The UK Squirrel Season Is All But Upon Us
- Thread starter Klenchblaize
- Start date
Qwertyzmate
Well-Known Member
Well, I headed out with the .308 in search of the Roe Doe's that have been tormenting me when foxing recently, but thought 'i'll stick the HMR in too, just in case'
Watched the Roe for 2 hrs without a presentable shot, saw bloody dozens of squirrels!
'balls to this, where is the HMR!'
Walked the 10 min to swap rifles and it's a bloody ghost town for squirrels when I get back...
So it was a walk and stalk for tree-rats. Managed 3, I would have been disappointed but on returning to my car the was a bloody Roe stood there, down wind, oblivious to my presence.... Grab the blunderbuss and job done
Watched the Roe for 2 hrs without a presentable shot, saw bloody dozens of squirrels!
'balls to this, where is the HMR!'
Walked the 10 min to swap rifles and it's a bloody ghost town for squirrels when I get back...
So it was a walk and stalk for tree-rats. Managed 3, I would have been disappointed but on returning to my car the was a bloody Roe stood there, down wind, oblivious to my presence.... Grab the blunderbuss and job done
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Smellydog
Well-Known Member
Crazy how it goes sometimes.Well, I headed out with the .308 in search of the Roe Doe's that have been tormenting me when foxing recently, but thought 'i'll stick the HMR in too, just in case'
Watched the Roe for 2 hrs without a presentable shot, saw bloody dozens of squirrels!
'balls to this, where is the HMR!'
Walked the 10 min to swap rifles and it's a bloody ghost town for squirrels when I get back...
So it was a walk and stalk for tree-rats. Managed 3, I would have been disappointed but on returning to my car the was a bloody Roe stood there, down wind, oblivious to my presence.... Grab the blunderbuss and job done
Well I got fed up with the deer today and it was raining so I put the old Barbour on, cartridge belt on and the franchi al48. The dog and me trudged through the mud and blasted every squirrel we could until the little dog got soaked and cold. Three hours of fun for sixteen squirrels.
Lousy picture, I needed to get the old dog home.
Every little helps:
K
K
Sat down for my lunch, only to be disturbed by them having a party on the lawn. Opened the window and sent 10 to sleep in 5 minutes with a HMR. They don't seem to worry about their fallen colleagues.
@Klenchblaize, that is a fine looking rifle you have. What is it and where did you get those leather barrel protectors from?
@Klenchblaize, that is a fine looking rifle you have. What is it and where did you get those leather barrel protectors from?
Qwertyzmate
Well-Known Member
Got to love the HMR for squirrels, I call it squirrel sniping...
They have absolutely no idea what is going on when you're 120m away
Just read further back in the thread: Cooper Jackson Squirrel. Nice rifle @Klenchblaize. Will ask Cooper if they do HMR.
And Qwertymate, you are right, they don't know what tops them. There was one I missed, shot ¼" over his back from the splash behind him. Got 2 more shots on him while he was looking around. Every one same splash, so 3 rounds each ¼" over his back. Quite humbling. After lunch, I reran those ballistic curves, and checked his range. My range on him was a bit out, ¾" of drop worth but not enough to miss him. Those three identical misses so miffed me that I put a target up at his range and uploaded the result to the Blackburn Defense tool. Their dispersion tool showing the Chi squared spread is revealing: rounds have almost zero probability of exact centre of aim, even when the 1 SD circle is ½ MOA. Needs spot on ranging even with the flat shooting HMR. Makes one want a Hornet if it were not for the increase in noise and shot cost.
And Qwertymate, you are right, they don't know what tops them. There was one I missed, shot ¼" over his back from the splash behind him. Got 2 more shots on him while he was looking around. Every one same splash, so 3 rounds each ¼" over his back. Quite humbling. After lunch, I reran those ballistic curves, and checked his range. My range on him was a bit out, ¾" of drop worth but not enough to miss him. Those three identical misses so miffed me that I put a target up at his range and uploaded the result to the Blackburn Defense tool. Their dispersion tool showing the Chi squared spread is revealing: rounds have almost zero probability of exact centre of aim, even when the 1 SD circle is ½ MOA. Needs spot on ranging even with the flat shooting HMR. Makes one want a Hornet if it were not for the increase in noise and shot cost.
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Old Waltonian
Well-Known Member
I maintain my widowed elderly mother's house and gardens, which includes controlling the resident 'greys'. I had 103 last year but have only managed 40 so far this year. Alas, there is no lead projectile involved whatsoever, as they all victims of a kill-trap but if I hadn't been doing this for the last 12 years, I shudder to think what the local population would have been. Even so, the damage to a tiny remnant of ancient oak woodland at the back has still been very extensive.
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Smellydog
Well-Known Member
What the chuff.......
Smellydog
Well-Known Member
Brilliant.
46 in my back yard since June. All flying lead.
Translation: rounds land in a doughnut around the aim point, not on the exact aim point. Hardly any land in the hole in the centre of the doughnut. The doughnut expands really close in and also far away.What the chuff.......
As you know, ranging is key as HMR ballistics are -2" really close and +4" at 120m, then there is the dispersion doughnut on top.
This means that for any gun+shooter+ammo+sights+zeropoint there is a minimum distance as well as a maximum distance for the accuracy needed to zap squirrels humanely.
With a HMR 25m is fine, 120m is fine, really close can be a problem and 200m+ is problematic because the doughnut is too big. Significant ranging error is a miss. What surprised me is a squirrel sitting there as 3 shots just grazed above his fur, as he was sitting in a graveyard of dead squirrels all around him still looking for chestnuts.
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Squirrelbasher
Well-Known Member
How big is your lawn?
Distance is because one can't stand on the lawn and shoot them - they see a person and flee.How big is your lawn?
When meeting someone with a lawn the question is, how many broken mowers do you have? I have 4 ride on mowers, 3 of which need repair. Badger holes wreck mowers. Fixing mowers takes days each year.
Lawn has mature sweet chestnut trees alongside it, and an orchard I planted 23 years ago. Both are magnets for Greys.
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Smellydog
Well-Known Member
Yes but what about jam or custard filled doughnuts??
And did you know that the most healthiest part of a doughnut is the hole!
And is it pronounced doughnut or should it be duffnut?
I find peanuts work best with squirrels but I'll definitely give a doughnut a try
Old Waltonian
Well-Known Member
Well done - keep up the good work!
The 22 Hornet is an awesome Squirrel & Jay chambering but a tad messy if producing canned squirrel saddle for inclusion in a Fortnum & Mason Christmas hamper.
K
K
If you think my doughnuts have peanuts in them, you have not spoken to any of our squirrels. Centre is cold air. My doughnuts are lead.
The group comparison after the misses is below. Left would be dead squirrels each time despite dispersion (wobbly hands, 120m). Right is a really accurate miss, every time, from ranging error.
Red line from the Blackburn tool is probability of impact. X axis is distance from group centre.
Lesson is range the squirrel properly before pulling the trigger.
We don’t want no “God damn washers” donuts 
in this thread please!
K
in this thread please!K
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