Squirrel hunting with a .38 Special

bamthetrashman · 05-03-2011

Hello all,

This is probably a dumb question, but I have been wondering this for a while. Has anyone ever shot a squirrel with a .38 special?

The reason I ask is because I have .357 Marlin lever and I was thinking I could get even more use out of it if I load it with 38's and take it squirrel hunting. I checked the DNR hunting regulations and I couldn't find anything that said .38 specials are illegal. If someone knows something I don't about legallity, please let me know.

Thanks for the responses

kickbacked · 05-03-2011

seems rather overkill but i am sure it will do the job, why not just get a .22 or a pellet gun?

jmiller676 · 05-03-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by bamthetrashman

Hello all,

This is probably a dumb question, but I have been wondering this for a while. Has anyone ever shot a squirrel with a .38 special?

The reason I ask is because I have .357 Marlin lever and I was thinking I could get even more use out of it if I load it with 38's and take it squirrel hunting. I checked the DNR hunting regulations and I couldn't find anything that said .38 specials are illegal. If someone knows something I don't about legallity, please let me know.

Thanks for the responses

Legal, yes. Necessary...not really but to each his own.

billyboyr6 · 05-03-2011

I say shoot them tree rats with whatever is available at the moment. The question is, do you Plan to eat them? If so, you are gonna have a mess tring to clean them. Even with head shots, that makes for a bloody mess. What's it gonna hurt to try?

bamthetrashman · 05-03-2011

I agree billyboy, I am just gonna try and see what happens. I do plan on eating them, but I have a feeling if I shoot them with a RN FP that there wouldn't be much, if any, expansion of the bullet, so there should just be a .38 inch hole in the squirrel.

I guess I have a summer project now... finding a low power .38 special load that shoots well.

woodsie57 · 05-04-2011

Try factory .38 wadcutters,[not semi-wadcutters] if you dont reload. They're meant for max. accuracy, which you'll need, and loaded slow enough that they dont expand at all. Same or less meat damage as you'll see with a .22 h.v. hollowpoint. Big "if" will be accuracy from your individual gun.

Indy_Guy_77 · 05-04-2011

I prefer to use the .416 Rigby for squirrel ~~kill~~....er....hunting.

x10 · 05-04-2011

Its a great Idea it sharpens your skill on a nucience animal that can be eaten. When I was hunting with my 35 rem contender I had a super light load that used 158's and I hunted with those and you could save the hind legs for a meal so that just meant you had to kill extra's,

schapm · 05-04-2011

A while back I read an article in Backwoodsman magazine about hunting small game with a .38 special revolver. As mentioned above, the article recommended using wadcutters so as not to damage the meat.

kolob10 · 05-04-2011

Many years ago, I would hunt rabbit with my S&W model 14 using a light loaded wadcutter. The gun was extremely accurate and meat destruction was minimal. Most of the rabbit shots I took were sitting rabbitts along a railroad track roadbed. I did manage to hit a few runners from time to time. This was not a stunt as I was just a kid and the rabbit meat was a welcomed addition to a meager grocery budget. I could handload for very little as I cast free wheelweights for bullets and primer/powder was very cheap in those days. Good shooting.

05-03-2011	#1 (permalink)
bamthetrashman Plinker Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 71	Squirrel hunting with a .38 Special Hello all, This is probably a dumb question, but I have been wondering this for a while. Has anyone ever shot a squirrel with a .38 special? The reason I ask is because I have .357 Marlin lever and I was thinking I could get even more use out of it if I load it with 38's and take it squirrel hunting. I checked the DNR hunting regulations and I couldn't find anything that said .38 specials are illegal. If someone knows something I don't about legallity, please let me know. Thanks for the responses

05-03-2011	#4 (permalink)
billyboyr6 Sharpshooter Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: greenfield Posts: 875	I say shoot them tree rats with whatever is available at the moment. The question is, do you Plan to eat them? If so, you are gonna have a mess tring to clean them. Even with head shots, that makes for a bloody mess. What's it gonna hurt to try? __________________ "Every man dies, but not every man really lives".

05-04-2011	#8 (permalink)
x10 Expert Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Martinsville, IN Posts: 1,900	Its a great Idea it sharpens your skill on a nucience animal that can be eaten. When I was hunting with my 35 rem contender I had a super light load that used 158's and I hunted with those and you could save the hind legs for a meal so that just meant you had to kill extra's, __________________ An illegal alien, a Muslim and a Communist go into a bar. The bartender asks, "What can I get you, Mr. President?"

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05-03-2011	#2 (permalink)
kickbacked Sharpshooter Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 974	seems rather overkill but i am sure it will do the job, why not just get a .22 or a pellet gun?

05-03-2011	#5 (permalink)
bamthetrashman Plinker Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 71	I agree billyboy, I am just gonna try and see what happens. I do plan on eating them, but I have a feeling if I shoot them with a RN FP that there wouldn't be much, if any, expansion of the bullet, so there should just be a .38 inch hole in the squirrel. I guess I have a summer project now... finding a low power .38 special load that shoots well.

05-04-2011	#6 (permalink)
woodsie57 Marksman Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Morgan Co. Posts: 359	Try factory .38 wadcutters,[not semi-wadcutters] if you dont reload. They're meant for max. accuracy, which you'll need, and loaded slow enough that they dont expand at all. Same or less meat damage as you'll see with a .22 h.v. hollowpoint. Big "if" will be accuracy from your individual gun.

05-04-2011	#9 (permalink)
schapm +P+ Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: MSG2-Downtown Lafayette Posts: 560	A while back I read an article in Backwoodsman magazine about hunting small game with a .38 special revolver. As mentioned above, the article recommended using wadcutters so as not to damage the meat.

05-04-2011	#10 (permalink)
kolob10 Marksman Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Beautiful Southern Indiana Posts: 320	Many years ago, I would hunt rabbit with my S&W model 14 using a light loaded wadcutter. The gun was extremely accurate and meat destruction was minimal. Most of the rabbit shots I took were sitting rabbitts along a railroad track roadbed. I did manage to hit a few runners from time to time. This was not a stunt as I was just a kid and the rabbit meat was a welcomed addition to a meager grocery budget. I could handload for very little as I cast free wheelweights for bullets and primer/powder was very cheap in those days. Good shooting.