 19, 2019, 07:58:20 PM

Quote from: anti-squirrel on September 19, 2019, 05:28:34 PM
head-shots work. Always.

Never had one let me down on a squirrel whether a .177 barely pushing 10 FPE or my Mosin.
Squirrel head shot with a Mosin?
Dude I wanna hang with you!!

Isn't 7.62x54R overkill ? LOL

Hoosier Daddy · « **Reply #58 on:** September 19, 2019, 09:56:25 PM »

Different Mosin me thinks...

Mrblonde40 · « **Reply #59 on:** September 19, 2019, 10:22:18 PM »

I've shot red squirrels with 177, 20, and 22. But I only take head shots, and it makes no difference on the 60 or so that I've eliminated from my yard. But you also have to have faith in the rifle and its ability to do the job. So if you don't think the .177 will work, get a .22, or a .20 (love the 20 but don't have one). Now I may get beaten up on for saying what I am about to say, but if you get a .22 you should sell the 177. Every gun is a little bit different even in the same model, so having 1 gun, and having all your shooting with that 1 gun will make you better with that gun. Once you've mastered that gun you can start a collection if you like. I've got 2, but only use one, the other one is collecting dust, it hasn't been shot since I got my hw95 (in .177 by the way). And somebody suggested getting a .22 barrel and replacing the barrel on your current gun, that might be best since you're already used to the feel of the stock, trigger, etc. Just my opinion.

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Springer ?

Author Topic: Springer ? (Read 6078 times))