Is a pistol crossbow suitable for hunting squirrels?
 

Doesan 80# pistol crossbow have enough power for hunting squirrels and other small game? All of my shot would be within 20ft.

RE: Is a pistol crossbow suitable for hunting squirrels?
 

I would say so. I had one of those a long time ago when I was a kid and shot the neighbors cat (sorry miss Kemp) so i would think yes for small game. Nothing more though. Those dont have what it takes for larger game. They are Ok to tinker with. You must live in town to get 20 feet from a tree rat.

RE: Is a pistol crossbow suitable for hunting squirrels?
 

reckon its stout enough but it is it accurate? How about the trigger is it smooth pull 3 to 4 lbs.?

RE: Is a pistol crossbow suitable for hunting squirrels?
 

I don't know what the trigger pull is. I was thinking of bying a cheap one off of EBAY for $20

RE: Is a pistol crossbow suitable for hunting squirrels?
 

OK just sumpen to piddle with and terrorize local tree rats.:D

RE: Is a pistol crossbow suitable for hunting squirrels?
 

I don't live in a town. I want to bring it with me when I go bow-hunting. To take care of those pesky squirrels that yell at you.

RE: Is a pistol crossbow suitable for hunting squirrels?
 

:DExactly...

RE: Is a pistol crossbow suitable for hunting squirrels?
 

If you live out of town and think you can get real close then maybe, but that is a big maybe IMO. I would error on the safe side and say no though. What is your reason for doing this is what you need to ask yourself. If you live in town then I would say a big no no!! The last thing you need is a tree rat running from your yard to the neighbors yard with a ten inch dart dragging out of it's rear end. That would be bad publicity and could get you in trouble with the police or neighbors real quick. If you live in town and have a squirrel problem that you need to work on then I would get a good 100 dollar BB pellet gun and you should be able to get the job done in close range and are quiet to. Also if you did have a bad shot then you would not have a arrow dragging by the back side causing problems for you. I would say if in town, live trap, then pellet gun if you must. Out of town maybe, but why not a .22? You just need to think of a bad out come and the less evidence the better for you.

RE: Is a pistol crossbow suitable for hunting squirrels?
 

Just read all the replies that happened while I made mine, yes you could have fun with them while in stand. But the more fun you have with them while in stand the less deer you will see. They are probably real quiet and a wounded tree rat will make any deer scatter IMO.

RE: Is a pistol crossbow suitable for hunting squirrels?
 

I want something that I can bring along when deer hunting that won't spook the deer. I don't want to shoot my Carbon Express at a squirrel and losea $10 arrow.

RE: Is a pistol crossbow suitable for hunting squirrels?
 

I have played that game alot! It is fun but I save my bad arrows for this and my old or dull heads. But like I said above to much fun can cost you deer! But a good tree rat pinned to the ground is kinda fun!

RE: Is a pistol crossbow suitable for hunting squirrels?
 

I read somewhere a guy used a blow gun. Quiet and light to carry in.

RE: Is a pistol crossbow suitable for hunting squirrels?
 

Bet a slingshot with steel balls would do a good job on the tree rats and your odds of hitting them would be a lot better.

Martin

RE: Is a pistol crossbow suitable for hunting squirrels?
 

In a word, no. Squirrel hunt or deer hunt, the two don't go hand in hand. I carry a $5.75 carbon arrow w/ a $3.00 judo point to whack squirrels w/ prior to quitting deer hunting. Outta a Phoenix, I get a trashed arrow due to rocks. Results: $8.75 squirrels, ruined arrow, no deer. Personally, my thoughts are sit in your stand for deer til you've had enough, whack a squirrel just before you leave the stand, lol. Do this w/ your deer set-up, not some hokey Chinese pistol thing. You can drop a few bucks [no pun intended] on squirrel arrow set ups for what the no good Chines pistol xbow type thing will cost you. My Phoenix can hit nickels out to 30 yds, so when it comes to squirrels it's just a cost ratio type thing to me.

RE: Is a pistol crossbow suitable for hunting squirrels?
 

I have a Cobra and have yet to hit a tree rat and I have tried [:@]....

RE: Is a pistol crossbow suitable for hunting squirrels?
 

Does anybody else use a crossbow pistol for hunting? Do they work well on small game?

RE: Is a pistol crossbow suitable for hunting squirrels?
 

I've tried that, but I just can't hit anything with a slingshot.

RE: Is a pistol crossbow suitable for hunting squirrels?
 

The reason that I want to get a crossbow pistol, is so when youshoot at a squirrel, the deer wont here it. As I said also, wouldn't a crossbow bolt be much cheaper?

RE: Is a pistol crossbow suitable for hunting squirrels?
 

Did he ever get anything with it? I didn't think that a blow gun had enough power to kill anything.

RE: Is a pistol crossbow suitable for hunting squirrels?
 

The reason that I want to get a pistol crossbow is so the deer wont hear it being fired. I normaly don't shoot every squirrel that I see. Just when I'm leaving a stand.

RE: Is a pistol crossbow suitable for hunting squirrels?
 

I have a tremendous sense of humor, fair warning!! A deer can hear a twig the size of a pencil break at a 1/4 mile and a car door close at a 1/2 mile. Still wanna play ball scarecrow?? lol. Shoot em w/ your xbow as you leave stand. [IMHO]

RE: Is a pistol crossbow suitable for hunting squirrels?
 

COBRA

RE: Is a pistol crossbow suitable for hunting squirrels?
 

"poison tipped"............. blowgun darts.....

RE: Is a pistol crossbow suitable for hunting squirrels?
 

I know deerhave a very, very, very, good sense of hearing. The way that I figured is that deer can hear a .22 pistol/pellet gun, a lot farther than an x-bow.As I said before, I'm not going to shoot a squirrel every-time I go deer hunting. Just the really annoying ones:D

RE: Is a pistol crossbow suitable for hunting squirrels?
 

I have had too many deer sneak up on me while in stand to risk any unneccessary noise. I have looked down on more than one occassion to spot a deer that slipped in on me without my hearing it. That happens even when the leaves are like corn flakes so I really like to keep things quiet and still even when I "know" there is nothing around.
Time in a deer stand is to rare and valuable to waste or risk spooking sumpin I might want to shoot.
Plus I would not eat squirrel on a bet and just don't bother popping them "MUCH" anymore. I will say it is far easier to drag a squirrelout of the woods but thats not what I'm there for.
I do carry a judo though just in case I have a weak moment and will gladly send a fresh broadhead in the direction of a yote. I might change the judo out for a blunt this year for the stray/wild dogs. They haunted me last season a bit so I'm thinking a blunt to the hams might be fun and send them on their way without risking killing someones pet.

RE: Is a pistol crossbow suitable for hunting squirrels?
 

How do you think shooting a dog that could be someones pet in the "hams" could be fun? What type of hunter are you? How can you find it "fun" to wound a dog, and hope it lives, "without risking killing someones pet." Most likely it would run away and die a slow death.

RE: Is a pistol crossbow suitable for hunting squirrels?
 

I'm the kind of hunter that thinks a wild dog deserves the same fate as a yotebutI am willing not to slip a broadhead thru his lungs in the off chance he is someones pet. Better that the dog makes it home with a bruised A$$ than not make it home at all.
Don't worry young fella. A rubber blunt in the butt is not gonna killem although it's gonna send him on his way fast.
Have you ever seena pack of "pets" on the trail of deer?? I have and they can do as much harm as any yote.
I think without being certain that you can legally shoot a dog worrying the deer in some states although thats not my game and I like dogs. I just make sureI keep mineunder control.
PS.. 13 posts and you want to shoot squirrels with a toy. You should wait a bit before you question my ethics.

RE: Is a pistol crossbow suitable for hunting squirrels?
 

"13 posts and you want to shoot squirrels with a toy"
How do you think an 80# Crossbow is a toy?Most hunters hunt deer with 70# bows!
Also, I may have only 13 post, but I have more ethics than you will ever
have.:D Anyone has more ethics than you! Someone that thinks wounding a dog is "fun" [:@]should have is hunting license taken away! How do you know that shooting it the "rump" wont kill it. You don't know.You give bow hunters a bad reputation...

RE: Is a pistol crossbow suitable for hunting squirrels?
 

Check your regs. It wouldn't be legal in my neck of the woods. Squirrels here in Texas are considered a game animal. We have a 25" minimum overall crossbow stock length and 125 lb minimum draw weight for hunting all game animals.

Now, rabbits on the other hand... ;)

Oh, by the way, there is a helluva lot of difference in power between a 70 lb bow and an 80 lb crossbow. Because of the short power stroke, you have to divide the crossbow's poundage by 3 to get the rough equivalent of power you get from a bow. That 80 lb crossbow pistol has about as much oomph as a 27 lb recurve - and even that is probably way too generous an estimate. Not quite a 'toy' but definitely not a real hunting weapon either.

RE: Is a pistol crossbow suitable for hunting squirrels?
 

do not use one of those ebay crossbows for hunting anything! My friend bought one for plinking and it is a joke. Just a toy.

RE: Is a pistol crossbow suitable for hunting squirrels?
 

your right...

here in wisconsin its 100lb min. draw and an arrow/bolt length of 14"

I believe theres a stock length for one used forhunting "fur bearing animals" also but it doesnt state in in the small game regulation pamplet, which is all I could find right now


Iwouldnt put the effort into carring one into the woods just to shoot squirrels, I think you'd do alot more lobbing arrows through the air than actually hitting anything with one unless it got extremely close

rigging up the arrows with a broadhead capable of taking game probably wouldnt be worth the effort and wouldprobably kill any kind of flight it had anyway

RE: Is a pistol crossbow suitable for hunting squirrels?
 

Geez... I feel like the bus has been driven over me by a kid. My underwear are older than he is .. LOL It's like chatting with my own 15 year old boy.Full of piss and vineger but not much accrued knowledge.

RE: Is a pistol crossbow suitable for hunting squirrels?
 

ALL Aboard! Two trains going south!! All Aboard! LOL!!

John, AKA planter is a good hunter and has great ethics, that is why he wants to use a rubber tip point. It is the same one the high fence farms use to make there deer commercials with and the deer survive just fine. Wild dogs are a big problem in some areas and bouncing a rubber tipped arrow off its butt is alot better then some guys that shoot them on site regardless if its a pet or not. Over the Internet it is easy to get hot and say alot of debatable things. Just choose your reactions carefully when posting, burning bridges too soon can make getting help later harder.

The only thing that I have seen posted so far that will not ruin your deer hunt with noise is a blow gun. I don't think it will take a squirrel down without poison tips, and they are illegal in most states that I know of. That 80# pistol is going to be inaccurate with the short arrows and stroke. It is going to be noisy, it will not be quite enough to shoot and a deer not hear it. Also when you run out of darts where are you going to get more, Ebay? I doubt your average local shop has those darts in stock. If your tree rats are a problem and you want to be a deer hunter then wait until the end of a morning hunt and use a old arrow and take care of the problem that way. If you want to kill tree rats and do not care much about deer hunting then buy the pistol CB and have fun.

RE: Is a pistol crossbow suitable for hunting squirrels?
 

I have shot one. You are better off throwing rocks. Seriously.

RE: Is a pistol crossbow suitable for hunting squirrels?
 

That what you say when your WRONG!!!!! :DAsk any hunter if shooting a dog in the "rump" is an ethical shot. [:@]

RE: Is a pistol crossbow suitable for hunting squirrels?
 

Now if we could combine all our hot air then we could probably zip a blow gun dart right thru a deer.
Jason?? you got any poison arrow frogs handy? I read that some kids are buying them at pet stores and licking them for some sort of high. Personally, I'm not licking any frog.

RE: Is a pistol crossbow suitable for hunting squirrels?
 

Kids licking frogs to get high? Just when you think you heard it all!!

RE: Is a pistol crossbow suitable for hunting squirrels?
 

???

RE: Is a pistol crossbow suitable for hunting squirrels?
 

Thanks for editing your post.

RE: Is a pistol crossbow suitable for hunting squirrels?
 

Don't let that kid's insults and "judgements" get to you. He as obviously very immature, as well as ignorant when it comes to hunting, equiptment, & ethics.

He's probably bored and doesn't have anything better to do in life than set at home and harrass people online with his parents computer, while they are a work.

Obviousely he's not too bright either;he hasn't listened to any of our answers to his original question.He just wants to argue.

Shouldn't he be in school today anyway ???