a shot gun is ok but you get all of the pellets when your are eating them i prefer to use a 22lr and shot them right in the head if you don't shot the squirrels in the head with a 22 and in the back they break apart when you clean them. i think it is funner to hunt them with 22 because you have only one bullet come out per shot instead of like 30 with a shot gun and by using a 22 with a scope it will get you intune for deer hunting because you can pick up faster and get the cross hairs and them faster