I have the Marlin 917 with the heavy varmint barrel. These guns are a blast to shoot, no recoil, and extremely accurate. I would say they may be a bit of overkill for squirrel, if yoou plan to eat them, but will do the job. It also might be a bit light for coyotes. It is a great plinking round. great rifle/round to have around the house for general varmint shooting, etc.