ok here's my 1st squirrel of the season :)

[only1harry]

Everyone is posting their squirrel hunts, so here goes mine.

This is for you Jeff!  Please post some G-hog kills in return

At my first attempt checking the yard this morning, I spotted a Gray immediately at one of the bird feeders around 8am.  A squirrel is usually at one of my feeders between 7 and 8:30am.  Distance was only 17yds to the feeders so I grabbed the 850 .22 and opened the window.  He was still there even though he turned and looked at me, but decided to continue eating.  I put the crosshairs on his head and squeezed.  I thought to myself that didn't sound right..  In all my excitement I forgot to load a new magazine!  The one that was in it was empty because I was doing some target shooting with it yesterday!  I just put it down and grabbed the Condor .25 which was already up on its bipod resting on the floor  :-)

I came back and the squirrel was gone.  I have never kept the feeders full during Squirrel season and have always shot them while they were up in a tree or en-transit through my property.  So I felt good that he took off.  I start looking for him and spotted some of the leaves moving on the tree behind the feeders which are on my fence.  I then saw him walking on a branch and got close to the main trunk.  He stopped just before the trunk and sat up to eat something he had in his hands, thinking I couldn't see him, but there was an opening in the leaves.  He was 24yds out and not too high up.  He was done eating and then turned his head sideways to check me out and with crosshairs on his eye, I squeezed.  I put the crosshairs on its eye because it was not completely broadside and wanted the pellet to travel through the center of the head back towards its ear, but with a 31gr Kodiak and 73fpe at the muzzle (at low power), it probably wasn't necessary

The squirrel dropped and did a little death dance and that was it.  The Kodiak had entered just below the eye because naturally I forgot to compensate for the shorter distance a little.  It exited higher on the other side, and closer to the ear. I could also see a hole in the tree trunk which I used as a backstop for the ~1,000fps traveling Kodiak   I have to switch to less powerful guns for these nutters.  I am still in Groundhog mode  
This guy has been eating mostly sunflower seeds for the last 4-5 weeks on a daily basis, so he should be good eating.

[timegoat]

Nice!

[longislandhunter]

I knew you wouldn't let me down buddy  nice shot and super pics.  Just goes to show that 73 FPE is more than enough to take down a nutter    LOL

I'm sure he'll be mighty fine eating since like you said he's been dining on your store bought feed for the past month or so.  

Congrats on a fine opening day Harry.  I'm already looking forward to tomorrows hunt.  

Jeff

[dk1677]

Congrats and Nice shooting Harry! Seems like you did that before with the 850  ( I have 4 clips and change them out after 4 or 5 shots to be sure)

[shadow]

Great shooting and pic's Harry and the first one is under the belt. Ed

[only1harry]

Thanks guys.
Yep, I have done it a couple of times Dave.  I too sometimes take out the magazine when I 'm up to 6 or 7 shots, but not every time.
 
I just ran the Condor through the Chrony and it read 1,053fps.  I forgot I dialed up the Powerwheel a little to 8.5 a couple of days ago and the 1st 2 shots were 858 & 856, because I am back to using the heavier Kodiaks for a while.  I was using the 25gr JSB's on the G-hogs most of the summer, but was running very low on them, so I switched back to the Kodies which are just as accurate.  I have tons of Kodiaks and must go through some of them.  
So the Condor was around 77fpe when I shot this very tough bionic squirrel  Do you think I need a little more power for these extra-tough squirrels I got here, or stick with 77fpe?  because I could dial it up to get 81+fpe out of the Kodies if need be, or use the 43gr EunJins for 90fpe.  Any suggestions?   hehehe
I can always get the Barnes 60 or 75gr .25 slugs..  hmm.. there is an idea!  LOL!      I just don't want to use their 88gr slugs.  I think that would be overkill for squirrels.      

[longislandhunter]

I think you should get a dragon slayer for those giant nutters 

Jeff

[1377x]

nice shooting
your rig sure packs a punch

[only1harry]

Yeah Jeff, I was thinking .50cal big bore should work a little better 

[timegoat]

HAhahaha! Think there'd be anything left to take a picture of? "This red area is where it was."