Bunnies and Squirrels watch out

[Daman]

Deer season ends here in AL this weekend . I have drug out the old 410 and 20 cleaned em up and bought my shells. No bunny or squirrel will be safe until sunset Feb. 28!!!! I will be shooting 3" #6's in my single shot 410 --- it loves those 3" shells (don't ask me why) and my wife will be shooting low brass #6 field loads out of the single 20. 

Daman

[spikehorn]

I just picked up a 28ga from another member here on GBO. Got my first squirel with it last Saturday. Good luck and Good hunting.

[Daman]

Spikehorn

All this 28 gauge talk has me thinking that I may get one in the coming months for next squirrel season. It is the only shotgun I don't have other than a 10 gauge. I will have to wrap this season up with the 410 though.

Daman

[spikehorn]

I found winchester 28ga 7 1/2 shot at my local walmart for 10.98 a box

[murphdog]

How many of you hunt squirrels with 7 1/2 shot?  I've always used 6's (in my 12 gauge), but its hard to find 6's for my 28 ga.  Will 7 1/2 work?
Duane

[murphdog]

I should have added, we have both fox squirrels and gray squirrels where I hunt, if that affects shot size.
Duane

[plumberroy]

I have killed a bunch of fox squirrel with #7 1/2 winchester AA's
Roy

[bobg]

    I never used 7 1/2 shot for squirrels. Always used 4 or 6. I thought 7 1/2 worked great for rabbits. spikehorn has my 28 ga. Wasn't impressed with it at all. 20ga. sure kills a lot better. That is just my opinion from 50 years of hunting rabbits.
           bobg

[Daman]

I like 4's or 6's in the 410 and low brass 6's or 7 1/2's in the 20. I don't shoot squirrels with the 12. I think the 7 1/2's are a little weak in the 410 from my experiences.

Daman

[spikehorn]

I found winchester 28ga 7 1/2 shot at my local walmart for 10.98 a box

That was more of a comment that I was supprised to find 28ga shells at walmart. I didn't intend for it to start a shot size debate! for the 20ga I buy whatever walmart has in the 100 round value packs I think they are 7 1/2s and have killed plenty of squirel,rabbit and starlings with them. The red squirel I got with the 28ga was with #6 shot that bob gave me when I bought the gun. With the 28ga I can see how you would want shot that was a little heavier for squirel.

[bobg]

   spikehorn. What are you going to use the 28ga. for?  What little it was shot was done by my grand daughter. She loved it. I bought her a 20ga. and she didn't like it.
  bobg

[mspaci]

i relly like the 20 pardner & in fact that is all I use for running rabbits with my beagles. Plenty of power & range but not the kick of a 12. I use low brass cheap shells also.  Mike

[spikehorn]

   spikehorn. What are you going to use the 28ga. for?  What little it was shot was done by my grand daughter. She loved it. I bought her a 20ga. and she didn't like it.
  bobg

Bob nothing specific you offered it and I was interested, I like it though. Added to my handi collection. What 20ga did you get for her, does it have a youth stock? that might make all the diffrence to her.

[bobg]

  spikehorn, I took her in the local gun shop and ask them to show her some 20ga. He showed her a bunch of them.  She picked out an old Western Auto pump gun. Said that was the one she wanted. I have shot it a lot. She said it kicked to hard. Maybe it does. not sure but then i am use to shooting a 12ga.
              bobg

[Froghunter]

Being we are talking about hunting the rabbits, Tomorrow I'm going to take a vacation day every Friday in Febraury to hunt the wabbits. I like to use number six shot for hunting both. I haven't had any luck using 7.5 for squirrels. I don't use my .410 bore to hunt squirrels, but use it sometimes to hunt rabbits. I use # 8 shot in 2.5" when using the 410 becuase, I hunt over beagles. My squirrel and rabbit gun is the 20 ga. Shorty. I reload so I can loaded 11/16 oz to 1 1/8 oz of shot. My Shorty has the 22" youth barrel with screw in chokes and I can tailor the load to choke to range. Well to all enjoy your small game season and hoping you jump a covey of quail while you hunting the rabbits.

Froghunter

[Daman]

Good luck with those rabbits Froghunter. I killed two yesterday evening in the yard after work. The wife got mad for killing the "pets" LOL!, but they are going to be good eating. The only bad part is that I just don't get the thrill out shooting two with the single six at 10 steps as opposed to shooting at one running 90 to nothing through a swamp!

Daman

[plumberroy]

   I never used 7 1/2 shot for squirrels. Always used 4 or 6. I thought 7 1/2 worked great for rabbits. spikehorn has my 28 ga. Wasn't impressed with it at all. 20ga. sure kills a lot better. That is just my opinion from 50 years of hunting rabbits.
           bobg

I won't use the cheap shells with 7 1/2 shot for squirrels but winchester AA's are hardened shot and do fine. I have a full camo 12ga H&R with a 24" barrel and a fixed full choke. with AA's it throws real tight patterns   switching to cheap shells open up the pattern quite a bit. It is nearly as much change as changing a choke tube on a shotgun
Roy

[spikehorn]

  spikehorn, I took her in the local gun shop and ask them to show her some 20ga. He showed her a bunch of them.  She picked out an old Western Auto pump gun. Said that was the one she wanted. I have shot it a lot. She said it kicked to hard. Maybe it does. not sure but then i am use to shooting a 12ga.
              bobg

The walmart near me that still sells guns has pardner youth 20ga with 22" bbl $119. It's kinda funny cause I think my mossberg 500 20ga kicks more than my 20ga TDC.