GTA
General Discussion To Gateway To Airguns => Hunting Gate => : September 09, 2007, 06:08:53 AM
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Welp, I look out the window and see Miss squirrel on the electric line. I loaded up and went outside behind my truck. The only place I have in my backyard with a safe backstop is the maple tree... so I was waiting and hoping. I was so very tempted to take the shot with her on the electric line, but knew better, remembering what goes up must come down. So I waited for a few minutes and sure enough, she starts heading through the branches and eventually wanders to the trunk (my only good back stop). Yeah!!!!
I line up the scope for the fuse box and let the round fly......... fwap. Miss squirrel (as you can see in the pic, she was a looker, but I'll just refer to her as miss rather than make an assumption and address her as mrs. :) ) immediately dropped, her back leg did two twitches and that was all she wrote. SHAME ON YOU GTA PEOPLE.... I think you've created a monster ;)
as you can also see in the pic, I didn't use the CFX this time. I know the CFX can drop the squirrels, I opted for something a bit different this time.
This all happened about 60 minutes after I posted the deal about the Discovery Channel squirrel/racoon shows. Maybe this was some kind of yang-ying reverse karma?
Observations/questions after this kill: There really was no flippy flappy death dance. Could it be because the round hit the vital organ area rather than the head? I was scoped in for a head shot, but something went awry and it hit a few inches to the rear. I know from reading Hunting Gate threads, some folks like the vital organ shot rather than head shots, have you noticed less of the death dance than head shots? Of course when I went to gut her, it was kinda messy in there. I also tried to find the round, but couldn't locate it.
My gutting and skinning definately still needs work. I did PM with one of the moderators yesterday asking a few questions about these procedures, and I think the gutting issue today was because of me hitting the vital inerds.
(http://www.gatewaytoairguns.com/airguns/photos/get-photo.asp?photoid=738)
Haa haa haa, it wasn't the 30-30 that took her, I was of course just kidding, but as the others before the .22 CFX and a Crow Mag dropped Miss Squirrel.
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Great account of Miss Squirrell's misadventure Howard. Better to go with a sure thing in the CFX, a 30/30 can be iffy for bringin' down squirrells.
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Another fine report and pic. Enjoyed both :)
Jeff
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Very good Howard,
Great shooting and great photo.
And very creative account of today's hunt, I loved it !
I guess you could say that Miss Squirrel, bit the bullet ! ...-)
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Bite the Bullet hehe, nice account of your hunt Howard and great shot. Many thing's come into play when shootin at their little heads, wind ,pellet selection and the Airgun Gods hehe. You still put it in the kill zone. :) Ed
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Bill, any idea in the realm of naval guns of what size round would compare to the scale of that 30-30 to the squirrel to what size round would be the same scale to a human? Just a guess, but maybe a 3"-4" round. Kinda confusing, let me rephrase:
For the same ratio of round to head size, what size round would a human need to equal the 30-30 to squirrel head?
Yep Stephanie, your are right. Next time maybe opt for the S&W500? :)
Thank you Ed & Jeff :)
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Best to be safe Howard. I'd opt for a .416 Rigby.
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Rags:
If memory serves, that looks like an Avon Sport/Touring tire. I use them on my FJR 1300 here...btw, nice shooting!
Charles
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Hey Howard,
I did not serve with the Navy, but they are a fine branch of our armed forces .
I do remember reading; that shooting a squirrel with a .22 cal. powder burner is the same as shooting a man with a recoilless rifle. I believe that they are 3.5 inches or so...:)
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PeakChick - 9/9/2007 8:30 PM
Best to be safe Howard. I'd opt for a .416 Rigby.
From that range a .50 caliber Barrett would probably suffice. :D
I think I will stick to my .177 Hunter 440! LOL!
Ron
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Speaking strictly from my own experiences Howard, I haven't found a connection with headshots or vitals shots and flopping death dances.
I've been whackin' pests for almost 25 years and I've seen them drop dead from vitals shots and have them drop stone dead from head shots.
There are so many variables to put in place here. Angle, bone, muscle tissue, projectile speed, projectile style, distance.
We could go one forever here. I guess what I'm saying is that even when the same type of game is hit from the same location, same gun etc
that no 2 hardly ever react the same.
I have found that a well placed head shot usually anchors them with minimal flop.
I nailed a hairy tailed plum thief 2 days ago from my deck angling down to the ground between my steps. I used my B26 .22 and a Beeman Bearcub (Dome) pellet. It entered from a rear quartering angle behind the front leg and came to rest under the right armpit.
It jumped 3 ft to a tree and climbed up about 20 inches and stopped.
As soon as he stopped I knew his blood pressure was gone and he simply let go and fell to the ground. Bleeding was minimal.
I surveyed the angle and my best conclusion is I hit the heart and he basically bled out internally.