Best Caliber Rifle for SMALL Small Game
11-04-2017, 08:28 AM
#11
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Eastern wv
Posts: 3,738
have killed thousands of squirrels in hunting situations, have gotten shots off at maybe 8 at 100+ yards, why sweat the 125 yard distance, get a gun and go hunting and be thankful if you can get a limit, these days here in wv I can see maybe 2 in a full days hunting.
as far as rifles, I have a couple 22's, a 22 mag, both the 17HM2 and HMR, not a Nichols worth of difference for hunting except cost and how much damage they do. if you choose a 17 HMR use the 20 gr hp's \not nearly as explosive as the 17's
RR
as far as rifles, I have a couple 22's, a 22 mag, both the 17HM2 and HMR, not a Nichols worth of difference for hunting except cost and how much damage they do. if you choose a 17 HMR use the 20 gr hp's \not nearly as explosive as the 17's
RR
Last edited by Ridge Runner; 11-04-2017 at 08:32 AM.
11-04-2017, 08:35 AM
#12
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Kansas
Posts: 3,915
Gotta make a trip out my way, amigo. We're thick as thieves with tree rats the last couple of years! Usually during the day in a deer stand, I'll see a squirrel or two at a time. Most days afield this year I'll see 3 or 4 at a time. I had 6 at once last week. It's almost as bad as as a murder of crows if one starts barking now, as there are just so many!!
Like Ridge said - and I did above - cut your expectations for range. If ammo were easier to find, I'd likely sell a couple of my 22LR's and use 17HM2's exclusively for small game (REALLY want a 4" Ruger SP101 in 17HM2!!) But with their ammo outlook, 22LR or 17HMR are safer bets.
Like Ridge said - and I did above - cut your expectations for range. If ammo were easier to find, I'd likely sell a couple of my 22LR's and use 17HM2's exclusively for small game (REALLY want a 4" Ruger SP101 in 17HM2!!) But with their ammo outlook, 22LR or 17HMR are safer bets.
11-04-2017, 08:39 AM
#13
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Eastern wv
Posts: 3,738
Gotta make a trip out my way, amigo. We're thick as thieves with tree rats the last couple of years! Usually during the day in a deer stand, I'll see a squirrel or two at a time. Most days afield this year I'll see 3 or 4 at a time. I had 6 at once last week. It's almost as bad as as a murder of crows if one starts barking now, as there are just so many!!
Like Ridge said - and I did above - cut your expectations for range. If ammo were easier to find, I'd likely sell a couple of my 22LR's and use 17HM2's exclusively for small game (REALLY want a 4" Ruger SP101 in 17HM2!!) But with their ammo outlook, 22LR or 17HMR are safer bets.
Like Ridge said - and I did above - cut your expectations for range. If ammo were easier to find, I'd likely sell a couple of my 22LR's and use 17HM2's exclusively for small game (REALLY want a 4" Ruger SP101 in 17HM2!!) But with their ammo outlook, 22LR or 17HMR are safer bets.
RR
11-04-2017, 10:17 AM
#14
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: East Coast
Posts: 34
have killed thousands of squirrels in hunting situations, have gotten shots off at maybe 8 at 100+ yards, why sweat the 125 yard distance, get a gun and go hunting and be thankful if you can get a limit, these days here in wv I can see maybe 2 in a full days hunting.
as far as rifles, I have a couple 22's, a 22 mag, both the 17HM2 and HMR, not a Nichols worth of difference for hunting except cost and how much damage they do. if you choose a 17 HMR use the 20 gr hp's \not nearly as explosive as the 17's
RR
as far as rifles, I have a couple 22's, a 22 mag, both the 17HM2 and HMR, not a Nichols worth of difference for hunting except cost and how much damage they do. if you choose a 17 HMR use the 20 gr hp's \not nearly as explosive as the 17's
RR
Gotta make a trip out my way, amigo. We're thick as thieves with tree rats the last couple of years! Usually during the day in a deer stand, I'll see a squirrel or two at a time. Most days afield this year I'll see 3 or 4 at a time. I had 6 at once last week. It's almost as bad as as a murder of crows if one starts barking now, as there are just so many!!
Like Ridge said - and I did above - cut your expectations for range. If ammo were easier to find, I'd likely sell a couple of my 22LR's and use 17HM2's exclusively for small game (REALLY want a 4" Ruger SP101 in 17HM2!!) But with their ammo outlook, 22LR or 17HMR are safer bets.
Like Ridge said - and I did above - cut your expectations for range. If ammo were easier to find, I'd likely sell a couple of my 22LR's and use 17HM2's exclusively for small game (REALLY want a 4" Ruger SP101 in 17HM2!!) But with their ammo outlook, 22LR or 17HMR are safer bets.
11-04-2017, 03:32 PM
#15
Super Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Trumbull County, Ohio
Posts: 9,609
have killed thousands of squirrels in hunting situations, have gotten shots off at maybe 8 at 100+ yards, why sweat the 125 yard distance, get a gun and go hunting and be thankful if you can get a limit, these days here in wv I can see maybe 2 in a full days hunting.
as far as rifles, I have a couple 22's, a 22 mag, both the 17HM2 and HMR, not a Nichols worth of difference for hunting except cost and how much damage they do. if you choose a 17 HMR use the 20 gr hp's \not nearly as explosive as the 17's
RR
as far as rifles, I have a couple 22's, a 22 mag, both the 17HM2 and HMR, not a Nichols worth of difference for hunting except cost and how much damage they do. if you choose a 17 HMR use the 20 gr hp's \not nearly as explosive as the 17's
RR
But now I call it a good day if I get a couple.
Any idea why?
I'm gonna start a new thread so as not to hijack the OPs original topic
-Jake
11-04-2017, 05:16 PM
#17
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Eastern wv
Posts: 3,738
my fave for hunting with a rimfire is a weaver V-classic 4x16 with a 1/4 Moa dot reticle, not good in low light but the dot will just cover a squirrels eye at 100 yards, my Jim Clark custom 10/22 wears an 8x40x56, but it also gets some use in competition.
RR
RR
11-05-2017, 10:50 AM
#18
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Kansas
Posts: 3,915
17HMR will be flatter shooting and more easily managed, and most commonly, it's notably more accurate than 22LR. Much of that credit is often given to the quality of ammunition available for 17HMR vs. 22LR; simply put, you just can't buy cheap bulk ammo for the HMR, like you can for the 22LR. For top quality ammo, it's likely a toss up at 50yrds in a premium rifle, but at 75yrds, the advantage goes to the 17HMR.
11-06-2017, 09:16 AM
#19
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: East Coast
Posts: 34
Squirrel cheek meat is a pretty decent little nugget, and more sizable than most of the cuts you'll get from a vital area. Stay off of the shoulder and it's easy to kill squirrels without tanking any meat.
17HMR will be flatter shooting and more easily managed, and most commonly, it's notably more accurate than 22LR. Much of that credit is often given to the quality of ammunition available for 17HMR vs. 22LR; simply put, you just can't buy cheap bulk ammo for the HMR, like you can for the 22LR. For top quality ammo, it's likely a toss up at 50yrds in a premium rifle, but at 75yrds, the advantage goes to the 17HMR.
17HMR will be flatter shooting and more easily managed, and most commonly, it's notably more accurate than 22LR. Much of that credit is often given to the quality of ammunition available for 17HMR vs. 22LR; simply put, you just can't buy cheap bulk ammo for the HMR, like you can for the 22LR. For top quality ammo, it's likely a toss up at 50yrds in a premium rifle, but at 75yrds, the advantage goes to the 17HMR.
Any good scopes? I'm looking for a scope <$150 or even <$100 since I'm shooting only about 80 yards out max. Just needs to be easy to sight in and accurate (if there are any faults with where I hit I want to be able to know it's me, not the scope, since fixing your aim is better than buying a new scope).
