These 10 choices of the best squirrel gun will help you become a small sniper in the woods
Author: T. Edward Nickens | Released at 2:00 PM, August 16, 2021
Not every rimfire rifle has a bullseye that shoots squirrels down from the top of a tall oak tree 75 yards away. These squirrel gun recommendations are indeed the case. Some people rely on time-tested mechanisms that have made squirrels stupid for five years. The others just came out of the design room. What they have in common is accuracy and portability. After all, no one wants to drag a 9-pound iron in the squirrel forest.
When it comes to squirrel rifles, there is a basic rule: the gun must be an autoloader. I have played bolt action games and I will not go back. Those guns were too fast, and they stopped too fast, the time for the second shot was too short, there was no need to worry about pulling the bolts. You can do whatever you want. The autoloader is mine.
After that, it's the trigger and barrel.
I have some great rimfire factory triggers. But too little. If your rifle has a smooth, non-creeping, crisp trigger pull, keep it. If not, please use an aftermarket trigger like Timney Trigger, or drag your squirrel sniper to the gun manufacturer for some springs and Sear TLC. When the target group is small, few things have a greater impact.
If you still have some coins shaking, you can consider a barrel exchange. Tension buckets are all the rage, I love mine. They are ultra-lightweight, stiffer than traditional barrels, and can suppress vibrations that can derail the edge-shot bullets. But when it comes to those longer shots, there must be an argument for a heavier rifle. A few years ago, I went too far on this road with a heavy bolted edge fire. I am afraid of carrying beasts. Now, every time I hit the squirrel forest, there will be an automatic loader, the trigger is as crisp as an icy Granny Smith apple and a Voltquartsen THM barrel.
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Most squirrel guns are bolted rifles, because a strong bolt lock will naturally result in a tight group. But there are also semi-automatic cars on the list. They all have triggers designed for people who know how to shoot a rifle, and some have forward-looking features—such as threaded muzzles or tension barrels—that take squirrel shooting to a completely different level. Whether you like scouting and tracking at the bottom of the old oak tree, there are 10 squirrel snipers for every budget.
For some people, this iconic semi-automatic squirrel gun is just right, just outside the store. This is a ready-made squirrel plinker, the price tag is easy to swallow. For others, it is a blank canvas-this is the basis for building a semi-custom 0.22, thanks to the full set of available after-sale barrels, inventory, triggers and other goodies. Either way, it has been playing hell in hardwood for half a century.
Semi-automatic cars of the 597 series will hardly win a beauty pageant, but they will fill a Brunswick saucepan like no one else. Remington boasts that its proprietary dual-rail bolt guidance system is the fastest. Bolts, burners and hammers are all coated with Teflon coating for smooth trigger pull and easy feed. The Kryptek-clad model also has a patterned muzzle for suppressors, so it is quiet and deadly.
Savage Rascal FV-SR Savage Arms
There is no reason to wait until your child can use a full-size squirrel gun to introduce them to severe bolt action edge fires. This scaled-down tack driver weighs only 2.6 pounds and is equipped with a 16-inch heavy-duty target barrel with threaded muzzle and adjustable trigger for child-to-child customization. This is a dedicated single shot, not only very suitable for safety, but also very suitable for teaching the basic knowledge that is often forgotten, that is, the first shot is very important.
Ruger American Rimfire Target Ruger
This bolt action beauty puts top Ruger products (shooter adjustable trigger, embedded 10/22 10 rounds rotating magazine) into a package, which contains more advanced precision upgrades, such as free-floating barrels, laminated materials and 0.860 inch target barrel with knurled thread protection device. If you have been thinking about relive your glorious years in the woods, this squirrel gun should keep you away from the fence.
You might consider the price of XT-22, which is trivial for precise edge ignition. Or, if you just want to put your hands on something warmer than the polymer produced in the chemical barrel, the wood may make you nod. But after a few walks in the woods, the absolute accuracy of this squirrel gun may win your heart. The adjustable trigger allows you to control the snaps. If you want to go old school with an open sight, it is one of the few bolt-on edge igniters with an adjustable sight.
Volquartsen Superlite with OD green sleeve Volquartsen
CDC processed anodized aluminum casings and THM tension barrels with carbon fiber sleeves accounted for most of the 5 pound Superlite's weight reduction and a large part of its important price tag. The rifle has an integrated Picatinny rail and a threaded 32-hole compensator, and a competition trigger that can break at 2.25 pounds. It's not cheap, but the biggest drawback of a rifle like this is that it eliminates any excuses you might dream of missing.
Steyr Zephyr II Steyr weapon
Like the walnut and steel phoenix, this European classic rimfire is derived from the legend of its predecessor, the original Steyr Zephyr, which was discontinued in 1971. The new iteration is also a look, it's Bavarian cheeks, schnabel forehead, and scale check. The squirrel gun made a statement in the fringe fire world oversaturated with plastic and aluminum, but what it said to the gray fur tribe was that it was time to look for a deep knot hole. The short-range bolt action allows it to be cycled quickly for subsequent shots, although the very fine trigger makes it unlikely you will need it.
Browning T-Bolt Composite Sporter .22 Browning
The straight-pull bolt action is similar to the action on a biathlon gun. Its cycle speed is very fast, but still allows ultra-precise bolt locking for long-range shooting. This squirrel gun is drilled and tapped for the Weaver-style base, rather than the less sturdy dovetail base on many rimfires, and comes with an external adjustable trigger. The rotating magazine is what Browning calls a "double helix" setting, which places 10 bullets in an hourglass-shaped configuration so that the magazine is flush with the bottom of the receiver.
Considered the top predator in the rimfire world, the Anschutz platform is more than just a pretty face. The famous Anschutz 54-action is a bit heavier than the 64-action platform, so this model weighs 7 pounds 3 ounces, without glass, which is absolutely robust for edge fires. But if it’s your business to lean your back against an oak tree and dial every tree mouse you can find in the 10X glass, then this is your rifle. The gorgeous Walnut Monte Carlo buttstock with schnabel front ensures firm cheek welding, and the 2-stage trigger helps to cut the bullet group into the size of a squirrel head at a distance.
You don't need a speed of 0.17 to shoot squirrels, and of course no additional reports are required. But we are not talking about needs. We are talking about a rifle that can pass lead wire through branches and branches to the next county, and still has the ability to separate the squirrel from the white oak knot, where he straightens himself as a bumper sticker. This is a stylish bolt action with Turkish walnut buttstock and skull split-I mean literally-the accuracy allows you to dabble in 0.17 HMR worship without having to cash in on the kidneys.
A dear uncle gave me my first gun, a JC Higgins Model 31 barrel 0.22 semi-automatic gun. This rifle was manufactured by the long-defunct High Standard Corp. and sold through Sears, opening a lifetime of rimfire romance, in which fidelity never played a role. Over the years, I wandered around. My high school fire is Remington Speedmaster, which is another tubular autoloader. I occasionally steal it from the gun safe like a hidden love letter. I took a serious university trip with the bull tube Remington 541T bolt action. Next is a stable relationship, a bit, a relationship with a series of factories Ruger 10/22. Now, my current rimfire love is equivalent to a trophy wife holding a loyalty card in the plastic surgeon’s office: a 10/22 with after-sales trigger, carbon fiber barrel, rimfire special scope and some other upgraded pimps This sounded the death knell for squirrels.
So I began to understand that there are two ways to achieve Nirvana by Fire. You can buy highly customizable platforms, such as the unparalleled 10/22, whose screw-in barrel and simple design allow for cheap repairs from the butt to the muzzle. If this is attractive, check out my own Ruger above, this is the latest version in evolution over the years, and it doesn’t look too wild to feel uncomfortable when you pull it out on your grandfather’s farm.
Another method is to use modified guns from high-end gun manufacturers to make the initial investment. None of the trio here is qualified to be the fringe fire of your grandfather. They are stylish and sexy, and are full of sinful temptations to anyone.
Price: $150 Website: revolutionstocks.com There are many after-sales stocks on the market, from thumbhole versions to Monte Carlo designs, to lightweight configurations with hollow buttstocks and slotted front ends. Because the texture in the multilayer wood extends in different directions, the laminate has high strength, high stability, and warpage resistance. I chose the direct Explorer.
Price: $230 Website: timneytriggers.com Timney's new integrated plug-in trigger weighs 2 3 to 4 pounds and has no creep. The action is machined from 6061-T6 aviation-grade aluminum, equipped with a trigger, hot-melt iron and heat-treated steel hammer. Replacing the notoriously humble factory 10/22 trigger is a breeze. Punch out the two action pins, remove the trigger action, and then exchange the entire assembly. The extended magazine distribution is a bit clumsy, but nowhere near as clumsy as trying to replace the magazine with cold fingers. I have become like it.
Price: $150 Website: nikonsportoptics.com The 50-yard parallax setting on the Nikon ProStaff 3–9×40 Rimfire BDC 150 allows squirrel hunters to have a keen focus when looking for bushy tails that cling to tree branches. It has a BDC marking calibrated for 0.22 long rifle ammunition, free from most of the guesswork of long shots to the back of the woodland.
Price: Starting at US$286. Website: volquartsen.com This Volquartsen match barrel is 16 inches short, 1 to 2 inches long, and weighs only 20 ounces. It can change the look and feel of a rifle the most. The carbon fiber barrel shield is tensioned at both ends of the muzzle and barrel to provide rigidity. It is a pleasure to travel long distances in the squirrel forest. However, this lightweight front end is an acquired taste.
Price: Starting at $35. Website: sandstormcustomrifleslings.com. I like the light slings on the rifle. Sandstorm Custom Rifle Slings woven some of the best umbrella slings you can find. Choose your color, rotation and adjustability. Mine is standard weave, soft to the touch, but the double cobra and king cobra designs are also very sweet.
Manufactured in accordance with Ruger 10/22 specifications-it accepts standard Ruger magazines-Superlite comes with a CNC machined hard anodized aluminum receiver that fits tightly with a threaded THM tension barrel. A complete Picatinny rail is ready for optics. The total weight of the barrel and action is less than 3 pounds. Volquartsen provides the ability to build your own rifle comfortably on the keyboard, so you can dress it up with the butt that suits you. Bucket action $1,055; Volkswagen.com
Just when you think you might have enough rimfire, a must-have like this very affordable 0.17 HMR will wink at you from across the aisle. The cartridge is only more than ten years old and is built on a necked 0.22 WMR shell. Compared with the ancient .22 WMR, it provides twice the speed, more energy and a flatter trajectory. This Savage bolt action has AccuTrigger, the best original trigger you can find on rimfire, and a price tag that removes any second thoughts. Starting at $268; savagearms.com
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