airssassin Posted November 6, 2007 Report Share Posted November 6, 2007 I have shot lots of grey squirrels this year and have found that the best place to shoot them for a clean kill is in the neck rather than the head. I know that the popular advice is to always go for headshots. Has anyone else found this? I am using a 12 ft/lb air rifle in 0.177 cal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paddypower999 Posted November 6, 2007 Report Share Posted November 6, 2007 I always find tree rats tough little critters and always aim for the drain box with my air gun are you getting clean kills? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airssassin Posted November 6, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2007 I always find tree rats tough little critters and always aim for the drain box with my air gun are you getting clean kills? Shots in the neck seem to be very fast to kill them, a few twitches and they're gone. My best shot entered the neck and exited at the shoulder. The last two squirrels that I shot I ate in a pie (very tasty indeed). It seems that their brains are actually in their necks rather than where you would expect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airssassin Posted November 6, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2007 I always find tree rats tough little critters and always aim for the drain box with my air gun are you getting clean kills? When I was taking head shots they weren't clean kills and I couldn't work out what I was doing wrong. I was hitting below the ear and I had to take additional shots to finish them off (not ideal). Thankfully, all of the squirrels that I shot were accounted for and none got away (to suffer a long death in the undergrowth). Neck shots knock them straight off their feet and they never get back up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Outlaw Posted November 6, 2007 Report Share Posted November 6, 2007 I use a 12 bore for our tree rats. Take the head clean off I say. Then theres nothing to bite your 11 & 6 year old girls that pick up for you Bit messy eating if you go a bit low though. Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammy1800 Posted November 6, 2007 Report Share Posted November 6, 2007 las one i shot was right behind eye just like u'd want to shoot a rabbit i thought it would be super clean kill but it must have been on floor squirming for 30 seconds or so nothing left in mag so cudunt put him out of his misery, never really thought about neck shots dont usually get a quick shot a squirrel with an air rifle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Master Posted November 6, 2007 Report Share Posted November 6, 2007 Bare in mind they will twitch abit. Doesn't mean they are alive. FM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunnybasher07 Posted November 6, 2007 Report Share Posted November 6, 2007 shoot them with a 12 boar isnt the answer because my brother blew one out the trees with a aya, 12 gauge and it too allot of pellets to the cheast and kept diving about the trees !, so ofcourse he loaded another shell into it and it fell smacked the ground with a thump and kept running as if it wasnt hit!!!! (both shots hit it as i seen it jump and the pellets hitting it) so cracked him over the head with a preist and that done the job lol there hard to kill the wee ******* GM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
col s10 Posted November 6, 2007 Report Share Posted November 6, 2007 I always find tree rats tough little critters and always aim for the drain box with my air gun are you getting clean kills? Shots in the neck seem to be very fast to kill them, a few twitches and they're gone. My best shot entered the neck and exited at the shoulder. The last two squirrels that I shot I ate in a pie (very tasty indeed). It seems that their brains are actually in their necks rather than where you would expect. brains in necks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Outlaw Posted November 6, 2007 Report Share Posted November 6, 2007 shoot them with a 12 boar isnt the answer because my brother blew one out the trees with a aya, 12 gauge and it too allot of pellets to the cheast and kept diving about the trees !, so ofcourse he loaded another shell into it and it fell smacked the ground with a thump and kept running as if it wasnt hit!!!! (both shots hit it as i seen it jump and the pellets hitting it) so cracked him over the head with a preist and that done the job lol there hard to kill the wee ******* GM I get them with 32gram 6's 1/2 choke 30 feet away max, What no head? What no wriggling? My girls have picked up loads over the years, no runners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airssassin Posted November 6, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2007 I always find tree rats tough little critters and always aim for the drain box with my air gun are you getting clean kills? Shots in the neck seem to be very fast to kill them, a few twitches and they're gone. My best shot entered the neck and exited at the shoulder. The last two squirrels that I shot I ate in a pie (very tasty indeed). It seems that their brains are actually in their necks rather than where you would expect. brains in necks That's what I thought! - if you've got the stomach for it have a look. It's worth it to see what will make a clean kill. Good job I never became a surgeon! :yp: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paddypower999 Posted November 6, 2007 Report Share Posted November 6, 2007 All this this talk about tree rats made me get up an hour early to go and find one saw one charging up a tree trunk thought i would have a go at a neck shot the rat was having none of it, so slid a pellet just behind the right ear as it was facing away from me and down she came 2 flips and nothing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
col s10 Posted November 6, 2007 Report Share Posted November 6, 2007 All this this talk about tree rats made me get up an hour early to go and find one saw one charging up a tree trunk thought i would have a go at a neck shot the rat was having none of it, so slid a pellet just behind the right ear as it was facing away from me and down she came 2 flips and nothing. nice one to reply to the other post why do they have skulls do any other animals have their brains in their necks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsrjerry Posted November 6, 2007 Report Share Posted November 6, 2007 .17 HMR to the head (or anywhere for that matter ) that stops them dead ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted November 8, 2007 Report Share Posted November 8, 2007 Shot one five minutes ago - on the neck, just below the ear. Dead within seconds. Last head shot got up and ran away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul in North Lincs. Posted November 8, 2007 Report Share Posted November 8, 2007 tree rats in my opinion are one of the 'hardest' hit of all quarry........very resilient creatures indeed......got hit them spot on in the the boiler room or grid.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagleman Posted November 8, 2007 Report Share Posted November 8, 2007 .17 HMR to the head (or anywhere for that matter ) that stops them dead ! Oh yes, great big hole! No "squirrel dance" with an HMR! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveieP Posted November 8, 2007 Report Share Posted November 8, 2007 Ever considered that a neckshot might sever the spinal chord, therefor no neural impulses get through from the brain to the limbs = fatal wound + no squirrel samba Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A K A Posted November 8, 2007 Report Share Posted November 8, 2007 if you are useing a 177 air rifle, try shooting hollow point pellets. with the speed of the 177 you may find the pellet going straight through, if domed are used, i use hollow points in 22. i give the wabbit and sirrel the irish o b e. one below the ear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SAVAGE HMR Posted November 10, 2007 Report Share Posted November 10, 2007 I've found a 177 and 22 does better damage in the neck, I think theres to little in the way of brain matter to damage in a squirrel to go for a head shot unless you can clip the top of the head clean off with a great deal of accuracy. Doesn't really make that much difference though, they tend to die within a few seconds either way. Aim just bellow the ear! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dusk2dawn Posted November 10, 2007 Report Share Posted November 10, 2007 I always find tree rats tough little critters and always aim for the drain box with my air gun are you getting clean kills? Shots in the neck seem to be very fast to kill them, a few twitches and they're gone. My best shot entered the neck and exited at the shoulder. The last two squirrels that I shot I ate in a pie (very tasty indeed). It seems that their brains are actually in their necks rather than where you would expect. brains in necks Its quite possible, as for years as a lad my father kept telling me my brains must be in my trousers D2D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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