squirrel hunting

Roland Thunder · June 4, 2012, 02:25 PM

I have a squirrel problem in my yard and am thinking of getting a long gun of some type, like a .22, pellet gun etc. to eradicate them. I don't live in the city limits but I do live in a subdivision so noise could be a problem so I need something that would not be too loud or something to supress the noise.

I would be shooting at squirrels on the ground and not in trees since there are houses nearby (not to close)

Hansam · June 4, 2012, 02:51 PM

.22 rifle and use CCI CB .22short rounds.

You still get around 800fps muzzle velocity with a lighter bullet but there's very little sound. The only concern I have is ricochet. If you're shooting at targets on the ground and you're in a subdivision you run the risk of missing your target and having the bullet ricochet off the dirt into a neighbor's shed, garage and even house. This problem will be present with any caliber unless you're shooting from a fairly elevated position like say a 2nd story window or your roof.

That's about the cheapest way I can think of for a low noise solution. You COULD get yourself a .22 rifle and shoot HV .22lr rounds through a can but that'll run you a lot more money.

JerryM · June 4, 2012, 02:52 PM

Will you do it during the squirrel season? Be sure you don't get in trouble with the game dept.
Considering your location I would think a pellet gun would be the best, but I have not had personal experience with such.
Jerry

aarondhgraham · June 4, 2012, 02:57 PM

It's always worked for me,,,
And they're not too expensive.

Aarond

.

hooligan1 · June 4, 2012, 03:36 PM

Roger Dat, I used to have a squirrel problem now my drinking team has a funny little squirrel shootin problem....

only kiddin!! My son picked up the Gammo "Big Cat", and he shoots those magnum .177 caliber pellets from Crossman, I believe.
He also put some sort of Airgun Scope on it, he headshoots them at 70 to 80 feet, and it's not real loud.

No squirrel problem.

shortwave · June 4, 2012, 05:26 PM

As mentioned, since the .22 is noted as being notorious for ricochet's and can travel distances of a mile, my advice would be a pellet rifle along with traps such as a 'Hav-a-Heart' Trap.

A small stone, piece of metal, glass etc. laying unseen in the grass could create a very bad situation with a .22 in a neighborhood.

Hansam · June 4, 2012, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Will you do it during the squirrel season? Be sure you don't get in trouble with the game dept.

If you're a land owner (even if you only own a 1oth of an acre) and have a pest problem you are free to shoot them in WI even without a small game license. I'm not sure about GA though.

Per our state's small game regulations:

Quote:

The owner or occupant of any land and members of their family* may, without a license and subject to all other restrictions except seasons, hunt or trap on their own property for beaver, fox, coyote, raccoon, woodchuck, rabbit, and squirrel year-round and may sell the skins of these species (except for woodchucks)

I neglected to mention a pellet rifle because I've had problems with pellets NOT killing squirrels in the past unless you get a head shot. Even compared to the bullet in a CCI CB .22short at 800fps a .177 cal pellet at 1000fps (and that's not even a constant true fps that's just what the rifle is capable of but not always at) is awfully light. I've watched a lead .177 cal pellet bounce off a squirrel's side that my son shot at about 30 yards because it was raiding our bird feeders. Sure it scared it off but I'm not so sure I head shot a different squirrel the very next day. The head shot killed it. Body shot didn't. Even with a .22short a body shot will kill a squirrel.

SerenityNetworks · June 4, 2012, 08:44 PM

I've got an old 5mm Sheridon pellet gun. Pumped 8 times I recall its not much slower than a .22 short. It will kill a squirrel with a body shot at 50+ feet with no problem. (And it is consistent and accurate enough that I don't miss.) But with the weight and shape, richote danger is very minimal to nonexistent. I wouldn't fire any .22 in a residential area. I don't know if they are still made our not, but it might be worth checking.

Andrew

Sent from my RAZR using Tapatalk 2

Shotgun693 · June 5, 2012, 07:40 PM

Use a .22 Short. Cook over night in chicken broth with a quarter of an onion. Serve over rice or finish in the pot with dumplings. Squirrels are not a problem they are a delicacy.

SavageSniper · June 5, 2012, 10:18 PM

The pelletgun will do the trick just fine. I have a Stoeger .177 that I have killed squirrels out to 50 yrds with head shots. As an earlier poster stated, body shots are iffy at best though. What I have found with the body shots you need to be 20 to 25 yards to drop them DRT with a chest shot. I shot one thru both lungs and the critter ran like nothing was wrong. He went up a tree then ran thru 2 more trees before giving up. .22 pellet rifles are about the same as a .177 IMO. On a side note. My Air rifle is advertised at 1200 fps. Thats with alloy pellets. Forget about using them. They are as load as a standard .22. They also do not perform as good as the lead pellets that travel slower ( around 900 fps) in the same rifle. I did a simple test with mine. I filled 2 16 oz aluminum beer bottle and 2 16 oz coke bottle with water and put the tops back on them. Shot both with a cheap crossman hollow point lead pellet and also with the expensive alloy pellets. At 20 yards the lead pellets opened up both like a 22 would. The alloy went thru the alluminum bottle but half the damage of the lead and did not go thru the plastic bottle.

Edward429451 · June 6, 2012, 02:29 AM

Body shots with CB shorts are iffy also. But a Bearcat with CBs in it is a terror to squirrels and surprisingly quiet.

Hansam · June 6, 2012, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Body shots with CB shorts are iffy also. But a Bearcat with CBs in it is a terror to squirrels and surprisingly quiet.

I'm confused. I was talking about shooting a CB short out of a single shot break action rifle to take squirrels. With that set-up you get good muzzle velocity and I can attest to the round being VERY quiet and deadly to squirrels.

If you're saying body shots with CB shorts are iffy but a Ruger Bearcat with CBs is effective then I'm completely confused. Isn't a Bearcat a revolver with a 6" barrel? Wouldn't that be less effective and louder than me shooting a CB out of a rifle with an 18" barrel?

FrontSight · June 6, 2012, 08:46 AM

If you are in a subdivision, it is NOT WORTH THE RISK of damaging property, injuring someone, or obviously God Forbid killing someone with any kind of projectile, if you can help it.

If legal, I say get yourself a couple of 110 conibear traps, stick em in places cats won't get to, cover from top so birds won't see the bait, and bait with bread or peanuts or anything else that squirrels love.

Heck, even rat traps will work on squirrels. But you run more risk of killing birds with them because they are smaller.

Safe, effective, works round the clock, and no risk to people or their property (which in turn keeps you out of prison and not bankrupt).

Edward429451 · June 6, 2012, 09:44 AM

Ok, let me rephrase. CBs are iffy with body shots for me out of my Bearcat. So head shots are in order or perhaps shoulder shots. Bearcats are 4" barrels so yes they will be louder than similar ammo from a longer barrel.

But I shot my Bearcat so much that I'm pert good at head shots. SO I'm a terror for them and have collected quite a few with CBs. CBs are also good for the kids so they can shoot the pistols without all the muzzle blast from the short barrels on pistols shooting 22 LRs.

Sure Shot Mc Gee · June 6, 2012, 10:03 AM

Shortwave said: Trapping is the best way. I agree. A Hav-a-Heart cage trap won't hurt someone by accident. Maybe your neighbors wont call the local Game Wardens Tip line. The plus side if anyone asks you can say in all honesty: I always release those troublesome squirrels in a park or woods to live out there lives. Easier on your conscience doing it that way. No harm no foul. Shooting can sour your neighbors. Get you a court fine. And in some States there is a ticket for wild game replacement cost that can be issued too. Just be careful if you still intend to shoot.

oneounceload · June 6, 2012, 07:32 PM

Use the air rifle - works well, things downrange are not as much as a problem

as for cooking, no thanks........the crows appreciate them though

SavageSniper · June 6, 2012, 08:28 PM

CCI also makes a round called Quiet 22. Its a 40 grain bullet that fires at 710 fps. 68db is advertised. I have used them and they make about the same report as the air rifle. Maybe a little quieter. My daughter shat a rabbit with one. Killed the rabbit but didnt go all the way thru. Kinda good and bad in that aspect.

Hansam · June 6, 2012, 08:39 PM

Quote:

My daughter shat a rabbit

LOL! Sorry, ok not really but still that's a pretty danged funny typo!

SavageSniper · June 7, 2012, 10:25 PM

lol yea that is funny

hogdogs · June 9, 2012, 10:38 PM

The 1,000 fps pellet rifles are quite loud unless they have the integral suppressor...

YOU CANNOT PUT A HOMEMADE SILENCER ON A PELLET RIFLE WITHOUT THE NFA STAMP AS IT CAN BE USED ON A POWDER POWERED RIFLE TOO!!!

But the noise is more of a loud BOINK rather than a "rifle crack" type report... My neighbors ever suspected a thing...

Brent

SerenityNetworks · June 10, 2012, 10:36 AM

The use of a 110 Conibear is by far the best idea IMHO. The Hav-a-Heart cage trap would be great, but it is insanely expensive ($35-$50 versus $7.50 for a Conibear). I can't see using a .22 of any type. Even a pellet gun needs to have a backstop and it is limited in range. (At less than 50' I never failed to have them fall and die in that spot. Sure, I could kill them consistently at much greater distances but it was at the risk of them dying in the neighbor's yard.)

The Conibear won't kill people or put eyes out, and you are not limited by range. Properly placed, you won't kill the neighbor's cat and the risk of killing a song bird is minimal.

jag2 · June 10, 2012, 11:13 AM

The CCI 22 short CB is their subsonic round. Shot from a rifle it isn't any louder that the cap pistols we shot as kids. It is quite a bit louder when shot from a pistol and I probably would not do that. It will flat go thru a squirrel so you must be aware of your background. I've had two that went thru the critter and hit my neighbors wood fence and I was able to find them laying in the paved alley. They were in relative good shape. Best scenario for me is if I can shoot up at them in the pecan tree. If I miss, the bullet will probably hit some limbs and leaves on the way up or the way down and fall back to earth with no velocity or power behind it. Nothing compared to even a small hail stone. Yes there is still some percentage that something bad could happen but so is driving on the hiways.

shortwave · June 10, 2012, 11:28 AM

Quote:

I've had two that went thru the critter and hit my neighbors wood fence and I was able to find them laying in the paved alley. They were in relative good shape. Best scenario for me is if I can shoot up at them in the pecan tree. If I miss, the bullet will probably hit some limbs and leaves on the way up or the way down and fall back to earth with no velocity or power behind it. Nothing compared to even a small hail stone. Yes there is still some percentage that something bad could happen but so is driving on the hiways.

REALLY!

jag2

I hope you come back and re-read your post to see just how ridiculously irresponsible your shooting habits are.

Your type thoughts are exactly why I've got a .22 slug embedded in my living room wall from an irresponsible squirrel hunter and the reason I won't allow squirrel hunting with a .22 on my property.

Too, don't get mad at my post. Not meant to do that but to get you to stop and think about what you're doing.

buck460XVR · June 10, 2012, 12:03 PM

I gotta agree with the pellet rifle. I too live in a sub-division on the outskirts of town. Altho I don't have a squirrel problem, I do have a problem with rabbits chewin' on my blueberries. I have a cheap break-action .177 pellet rifle that is accurate enough and powerful enough to keep me in blueberry pie. Trouble with any kind of trap is that you WILL catch something you don't want to. Hard to keep a straight face when the little girl from next door comes and asks if you have seen her new kitten that has been missing for a few days. Soft lead pellets do not ricochet like .22s and lose their power and velocity quickly. The subtle sound of a pellet rifle is also lost quickly in the everyday sounds of the neighborhood. Keep the .22s for the woods. They have no place whatsoever in a populated neighborhood.....aka, subdivision.

jag2 · June 10, 2012, 01:10 PM

Figured I would get somebody riled up and don't expect I could change anyones mind. And I am truly sorry your house was hit. All of my neighbors know what I do and if they asked me to stop I would. One even told me if I was chasing something I was welcome to come into his yard anytime. However, I don't leave my property or shoot at something that is not. If you haven't shot the round I'm referring to, you would be surprised at how quiet it is. The bullet speed (around 700fps) is considerably less than most pellet rifles and at 29 gr is probably about the same weight as most pellets but I don't know that for sure. I know that I pass up a lot more shots than I take just because I don't feel comfortable with it. That said I still average 50 to 60 a year for at least the last 4 or 5 years. If I thought (as many of you do) a pellet rifle was safer I would get one but it just isn't so. I have some other ammo I use occasionally that just uses a primer with no gunpowder. However, it is so light it won't even make it out of the barrel of some of my 22s but shot out of the right gun (gotta have a very clean barrel) it does okay. Sorry if some of you still disagree and I understand but our squirrel population is a big problem. I guess I could go to the pound and adopt a few feral cats and turn 'em loose, might work.

June 4, 2012, 02:25 PM	#1
Roland Thunder Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2010 Location: Gwinnett County Georgia Posts: 1,136	squirrel hunting I have a squirrel problem in my yard and am thinking of getting a long gun of some type, like a .22, pellet gun etc. to eradicate them. I don't live in the city limits but I do live in a subdivision so noise could be a problem so I need something that would not be too loud or something to supress the noise. I would be shooting at squirrels on the ground and not in trees since there are houses nearby (not to close) __________________ Do not follow where the path may lead, go, instead where there is no path and leave a trail - Ralph Waldo Emerson

June 4, 2012, 02:51 PM	#2
Hansam Senior Member Join Date: February 21, 2012 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 763	.22 rifle and use CCI CB .22short rounds. You still get around 800fps muzzle velocity with a lighter bullet but there's very little sound. The only concern I have is ricochet. If you're shooting at targets on the ground and you're in a subdivision you run the risk of missing your target and having the bullet ricochet off the dirt into a neighbor's shed, garage and even house. This problem will be present with any caliber unless you're shooting from a fairly elevated position like say a 2nd story window or your roof. That's about the cheapest way I can think of for a low noise solution. You COULD get yourself a .22 rifle and shoot HV .22lr rounds through a can but that'll run you a lot more money. __________________ This is who we are, what we do.

June 4, 2012, 02:52 PM	#3
JerryM Senior Member Join Date: April 4, 1999 Location: New Mexico Posts: 1,889	Will you do it during the squirrel season? Be sure you don't get in trouble with the game dept. Considering your location I would think a pellet gun would be the best, but I have not had personal experience with such. Jerry __________________ Ecclesiastes 12:13 ¶Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

June 4, 2012, 02:57 PM	#4
aarondhgraham Senior Member Join Date: December 1, 2009 Location: Stillwater, OKlahoma Posts: 8,638	.177 caliber @ 1,000 FPS will do the trick,,, It's always worked for me,,, And they're not too expensive. Aarond . __________________ Never ever give an enemy the advantage of a verbal threat. Caje: The coward dies a thousand times, the brave only once. Kirby: That's about all it takes, ain't it? Aarond is good,,, Aarond is wise,,, Always trust Aarond! (most of the time)

June 4, 2012, 03:36 PM	#5
hooligan1 Senior Member Join Date: July 18, 2010 Location: Independence Missouri Posts: 4,585	Roger Dat, I used to have a squirrel problem now my drinking team has a funny little squirrel shootin problem.... only kiddin!! My son picked up the Gammo "Big Cat", and he shoots those magnum .177 caliber pellets from Crossman, I believe. He also put some sort of Airgun Scope on it, he headshoots them at 70 to 80 feet, and it's not real loud. No squirrel problem. __________________ Keep your Axe sharp and your powder dry.

June 4, 2012, 05:26 PM	#6
shortwave Senior Member Join Date: December 17, 2007 Location: SOUTHEAST, OHIO Posts: 5,970	As mentioned, since the .22 is noted as being notorious for ricochet's and can travel distances of a mile, my advice would be a pellet rifle along with traps such as a 'Hav-a-Heart' Trap. A small stone, piece of metal, glass etc. laying unseen in the grass could create a very bad situation with a .22 in a neighborhood.

June 4, 2012, 08:44 PM	#8
SerenityNetworks Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2012 Location: Allen, TX Posts: 416	I've got an old 5mm Sheridon pellet gun. Pumped 8 times I recall its not much slower than a .22 short. It will kill a squirrel with a body shot at 50+ feet with no problem. (And it is consistent and accurate enough that I don't miss.) But with the weight and shape, richote danger is very minimal to nonexistent. I wouldn't fire any .22 in a residential area. I don't know if they are still made our not, but it might be worth checking. Andrew Sent from my RAZR using Tapatalk 2

June 5, 2012, 07:40 PM	#9
Shotgun693 Senior Member Join Date: September 3, 2011 Location: Poteet, Texas Posts: 959	Use a .22 Short. Cook over night in chicken broth with a quarter of an onion. Serve over rice or finish in the pot with dumplings. Squirrels are not a problem they are a delicacy.

June 5, 2012, 10:18 PM	#10
SavageSniper Senior Member Join Date: November 25, 2005 Location: Crawfordville, FL Posts: 494	The pelletgun will do the trick just fine. I have a Stoeger .177 that I have killed squirrels out to 50 yrds with head shots. As an earlier poster stated, body shots are iffy at best though. What I have found with the body shots you need to be 20 to 25 yards to drop them DRT with a chest shot. I shot one thru both lungs and the critter ran like nothing was wrong. He went up a tree then ran thru 2 more trees before giving up. .22 pellet rifles are about the same as a .177 IMO. On a side note. My Air rifle is advertised at 1200 fps. Thats with alloy pellets. Forget about using them. They are as load as a standard .22. They also do not perform as good as the lead pellets that travel slower ( around 900 fps) in the same rifle. I did a simple test with mine. I filled 2 16 oz aluminum beer bottle and 2 16 oz coke bottle with water and put the tops back on them. Shot both with a cheap crossman hollow point lead pellet and also with the expensive alloy pellets. At 20 yards the lead pellets opened up both like a 22 would. The alloy went thru the alluminum bottle but half the damage of the lead and did not go thru the plastic bottle. __________________ This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights!

June 6, 2012, 02:29 AM	#11
Edward429451 Junior member Join Date: November 12, 2000 Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado Posts: 9,494	Body shots with CB shorts are iffy also. But a Bearcat with CBs in it is a terror to squirrels and surprisingly quiet.

June 6, 2012, 08:46 AM	#13
FrontSight Senior Member Join Date: September 9, 2005 Posts: 1,712	If you are in a subdivision, it is NOT WORTH THE RISK of damaging property, injuring someone, or obviously God Forbid killing someone with any kind of projectile, if you can help it. If legal, I say get yourself a couple of 110 conibear traps, stick em in places cats won't get to, cover from top so birds won't see the bait, and bait with bread or peanuts or anything else that squirrels love. Heck, even rat traps will work on squirrels. But you run more risk of killing birds with them because they are smaller. Safe, effective, works round the clock, and no risk to people or their property (which in turn keeps you out of prison and not bankrupt). __________________ To kill something as great as a duck just to smell the gunpowder is a crime against nature. - Alan Liere Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve. - George Bernard Shaw

June 6, 2012, 09:44 AM	#14
Edward429451 Junior member Join Date: November 12, 2000 Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado Posts: 9,494	Ok, let me rephrase. CBs are iffy with body shots for me out of my Bearcat. So head shots are in order or perhaps shoulder shots. Bearcats are 4" barrels so yes they will be louder than similar ammo from a longer barrel. But I shot my Bearcat so much that I'm pert good at head shots. SO I'm a terror for them and have collected quite a few with CBs. CBs are also good for the kids so they can shoot the pistols without all the muzzle blast from the short barrels on pistols shooting 22 LRs.

June 6, 2012, 10:03 AM	#15
Sure Shot Mc Gee Senior Member Join Date: January 2, 2012 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,876	Shortwave said: Trapping is the best way. I agree. A Hav-a-Heart cage trap won't hurt someone by accident. Maybe your neighbors wont call the local Game Wardens Tip line. The plus side if anyone asks you can say in all honesty: I always release those troublesome squirrels in a park or woods to live out there lives. Easier on your conscience doing it that way. No harm no foul. Shooting can sour your neighbors. Get you a court fine. And in some States there is a ticket for wild game replacement cost that can be issued too. Just be careful if you still intend to shoot.

June 6, 2012, 07:32 PM	#16
oneounceload Junior member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: N. Central Florida Posts: 8,518	Use the air rifle - works well, things downrange are not as much as a problem as for cooking, no thanks........the crows appreciate them though

June 6, 2012, 08:28 PM	#17
SavageSniper Senior Member Join Date: November 25, 2005 Location: Crawfordville, FL Posts: 494	CCI also makes a round called Quiet 22. Its a 40 grain bullet that fires at 710 fps. 68db is advertised. I have used them and they make about the same report as the air rifle. Maybe a little quieter. My daughter shat a rabbit with one. Killed the rabbit but didnt go all the way thru. Kinda good and bad in that aspect. __________________ This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights!

June 7, 2012, 10:25 PM	#19
SavageSniper Senior Member Join Date: November 25, 2005 Location: Crawfordville, FL Posts: 494	lol yea that is funny __________________ This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights!

June 9, 2012, 10:38 PM	#20
hogdogs Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 31, 2007 Location: Western Florida panhandle Posts: 11,069	The 1,000 fps pellet rifles are quite loud unless they have the integral suppressor... YOU CANNOT PUT A HOMEMADE SILENCER ON A PELLET RIFLE WITHOUT THE NFA STAMP AS IT CAN BE USED ON A POWDER POWERED RIFLE TOO!!! But the noise is more of a loud BOINK rather than a "rifle crack" type report... My neighbors ever suspected a thing... Brent

June 10, 2012, 10:36 AM	#21
SerenityNetworks Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2012 Location: Allen, TX Posts: 416	The use of a 110 Conibear is by far the best idea IMHO. The Hav-a-Heart cage trap would be great, but it is insanely expensive ($35-$50 versus $7.50 for a Conibear). I can't see using a .22 of any type. Even a pellet gun needs to have a backstop and it is limited in range. (At less than 50' I never failed to have them fall and die in that spot. Sure, I could kill them consistently at much greater distances but it was at the risk of them dying in the neighbor's yard.) The Conibear won't kill people or put eyes out, and you are not limited by range. Properly placed, you won't kill the neighbor's cat and the risk of killing a song bird is minimal. __________________ NRA Life Member There are some ideas so preposterous that only an intellectual will believe them. - Malcolm Muggeridge

June 10, 2012, 11:13 AM	#22
jag2 Senior Member Join Date: June 30, 2009 Location: dallas Posts: 773	The CCI 22 short CB is their subsonic round. Shot from a rifle it isn't any louder that the cap pistols we shot as kids. It is quite a bit louder when shot from a pistol and I probably would not do that. It will flat go thru a squirrel so you must be aware of your background. I've had two that went thru the critter and hit my neighbors wood fence and I was able to find them laying in the paved alley. They were in relative good shape. Best scenario for me is if I can shoot up at them in the pecan tree. If I miss, the bullet will probably hit some limbs and leaves on the way up or the way down and fall back to earth with no velocity or power behind it. Nothing compared to even a small hail stone. Yes there is still some percentage that something bad could happen but so is driving on the hiways.

June 10, 2012, 12:03 PM	#24
buck460XVR Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2006 Posts: 4,342	I gotta agree with the pellet rifle. I too live in a sub-division on the outskirts of town. Altho I don't have a squirrel problem, I do have a problem with rabbits chewin' on my blueberries. I have a cheap break-action .177 pellet rifle that is accurate enough and powerful enough to keep me in blueberry pie. Trouble with any kind of trap is that you WILL catch something you don't want to. Hard to keep a straight face when the little girl from next door comes and asks if you have seen her new kitten that has been missing for a few days. Soft lead pellets do not ricochet like .22s and lose their power and velocity quickly. The subtle sound of a pellet rifle is also lost quickly in the everyday sounds of the neighborhood. Keep the .22s for the woods. They have no place whatsoever in a populated neighborhood.....aka, subdivision. Last edited by buck460XVR; June 10, 2012 at 03:18 PM.

June 10, 2012, 01:10 PM	#25
jag2 Senior Member Join Date: June 30, 2009 Location: dallas Posts: 773	Figured I would get somebody riled up and don't expect I could change anyones mind. And I am truly sorry your house was hit. All of my neighbors know what I do and if they asked me to stop I would. One even told me if I was chasing something I was welcome to come into his yard anytime. However, I don't leave my property or shoot at something that is not. If you haven't shot the round I'm referring to, you would be surprised at how quiet it is. The bullet speed (around 700fps) is considerably less than most pellet rifles and at 29 gr is probably about the same weight as most pellets but I don't know that for sure. I know that I pass up a lot more shots than I take just because I don't feel comfortable with it. That said I still average 50 to 60 a year for at least the last 4 or 5 years. If I thought (as many of you do) a pellet rifle was safer I would get one but it just isn't so. I have some other ammo I use occasionally that just uses a primer with no gunpowder. However, it is so light it won't even make it out of the barrel of some of my 22s but shot out of the right gun (gotta have a very clean barrel) it does okay. Sorry if some of you still disagree and I understand but our squirrel population is a big problem. I guess I could go to the pound and adopt a few feral cats and turn 'em loose, might work.