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which is better

3K views 18 replies 18 participants last post by  Sandman 
#1 ·
Is 40gr. better than 36gr. to use for squirrel hunting? I am just thinking that the 40gr will eject out of the barrel better and faster i would like some thoughts on this.
 
#5 ·
for squirrel i would prefer a 40 grain solid so it would have less potential of tearing up the little rascals. grain weight wont matter much, neither will velocity if the ammo is not accurate or, not reliable in the gun you plan to use. i'd say pic something thats accurate over something that has good specs on paper
 
#6 ·
For tree'd squirrels, I prefer a .32 cal. 47 grain round ball over 40 grains of black powder in my ol' squirrel rifle. Just shoot the bark under the critter's chin and bonk them over the head with something before they wake up. A friend used to grab them by the tail and smack them against a tree until he got a bit through the thumbnail--now he bonks them on the head. No damaged meat. This won't work too well with a .22
 
#7 ·
What is funny is the Aberts tree squirrels are much tougher to clean than the others I have seen in the videos on youtube. There is just no way to just pull the hide off like the video shows. We don't really see a lot of damage to the meat from the 36gr bullets. If it is a center mass head shot it does tend to really open up things (see middle squirrel in above photo)
 
#8 ·
There's such a huge variety of loads in both bullet weights that it means next to nothing to only indicate the weight. Look at the HP cavity on a bulk Federal load #750, and compare it to the cavity on a BVAC or Armscor 36 gr. HP. Most 40 gr. bullets are solids, but the CCI Velocitor is a gold dot HP.
Much more importantly, your rifle will shoot much better with just one particular load and bullet.
If I were shooting squirrels with my rifles, I would be using the Aguila 38 gr. sub sonic HP.
 
#9 ·
Many many many moons ago I bought into the high velocity HP schtick and tried it. After that box was gone and after tearing up a few Jack rabbits with them I went back to standard velocity LRN 40 grain bullets and never looked back. Same logic holds today. I want to eat the meat, not have to scrape it off a nasty looking hunk of hide. Rabbit, pigeon, squirrel, all same bullet, clean hole in, dead critter, meat in the pot. First criteria is clean kill and that means the most accurate stick together bullet you can lay your hands on.

They call me biased but I'm also well fed. :D
 
#11 ·
Agree with what holds the best group for the fact there isnt much room for error on a tree rat. Also agree with the 40gr. as it doesnt tear up as much on the "varmint" compared to the 36gr.
 
#14 ·
I haven't done much tree rat hunting in years. I used to use 40gr solids back when it was a daily thing though...the cheap Rem Thunderbolts grouped superbly out of my old Model60 so that's what I used.

On cottontails, I prefer HP though...just in case I can't get a head shot. Those little buggers are tough to anchor with a .22LR solid!
 
#15 ·
There's such a huge variety of loads in both bullet weights that it means next to nothing to only indicate the weight. Look at the HP cavity on a bulk Federal load #750, and compare it to the cavity on a BVAC or Armscor 36 gr. HP. Most 40 gr. bullets are solids, but the CCI Velocitor is a gold dot HP.
Much more importantly, your rifle will shoot much better with just one particular load and bullet.
If I were shooting squirrels with my rifles, I would be using the Aguila 38 gr. sub sonic HP.
For hunting I use the Aguila 38 grain HP subs. The hollowpoint really does not expand and they are very accurate rounds without paying the $8.00+ a box for match ammo.......
 
#16 ·
For tree'd squirrels, I prefer a .32 cal. 47 grain round ball over 40 grains of black powder in my ol' squirrel rifle. Just shoot the bark under the critter's chin and bonk them over the head with something before they wake up. A friend used to grab them by the tail and smack them against a tree until he got a bit through the thumbnail--now he bonks them on the head. No damaged meat. This won't work too well with a .22
I do this all the time buffalochip, We call it barking the squirrel. I actually did it by accident with a 22 missed the squirrel and it bounced off the tree and knocked it clean out of the tree. I havent actually put a bullet in a squirrel for many years now and like you mentioned no meat damaged, Just a knocked out squirrel.
 
#17 ·
My rifles shoot Fed Auto Match very well. Not quite over the speed of sound, one shot one kill if I do my job. Just a titch high at 25 yrds and I can pretty well eye of squirrel out to 70 yd.s. It is surprising how many shots are out b/t 40 and 60 yards. Squirrels seem to be getting wary. I was humbled yesterday though, I missed two inside 30 yards off hand. Also made 2 nice shots at 35-40 yd.s. Pretty fox squirrels. One in the neck and out the top - looking at me, and the second in a pine cone and out the top of the head.

I have shot 40 grain solids for the better part of 55 years for rabbits, squirrels, gophers, crows, black birds, pigeons, etc. Never saw a need for anything different. df
 
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