The Best .22 Sporter Rifles For Hunting Squirrels

[br549arkie]

If you want to eat them my preference is a a .22 and head shots only. If you don't mind broken bones and picking lead pellets out of the meat as you eat then a shotgun is OK I guess. I'd rather take 3 or 4 with head shots with a .22 than 7 or 8 with a shotgun.

 

[Legionnaire]

CZ 452 American. 16-inch threaded barrel.

 

[Barbaroja]

"If you want to have the most fun hunting squirrels, hunt them with a .22 (my rifle at the time was a Winchester Model 67 having the original factory open sights). But if you're really hungry and want squirrel stew for supper, hunt them with a shotgun".

Spot on advice

 

[I6turbo]

Those CZ 452 Military Trainer's are a great rifle. Do they still make those?

452's have been out of production several years.

That's too bad. I have a CZ 452 Scout that I bought some years ago for my wife and it fits her perfectly. Any of the 452's sure were nice.

All of the 452s are pretty easy to find used, and most of the ones you'll come across are in great, if not like-new condition. People who bought them tended to really like them, so they took care of them. Also, lots of people who bought one ended up with several models, so a lot of the individual guns didn't see much use. They tend to be pretty scarce in most LGS, but at any given time there will likely be about 20 or so on GB. The Military Trainer with its Beech stock is typically the most affordable model these days, but there's often not a ton of difference in the pricing of the various models unless the individual gun has some great wood. Great wood (attractive grain figure) on the walnut-stocked models can bump the price to 2x or even 3x the price of the same gun with mediocre wood. The Full Stock model is also subject to bringing more money than most of the others.

CZ offers the 457s now, which are also very good guns, but a lot more modular and mainstream in style and finish than the 452s, and there's already a lot of aftermarket support for the 457s even though they were only launched a few short years ago. The 452s were still built very much like the original BRNO guns from as far back as the 1950s. I'm a 452 guy, but I also appreciate the 455s (very similar to the 452) and the 457s.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Used 452's also seem to bring a premium price.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

If you want to eat them my preference is a a .22 and head shots only. If you don't mind broken bones and picking lead pellets out of the meat as you eat then a shotgun is OK I guess. I'd rather take 3 or 4 with head shots with a .22 than 7 or 8 with a shotgun.

They'd be steel, tungsten, or bismuth pellets now....yum!

 

[Barbaroja]

I post this PSA in every squirrel thread:
If hunting squirrels with a shotgun, use #4 or #5 shot. It has the energy to pass clean through or it is caught by the hide on the far side of the animal. Any #6 and smaller will have you spitting pellets at dinner.

 

[chicharrones]

Since I don't eat 'em, I don't kill 'em, but if I were going to hunt squirrel again . . .

Same here. I haven't shot squirrel in 20+ years since I became a suburbanite trapped in by urban sprawl. The squirrels just chase each other in the trees and dodge the red-tailed hawks as needed. And the family pooch likes bursting after them every chance she gets.

Back in the day (1990s) my all purpose .22 and squirrel rifle was my Marlin 39AS. If I had to do it again with what I have now, probably my CZ452 Trainer, but add a 2-7x scope to it. My CZ easily outshoots my Marlin.

 

[d2wing]

Due to new construction and more neighbors. I started using live trap to thin out the squirrels. I wouldn't mind them but they are damaging my buildings.

 

[d2wing]

CZ 452's have been discontinued for years. They were replaced by the 455. The newest model is the 457. I have shot a couple and like them.

 

[SwampWolf]

How do you like the Styer? I shot one and it was very accurate. But the bolt was so stiff I didn't like it.

It's plenty accurate (at least for 50 yard head shots on squirrels) and the bolt on mine runs smoothly. I'm not fond of the Mauser-type "swing over" safety; too much movement and time to go from safe to fire when hunting alert foxtails. But I find the little Steyr pretty enough to keep around no matter its perceived flaws.

 

[Peakbagger46]

Not for squirrels (rabbits and grouse), my Christensen Ranger is accurate, great trigger, and oh so light for steep hikes. Bipod was for ammo testing only, I rock her plain for field shooting.

 

[12Bravo20]

I have been hunting small game with a 410 since I was old enough to shoot a shotgun and still use 410s to this day. Yes you still get a few pleats in them but it isn't as bad as using a 20 or 12 gauge.

 

[SwampWolf]

I thought I would try this Hatsun95 .22 pellet rifle on Squirrels, but I haven't done it yet...I have to be in the right mood to want to clean them. My Mrs is never in the right mood to cook them.......

I have to ask my 87 yo mother to fry them and make gravy. my 89 yo dad loves squirrel and biscuits and gravy...so I try to get a few to them in the fall.

Regarding shooting an air gun having a scope, especially a spring-operated one, you might find it interesting as to how wrong one of my favorite gun writers (James Tarr) was when he submitted a test report on the Winchester "Wildcat SR" .22 rifle in a recent issue of Firearms News. Mr. Tarr warned, "...If you decide to throw a scope on this rifle, just be aware that there are .22-specific scopes for a reason. It doesn't seem to make sense, but .22s have different recoil impulses, and building a scope to take the abuse of heavy-recoiling Magnum caliber doesn't mean it handles the odd recoil impulse of a .22 Long Rifle, or vice versa". I think ".22-specific scopes" are ones calibrated with a fifty yard parallax to accommodate typical .22 rifle shooting distances. The "odd recoil impulse" Mr. Tarr references is the sole province of air guns.

Here's a simple recipe for cooking young squirrels we've used for decades:

One squirrel per person, shortening, flour and salt and pepper.
Clean the squirrel (still hate this onerous procedure) and cut it into pieces for frying. Rub with salt and pepper, dredge in flour and place the pieces one layer deep in a heavy skillet, in which you have placed shortening approximately one-fourth inch deep. Cook slowly over a medium fire until the meat is brown, then turn and brown the other side and remove from the skillet. To make gravy, place a heaping tablespoon of flour in the residue in the skillet and stir until it browns. Add milk and cook until the desired thickness is reached, then salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with fluffy steamed rice, a green vegetable and hot biscuits.

Much like older humans, older squirrels are tougher (and wiser) but we have several recipes we use to make the old-timers more tender.

 

[Bcwitt]

Marlin 880. Best firearm purchase ive ever made.(circa 1996(

 

[Jeff olson]

Haven't shot at a squirrel in over 25 years. When I did, it was my golden 39A and my 48-4. If I am ever forced to harvest rats again it will be my 69A. Plenty light, easy head shots, and not too afraid of scratches.

 

[Howland937]

IF I were to go squirrel hunting, I would surely be using my old TC 22 Classic with 4x Nikon ProStaff. It hasn't shot a squirrel in several years, but I couldn't remotely guess how many head shots I'd put on squirrels with it out to 75or so yards.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Not for squirrels (rabbits and grouse), my Christensen Ranger is accurate, great trigger, and oh so light for steep hikes. Bipod was for ammo testing only, I rock her plain for field shooting.

View attachment 1146392

Nice!
Um, chambered in 44 Special?

 

[red rick]

I use a Marlin 60 with a Leupold 2x7-28 rimfire scope and sometimes a Ruger 10-22 Sporter with a Weaver 3x9-32 ao rimfire scope . I have a 452 American that has been sitting in the safe for about 10 years unfired . I have been trying to figure out what I want to do with it , hunt or 100 yard target shooting . One of my nephews will probably get it unfired one day . I had the privilege to shoot a guys model 52 one day . He had an aperture sight on it and just had bought it used about 9 years ago . It was the most accurate .22 that I have ever shot . I made one hole at 50yards with 5 shots the first and only time that I shot it .

 

[Fooey]

I first started hunting squirrels when I was a youngster back in the late fifties and I recall my grandfather's advice back then: "If you want to have the most fun hunting squirrels, hunt them with a .22 (my rifle at the time was a Winchester Model 67 having the original factory open sights). But if you're really hungry and want squirrel stew for supper, hunt them with a shotgun".

Over the many years since, I came to prefer hunting bushy tails with a rifle (and sometimes even with a .22 pistol when I wasn't that hungry ) because for me, rifles are much more fun than hunting them with a shotgun is. Here are the four .22 sporters that I've come to like the most over the last several decades:
My Marlin Model 39 lever-action having a Williams "5D" aperture sight.
A Steyr Männlicher "Zephyer" bolt-action with a Bushnell "Banner" 4x scope.
A Ruger 10-22 "International" (a Talo configured Mannlicher) .22 auto having a Williams peep sight.
And my Remington Model 504 bolt-action with a Nikon "Prostaff" 4x scope.

I wish I could list a Winchester Model 52 Sporter as one I have but they're way too pricy for me and very hard to find anymore. So anyone else care to report what their favorite squirrel hunting .22 rifles and sights are?

Remington 514 single shot. I got it for my birthday 53 yrs ago next month. I still got it!

 

[d2wing]

I might get to plinck one or two if I am sneaky enough with my HW30 22 pellet gun or my Hatsan 95.

 

[Picher]

This is my favorite squirrel/ rabbit hunting gun.
View attachment 1146192Savage 24 in .22lr/.410

I had one and loved it, but hated the factory iron sights.

I can't remember that far back, but may have traded my Savage 24 for a Marlin 39A, which was employed by my girlfriend (when I was in college) and her brother to warn-off a drunk trying to get into their house by mistake. He lived a few houses away in a similar-type house. It took him a bit before he got the message, but finally left. If he'd broken the door-in, he'd have been met by a bunch of rounds.

 

[BreechFace]

Hard to argue against a CZ for 22LR. My 452 cut down to 16.25" and threaded with a suppressor is a handy package.

The Bergara BMR Carbon 22 are a great option as well for keeping things light and handy.

As far as semi-autos Ruger 10/22 Sporter (no barrel band, free floated) would be a good choice.

Pistols for me it would be a Ruger MKIV slabside hunter.

 

[jmr40]

No wrong answer. Whatever floats your boat.

My most accurate 22 is my Tikka T1x and it often goes with me. But I also have 2 Ruger 10/22 VTR's that are close. Over the years I've used several including Marlin and Winchester lever guns as well as the iconic Marlin 60.

I like them all, but most of the time I carry a shotgun. Shooting up into trees with a 22 can be tricky. If I miss the tree trunk the bullet will come down somewhere, so I have to choose shots carefully and pass up a lot with a rifle.

The VTR's are not common. If you can find one, I highly recommend them. They have a mid-weight target barrel and chamber along with the Ruger BX trigger. My trigger is 2 1/2 lbs out of the box and they are much more accurate than the standard carbines with the barrel band. I've had one for a few years and when they made another run decided to get a 2nd one. I paid $385 for the last one. Adding the BX trigger to an existing rifle is right at $100 now so that price isn't bad.

Ruger® 10/22® Sporter Autoloading Rifle Model 31166

 

[Tentwing]

The …”Best”… 22lr for squirrel hunting ……… Hmmmm probably lies at the intersection of “the one you enjoy shooting the most”…… and “ consistently accurate with” …… like many earlier posters have said just use the one you have the most fun with ……….
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