Your hunting squirrels you have a shotgun what gauge AND shot size would you use????

Savage model 24 V


.22 mag in the top barrel, .410, #4 shot in the bottom.Your hunting squirrels you have a shotgun what gauge AND shot size would you use????
20 Gauge #6 shot*Your hunting squirrels you have a shotgun what gauge AND shot size would you use????
Actually any shotgun is ok to use...with 12 gage (guage) (either spelling is correct~!!!) use a low brass number 6 or 7 birdshot so as to not spoil meat. At ranges most squirrels are shot, 20 or 12 won't matter much. at 30-50 feet (up in a tree) the 20 puts nearly as many shot in a foot square area as a 12. The .410 will cause you to lose more squirrels, unless you really aim well. IT only takes a pellet or two to kill a squirrel, but you need enough pellets to knock them out of the tree. They have a way of locking their claws in times and will hang on even after they are dead.





If you are in an area where you can safely do this, I recommend a scoped 22LR where you can do head shots.





By the way, a powerful pellet gun which will shoot at 900-1100 fps is an excellant way to hunt squirrel. It's quiet, and much safer than using a 22.
Summer / early fall : 20 ga modified with 2 3/4 #6 high brass





Late fall / winter: 12 ga modified or full with high brass 5's
I do all my squirell hunting with a 22lr but when teaching kids, I teach them with a single shot youth .410
the best and most fun would be with a 410 and use bird shot # 7.. Or a 20 gaugealso #7 shot... Good lucik Grant M in Pennsylvania
my first choice is always my 22 rifle and a bullet, but if i had to use a shotgun it would be a .410 with 4 or 6 shot. i used to kill lots of them in my youth with that combination
i would suggest #6 #8 shot,you dont want your squirrel full of lead,its best to shoot squirrel with a .22 caliber,its up to you what guage ya wanna use
I have hunted squirrels with all types o weapons and while I prefer a .22 that really is not your question.





Shotgun wise, use what you have. I prefer 6's with 2 3/4 shells in 20 or 12 guage. I think they get through the leaves better that 7 1/2 or 8's and leave fewer holes in those little critters.
Personally, I like a 20 ga. with #5 or #6 shot. Any of the gauges will do the job for you but .410 sure puts out a small amount of shot so you'd better be a good shot to get squirrrels with a .410. Many use them and bring home squirrles but those who are successful are pretty darn good with a shotgun. One reason that I like a 20 ga. is that it is light and you don't get tired carrying it through the woods. It puts out enough shot to do the job even if you aren't the best shotgunner in the world. 16 ga. and 28 ga. are both great guns but shells aren't as readily available. You'd be hard put to beat a 12 ga for most any kind of shotgun hunting. But I'll still stick with my light little 20 ga. for squirrles.
And you want to hunt an innocent little squirrel why? Haha, if only the squirrels had guns too...





~ allie
a .410 or a 20 gauge with bird shot.
20 gauge w/bird shot anything bigger you wont have a squirrel left at the end. i have to agree though 22LR is preferred
I use a .410 with either 4 or 6 shot. Then I point the muzzle a few inches in front of the squirrels nose. Very few, if any, pieces of shot will be in the front legs of the squirrel.
Either a 12 or a 20 bore will do, with #6 shot. Even a 28 guage is fine if you aren't bloodthirsty about it.
410 with birdshot is just about the only shotgun you could use but actually your way better off using a .22 with a scope
I used to use a 12 gauge with 6 shot, but i now use my .22 because its more of a challenge and you dont have to dig pellets out of meat.
favorite is a 12 gauge #5 shot, and if squirrels had guns too they would be little, and more of a challenge, give the animals guns take away safety orange on hunters and laws on calibers and action types (PA is no semis) and lets party!!!
410 bird shoot
.410 gauge(3'; shells),20 gauge,or 12 gauge with High Brass #6 shot
.22 and a headshot will save you some cleaning, outside of that prob .410 or 20
well if i had either i would use a .410 or a 20 guage...with 2 3/4 trap loads with 7 1/2 shot....but if u hand a .22 rifle they make .22 shotshells that have between 15 and 30 peices of shot in in and its kind of like a shotgun...but not very accurate...
i use my grandfathers 12 gauge single shot with 4 shot full brass for all small game. it doesn't do as much damage as people think, though.


good luck
Forget the shotgun, use a flamethrower. Much more entertaining.