Taking Grey Squirrel with a .22LR at a Feeder

[Kevinfish13]

Hi, does anyone have any experience of shooting grey squirrels at a feeder with a .22LR rifle ? In particular I’m interested in the make up of the back plate of the feeder. I’m aware of putting a metal back plate however .22LR bullets are notorious for ricochet's which I want to avoid due to the intended location of the feeders but without a metal plate, the wee bullets will very quickly destroy the feeder.
I have been thinking of making up a 3 section backplate. 1st plate being very thin, soft metal plate which would allow the bullet to pass through, then wood to trap the bullet, then hard metal to fully protect the feeder. Any thoughts or actual experience ?
Thanks, Kevin.

 

[big ears]

I just have a wooden feeder but where I set up is at 90 degrees to it so when they sit eating the peanut they are away from the feeder.

It hasnt happened yet but if the feeder gets a bit shot up I’ll just make a new one. It’s only 4x1 timber.

 

[Kevinfish13]

I’m making the feeder from oak off cuts, hence why I want to protect it.

 

[Dave Lakes]

In

I’m making the feeder from oak off cuts, hence why I want to protect it.

In my experience no matter how lovely you make your feeders, they will eventually destroy them anyway! We’re on metal ones now and they’re the only ones that seem to last against being wet and gnawed all day

 

[jall55]

Just use pheasant blue feeders - they sit nicely under the springs

 

[Kevinfish13]

In

In my experience no matter how lovely you make your feeders, they will eventually destroy them anyway! We’re on metal ones now and they’re the only ones that seem to last against being wet and gnawed all day

It wasn’t so much of the squirrels destroying it Dave, my concern was the 22 bullets destroying the feeder after they have destroyed the squirrel lol

 

[Dave Lakes]

It wasn’t so much of the squirrels destroying it Dave, my concern was the 22 bullets destroying the feeder after they have destroyed the squirrel lol

Yeah that will probably do the job quicker than the squirrels!

 

[mudman]

It wasn’t so much of the squirrels destroying it Dave, my concern was the 22 bullets destroying the feeder after they have destroyed the squirrel lol

Just shoot them slightly away from the feeder

 

[Len the dog]

Just use pheasant blue feeders - they sit nicely under the springs

My father had over 500 in a couple of years doing just this, pretty much all from the same feeder next to the pen.

 

[Longstrider]

When I make my feeders I make the base wider than the hopper by about 5" each side and about 2" bigger from front to back. This means that there's room for the little metal tray that holds the nuts at the front by the hole, but only just. The width of the base and the fact that there's nowhere for a squirrel to sit comfortably at the front means that they usually approach from the side, reach in and grab a nut, then sit on the side ledge with their backs to the tree the feeder is mounted to on the ledge off to the side of the hopper. This means they face me as I level the rifle on them from a hide.
Mounting a piece of 10mm thick steel plate to the tree behind the kill-zone should be simple enough and 10mm plate will stop any subsonic rimmy bullet in its tracks.

Worth noting that I make my feeders from exterior ply and I make the little nut tray from an offcut of galved steel sheet. All edges and corners are protected from gnawing by strips of the same galved sheet that a local fabricators were throwing out. I gave them a drink and they kindly put the strips of metal into the press brake to make lengths of "angle iron" that works brilliantly on the corners.
Any good fabricators should be able to find you a bit or two of good thick steel plate to use as a backstop if you want to prevent your bullets going into the tree.

 

[Len the dog]

Mounting a piece of 10mm thick steel plate to the tree behind the kill-zone should be simple enough and 10mm plate will stop any subsonic rimmy bullet in its tracks.

Why use subs when you’re hitting a steel gong?

 

[GWP]

Pheasant feeder you are then shooting into the ground and you dont have to fill as often

 

[paul o']

3/4 Ply and a thick wet phone book in a sack it will take many shots .

 

[Longstrider]

Why use subs when you’re hitting a steel gong?

You've obviously never tried this. Normal steel plate (mild steel) fixed to a solid surface simply doesn't ring like a gong. Bullets hit it with a 'whack' and then disintegrate. Gongs are made of Hardox steel, not only so they can withstand more punishment, but free hanging Hardox makes a lovely 'Ding' when you hit it.
I'd use subs because that's what I have plenty of and it's what the rifle is zeroed with. They also cycle nicely in my 10/22. I have been known to use my little bolt action .22 with Z-Lang ammo for extra quiet jobs. At squirrel feeder ranges they do the job superbly.

 

[Qwertyzmate]

You've obviously never tried this. Normal steel plate (mild steel) fixed to a solid surface simply doesn't ring like a gong. Bullets hit it with a 'whack' and then disintegrate. Gongs are made of Hardox steel, not only so they can withstand more punishment, but free hanging Hardox makes a lovely 'Ding' when you hit it.
I'd use subs because that's what I have plenty of and it's what the rifle is zeroed with. They also cycle nicely in my 10/22. I have been known to use my little bolt action .22 with Z-Lang ammo for extra quiet jobs. At squirrel feeder ranges they do the job superbly.

@Longstrider , really curious what subs you can get to cycle in your 10/22! My Ruger has had all the usual mods (adjustable sear, comp hammer, polished internals, new springs etc etc) but really doesn't like to cycle anything much slower than AR tac / mini-mag... Whats your secret

 

[Longstrider]

@Longstrider , really curious what subs you can get to cycle in your 10/22! My Ruger has had all the usual mods (adjustable sear, comp hammer, polished internals, new springs etc etc) but really doesn't like to cycle anything much slower than AR tac / mini-mag... Whats your secret

I just use Winchester 40grain subsonics. In my 10/22 they cycle, and group, a treat. Eley subs run in it but group poorly, and to be honest very few subs that I've tried didn't cycle OK. It doesn't like Z-Langs for obvious reasons, but I use those for 'ultra stealth' in my Sako bolt action.

The rifle is a stainless 10/22 in a Hogue overmould stock. I've fettled the trigger (a couple of Volquartsen parts and a little careful fettling with a diamond hone), invented my own fettle to prevent trigger over-travel, added a soft recoil buffer pin, and cleaned it a couple of times in its 25 year life

Sounds like your rifle has posher innards than mine. If you're ever over Northampton way give me a shout, even if only to see what butchery I'm willing to undertake to prevent trigger over-travel (It really does help with accurate shooting).

 

[Qwertyzmate]

I just use Winchester 40grain subsonics. In my 10/22 they cycle, and group, a treat. Eley subs run in it but group poorly, and to be honest very few subs that I've tried didn't cycle OK. It doesn't like Z-Langs for obvious reasons, but I use those for 'ultra stealth' in my Sako bolt action.

The rifle is a stainless 10/22 in a Hogue overmould stock. I've fettled the trigger (a couple of Volquartsen parts and a little careful fettling with a diamond hone), invented my own fettle to prevent trigger over-travel, added a soft recoil buffer pin, and cleaned it a couple of times in its 25 year life

Sounds like your rifle has posher innards than mine. If you're ever over Northampton way give me a shout, even if only to see what butchery I'm willing to undertake to prevent trigger over-travel (It really does help with accurate shooting).

Hmm, never tried the winchesters so will give them a go... have some Eley but not tried them in the 10/22

Z-lang, although silent wouldn't group at all in my Brno Mod 2 which was annoying as they are now £9 a box and I heard good things about them!

Might have to revisit the 10/22 sub-sonic trials and see what happens. Pretty much gave up after it rejected the few I tried and didn't cycle the cci standards. It runs happily onthe AR tac and I use it for comps mainly but interested now in seeing if it might be a bit more versatile than I thought.

 

[Squirrelbasher]

Hmm, never tried the winchesters so will give them a go... have some Eley but not tried them in the 10/22

Z-lang, although silent wouldn't group at all in my Brno Mod 2 which was annoying as they are now £9 a box and I heard good things about them!

Might have to revisit the 10/22 sub-sonic trials and see what happens. Pretty much gave up after it rejected the few I tried and didn't cycle the cci standards. It runs happily onthe AR tac and I use it for comps mainly but interested now in seeing if it might be a bit more versatile than I thought.

My cz doesn’t like z langs or cb longs, but my anschutz shoots them really well. It also shoots cb longs pretty well out to 30 yards and .22 shorts. Maybe it’s the tighter match chamber ?

 

[long_range_rob]

3/4 Ply and a thick wet phone book in a sack it will take many shots .

Showing your age Grandpa, phone books are rarer than unicorn poo

 

[BenBhoy]

My cz doesn’t like z langs or cb longs, but my anschutz shoots them really well. It also shoots cb longs pretty well out to 30 yards and .22 shorts. Maybe it’s the tighter match chamber ?

You tried cci quiet amigo?