New squirrel rifle - what caliber?

[Pistol_Pete]

If I were to buy a new squirrel rifle , what caliber would be best?  At first I automatically decided on .22LR, but maybe I should embrace the twentieth century and look at a .17HMR or a.22 rim-fire magnum.  Do either of those calibers have a real advantage over .22LR for squirrels?  I can see some down-side to the newer rim fires, like they cost more to feed and the rifle selection is smaller than for a good old .22, but is there an up-side that would outweigh those disadvantages?

[SQUACKS]

for tree squirrels, i would stay with a .22 or a .17 hm2.

 the .22 ammo may be some cheaper depending on what you want to use but the .17 hm2 is a true 100 yard gun if you could use such a thing. almost no shots in the timber are not going to be 100 yards But the little bullet does shoot real flat.

 i own a .17 hmr and it was designed more as a varmint bullet. If you stick to head shooting it works fine. An angled body shot will knock a hole in a squirrel that you can read a newspaper through. That will ruin meat and make them tough to skin.

 I know a whole lot of folks who use the .22 and the .17 hm2. Which will best suit you will depend on the type of timber and terrain you hunt.

I prefer a .22 mag and solids over my .17 hmr in the timber.

                                                                  luck!

 

[mcwoodduck]

+1
Tree rats - 22LR
If I were to have to get a new one.  I would look at a Cz 452 American or American 16" and use a standard velocity 38 or 40 grain bullet.  the hyper velocity stuff makes a mess.  the standard or target stuff makes a 22 hole in and out.
The other neat thing is the longer barreled guns, especally the tube fed guns can shoot the CCI CB Longs.  the little bullet makes very little noise and in the early fall as the season opens more tree rats seem to come out to see what was that strange snap noise.  They are good out of my CZ 452 Lux up to 75 feet and have taken many a cotton tail too.

For ground squirrels the 17HMR is the choice.
the little bullet turns into schrapnell and does not fly far but the 22LR, even the hyper stuff, will hit a rock and you hear the zing of a lead hunk zipping off at an odd angle.

The 22 mag is also a great round if you have other things to shoot in the woods.  Raccoon, bob cat, fox, coyote, or ground hog for tree rats.
 the Hyper  30 to 34 grain stuff gives you great "style points" as ground squirrels, ghophers, or other vermin varmints are hit.
Style points are how many flips, parts fly off, or a full decapitation.

[223fan]

As much as I like the 17 hmr it is very hard on squirrels if you hit them in the body.I think the 17 mach2 would make a fine squirrel round,just a guess though as I've never used one.The 22wmr can be a good round for squirrel if you stay with fmj bullets.

[torpedoman]

22 is a hard gun to beat for squirrels.

[1marty]

ruger 10/22 4X scope. Those tree rats drop in their tracks.

[PowPow]

I vote for the 22LR, probably with subsonics if its squirrels only.
I waffle between the 10/22 with 4x for quick shooting and the CZ452 American with a 3-9x.
Have both and they are two different but valid ways to hunt squirrels.
For a little more oomph, you can use CCI velocitors (1435 fps); they don't go trans-sonic until after 100 yards.

[45-70.gov]

If I were to buy a new squirrel rifle , what caliber would be best?  At first I automatically decided on .22LR, but maybe I should..........your right stay with the  22lr

sub sonic...CB...stingers

i know you ask about bullet not action or optics

i say  a bolt with  3x9  with   40mm lens

......no  auto

i don't want a bullet in my chamber till  i am ready
and  just after i fired a shot......I DON'T NEED OR WANT A LOADED CHAMBER
they also won't function with all  loads

if you are a poor  shot then  you might prefer  an  auto

[mcwoodduck]

If I were to buy a new squirrel rifle , what caliber would be best?  At first I automatically decided on .22LR, but maybe I should..........your right stay with the  22lr

sub sonic...CB...stingers

i know you ask about bullet not action or optics

i say  a bolt with  3x9  with   40mm lens

......no  auto

i don't want a bullet in my chamber till  i am ready
and  just after i fired a shot......I DON'T NEED OR WANT A LOADED CHAMBER
they also won't function with all  loads

if you are a poor  shot then  you might prefer  an  auto

The 10/22 and a few other auto loaders are great rifle.
as long as you use LR ammo and the factory magazine, I have found that everything from 32 to 42 grains function reguardless of the bullet design.
I did have a problem with a few Boxes of Winchester and Aquilla that sat in the truck for a while in Southern CA and the wax got gunky and did not want to feed well.  The stick mags are the ones that have problems with the truncated bullets, but you are not going to carry a 25 or 30 round mag while hunting.  There have been a few times when the auto loading has helped with a running rabbit or tree rats in Aunt Rachels Peacan grove when I learned that you need to be standing over the last squirrel you shot before you shoot another one or have a good dog to fetch.
As far as having a round in the chamber-  When hunting I always have one loaded, unless crossing a creek, fence, or climbing into a tree stand.
the Auto loader is just another action and may be handy for other shoots.  I have used my 10/22's for a team bowling pin shoot where the speed was helpful.

[Pistol_Pete]

Well, a bolt action is not gonna happen because I'm a southpaw. Not sure if anyone makes a wrong-handed bolt .22, but I wouldn't buy one anyhow. LH bolt guns have almost zero resale value. I think it's going to be a lever or an auto.  I thank you for all your opinions. It's been very helpful.

I'm looking right now at Henry lever guns, or a Ruger 10/22, or a Marlin Mod 60.  Maybe a Rem Speedmaster if they're not too spendy.

Where I hunt tree rats is pretty thick, so I don't need a 100 yd. gun.  Target acquisition at 100 yd. is impossible for my eyes, but the rats seem to know how far I can shoot a pistol, and they stay just outside that range.

Again, thanks for all the input -- it's been helpful.

Pete

[SQUACKS]

savage has made a lot of left hand bolt guns, which in my opinion is the most accurate platform for a rifle.

 plain jane savage bolt guns are pretty reasonable in price and they are generally real accurate which is the only type of squirrel rifle to own! lol!

 i do not own one but several of my left handed friends do or have. 

[PowPow]

My CZ452 American is LH, and my next gun may be a Savage 93GL in 22 mag.

Just sold a Savage LH 270 bolt gun to a guy in the office. I knew he was left handed and offered it to him. He is a shrewd negotitator when it comes to cars. He didn't even ask how much I wanted for it, just said "I'll buy it." Got my money out of it.

FWIW; resale on the CZ doesn't matter; my two LH kids will fight over it when I'm gone.

[S.S.]

one thing only makes me say 17HM2.
A .22 LR carries more energy much farther.
Firing a .17hm2 up in the air does not worry me nearly as much
as firing a .22lr does. I am a tree rat hunting fanatic and I have now
swapped pretty much just to air rifles. I enjoy the challenge.
When I am not hunting my own property, I use a 17hm2 though.
Head shot only, it is quite destructive for such a small cartridge.

[mcwoodduck]

Made a chioce yet?

[Mohawk]

I would recommend the Rem over the Marlin. Or a little Cricket rifle are good squirrel getters and very light to carry. I still use one. Regarding ammo, I like the Rem Vipers. Truncated Cone profiled and hyper velocity. They tend to leave a near caliber size hole without tearing up anything. Kind of like a SWC.

[ironglow]

McWooduck put it straight..
     With leading choices being Marlin or Savage in bolt or auto...a 10/22 if you have an accurate or rebarreled one. Of course, the CZ  for a bit more $$.
  No need for any high or hyper velocities. I happen to like the CCI standards. My CZ 452 is excellent for the purpose, while the Marlin 880SQ which I gave my grandson was just as good.
      Don't overlook the air rifles either..  My Ruger Airhawk is very accurate, and even though I have aged eyes, I can still use those irons, with the bright , orange glow front bead. At close range, I prefer the irons since they don't need as much compensation for sights over bore..crosshairs of scope are usually 1.5" above bore center.

[pmeisel]

I love my old Remington Model 12. 

[STUMPJMPR]

I vote for the 17HMR just make sure you hit the head.  It's a very consistent shooting rifle.

[Mohawk]

Plain ole' .22 LR bolt action. Still works a well as it did decades ago.

[Mack in N.C.]

22 lr.....i have seen what a 17hmr will do to a tree rat  and it is too much............22 mag imo is a better round for tree rats than a 17hmr but 22lr is best............mack

[JeffG]

I like a good mid-grade bolt 22.with better scope and rings...  However, My favorite is the Marlin heavy barrel,  in 17 MachII  But OF COURSE the rifle and the round are going the way of the dinosaur. 

[tacklebury]

I'd like to try out a Remington Speedmaster with Shorts, because when shooting after the leaves have fallen, I pretty much use my Crackshot with shorts.  Other than that, I love my model 60 and use it until the leaves fall.  If I'm in an area when longer shots are common, I use my model 25 bolt.  I love my crackshot, however and it makes me more patient for some reason...   I often carry my H&R 903 target pistol .22 lr also.  As for caliber, 22 LR all the way for me.  I have recently been thinking of making a 32 s&w stub for a small bore plinker on my Handi frame.    I know a lotta guys like .32 rb and might work well also.

[Rock Home Isle]

If I were to buy a new squirrel rifle , what caliber would be best?  At first I automatically decided on .22LR, but maybe I should embrace the twentieth century and look at a .17HMR or a.22 rim-fire magnum.  Do either of those calibers have a real advantage over .22LR for squirrels?  I can see some down-side to the newer rim fires, like they cost more to feed and the rifle selection is smaller than for a good old .22, but is there an up-side that would outweigh those disadvantages?

I had a similar delema several years ago. But instead of squirrels, I was looking to hunt prairie dogs. I hunted prairie dogs on some properties with the .22 LR because the terrain allowed me to stalk in nice and close. At other properties I used my .223 or .22/250 to make some fine shots out to 300 yards or more.
 
But also I had a few properties where the .22 LR was not eough and the .223 or the .22/250 were not welcome by the land owners.
 
So I started looking for a firearm the would fill the gap between these firearm catagories, and it seemed to me that the .22 magnum filled the bill perfectly. Then I researched and found that the ballistics of the .22 Magnum were quite similar to the published data for the venerable the .22 Hornet.
 
What sealed the deal for me was that I can reload the .22 Hornet...I cannot reload the .22 magnum.
 
I now have a 77/22 in .22 LR and another in .22 Hornet...
 
My .22 LR will make a nice dime sized ragged hole at 50 yards and the .22 Hornet possesses the same ability at 120 yards...something to consider if you are leaning towards the .22 Magnum.   
 

[45-70.gov]

this is my favorite rimfire... mine  is  22lr.....it is available in left hand too


http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/model/MARKIIBTVS/


i never tried any 17  yet
when  i do  it will probly this same platform


little heavy is  my ONLY complaint

[spikehorn]

I have both a 22 and a 17 mach2 in a savage heavy barrel bolt action both with 4X32 scopes and both are equally effective on squirrels

[keith44]

for fixed ammo I prefer the .22LR, either high velocity, or sub-sonic.  I personally prefer a .32 cal muzzleloader, equally accurate, but adds so much to the challange

[Rock Home Isle]

........  I personally prefer a .32 cal muzzleloader, equally accurate, but adds so much to the challange

Yeah, I'll second that. 

[ironglow]

I like a good mid-grade bolt 22.with better scope and rings...  However, My favorite is the Marlin heavy barrel,  in 17 MachII  But OF COURSE the rifle and the round are going the way of the dinosaur. 

*********************************************************************
     I agree, I was considering a "squirrels only" rifle 2-3 years ago..and the HM2 was the chosen round..but then it started it's decline and we don't know when/if the decline will stop.
   Although I have a couple rifles in each caliber, the .22 mag & the .17 HMR are way more power and expense than needed for squirrels (IMO).   
   CCI 40 gr standards are my old standby for squirrels.

[boarshead]

        My vote is all the above , 22lr in marlin 39a or CZ, 24'' 22lr that would not group is now a $5.00 a box [put them all in a
      dime @ 100 yds.] mach 2, and my 1894 22 mag does squirels to feral hogs [in the earhole].
              Get out there and burn some powder.
                         Bud

[52bagman]

My list of owned squirrel rifles and pistols;  RWS mod 48/scoped 177   Marlin golden 39/scoped 22lr
  CZ bolt 17mach2/scoped   Ruger MKII target 22lr/red dot   Ruger single six 22lr/red dot.    All the above have worked well for me for years.