new to squirrel hunting

[stillborn]

I have a mossberg pump 12 gauge, but I am kinda wanting to try out my H&R 12 gauge.  Its an old Topper model, and the barrel measured out to be 27 1/2"  .... but I guess with the shell sitting in there it might be a 24 inch barrel or something like that.  Is that a decent barrel length to go knocking those little guys out of the trees?  Ive read posts from people using everything from #8 shot up to #4 shot.  What kind of squirrel calls do yall like?  Any of yall use an H&R 12 gauge?  Hows the kick?


Thanks,

stillborn

[S.S.]

the heavier the shot the less you will bite down on at dinner
I use no smaller than #4. but I use a 410.

[Hank08]

Squirrels are tough little buggers, use #4 shot and yes I killed many squirrels with an old Topper as a kid.  Darn thing used to open up when I fired it and the case would pop out.
Barrel length doesn't matter.  It's the choke that counts, you want a full choke.  I killed my 1st squirrel with my Dads help holding an old H&R .410 Handigun 12" barrel when I was 3.
Squirrel was almost straight up over us and the recoil busted up my lip then the squirrel fell out right on top of us.  No squirrels here in Utah, I really miss my squirrel hunting.
H08

[Ladobe]

No squirrels in Utah?   Maybe not any of the species that most folks normally consider the eattin' kind, but there is tons of squirrel hunting in Utah, both of the tree and digger varieties, and some of them are fine eatting.   

Takes more of them to make a meal than their eastern relatives maybe, and for sure than the western Grays, but the Red squirrels (also called Pine or wrongly Douglas squirrels) are abundant in the right habitats in Utah.   They can be hunted year round with no bag or possession limits and are quite tasty.   Way, way back when I ran deep snow winter trap lines along the North Fork/Upper Provo and Hayden Fork I commonly walked up lots of Reds scolding me from their tree perches that were dispatched with either a rimfire pistol or rifle for the cook pot.   

[stillborn]

Well I think the shotty has a Modified choke.  It says Mod on the barrel so... That wont mess me up to bad will it?



stillborn

[S.S.]

No squirrels! I feel for ya' Hank!
How do you handle it? nerve pills? alcohol?
heres ya' a picture of a nice little Georgia Gray.
maybe seeing one may help a little.
17Hm2 does a number on em'

[single action]

Your topper will do fine for squirrel even with a modified choke. First set up a pattern board somewhere and try some different loads, sizes of shot ect, and find out which load patterns best at different ranges. once you find out where the gun is shooting, you can adjust your aim to try to keep most of the shot in the head. I used to hunt with a muzzleoading 12 ga that had open chokes, but I got pretty good with it and rarely got much shot in edible areas. Now I use a .410 with a full choke, and I still get a pellet or 2 where it shouldnt be from time to time.
good luck, have fun and be safe.

[Mack in N.C.]

i have a nef 12 gauge with a 28 in mod barrel....i only use 4's, 5's or 6's for squirrels , but when i use this gun i also bring some 2 3/4 steel #4's as they will shoot in that mod barrel like it was a full choke if i have a squirrel pinned way up a big tall tree..............usually donrt even need to use the steels......dont do that in an old gun, this is a fairly new gun.....i usually squirrel hunt with a 20 ga with full choke......mack

[lil_hunter12]

i use a maverick pump 12 gauge and modified of full depending on shot size i have. i use 4,5,6 with modified or anything i can get in full choke and i very rarely lose a squirrel or tear them up to the point where they are no longer edible.

[Old Fart]

Will they not let you hunt squirrels with a rimfire in your neck of the woods?

That's all I ever used.   Just curious is all.
I never seen a need for a shotgun, unless they grow a lot bigger in your neck of the woods.

OF

[ms]

My grandfather was the best squirrel hunter I knew. He would sit by a tree in camo and shoot them with a 22.  He told me not to be walking and shooting the squirrel would win.

[lil_hunter12]

i can use a rimfire and used one for a couple years and most of this season i exclusively used a .22 handgun. but i ran out of ammo and the only place to buy ammo within 20 miles of me is closed so i have been using a shotgun.

[S.S.]

mail order some if you don't live in one of the communist states.