kampmanfan4life

My dad has a Remington 552 Speedmaster which I am thinking of using to try to squirrel hunt her in Wisconsin. I am going to buy a Tasco Pronghorn or Simmons .22 mag scope for it as the current one must be broken as I can't see a thing out of it.

Anyway which round is best for squirrels .22 .22 LR or .22 mag. I believe the Speedmaster can shoot all of them.

Also can anyone explain the tube magazine on the Speedmaster I never saw anything like it until I started looking at the rifle. Seems like it could hold a lot of rounds. How does it work exactly?

I noticed the season is about 5 months during the winter. What do you guys wear when going? Any camo, orange or just some long johns and jeans? Do you just trudge through the snow or sit down in a spot for awhile?

I will be hunting around Green Bay and also around Lakewood in Oconto county Wisconsin. Anyone know of any spots to hunt around that area?

How many squirrels are needed to have a meal/snack?

Thanks for the answers/tips guys!

Tundra10

tip - DON'T try to shoot a 22mag out of that rifle.

cammogunner

well 4 squrells make about a meal if you have a salad on the side..when i hunt'em i dont really wear cammo maybe a cammo jacket.just wear natural colors brown grey black.ect as for the long jons YES MOST DEFFINTLEY WEAR THEM.there are 2 great way to shoot squirell 1.still hunting.walk a few steps wiat 20-30 seconds.i find this a productive method on a nice day with the sun out.2.siting in one spot witch is also a good method as long as you sure there are squirell in the area cause if they arent your just gonna waste your time..hope this helps..ps DONT SHOOT MAGS OUT OF THAT RIFLE

Big Uncle

There may be some confusion about the ammunition. Your rifle can fire 22 Short, Long, or Long Rifle (LR) in your Speedmaster. The "magnum" label is usually associated with a different cartridge - the 22 WMR (Winchester Magnum Rimfire) which will not fit into your rifle.

CCI manufactures a 22LR round that is named the "Mini Mag" which is safe to fire in your rifle. The Mini Mag is just a trade name and the round is a LR that is nearly identical to the Winchester brand Super X. Both are high velocity 22 LR rounds that are very good for your purpose. Most fellows like high velocity ammunition for their squirrel hunting as it hits a bit harder than standard velocity ammunition, others like the standard velocity ammunition as it does not break the sound barrier and give that sharp crack sound when fired. The high velocity ammunition is usually favored by shooters of semi-automatics like yours.

22 rifles are funny things. Some will shoot well with one type of ammo while an identical rifle will not. Try different brands of LR if you can and see which one shoots the best in your Speedmaster. There is currently a shortage of 22 ammunition due to people hoarding it, but if you look around you can probably find a couple of boxes of different brands to try.

Find a likely spot and sit quietly. I don't think it matters much to the squirrels what clothes you wear, but they have good hearing and can spot movement very well.

I figure on about one squirrel per person - with biscuits, mashed potatoes, and squirrel gravy for a fine meal.

Murdy

I generally find sitting still more productive, but if you are going to stalk them, stalk into the sun and look up early in the season when there are still leaves on the trees and mast crops up there for them to eat. If they move, they will highlight themselves against the sun. Stay in tree shadows yourself for concealment and also to keep the sun out of your eyes. Later, when the leaves are down and there's nothing for them to eat up there, stalk with the sun to your back, and watch the ground and low trees.

The "cover" of the tube mag is really a long hollow rod with a spring inside it. Push in and twist it to line up a small peg with an opening so you can pull it out. Remove it, then drop rounds down the tube, nose end up, and replace the "cover." Many rifles have a hole in the side of the tube to feed rounds through so you don't have to remove the rod all the way.

I tend to wear a camo jacket and jeans, and I'd figure 1-2 squirrels per person.

Some good info on where to hunt:

http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/lands/

Also, a lot of Wisconsin counties in the north part of the state manage land that is open to hunting. There are websites that show county land:

http://www.wisconsincountyforests.com/

http://bcpl.wisconsin.gov/subcategor...1439&locid=145

Also, check the WDNR website for private land enrolled in various tax-exemption programs that is open to hunting.

Good Luck.

alleyyooper

Take the lens caps off the scope to be able to see thru it.
My Ruger 77 wears a regular 3x9 rifle scope a luppy varXII. I use Federal Medal round 22LR 39gr. hollow points.

I tend to find a nice tree to sit down by with the sun off to one side or behind me. I will shoot a couple then move on a couple hundred yards into the woods and sit again. Some times I will rub a couple quarter edges together to call them into action quicker.

I dress for the weather, a day in Oct can get pretty hot so a light jacket over a T shirt and jeans work well.

Later in the season when it gets cold I wear the same stuff I wear during deer season.
No they don't just eat nuts and buds. Like people they need calcium.









Check uncle yaks you tube on skinning suggestions.

Al

kampmanfan4life

Thanks everyone. After I posted I remembered it was short, long and LR.

Tomorrow I will probably pick up a scope from Fleet Farm.

I am guessing since it won't be too hot I would put them in bag and skin them after when I get home? Shouldnt have to worry about meat in that cold correct?

I wish it was hunting season!

awshucks

I'm trying something different this season. I once shot over 70+ reds w/ a muzzle loader, but these greys are a trip! Here ya go:

Murdy

"I am guessing since it won't be too hot I would put them in bag and skin them after when I get home? Shouldnt have to worry about meat in that cold correct?"


That would be fine, however, they can be a bit of challenge to skin, and the sooner you do it, the easier it is.

Erno86

You might want to try an air rifle scope for your rimfire squirrel hunting needs, because most can be parallax adjustable down to 10 yards. I like to zero my Kimber Classic rimfire bolt gun, that is fitted with a 4-12X Simmons air rifle scope at 50 yards. Now...to shoot a squirrel at 5 or 10 yards, you'll have to aim approx. 3/4" above the squirrels head, because the scope is mounted higher above the bore.

I like to squirrel hunt --- when I'm not using a shotgun --- with 22 long rifle, Fiocchi subsonic hollow points, because the muzzle's report spooks the squirrels less.

I like to wear camo clothing with a blaze orange vest, Gore Tex snake boots, eye protection and a set of camo Howard Leight amplified hearing protection muffs; which amplifies sound around 125%. Get a good set of pruning shears or game scissors, so as to make it easier to cut off the head, tails, aitch bone an feet of the squirrel.

Don't forget gallon sized zip-lock freezer plastic freezer bags, so you can stuff the freshly killed, skinned and gutted squirrels in them. Have a cooler back in your vehicle, so you can keep the squirrels on ice.