huntercarbine Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 can anyone tell me if headshots are the best way to shoot squirrels, or should i be aiming for the heart/lungs. i use a 12ftlbs tx200hc and its deadly against the woodies, yet i shot a squirrel about 30 yds away, just behind his eye and it took 2 more point blank shots to kill him. it wasnt just his nerves, he was still breathing(not gasping). my guns putting out 11.81 ftlbs with diablos. any advice on shot placement will be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kev 1 Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 I always do head shots,but you do get the odd weird ones that dont want to leave this world without a fight...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
realtreedave Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 head shot or heart and lung should do it ,but squirels seem to thrive on adrenaline,which makes them run,very much like a beheaded chicken.i have seen similar to what you describe with rabbits and squirels that have been head shot with a 17hmr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bullet boy Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 Head shots everytime as these little pests take some knocking down!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNAKEBITE Posted May 18, 2009 Report Share Posted May 18, 2009 can anyone tell me if headshots are the best way to shoot squirrels, or should i be aiming for the heart/lungs. i use a 12ftlbs tx200hc and its deadly against the woodies, yet i shot a squirrel about 30 yds away, just behind his eye and it took 2 more point blank shots to kill him. it wasnt just his nerves, he was still breathing(not gasping). my guns putting out 11.81 ftlbs with diablos. any advice on shot placement will be appreciated. If you got the head shot then it was just nerves keeping him going. With an airgun it is headshots only no matter what you are shooting, simple! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_R Posted May 18, 2009 Report Share Posted May 18, 2009 I have had the same thing happen, with a shot just behind the eye. Next time I am going to try a little nearer the base of the ear. BTW, if your gun is running 11.81 doesn't that seem a little close for comfort? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huntercarbine Posted May 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 19, 2009 I have had the same thing happen, with a shot just behind the eye. Next time I am going to try a little nearer the base of the ear. BTW, if your gun is running 11.81 doesn't that seem a little close for comfort? yes it does mate and its only had 3 tins through it. have heard stories of tx's going over 12. one bloke i know had one, a mk2 ithink and it was pushing over 13ftlbs. upon stripping it was revealed that it had .177 and .22 parts fitted ( the gun was a.22). i wanna try some bisley magnums in mine, heavier pellet should drop it a bit. i dont really want it messing with cos its smooth as silk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_R Posted May 19, 2009 Report Share Posted May 19, 2009 Just for peace of mind, see if you can some very light pellets just to chrono it, as that is what the police would do with a springer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Elvis Posted May 19, 2009 Report Share Posted May 19, 2009 Ive shot them with 16gr logun penetrators in a theoben pushing out 20ft lbs behing the eye and theyve run...for a while....as someone said....hard little bleepers!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carld41 Posted May 19, 2009 Report Share Posted May 19, 2009 Im Hypnotised by Evil Elvis,s Avatar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
air gunner Posted May 22, 2009 Report Share Posted May 22, 2009 I have never had this with squirrels but then again i have only shot 3 each from a hight and when they landed from up there i dont think tey would be in any state to run with a pellet lodged in their head and falling on their head form 30ft. I have however had many rabbits with good head shots that will flip and a couple of seconds later hop around and make a run for it!! how do i prevent this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amateur Posted May 22, 2009 Report Share Posted May 22, 2009 I have never had this with squirrels but then again i have only shot 3 each from a hight and when they landed from up there i dont think tey would be in any state to run with a pellet lodged in their head and falling on their head form 30ft. I have however had many rabbits with good head shots that will flip and a couple of seconds later hop around and make a run for it!! how do i prevent this? Get a second shot in quick with a multishot rifle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNAKEBITE Posted May 22, 2009 Report Share Posted May 22, 2009 When i get a rabbit and they fall over I try to cover them for a few seconds until I know for sure they are dead. Not always possible but it does mean you can quickly get another shot in if needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunnybasher07 Posted May 22, 2009 Report Share Posted May 22, 2009 crucify them, not the quickest but it does the job GM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vulcha Posted May 24, 2009 Report Share Posted May 24, 2009 I've shot a squirrel a while back using logun penertators out of an AA S200. Shot it in the chest and it ran for a bit then dropped like a stone. Being an inquisetive fellow, I decided to cut it open and see what the pellet did. It was a through and through shot that went through both lungs and its heart! Tough little ******* squirrels! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mushroom Posted May 25, 2009 Report Share Posted May 25, 2009 (edited) i've shot two of the ******* over the last two days both head shots, the dog followed the first into cover and burst out of cover forty yards away with one very dead squirrel in it's mouth (the pellet killed it not the dog). the second, this morning again found dead later by the dog on the other side of the field 140 - 150 meters away. these murderous little **** are hard as diamond knuckles. also not bad retrieving for a staffy Edited May 25, 2009 by mushroom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huntercarbine Posted May 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2009 so hopefully its not my shot placement, they're just 'ard! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_R Posted May 25, 2009 Report Share Posted May 25, 2009 They are just hard, that's right basically. However, do take a look at airgunforum.net, they have a good thread in the hunting section on airgun killzones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNAKEBITE Posted May 26, 2009 Report Share Posted May 26, 2009 Having another look at the thread title and subtitle I have come to my own conclusion. Dynamite. Let's see them get up from that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huntercarbine Posted May 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2009 thanks for all the comments and advice, people. Next grey i see will get an airarms diablo at range, then a bisley magnum if he's still breathing. (followed by both barrels of my shooting partners beretta). And possibly reversed over in the car a couple of times. its no wonder i havet seen a red for about 20 years, we need to arm the little fellas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airssassin Posted June 3, 2009 Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 I have always found it is best to shoot them in the top of the neck/back of the head. If you have to finish one off, a pellet in the back of the noggin will stop any movement. I have also found that heavier pellets help but not hollow point for some reason. They are very tough little blighters! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNAKEBITE Posted June 4, 2009 Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 Ask Prince Charles, in the papers today he has been quite vocal about his didlike of greys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8shot Posted June 4, 2009 Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 i find with the squizzels they love the flat headed pellets and they make a loverly sound on impact but i hardly get any runners with a head or heart and lung shot atb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
realtreedave Posted June 4, 2009 Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 for ground feeding squirels the 17hmr realy is the tool,but for squirels in trees the 12ftlbs air rifle more than holds its own,2 years ago i shot more than 200 from 200 acres in one year with an air rifle,it barely seems to have dented the population as they arent controled,even though the surounding ground is suposed to be keepered.just carry on waging war on the little beggars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huntercarbine Posted June 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 found recently that my gun likes bisley magnums and shoots real tight groups, so next time i see a grey hopefully the heavier pellet will do the trick. I havnt got a firearms license so the 17 aint a choice for me. I'd like to see the damage one does though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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