... wanting a pcp that makes an explosion of ground squirrel guts ... PURE GORE

This should work.
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Have you tried the Winchester model 70 in 35 caliber?

They are not expensive. And mine is certainly accurate enough for ground squirrels out to 60 yards. I shot a fox with it once and it literally picked the body up off the ground, it landed about 8 feet away dead. 


Or you could go with the impact 35 caliber with the long barrel for really really high power. That would meet your goal of not having a budget also.
mike
 
I cheat! My .223 slugs that I designed and cast in two different versions are ,well, more akin to a pb varmint bullet. Opens to over 50 cal in a water jug at 80 yards. That is the game version of the slug. The varmint version literally explodes on impact. Blows vermin in half. Larger vermin such as coons are stopped instantly with huge interior damage. They are fragmenting slugs. they hit and explode preventing continued flight at the same time. Much safer!

the .25 version is even more destructive. 

Knife
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 this from a PP-700 at only 490 fps. In the rifle, it is a bomb at 930's Ultra explosive. 
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This is the heavier rifle version. Before mod with mod, and after being pressed in the die to close the petals. 
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Recovered from inside of water jug at 80 yards. Only one petal made it out the back. The jug was Destroyed! The sound it made on contact was impressive to say the least. Very loud impact! 
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 The HP in .251 before mod's. This is the game slug. 
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 Oop's, got it twice. LOL!
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Again, 80 yard water jug. 
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Guess this makes it a .50 cal. small bore? 😁 Accuracy? 96 yards fro
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m the Uragan at 1046 fps on steel. ctc slightly over 1/4" for shots. Steel plate. Wind crossing. 
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You can barely make out the 7 inch plate at 96 yards just to the left of the berm in the trees. 
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And the Newest Toy in the stable. 
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Along with the slugs. 😉 Did I mention it Blows Stuff Up!!!😁



Knife 
 
I added the Huma Reg. with one shim at 22 thou and opened the barrel port to .188. Which is a pellet size port, not a slug port, which should be full bore sized. But still , it can be pushed up to 1100 fps. I don't like it there and it is set at 1045-6 fps for over 92 fpe with my 38 gr hand cast. 

I may machine a dual slot port similar to the Huma and FX power ports. Haven't decided yet as larger port will use more air and it is sipping air right now. Even at these figures.😉

Knife 

DSC02790.1622185770.JPG

 
I cheat! My .223 slugs that I designed and cast in two different versions are ,well, more akin to a pb varmint bullet. Opens to over 50 cal in a water jug at 80 yards. That is the game version of the slug. The varmint version literally explodes on impact. Blows vermin in half. Larger vermin such as coons are stopped instantly with huge interior damage. They are fragmenting slugs. they hit and explode preventing continued flight at the same time. Much safer!

the .25 version is even more destructive. 

Knife this from a PP-700 at only 490 fps. In the rifle, it is a bomb at 930's Ultra explosive. This is the heavier rifle version. Before mod with mod, and after being pressed in the die to close the petals. Recovered from inside of water jug at 80 yards. Only one petal made it out the back. The jug was Destroyed! The sound it made on contact was impressive to say the least. Very loud impact! The HP in .251 before mod's. This is the game slug. Oop's, got it twice. LOL!Again, 80 yard water jug. Guess this makes it a .50 cal. small bore? 
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Accuracy? 96 yards from the Uragan at 1046 fps on steel. ctc slightly over 1/4" for shots. Steel plate. Wind crossing. You can barely make out the 7 inch plate at 96 yards just to the left of the berm in the trees. And the Newest Toy in the stable. Along with the slugs. 
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Did I mention it Blows Stuff Up!!!
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Knife

I really like the results YOU are getting but I am not able to copy you. As qball suggested I'll probably end up trying slugs in the TaipanVL.25.
 
So you want to kill the squirrels with more GORE than you are currently killing with now??



2 years from now....

NEWS HEADLINE: "Man found with barrels of dead bodies in his basement"

Neighbors: "He was such a quiet man"

Me: "Yeaaaa I saw this coming"

Thanks for your contribution. Jesus Loves You 

Yes!

But nowhere ( that I have found) in the Good Books does it mention how he feels about squirrels
 
The recipe is a combo of velocity and projectile expansion. The big bore pcp's with higher fpe that can drive a lighter slug giving max expansion would make the most sense. 

The oddest memory I have is a friend shooting a chipmunk with his 22 mag at 20Y with hollow points. I was spotting and watched what almost appeared as an atomization event. We searched for remnants and only found scraps around the vicinity. Maybe part of the body got lodged in a tree but we'll never know, it was just gone?????

I shot some PD's with my 7mmRM using 100 grain hollow points going 3400 fps - quite horrific! 
 
I was over near Burns at a sage rat shoot two weeks ago. I've found that the 25 caliber FX hybrids & Hades do devastating things to those furry little hot dogs. Heads turned into canyons, amputations, scattering of entrails, mass carnage... We also used powder burners including 223 and 17hmr which literally vaporize sage rats. 

IMO the FX hybrid was more lethal and gave better accuracy at over 60yds and we made kills at up to 140yds. My Avenger .25 has the reg set at 2700 and the hammer spring out one and one half from full in. Not sure of FPS as I don't have a chrony- 


 
I was over near Burns at a sage rat shoot two weeks ago. I've found that the 25 caliber FX hybrids & Hades do devastating things to those furry little hot dogs. Heads turned into canyons, amputations, scattering of entrails, mass carnage... We also used powder burners including 223 and 17hmr which literally vaporize sage rats. 

IMO the FX hybrid was more lethal and gave better accuracy at over 60yds and we made kills at up to 140yds. My Avenger .25 has the reg set at 2700 and the hammer spring out one and one half from full in. Not sure of FPS as I don't have a chrony- 


Cool and sounds like fun. Did you get a lot of shots in?
 
Knifemaker,

How do you do to cast your slugs?

I suppose it is possible to melt the plumb of the pellets trapped in the targets box to make the slugs. I have a lot of plumb of those pellets already shot.

I will appreciate if you can tell me if its is something doable or if a doctorate is needed to get there.

Ric.

I do indeed capture many slug's and pellets when I use them in my bullet traps and add to the pot! Very Doable EMU.

I mod my mods from molds bought from mostly NOE bullet molds, melt in a last generation RCBS furnace. I usually add a touch of tin for fine fill out. It allows the slugs to stay bright which show up beautifully n the Zeiss in flight. Especially in night testing It allows seeing any wobble or spiraling with a strong light on the gun.

Sure helps testing.



Here is a wonderful place to learn. Knife

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/
 
I have a Bulldog that puts out up to 260 ft lbs.I have murdered squirrels before but With head shots.Even with 88 grain .380 hollow points at 1000 fps the squirrels don't explode.

However the bulldog in factory form can get you up to 15 shots with polymags at about 150ish ft lbs of energy.Its satisfying for sure.

GT Bullets 88 grain 380 hollow points sized .356 are way more fun then pellets and fly flatter.

Highly recommended