22lr rifle for squirrel hunting

Davidk

Davidk

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A neighbor is looking for a 22 rifle for squirrel hunting out to 75 yards.

I was thinking a S&W M&P 22, Savage MKII FV-SR or Ruger 10/22 but I have no experience with them. How accurate are they out to 75 yards? Do they need high end ammo to be accurate?
 
Suppressed or unsuppressed?

The standard choice for an unsuppressed squirrel rifle would be a 10/22. I wouldn't suggest the Savage FV-SR because the bull barrel would become tiresome to walk around with -- unless he's suppressing the rifle and isn't moving around a lot. A M&P15-22 is a bit overkill unless he intend to bag a lot of squirrels. I've only shot one M&P15-22, it was a range pig, and it had FTEs somewhat regularly.

The best all-things-considered choice is a 10/22.

Another option would be a .36 caliber muzzleloader if he's going for the joy of hunting more than volume of fire and pest control.
 
i would go with a lever or bolt action over an autoloader for many reasons, one of which is can run quiet ammo and not need ear pro.
 
Probably any of them could work, if he can find which ammo it likes. True target ammo will usually shoot well, but there's probably a cheaper ammo that would work almost as well if he's willing to find out what it is.
M&P22 would be my third choice because of the trigger. I haven't shot one with a great one yet.
10-22 would be second. For tree rats at 75 I'd get a volquartsen sear for it and figure out what it's happy ammo is
Mk II would be my pick. Accutrigger adjusted, shimmed and with a pen spring is pretty nice, and it'll shoot. It may need the magazine tweaked to feed reliably, rimfire Central has a couple threads on that. Doable home project level tweaks.

If he stumbles across a used CZ 452, that would be perfect.
 
ED673D62-7FC1-43EF-AF6D-A44ADBA2E0D9.jpeg I have the perfect rifle in the classifieds. Savage B22 FV with a mueller scope. Ready to deal. I have the threaded barrel model I’m keeping but this one is more accurate. A couple of bulk ammo 50 yard targets attached. Mini mags, Fed 38 grain and Aquila std velocity.

Edit: just realized OP is in Missouri, so his neighbor must be lol. Someone else buy this awesome rifle!!
 

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Air rifles work fine if it's in a populated area. Peanut butter in a trap does all the work for you.
 
10/22.

I’m not world class and don’t buy match grade anything, but mine will consistently make one hole out of a magazine.


Or go big - I’ve got a Mosin in the classifieds.
 
Davidk said:
A neighbor is looking for a 22 rifle for squirrel hunting out to 75 yards.

I was thinking a S&W M&P 22, Savage MKII FV-SR or Ruger 10/22 but I have no experience with them. How accurate are they out to 75 yards? Do they need high end ammo to be accurate?
Click to expand...
Where will he be hunting squirrels? If it is in mass keep in mind that zones 10-14 are shotgun only on grey squirrel. 1-9 he can use rifle and handgun of any caliber unless it's on wma property stocked with pheasant during the open season on pheasant which would be shotgun only. Make sure to tell him to read the regs.....they are very detailed and can be confusing. In mass even on his property he will need a hunting license and have to obey season and daily limits as well as hunting implement rules. Grey squirrel is a regulated game animal in mass.....not sure about the other new new eng states.

After all that is said......a 10-22 with a decent scope will work very well with almost any ammo out to 75 yards. If he has never owned a 22 rifle it takes practice at the range to be accurate. The trajectory of 22lr is quite an arc.......hell need to figure out his holds high or low at distances between 25 yards and 100 yards.......22lr is NOT a flat shooting bullet. If the rifle is zeroed at 25 yards......it will hit very high at 50 yards for example. A 22 rifle is not something you just put the cross hairs on a squirrels head and squeeze the trigger.

my go to gun is a shotgun for squirrel.
 
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It would be hard to buy a .22 rifle that wasn't accurate enough for squirrels. I have a few, including a couple of 10-22s, but an old bolt-action Remington is a favorite, and it shoots CB caps, shorts and shot shells just fine.
 
Woodstock said:
It would be hard to buy a .22 rifle that wasn't accurate enough for squirrels. I have a few, including a couple of 10-22s, but an old bolt-action Remington is a favorite, and it shoots CB caps, shorts and shot shells just fine.
Click to expand...
 
Squirrels zone is about 1" so your accuracy needs to be spot on. If your really trying to poke tree rats at 75 yards first you need to find/see them. Then if your harvesting them you need a kill shot. You hit a lower body through and through shot you most likely wont find him.
I used my old glenfield 25 growing up with 22 shorts out to about 35 yards tops.
 
Davidk said:
A neighbor is looking for a 22 rifle for squirrel hunting out to 75 yards.

I was thinking a S&W M&P 22, Savage MKII FV-SR or Ruger 10/22 but I have no experience with them. How accurate are they out to 75 yards? Do they need high end ammo to be accurate?
Click to expand...
Savage MKII is low priced, solid, very accurate and reliable. My 6 year old daughter got one for her first rifle. She loves it. The scope that I chose for it is a fixed 4X Leupold.
 
There is something very sexy about a wood stocked .22 bolt-gun in the Autumn Forests. Brings us back to Our roots...

iu
 
I’m a fan of the CZ rimfires. For a stationary stand varmint/hunting rifle I have a glassed CZ455 Tacticool w/ Timney trigger with a heavy 16” barrel wearing a MaskHD. Using CCI Standard or CCI subsonicHP. As a walk around woods/field gun for squirrel and rabbit. I specifically bought a CZ 455 Trainer bolt action. Iron sights but has the Mauser adjustable rear sight that is actually accurately calibrated for distance adjustments with my ammo. I put a J&P ghost ring peep on. Comes with Hogback stock and a 24.8” barrel. Wanted the long barrel for the iron sight radius. I run it with Eley High Velocity HP for hunting.

455 Equivalent of this. CZ 457 Training Rifle - CZ-USA

Editing to add. I have a MKII FV-SR as well and really like it. It wears a Tacticool stock pillar bedded and another MaskHD. Apachee trigger it has is super light. It’s too heavy wearing its glass for walking around the woods in my opinion. If you’re doing a stationary stand it is great. Mine loves CCI SV about 1/2” @50yds w/5 shots. so a nice reasonably priced ammo with reasonable accuracy. Most squirrel hunters seem to try for head shots with a 22 to save the meat.

Maybe try a KIDD built rifle?
 
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I thought a true squirrel rifle was a .36 flintlock.

Actually, I’d love to hunt with a beautiful old squirrel rifle. Too bad I only see reasonably priced muzzle loaders in deer calibers. I’ve got to look harder.
 
mac1911 said:
Squirrels zone is about 1" so your accuracy needs to be spot on. If your really trying to poke tree rats at 75 yards first you need to find/see them. Then if your harvesting them you need a kill shot. You hit a lower body through and through shot you most likely wont find him.
I used my old glenfield 25 growing up with 22 shorts out to about 35 yards tops.
Click to expand...
This /\/\/\ .
99.9% have no business sniping at squirrels at 75 yards unless from a solid rest.
 

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