Small Game, Predator and TrappingFrom shooting squirrels in your backyard to calling coyotes in Arizona. This forum now contains trapping information..
I would think yes, but most will be head shots? If so it really shouldn't matter. The fact that you're shooting UP into trees and stray bullets might be just as big a consideration. I know the boring old .22LR with "weak" subsonics is more than enough and cheap enough to shoot all day long every day. (not that the 17 is expensive)
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Anything I say is my opinion, just that...and only that.
"...and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God?
.17 HMR is a great round for ground squirrels, rabbits, gophers, and the like. Now for gray and tree squirrels around here, I just take my turkey gun, and hit it with a 2 3/4 round. No stray bullets, no worries. Unless you are planning to eat the tree squirrels, I wouldn't advise shooting up in trees with a .17 or a .22. That is not a sensible move for any gun owner. If you plan to shoot up in trees, get a BB gun w/ Co2 or a pellet gun.
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I am reminded everyday that life is too precious by my best friend, Lt. Ken Ballard, who lost his life while serving in Iraq. He fought for our freedom, to do what we do, and how we do it. Hunt till you drop!
if u plan on eating them shoot the 17gr hollow points or the 30 gr softpoint. if you want to see carnage shoot eh polymer tip 17gr cause they will blow them right apart.
Shot placement is the key to that game. I've been using my .17HMR to shoot squirrels for a while now. I like to keep my shots to the head/neck area or go center of mass. Head and neck shots are preferable, but if the only shot I get is the middle of the body, I'll cut 'em in half. All I ever eat is legs anyway. I never cook the whole thing. Body shots do tend to get messy though.
The reason I like using the v-max loads for squirrels is because of the tendency of the round to shatter like glass on a hit. There will be no errant bullets or ricochet's as long as you choose your shots, and always have another tree or large limb in your background. The .22LR is the traditional choice for squirrel, but I like having the confidence of being able to hit them at 150 yards.
I guess it needs to be said also, I usually hunt squirrels with my .17HMR like I would hunt deer. Out of a treestand, where 95% of my shots are at grey squirrels on the ground. As far as shooting into the trees goes. But, like I said, you can't do it everytime, but just make sure that there is something behind the squirrel that will "soak" up a miss.
Linked pictures. Second one might be a tad graphic for some. You were warned. The second squirrel was running right to left, quartering away. The bullet entered just behind the front left leg and exited through the bottom jaw.
i have the exact same gun as J. Plate .. a newengland single shot.. i've shot many squirrel with it.. a verry reliable gun IMO..when in trees i take most shots when the squirrel is on the side of the tree or a branch that way when the bullet goes through the squirrel it smashes in the tree.. i'd pick my single shot 17hmr over any 22 long semi auto any day!!
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The one cure for everyday stress- HUNTING-
I was looking for something big to put on it without making a huge dent in my wallet. Found these scopes in the Sportsmans Guide @ around $59.99
I realize that you get what you pay for, and usually live and die by that phrase as far as my equipment goes. Everyone I talked to before I bought it pretty much said the same thing. They're not the greatest scopes in the world. It's a production line scope. But everyone I talked to was also trying to put these scopes on very large rifles that had considerably more recoil than the .17, which, if you've shot one you know, has almost nothing in the recoil department. I think that's why some people have had problems with them. Heavy recoiling firearms are hell on scopes, especially production line models.
I've personally been really impressed by that scope. I was breaking clay pigeons out past 150 yards off the bench the day I sighted it in, with no change in POI from 4x to 16x. I'm quite happy with it.
i've always used .22's and have had no problem. i use hollowpoints out of mine and in my opinion they do maximum damage with the least amount of meat loss. no matter where you hit them. like someone mentioned, head and neck shots are preferable but when only the body is present or it is scrambling then i will take that shot. i have never had a problem with the hollow points, they've always taken them right down. and i dont think i'd be worried to much about stray bullets. a .22 will on average go at most a mile and thats in an open area. add some woods and i doubt it will go far. be sure your not firing towards towns though just to be safe. if this is just backyard plinking were talking about then i'd invest in a good airgun that shoots pellets. .177 should suffice with an fps upwards of 650.
good luck and good huntin'
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Work is for people who don't know how to hunt!
i'm with coyotestalker, i use a pellet gun that shoots 1000fps. it works fine and you dont have to worry about having a safe backdrop. any gun wit proper placement will do fine.
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"in the words of my favorite guitarist, kill em and grill em" -ted nugent_
.17 HMR Squirrels?
