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Old January 21, 2010, 09:10 AM   #1
Morgoroth
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Silly Squirrel

I am going squirrel hunting this weekend and I was wondering what load you guys would suggest for a 20g Moss 500.

I have some left over slugs from deer hunting, but I think some type of bird shot would be better since I want to actually retrive the squirrel, and not just have it rain back down on me in little peices.
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Old January 21, 2010, 09:13 AM   #2
DRice.72
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These are some of the offerings from Federal.

http://www.federalpremium.com/products/shotshell.aspx

Tho I have never actually hunted them with a shotgun. I always used a .22 rifle.
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Old January 21, 2010, 09:19 AM   #3
scottycoyote
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hard to go wrong with 5's or 6's.....enough shot to get em out to a pretty good decent, not so many shot youll be chipping a tooth on them when you try and eat it later.
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Old January 21, 2010, 09:29 AM   #4
cavediver27
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.22 hollow point in a scoped rifle!

IMHO, a .22 long rifle hollow point in a scoped rifle is the best squirrel round. Fun to shoot, cheap, deadly, accurate, quiet, low recoil, no picking out birdshot from the meat.......did I mention fun to shoot
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Old January 21, 2010, 10:40 AM   #5
hogdogs
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I use the cheap 7 1/2 bulk pack ammo with fine results... when I ain't using the .22.
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Old January 21, 2010, 10:59 AM   #6
JWT
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I've hunted the critters with a 20 ga. and either #4 or #6 shot. It works, but I still prefer to use a .22 long rifle to hunt 'em. Much easier to clean when there's no shot to dig out. Also more sporting IMO.
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Old January 21, 2010, 12:54 PM   #7
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You best use enough gun ! !



.
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Old January 21, 2010, 02:16 PM   #8
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Nothing smaller than #6 (too many shot to pick out when you clean them) and nothing larger than #4 (tears up the meat). Lightest load you can find.
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Old January 21, 2010, 02:34 PM   #9
Morgoroth
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Thanks.
I would probably usually use a 22 also, but my friend it going with me and he does not have a gun so one of us will use the 22 and the other will use the 20g.
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Old January 21, 2010, 06:53 PM   #10
MagnumWill
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I would have to say a 3.5" 4BK would just be enough to handle them...

j/k. I think anything under 5 or 6 should do just fine. Just bring a choke or two, and you should be set for those long ones .
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Old January 22, 2010, 07:11 PM   #11
Dave McC
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My classic squirrel loads holds 6 shot. In 12 gauge, I load 7/8 of a oz and push it at about 1200 FPS. With a good bit of choke, it fills the skillet nicely.

In 20 gauge,I use the Winchester field loads. Mod choke.

And I hope you were kidding about shooting slugs UP.
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Old January 22, 2010, 07:34 PM   #12
reloader28
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Their a pretty tough critter.
I'd go with the slugs if I were you.
A good heart/lung shot and they usually go right down within 15 or 20yds.

Actually, I think it would be fun to use the slugs and "bark" them like in the old days.
We really dont have squirrels here or I would have tried it, but it sounds like fun.
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Old January 23, 2010, 08:31 AM   #13
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I've always found that squirrels are tough little critters. I used to hunt them with a shotgun all the time, and found that with anything smaller than 6's, I had too many drag themselves into a hollow tree, or I had to run them down and finish them off with a stick. Six's did ok, and four's were great. I eventually settled on 5's, in a high brass shell, some of those trees where tall. I never used much but a modified choke, but in those days, screw in chokes were unheard of, so modified was the "all round choke."

12 or 20 doesn't much matter.
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Old January 23, 2010, 11:43 AM   #14
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Old January 23, 2010, 06:03 PM   #15
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I like 4 or 5 shot - does the job and puts fewer holes in your dinner.
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