What caliber for squirrels? (SERIOUS!)

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Aguila Blanca

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Earlier this year I had a raccoon trash an attic vent louver and take up residence in my attic. I brought in a professional pest control guy to remove the raccoon and the babies, but for one reason after another, I never quite got around to replacing the screen said racoon tore open. I also forgot that I live in a 'burb with a full complement of tree rodents.

It appears that some have now taken up residence in the attic, no doubt using the same entry the raccoon so conveniently opened up. I will try trapping it/them, but I may also try sniping the point of entry. But ... I live in a neighborhood where houses are close enough together that it is illegal for me to discharge a firearm anywhere on my property. I probably could get away with subsonics out of a .22 carbine, but I prefer not to risk being seen and arrested. But it isn't illegal to use a BB gun in the yard. So --

How much BB gun do I need to snipe squirrels? The old Daisy I had as a teen disappeared many years ago. I have a CO2-powered Daisy BB pistol, complete with a Daisy red-dot holo sight -- but I question both the accuracy and power level of it. I'm looking to buy a BB rifle, but money is tight. I want enough "gun" to do the job, but I don't want to spend more than necessary. Wal-Mart has a few in the $40 to $60 range that claim velocities around 750 fps. Is that enough? Or do I go mail order and look for something in the 1000 fps range? Do all BB guns come with rifled barrels, or only the up-scale models? Many of the "specifications" don't mention it -- is it safe to assume if it doesn't say "rifled barrel" it doesn't have one? If the likely distance will be 10 to 15 yards, is a rifled barrel all that important?

Thanks for any advice.
 
Ive shot them with a .177 and it works fine. Velocity would have to be atleast 800fps I would say, maybe a 700 if you shoot them right in the head. I would go with a break barrlel Gamo or a Sheridan. Pretty accurate.
 
A Daisy Red Rider will not reliably kill small red squirrels.

If you have the larger (and more common) brown or gray squirrels you'd be lucky to get a kill once in a blue moon.

If you want to reliably (ethically) kill squirrels with an air rifle you have to go up the power scale and buy a real air rifle.

A CO2 pistol/rifle would work if you use pellets.

/You could get those quiet (subsonic?) .22's or .22 shorts, but you'd best be careful if your going to use them in your attic.
 
.22 snake shot works well, loaned my snubby and the snake cartridges to my friend and he said it worked quite well out in his shed. He did mention he had a little trouble keeping the tree rats in his sights once they figured out what the little black thing in his hand was doing...:rolleyes:
And IIRC, his said the shot never penetrated the shed walls.
 
My freind took out a red squirrel that had been causing damage to his shed with a Daisy Red Ryder (you'll shoot your eye out kid!) from Wallyworld from probably 50 feet away or so. first shot took him down but didn't kill him. Needed a follow-up shot. If you plan on using it for more than squirrel control, get a nice Gamo or something, but if your only concern is the pests in your attic, don't waste more money than you need to - get the cheapest thing you can find within reason.
 
In the attic I would use .410 bird shot (#6-8) out of a very short barrel. But I have a thick roof. Check your roofing material first, it will likely not penetrate.

In the yard, if I understand your description it does not sound like you have any good options. A high powered air rifle can pack just as much punch or more than a .22 short. The .410 might work in the yard also if you were legally allowed to shoot. Keep in mind that you will have to be in close for a clean kill.
 
Place galvanized steel screen mess on the inside of the attic window and use a steel raccoon/squirrel trap baited with peanut butter/honey to catch them. Remember to relocate a raccoon at least 5 miles from where you trapped it. Where I live raccoon relocation is frowned upon and maybe illegal. I take 'em to a far away secluded area and send them to raccoon hell, :evil: with the help of a .22 round in the head. Or, you could go to LOWE'S and buy, GETAWAY in a spray bottle. It's suppose to repel raccoons and squirrels. Try here: www.havahart.com.
 
.410,we can only shoot grey squirrels.What red squirrels we have are protected,they are being wiped out by the greys.
 
My family had rodent problems a few years back I used a crosman 1077 pellet rifle to great results. It's one of those repeater deals that runs off of CO2. Never had a problem with less than cleans kills if we did our part and used conical game pellets. If I recall correctly I think I bought mine from Walmart for somewhere in the neighborhood of 70 dollars. I figure it would save you the trouble and risk of using a firearm.
 
There may be a hunting season for gray squirrels. They are a game animal where I live. If so you could have a problem if a wounded one gets away.

When several red squirrels moved into an attic area a local exterminator gave me a can of poisoned peanuts. The poison caused the squirrels to leave after they ate it. It worked well and I didn't have to find and dispose of the carcases.

A real .177 air rifle with velocity of at least 750fps works well for head or upper chest shots out to about 20yds. Gamo is reputed to be a good brand and reasonably priced.

I had the best luck with flat head match pellets. The pellets won't penetrate outer walls but they are still potentially lethal if they go out an open window. If you are trying to shoot them in your attic, head shots bleed quite a bit. Chest shots don't bleed much.

If I were in your situation (I was actually) I would call an exterminator and fix the entry point after he has done his work.
 
My apologies, I should have more clear. First, the squirrels we have are grey squirrels. Second, I do not plan to shoot in the attic. I can't see into the nest, anyway, as it's under the attic floor, in the joist space. The entry is a vent where the main house roof is a couple of feet higher than the garage roof. My sniping plan is to try to be outside in the morning when it/they depart to search for breakfast.

Which means I will be outdoors, where the noise of a firearm might be heard, and where neighbors might see me. Since it is illegal to discharge a firearm, I will not do so. That's why I need a BB gun -- they're still legal, despite being as lethal as a small caliber firearm.

I'll be shooting from the driveway, on an angle up to the peak of the roof. That's why the distance will be 10 to 15 yards. So I guess we're saying that I need something that'll produce on the order of 1000 fps? I think that eliminates all (or most) of the Wally World offerings.
 
For in-town use, a spring-piston .22 caliber air rifle is as quiet and powerful as it gets.
Flat-point .22 pellets knock them on their azz, DRT.

The .177 air-rifle will kill them, but not usually as quick, and unless you can make head shots, they will often run off and die somewhere else. (Evidence!)

CO-2 and pump-up air rifles make as much noise as a .22 rifle with shorts, but are safer then a .22 of course.

Another option is a .22 rifle with Aguila Colibri CB caps.
They are also pretty quiet in a 24" barrel, but you have the stigma of firing an actual firearm in the city.

You won't get in quite as much trouble most places if you get caught shooting an air rifle in town.

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I can reliably dispose of tree rats with my .177cal 10gr pellets leaving the muzzel at 870fps (18fpe). The Brit airgunners are generally limited to 12fpe muzzel energy for non-FAC guns, and I know many of them regularly chase squirrels, so basically you need a gun that can deliver a .177 pellet on target (head or chest) and you'll get the job done.

I would tend to avoid real BB's as these are inaccurate, slower moving and often don't penetrate as well.
 
CCI 22 at 710 fps will penetrate one inch of hard,solid wood so be careful when using those. Deadly on the tree rat. I shot 70 so far within a 19 month period but who's counting. In the darn neighbors would stop birdfeeding the these squirrels be the gazillions there wouldn't be a problem with them.
 
As a farm girl I can say your choices are either a box trap or poison.
Click to expand...

The problem with poison is when they crawl back into the attic flooring before expiring.
 
If you're neighborhood is that tight about firearms, I would suggest a) repairing the vent, and b) taking a hike through your attic with some snakeshot.

I have found 9mm Snake to be fine for the rodents in my neighborhood, and in the confines of the attic the noise is negligible. You'll have a mess to clean up, but consider that your amends for not fixing the vent.
 
Use DECON rodent control bait up in the attic,they will run for water and die outside the house problem solved,as long as no household pets can consume it.
 
Aquila makes a .22 that is primer only powered (don't remember the name of it). Has a report similar to a pellet rifle. Take head shots and save the meat.
Fried squirrel, gravy and biscuits!
 
i would reccomend getting some .22 rat/snake shot. Out of my 10/22 it sounds no louder than an air rifle, its also not a really powerful load, but it will kill squirrels dead if you can get close enough to em.
 
Where I live raccoon relocation is frowned upon and maybe illegal. I take 'em to a far away secluded area and send them to raccoon hell, with the help of a .22 round in the head.
Click to expand...

+1: Death to raccoons! Evil varmints. I relocate them about three feet below soil level.
 
When they leave in the morning, tack a ball or two of coarse steel wool into the vent opening before you cover it with the metal screening. Be sure also to check for any other holes or openings that the squirrels might enlarge once they get over their hissy fit. Jam coarse steel wool into those openings too.
 
If you want to see a good show put a good mouse cat up there. It is the natural way.
 
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