(Squirrel) Hunting Ammunition

[JackEllis]

I just purchased a Marlin 60 that now wears a 3-9x32 Tasco scope. It's main purpose is to control squirrel populations.

I tried six different hunting rounds this morning (Remington Goldens, Winchester Super-X, Browning, CCI Copper, CCI MiniMag and Winchester Bulk). All of them shoot similarly sized ~2 inch groups at 50 yards. Cheap Aguila standard velocity ammo does a bit better. Groups are smaller with a splatter burst target, which leads me to believe the gun is better than the shooter.


Subject to additional testing, I'm inclined to pick the least expensive hunting ammo because they all seem to shoot equally well but I'm interested in other opinions.

[870classic]

If the gun is better than the shooter, then try to improve your shooting technique, or find a new shooter... Just kidding.

Regarding the ammunition, you can try two different methods and see if they work for your gun.
1.) you can try standard velocity rounds or a wider range of ammunition like RWS, CCI Greentag, Wolf, etc. and see if they group any better, or
2.) of the ammunition that you have tried, try sorting the rounds of a specific manufacturer based on weight within 0.1 grains using an electronic scale. If you can find enough rounds of the same weight, you may be able to reduce the size of your grouping.

Bullet placement is the key to a clean kill.
I have hunted many squirrels with standard and high velocity long rifle ammunition and both kill equally well given good shot placement.

Best of luck with your hunt and rodent control.
870classic.

[JackEllis]

If the gun is better than the shooter, then try to improve your shooting technique, or find a new shooter... Just kidding.

The shooter is actually not that bad. It seems he does better with targets that move and on shotgun hulls than with paper. Also. maybe better from a tripod than from a bench, though I have no idea why.

[theLBC]

i'd try different sv or subsonic ammo. cci sv or cci lr.
22's are finicky until you find the right ammo, imo, and i think it might be more consistent with standard velocity stuff.

[TMB 1]

Federal auto match or Winchester Wildcat.

[HOGDOG1955]

just remember that only non lead ammo is legal to kill anything come 2019. and for those of us in the condor zone its allready non lead for ground squirrels. typically for leaded ya cant go wrong shootin cci mini mag hollow points.

[WartHog]

just remember that only non lead ammo is legal to kill anything come 2019. and for those of us in the condor zone its allready non lead for ground squirrels. typically for leaded ya cant go wrong shootin cci mini mag hollow points.

Air Rifles are exempt from the 2019 cutoff - at least for now.

OP - I get dime to quarter sized groups @ 50yds with my .25 Benjamin Marauder PCP Air Rifle. 8-shot magazine, 24 consistent shots per fill - modding it with a Regulator and a different Valve Body will increase shot count to 50 shots per fill and increase accuracy even more. If Airguns aren't for you, maybe consider a .17HMR as they have a much flatter trajectory out to 150-175yds over a .22LR.

[oilcanhenry]

Federal auto match or Winchester Wildcat.

I have been shooting Winchester Wildcats for 40 years. Sure, they are not copper coated, but they seldom fail to fire, and are as accurate as many of the more expensive brands. Blazers also shoot well too.

Remington Golden Bullets? Nah, I'll pass on that trash ammo.

My .02 centavos, FWIW.

[stevec223]

My Rem 581 bolt action has been lights out on ground squirrels with Rem gb hp out to 100 yards... 150 yards I step up to CCI Velocitors,,, and they really thump hard at that range... I don't hunt tree squirrels,,,, just to tough in the pot.....
Cheers...

[garagemonkey]

Cheap Aguila standard velocity ammo does a bit better. Groups are smaller with a splatter burst target, which leads me to believe the gun is better than the shooter.

In my experience that's not bad ammo despite the price. Without claiming to have tested every brand out there, my Henry H001 and Ruger GP100 both group best with Aguila standard velocity ammo.

[TMB 1]

I have been shooting Winchester Wildcats for 40 years. Sure, they are not copper coated, but they seldom fail to fire, and are as accurate as many of the more expensive brands. Blazers also shoot well too.

Remington Golden Bullets? Nah, I'll pass on that trash ammo.

My .02 centavos, FWIW.

Yep, I like the Winchester Wildcats, hard to find now days and I only have a couple bricks left.

[RobG]

I have killed tons of little critters with the Mini Mag hp's. Hard to wrong with them.

[oilcanhenry]

I have killed tons of little critters with the Mini Mag hp's. Hard to wrong with them.

Sure, Mini-mags or any CCI ammo is great ammo, but I am talking about general plinking and offhand shooting, not competition level ammunition, just good *cheap* .22 LR ammo that fires when you pull the trigger. I have encountered more fail to fire ammo with more expensive ammo then Winchester Wildcats.

[oilcanhenry]

Yep, I like the Winchester Wildcats, hard to find now days and I only have a couple bricks left.

Yeah, they are hard to find now. I am also in need of more ammo, but cheap
.22LR ammo sells out fast.

[RobG]

Sure, Mini-mags or any CCI ammo is great ammo, but I am talking about general plinking and offhand shooting, not competition level ammunition, just good *cheap* .22 LR ammo that fires when you pull the trigger. I have encountered more fail to fire ammo with more expensive ammo then Winchester Wildcats.

The bulk Federal hp's are pretty good as are the Win bulk hp's. Those are what I consider cheap plinker/kid blasting ammo. The worst I have run across are the Rem Goldens. In any of the bolt guns they are decent, the autos have lots of failure to ignite, eject, etc.