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Squirrels at 40 yards. Recommendations

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JmsWms

JmsWms

Member
Dec 9, 2019
21
0
TN, United States
Ok... New here, but I've got a squirrel problem. For some reason, they now like to chew on the siding of my house. I bought a cheap break barrel Ruger (Umarex) AirHawk Elite II at Walmart, and it works fine at out to 20 -25 yards or so. I've taken several of the critters with it, but they're pretty smart and skittish, so Ive resorted to shooting from my second story back window and they never see me. I have woods behind my house, and have set up a bait station at 40 yards. I don't want to bait them any closer to the house. I have taken maybe 3 at this distance with the Ruger, but I'm missing WAY more than I'm hitting.
On that note, what kind of setup do y'all recommend to get some decent accuracy at that distance? My budget is up to $1k for rifle, scope, rings, etc. I posted in the springer section because that's what I'm using now, but would entertain thoughts on a PCP if needed for consistent accuracy. I've looked at the Walther LGU and AA TX200, but then I wonder if a PCP is the way to go. I also can't seem to find the Walther very easily. I actually prefer to stay with .177, because squirrel and target shooting is all I'll use it for, and I assume the trajectory is flatter with .177.
I'm open to all thoughts and suggestions.

Thanks!

Jim
 
A PCP is surely the way to go. Even a <$200 Maximus wouldn't have issues at that range. I also have a AirHawk and there is no way I'd try at 40 yards, especially if I had a PCP (ANY PCP) handy. I'd feel comfortable even using a $200 PP700 PCP pistol/carbine with a scope at 40 yards. Personally I'd always pick a .22 over .177 for anything with fur, but a hot and heavy .177 would also do the job of course.


 
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A Diana 34 in .22 will do the job. Its very accurate, very powerful and very easy to handle since its not hold sensitive imo. However, one in .177 will certainly kill squirrels out to 50 yards. I recommend a .22 just because it will carry a bit more energy with it out to the longer ranges. With either caliber, I don't think you will go wrong with this rifle.

Its true that the Walther LGU is getting harder to find. You could post a Want-To-Buy (WTB) in the classifieds to see if someone would be willing to part with theirs. However, a Walther Parrus in .22 is in the same league as the Diana 34 and can be found for cheaper and much more easily found. If you wait awhile though, in the next couple months there will be a new model of Diana 34 coming out and I can tell you it will be very worthwhile to have.
 
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+1 on pcp. No matter what caliber its "shot placment" that get the job done. Aa s200 with jsb 8.4 . a 12 fpe gun. Shot @ 35 yds.
1580423455_20419610575e33591f86ed24.49144504_20160305_131105.jpg

 
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If you want to stick with a spring gun a RWS 54 in .22 would be the ticket. Powerful, about 23 ft pounds from memory. The gun rides on rails to absorb reverse shock so gun is extremely accurate for a springer.

The best tool would be a . 25 PCP more power and heaver pellets carry more power at distance plus you can’t kill them dead enough when they are eating your house up. With .25 less than perfect shots will still humanely take them out. But there is added cost and problems with PCP guns. 
 
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Ok... New here, but I've got a squirrel problem. For some reason, they now like to chew on the siding of my house. I bought a cheap break barrel Ruger (Umarex) AirHawk Elite II at Walmart, and it works fine at out to 20 -25 yards or so. I've taken several of the critters with it, but they're pretty smart and skittish, so Ive resorted to shooting from my second story back window and they never see me. I have woods behind my house, and have set up a bait station at 40 yards. I don't want to bait them any closer to the house. I have taken maybe 3 at this distance with the Ruger, but I'm missing WAY more than I'm hitting.
On that note, what kind of setup do y'all recommend to get some decent accuracy at that distance? My budget is up to $1k for rifle, scope, rings, etc. I posted in the springer section because that's what I'm using now, but would entertain thoughts on a PCP if needed for consistent accuracy. I've looked at the Walther LGU and AA TX200, but then I wonder if a PCP is the way to go. I also can't seem to find the Walther very easily. I actually prefer to stay with .177, because squirrel and target shooting is all I'll use it for, and I assume the trajectory is flatter with .177.
I'm open to all thoughts and suggestions.

Thanks!

Jim
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Hey Jim

Thank you for posting 👍



A few questions;

What part of the squirrel are you aiming to hit?

Have you done some practice shooting at 40 yards to make sure you're hitting your spot consistently?

Are you using some sort of a rest, like bags?

What pellets are you using?

What scope?



Matt
 
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I love my two PCP guns and equally love my two spring guns too. The LGU and HW97 run neck and neck when it comes to accuracy and they both are competition for my Daystate Wolverine "R" at 40 yards which is the distance I shoot in my backyard. All of these guns have taken siding eating squirrels and and the LGU sent a chipmunk to the great beyond also. All at 40 yards as they passed through my target area.

If you get a PCP, your $$$$ days are not over. You need a pump or a compressor to keep it alive. That is fine if you want a PCP, but if all you are doing is chopping down the squirrel population, a TX200 or LGU is just fine. One warning though, as good as the LGU is, the trigger needs lots of work, It can never be, by design, as good as the TX200's trigger. The second stage screw is just too close to the sear to get good leverage to make it as light as some people would like..Hector Medina has a fix on his web site called the "Yankee" trigger.
 
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Thanks so much for all the information and recommendations! I will look into all these.

Matt, I'm certainly aiming to make head shots on the squirrels, but obviously am limited by my equipment first, and probably my technique second. That's why I'm here. I have done practicing at 40 yards, but consistency is just not going to come from the setup I have. I am using a bag on my window sill as a rest. The pellets I'm using are the H&N Baracuda Hunter Extreme 9.57 gr. I tried several different brands in this inexpensive break barrel, including RWS Superpoint 8.2 gr, RWS Meisterkugeln 8.2 gr, Crosman Premier Hollow Point 7.9 gr, Crosman Premier Piranha 10.5 gr, and others. The Baracuda Hunter Extreme gave me the smallest groups, but not what is necessary to do this job at this distance. The scope is an inexpensive 3-9x40 Chinese off brand. Like I said before, this setup seems to be accurate enough at about 20 yards, because I've had almost no misses at that distance. I just don't get the opportunity to take shots at <20 yards much. I'm looking at putting around $400 in a new scope when I figure out which direction to take with a rifle.

Thanks everyone for your help! I really do appreciate it.
Jim
 
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All of these guns have taken siding eating squirrels and and the LGU sent a chipmunk to the great beyond also. All at 40 yards as they passed through my target area.

If you get a PCP, your $$$$ days are not over. You need a pump or a compressor to keep it alive. That is fine if you want a PCP, but if all you are doing is chopping down the squirrel population, a TX200 or LGU is just fine. One warning though, as good as the LGU is, the trigger needs lots of work, It can never be, by design, as good as the TX200's trigger. The second stage screw is just too close to the sear to get good leverage to make it as light as some people would like..Hector Medina has a fix on his web site called the "Yankee" trigger.
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Springrrrr, that was sort of my thought process. I like the idea of the PCP, until I get to the part about refilling it. I'm 64, so the idea of pumping on a high pressure hand pump is not my idea of a fun day. I suppose I could get one of the compressors, but they seem quite expensive, as well as needing critical attention as to their operation. I am basically, as you say, attempting to 'chop down the squirrel population', so I'm not wanting to mortgage the house to buy a setup to dispatch the tree rats. I'm still keeping all of my options open though. I'm going to do some more research on PCPs, but I haven't given up the idea of a nice springer. Thanks for your opinion! It helps!
 
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I love my RegalXL and the R10 is a nice gun also, however at 1k it's doesn't leave you with $ for a pump, or tank, or glass, or....

Click on the BSA banner at the top of the page. It will take you to AOA and they have several nice BSAs for what I believe is a good price. That one in the classifieds is good bargain if you have the cash and don't need to "finance" it with your card. Otherwise, there are plenty of rifles out there in your price range.

I've been taking care of the squirrels in my yard with a 17fpe .177 and most shots are between 40 and 46 yards. I also use a 15pfe .22, but not any farther 40 yards.




 
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I see a lot of PCP recommendations. What do you PCP guys use to charge your airguns?
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1580433723_16141366365e33813b13f6a9.84262818_PSX_20191210_160038.jpg
About $450 between bottle and Compressor. 

I saw a Gamo phox for sale for $180 in the classified (on this site) about a week ago. Gun is built from a lot of bsa parts and is $400 retail. Also would be fairly easy to charge with a $40 hand pump
 
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"I see a lot of PCP recommendations. What do you PCP guys use to charge your airguns?"

I started with a manual pump, with my first PCP as a Maximus, which only fills to 2000 psi so pumping isn't a big deal. Even went and boosted the pump with a shop compressor-- that cut the pumping in half. Got a second hand scuba tank for $100 locally, with a $40 adapter and used that. Then got several 3k+ guns and a Vevor (poorly designed version of Yong Heng). That worked fine, just required a bunch of maintenance: prep with water, venting every 3-5 minutes, hearing protection, etc. Got a Shoebox, after that several more tanks. The slope was pretty slippery, but I was happy at each step.


 
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I am fortunate to own pcps, and Walther, Weihrauch, Diana, and an AATX200 springer.


40 yards is no challenge on a squirrel with any of my springers and you certainly would not have the investment associated with supporting a pcp.

I love all of my springers, all of which will shoot inside of 1.5” at 50 yards on their worse day. If you will be shooting from a rest, as it’s only fault is weight, you might consider a Diana 56 Target Hunter, which delivers pcp power and accuracy in a springer.

Good luck!


 
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Since you are shooting from a position where you can use the same hold every time, a high quality springer is a reasonable option. Groups about 3/4" at 40 yards should be achievable after some practice. Either the TX200 or HW97 would be good candidates.

But in my experience a PCP is always going to be more consistently accurate under a wider range of conditions. Basically it will perform similarly to a good 22 rimfire out to 50 yards or so. By that I mean it will be just as accurate, and kill a squirrel just as dead when hit in the head, neck or chest. If you are within driving distance of a dive shop, a 4500 psi tank is the easiest solution to charging a PCP. But the setup will run about $600. I have never used a pump, but imagine one would be fine for occasional use. Guns like some of the Benjamins that require a fairly low charge pressure would make pumping easier. I would ask people here what their experience has been with pumping up that type of gun.

As for head shots, I personally only take them when I am absolutely positive of a quick kill. The brain is a small target, maybe a 1/2", so I limit those shots to 20 yards or so. Anything longer I aim for the shoulders which is a much bigger target. If you hit the shoulders they are down right there, a little forward in the neck and the same thing, a little back in the chest and they may make it 15 yards but no further.
 
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