Going squirrel hunting with my CZ457 tomorrow and, I hope, the rest of the week while I can. It has been a few years.

My old standard was Winchester Super X HP but I have none. I want to use HP and what I have are 32g Stingers and 36g Mini Mags. Both are reasonably accurate in my rifle.

Anyone have a preference for one over the other for squirrel? I have never used either on any animal.

both will do, gray or fox? whats your zero going to be? if the accuracy is the same, no reason not to use stingers.

both will wack a squirrel.

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I know this is not what you asked but most everyone I know, myself included, use subsonics. The diehards use the same thing they use for target shooting, SK/Eley/Lapua but many locals use CCI SV. Less noise, just as deadly on head shots and doesn't waste as much meat if you happen to pull one. Hope you have some successful hunts.

 

Both are great for squirrels, but quite destructive if you are eating them. I usually use standard velocity due to less noise. Just depends on your purpose.

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Can you find CCI Subsonic Hollow Points where you are? They are death on small game without being overly destructive.

 

Great questions guys.

1. Grays. Has to be because all I see are the Fox and we aren't allowed to hunt them here.

2. Zeroing is a big issue but I thought it would complicate my question. I have the rifle zeroed for 50 yds for Wolf Match Target but wanted to use hollow points. I only have access to a 20 yard indoor range and the mini mags and stingers are about 1.5" low. I cannot tell for sure but I think the trajectory will be OK out to at least 50 yds and maybe a few more. I am not sure because the Wolf is 40g and the mini mags are 36g and the stingers are 32g. The Wolf is slow, the mini mags are 1260fps and the stingers are 1640. Of course, like many places, it is hard to find ammo here so I am stuck with what I have.

3. I would be comfortable hunting with the Wolf MT but at 72 I don't think I can count on head shots only and I cannot stand the thought of a wounded one dragging itself out of reach. I would still try for head shots but if I miss a bit back a HP will end it even though I would lose some meat.

My goodness but I love hunting squirrel. I am getting excited. I will leave the big game to you young bucks. I figure I can still drag a bushytail out of the woods.

 

if it were me based on the above…

Id stay with the ammo/rifle combo thats zero'ed. thats going to be key.

the rest, just pick your shots… get'em a little closer and wait for a still squirrel.

that 40gr solid will kill'em just as dead.

getting a seated supported position will help greatly.

dont change ammo without a known zero.

I currently use solids becuz i can shoot .5" seated unsupported consistently at 50yrds. better supported. SK flat nose.

Where do you live that you cannot shoot fox squirrels?


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I’d go with Technician1’s advice.
Mini mags and especially stingers won’t shoot anywhere near the Wolf zero.

 

Either one will work okay, stay away from gut shots if at all possible as it will gett messy especially with the Stingers. The advantage with the Stingers is flatter trajectory if you've taken time to sight for them. You can get away with a 75 yard zero with those if you keep in mind being a bit high at 25-50 yards or so. WherecI hunt I prefer subsonic hollowpoints, but ammo choice can depend on location and terrain. Big open woods and tall trees can open the range a lot versus small woodlots.

 

If I was to go after squirrels, I'd sight my gun in for SK Standard + since every gun I have shoots it MOS (minute-of-squirrel) out to 50 yards.

You don't need HV for squirrels...

 

I use CCI SV (regular and Waltz flat-pointed) to head-shoot groundhogs. One was unrecoverable due to falling into its den, but otherwise, I definitely haven’t had any run away yet despite some accidental neck shots as a result of their skittishness.

 

I don't really need higher velocity ammo where I have places to hunt, BUT those places aren't the same as everbodies places. There's lots of terrain where the trees are far apart and/or very very tall, and in places like that flatter trajectory can be very helpful. Few rifles have good accuracy with Stingers, but if you happen to get ahold of a rifle that shoots them well and a great lot of ammo they can make hitting at distances up to 100-125 yards as equivalent to hitting at say 65-90 yards with subsonics. Still a little difficult but much less drop to contend with and that can make a big difference if you're off more than a few yards in range estimation as the distances get further.

Where I can hunt, the ranges are under 50 yards for 75 percent of the shots taken and I'd rather have less noise. Just a personal preference, I wouldn't be too averse to using high speed ammo if I didn't have plenty of subs. The Stingers I'd have to test shoot some first, never got good enough accuracy out of more than a few boxes to attempt using them. Velocitors shot much better in the Kimbers I've owned.

 

Spider, I understand you have to play with the hand you were dealt. And it isn't bad. The minimags will do a good job. I applaud you for not wanting to waste game but I also know that good intentions sometimes end up not so good. The high vel. HP's will give one a little more room for error and as you are old enough to know error does occur in the squirrel woods whether one is 72 or not!

You didnt say anything about scope height or if you even use one but In general that 20 yard range you have will work perfectly for sighting your minimags. Sight them about a 1/4 " to 1/3" low and you are ready to go.

I also want to applaud the guy that said he can consistently shoot SK into 1/2" at 50 unsupported. That ain't bad!

 

I also want to applaud the guy that said he can consistently shoot SK into 1/2" at 50 unsupported. That ain't bad!

 

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Tech, You mis- understood my post. I was saying to you, a job well done and I didn't say you weren't seated just that you were unsupported just like YOU said! You are an extremely fine shot and your picture proves it all! So I applaud you on consistently shooting half inch groups with SK flat nose while unsupported and as I said, a job well done! I'm not sure how I can make that any more clear!

Is that a factory 10-22 with a BX trigger and a foil bed job, That is a good one then! I have and have had several shilen and lija barreled rifles with Devcon bedding slicked up triggers set at 1 3/4" pounds ( which is too heavy for a bench gun but I find perfect for a squirrel rifle) on some of my squirrel guns and they will shoot into the 2's and the 1's So I know a little about equipment. But it wasn't the equipment I was talking about it was your ability which I think is very high. No fight here. I simply said good job and you went elsewhere, no need for that! And I am currently running five Leupold 6.5x20 EFR's on some rimfires. Been practicing for more than 50 years.

 

" You didnt say anything about scope height or if you even use one but In general that 20 yard range you have will work perfectly for sighting your mini mags. Sight them about a 1/4 " to 1/3" low and you are ready to go."


Thanks, Lerrab. I am working with a 1.5 scope height. I am guessing that 1/4-1/3 would put me pretty close to a 50 yd zero.

I have other reasons for HV. I hunt Savannah National Wildlife Refuge, which is 29,000 acres of mostly swamp. There are great stands of assorted hardwood in every stage of maturity and decomposition but most of it is in standing water. I won't shoot a squirrel in that kind of tree because it will land in the water and be gator food. I don't want to get into that water. Nasty things live in that water. Those trees would present a long shot. But there are some trees on the narrow strips of somewhat dry land around the water, and they are full of nests. Went out today and conditions were perfect, but I didn't see a squirrel. SV would work there.

However, we have a strange law on wild hogs. You can kill all you want but only with weapons/ammo allowed for that particular season. For small game that means small sized shot or rimfire only. I have not done this, but local guys use 22, especially WMR, for small pigs, which they shoot behind the ear. If I happen to get a close shot on a small stationary pig quartering away I might just try it.

 

Spider yes that will give you a very close 50 yard zero. A lot of nests and no squirrels generally means the squirrels have moved to a food source other than what they were eating earlier in the year when they built the nests. Also later in the year when there are no leaves to hide them squirrels feel more comfortable in larger trees not to mention the larger trees are also more likely to be dens. Look for their food. If there are larger trees nearby set up on them early. If the dens and food are close together, Set up between the two. Sometimes they will travel a good little ways to the food keep an eye on the food if they are getting there by another direction move to the food.

 

That is good advice. Thank you. I will do some scouting tomorrow.

 

If you don't have the opportunity to re-zero, shoot what you've already got zeroed.

 

I’d use the CCI mini mags

 

I second that👆

 

Standard or MiniMag

Stingers are ok if all your shots are head shots. Otherwise, may depend on how you clean them. If all you want to eat are the hind quarters, front meat damage isn't a concern.

 

Going squirrel hunting with my CZ457 tomorrow and, I hope, the rest of the week while I can. It has been a few years.

My old standard was Winchester Super X HP but I have none. I want to use HP and what I have are 32g Stingers and 36g Mini Mags. Both are reasonably accurate in my rifle.

Anyone have a preference for one over the other for squirrel? I have never used either on any animal.

I would go with the mini mags as i think the stingers are over kill in my opinion. You want to take head shots. The squirrel is not going to be able to tell the difference.

 

I use SK Standard Plus for squirrels and rabbit. From 20-100 yards it works great.

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The Stingers are likely going to be less accurate than the Mini-mags, based upon my personal experience with both in several guns, and from what others have written and said regarding Stingers, but there are always exceptions, so shoot both and see which is the more accurate in your gun. The Stingers are way too destructive for squirrels. Unless you can guarantee a head shot every time you won't have much left if you are planning on eating the squirrels. The Mini-mags have a good reputation for accuracy, but again, it depends on your gun and they will definitely not do as much damage to a squirrel if you hit them other than the head. Good luck with the hunt.

 

its seems a lot of emphasis is being placed on “too deadly“. that strikes me as odd. sometimes we talk about ethical kills, crawl offs, flops around for a bit, crawled in a hole to die, ear holes only, bulging eyeballs, body shots.

I think with head shots, that generally means no hollowpoint, standard velocity. Probably have to expect more missed opportunities and Instant death or less than ethical.

maybe with high velocity hollowpoint, probably have to expect generally ethical kills, at the expense of more meat damage body shots. less missed opportunities.

pick what suits “you”, I say. sometimes things are just different, no right or wrong.

in a time of less individual choice, less freedoms. I say HURRAH! for the choice of headshot, solids or body shot, hollow points.


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I have been squirrel hunting exclusively with CCI Stingers for over 20 years with great success. Only in recent years I switched to sub-sonic .22 HP's when I started squirrel hunting with a suppressed .22 rifle.