Squirrel shot placement

[peterdulux]

When taking squirrels from the back ( back of squirrel facing you), to get a good heart lung shot, where should the shot be placed?



And I realize the back of head is a decent shot as well......

 

[Calbarry]

This might help you

 

[Matt247365]

Right between the shoulder blades.

 

[Gerry52]

Back of the face or just a hair below the "shoulder blades"

 

[GWHcraig]

I always head shot when possible. 

 

[pcparmy]

I have always headshot when i could. But depending on what you are using.... a thirty cal makes a huge difference. I shot 8 in the last two days. Three were headshots. All others were chest shots except a shot i pulled. Ended up going stomach to groin by accident. Dropped him from the tree and before i could get to him to finish him he was dead. Seconds. 

I only say this to say..... for me, 

22-head only

25- chest, neck and head

30- anywhere above the guts

keith

 

[Dave]

This might help you

Knowing the anatomy of your target is key here. Next is the capability of your airgun, which means penetration and accuracy at intended range, as well as position of target. This is because you can put one through the vitals from any position if you understand these things.

To explain I will you the squirrel I got this morning.

Gun: Benjamin Maurader .22 LW barrel 18.13 gr JSB at 876FPS and 30.9 Ft-lbs at muzzle. 

The squirrel was facing 180 away from me at 25 yards angled with but pretty much directly behind head. I know a straight shot in the keister will travel up through hitting vitals very easily. I took the shot, which was a DRT dirt nap. 

The blood spot just above tail is the point of entry, while the lump on the head is the pellet after it popped out through the skull and settled just under the skin. It pretty much hit every organ possible on the way through.

 

[peterdulux]

So between the shoulder blades from the back is perfect.



Got one in the feeder which is set up to keep them facing away from me. 



Broke it's spine and penetrated the vitals. DRT.



CZ200 .22 cal wad cutters around 600 fps-ish. Hit like a frying pan.

 

[intenseaty22]

I have seen the whole gamut. Stone dead with side chest shot with a 12 fpe Springer in .177. Head shot with evidence of brain hit all the while still breathing. Then there was the one I never forget. Shot with the Cricket in .22, Several times, still breathing I took a knife to the brain several times, dang thing was still making movements of some sort. 

If I’m very confident of the head shot, I take it. But I don’t hesitate to take a vitals chest shot even with a .177 springer. 

 

[intenseaty22]

I realized I really didn’t answer your question. Facing away from you, in my opinion & experience, try for behind the head just at the lower end of the ear to ear line. That’s pretty much where the cerebellum is, light switch...out. Otherwise a quartering away shot is pretty devastating. See below, that shot entered diagonally behind the right eye and towards the front of the left eye. DRT. Hope this helps. 

 

[walter3rd]

All about placement. I have dropped stone dead with 177 chest shots at 25 yrds with hw97k. I have also seen them run away with a missed chest placement.