Squirrel hunting with a .38 Special

[Jack Ryan]

And THIS is how we know that the whole "Shotguns only for deer" BS is just that...BS. Not at all about any safety for anyone else. Just a bunch of old hooey.

-J-

Oh yes, we know it because this thread is just chocked full of "genius" here buddy. Somebody should send a link to DNR so they can find the guys who REALLY know what they are talking about.

 

[x10]

Darnit this is America and we build Dodge Darts with 440's in them we sure as heck can shoot a squirell with a 38.

More power to you, use full load 357 if you want

You keep to the 4 rules and everything will be fine

 

[dtkw]

I'd use my 458 socom to kill but wonder what is left afterward....

 

[philagothon]

I've used a .223 with a 62grn Barnes TSX because the scope on my .22 had taken a bump. My father-in-law got tired of watching the tree rat laugh at me when I would simply hit the bark near it. A double lung shot left the front legs hanging by a sliver of skin. BTW, all four rules were closely followed and the meat that was left was quite good.

 

[woodsie57]

Trouble here is all the experts on the subject who've never done it. Having lots of posts doesn't make you knowledgable

 

[shooter1054]

Of course we're all experts here. This is the internet. Where have you been?

 

[x10]

Don't engage him,

The post is about a guy wanting to use 38 to hunt with, several people have used 38 and other non traditional firearms.

and enjoyed their hunting experience and the heart of this post is using the firearm you want to legally hunt a game animal that is plentiful to the point of nuisance.

If a person wants to be proficient with their firearm the best way to do it is to figure out how to use it more.

Keep the post on subject

 

[bamthetrashman]

I think these are all great posts. I agree with most that a 22 would be the ideal rifle to use, however, I do not have a 22 rifle and I really like shooting the Marlin. Because of my marlinitis, I want to be able to get more use out of the rifle and have more chances to take it in the woods and use it for something other than paper punching. The main reason I started this post was so that I could see if anyone had actual experience shooting a squirrel with a .38 and if they could explicitaly tell me not to do it because of "x" reason. Now that I know that other people have done it, or would do it, I will definently be taking out some tree rats with some .38's. If I can hit a tree rat with a .38, I can definently take a buck with a .357.

Thanks for the replies!

 

[cosermann]

Go for it. One of the nice things about the .357 lever guns is that they're not only decent deer guns, but they also make nifty plinkers and small game guns with .38 solids.

 

[tyrajam]

Good, you'll enjoy it. I spent a my younger years in Oregon, and taking a 2-3 day hike in the backcountry was one of the staples of my summers. Ny k38 revolver was my favorite trail gun, I liked it because it was biiger than a 22 in case a black bear or a cougar got the munchies in the middle of the night (which of course was never an issue, just made me feel better in the dark). It did however put squirrels and grouse in the pot. Up until the 17 rimfires came out, I would bet the 38spl was the second most popular squirrel cartridge. The standard load was 158gr at about 750 fps and around 200 ft/lbs of energy-at the muzzle. An average squirrel hunter shooting a 22lr is sending a 40gr bullet at about 1250fps with 140 ft/lbs of energy.
Anyone comparing squirrel hunting with a 38 to someone shooting rodents with a high power centerfire rifle has obviously never done it, never seen it, and not very good at math.

 

[sloughfoot]

The traditional "squirrel rifle" was a 36 caliber flintlock or percussion cap rifle shooting a round lead ball.

I'm thinking the 38 full wadcutter is the modern equivalant.

Have fun. If it doesn't work well, you will figure that out right quick.

 

[woodsie57]

I'm feelin' bad. Now that I know hunting small game with low power .38's is comparable to using a high powered rifle, I realize I need to quit hunting and spend more time on the internet.

 

[lon]

Trouble here is all the experts on the subject who've never done it. Having lots of posts doesn't make you knowledgable

Gets old doesn't it. Why would one feel the need to flap their crack in every thread?

I used to hunt squirrel with my 4" S&W 586 with good results...just get close enough. I was shooting handloads ( 158 SWC/ 3gr.of 231) and practicing at a target the size of a squirrels head. When I could hit the target 5 out of 6 times, I would move back 5 feet. 40 feet is good enough if your a hunter and get a little lucky

 

[calcot7]

Hey, if you can't hit em' with a .22, use 12 ga. deer slugs!

 

[cosermann]

The traditional "squirrel rifle" was a 36 caliber flintlock or percussion cap rifle shooting a round lead ball.
. . .

Exactly.

 

[DanO]

Somebody has post-count envy....

OP have fun with the full wadcutters!! Good way to stay sharp with your deer gun! The Brits used to make "Rook guns" which they carried to shoot crows (rook) and small game for the pot. They were often in 32 and 38 caliber and low-powered so as not to travel too far in populated hamlets. Think of yours as an American rook gun.

 

[nate1865]

Why not? I've used .223 to try and get them from longer range. Makes it more fun and challenging, but those shots didn't leave much animal to munch on.

 

[shooter1054]

Some posts are made with tongue firmly planted in cheek.

 

[TiminMishawaka]

The traditional "squirrel rifle" was a 36 caliber flintlock or percussion cap rifle shooting a round lead ball.

I was just about to say the same thing. People still do that and no one bats an eye. Go for it.

 

[sloughfoot]

This thread has gotten me to thinking about hunting tree rats with traditional squirrel gun. I think maybe it would be fun to re-learn what those folks took for granted.