I suppose some of you may have been wondering if the air shotgun was effective against squirrels. I think I've reported before that the shells do work well against pest birds but I had not tried them against squirrels yet. Today I had an unexpected opportunity arise and I managed to get the gun filled and loaded in time to verify the effectiveness of a mixed .25 ball and bird shot load against a squirrel at about 20 yards.

The target presented itself in the back yard and remained in range as I moved with cat like grace to a shooting position where I would not blow off a chunk of deck rail.

In case of failure of aim or shell performance I had the Monsoon loaded and ready to finish the job but that turned out to not be required. The range was close so I was aiming about 6-8 inches low knowing the center of the pattern would be on target. When I took the shot there was no drama. The squirrel dropped in place and expired in a few seconds.


At first I couldn't really see much evidence of shot impacts. Maybe some spots where small shot had entered but not really sure.


Rolling him around some it suddenly became clear that a .25 ball must have done the fatal damage. I guess its possible that several smaller shot entered below his "arm" but I suspect it was a .25 ball.

Oh ... the CARNAGE!!!!

You gonna make a cap???

Yup. And one day I'm going to move up to a coon skin cap!

Well, it works Jerry!

Cat like grace? Could you post some pictures of that please? I'd like to learn that move...

I'm sorry Neil, cat like grace can only be demonstrated in video and I am way too modest to film my best moves!

Let's just say that I was moving very slowy and deliberately as I tried to get into position. Having finally had a target appear within range and while I was able to shoot was an opportunity I didn't want to blow because of clumsy motions. After all, since I managed to get the gun from the case, muzzle loaded with an appropriate load, charged and cocked without the squirrel running off... I had to get the shot off!

The squirrel allowed you all that time ...??? Are you sure some neighbor wasn't pranking you ... and set out a "stuffed squirrel" .... hahaha.

You da man Jerry! Not only catlike grace, but super hero speed too ... hehe

Gary

Ha! Yes, you got it! I've been waiting for months to have a squirrel show up inside 30-35 yards from the back door so I could shoot it to test the shotgun loads. There is absolutely no shortage of the critters around here (as evidenced by the long season (in season now) and no bag limit). The problem has been one of geometry only. I don't have the time to wander the woods hunting during the week and I just don't want to anyway. So, I've been waiting for a target of opportunity. The poor guy in the photos above just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time...from his perspective. I had decided to come home for lunch since I was already off base for a meeting and when I got here, I just noticed him outside. I watched for a second or two and noticed that he was busy with something in the spot that became his last. So, I went and got the Woodsman out and he was still there. I filled the gun and he was still there! Then I started to load the shell and he ran to a tree but was still in range. I finished loading and he came back to where he started. Ever so slowly, I opened the door and stepped out to where I could get a good shot off without hitting the deck and soon it was all over. Pure luck. If he had been spooked or finished exploring the spot he was at a minute earlier I would have fired that shell into the ground and been done with nothing to show.

It's easy for me to be flippant Jerry, but I know that feeling when I see a bunny on the front lawn from my kitchen window, I watch it for a while and it stays put, I rush off to the garage to get the Falcon, I sneak around to the back deck with all the grace of a belly dancer, I half crawl along the deck like a performing seal to where I can sight the wee beast.........and.........it's gone
So you did well!

Great job Jerry,

I've been trying to bag a nice fox squirrel for the last 2 years with the C Justice muzzle loaded as a shotgun to mount with the bobcat. Yes the bobcat was taken with with the CJ and a 900+ grn slug at 40 yds. As Gary will attest from his visit here the squirrel I have my eye on is a real 'bute but rather shy during the hunting season. We watched it hauling from the pecan tree orchard to the woods on the morn of the Great Fox Hunt. Gary thought it looked a big a a house cat, it is! Alas, no mount yet this year either.

I plan to use some #2 shot myself Jerry, I'd bet the 25 cal pellets were overkill. How'd the post mortem turn out. Any lethal hits from the bird shot?

Kent

It was hard to tell if any of the bird shot would have been lethal on its own. I had to get back to work so no extensive examination was conducted. Natures own disposal service came by at some point and took away the remains.

Good luck with the monster squirrel. If you decide you'd rather just shoot a cat...I'll mail you one!