question for squirrel hunters

on_the_edge

on_the_edge

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What would be the weapon of choice for a 10 or 11 year who wanted to start hunting? I have a Ruger Mk II .22, but question how safe it may be shooting it in an area where other folks may be hiking or camping, or where there may be building structures in the distance. A small shotgun of some type might do the trick, but I would not want to destroy the meat either. What do you folks think?
 
A single shot .22 short with you in constant supervision. And the child shooting at squirrels on the ground, not way way up there in a tree.
 
Get him an H & R single shot 410 shotgun. Have him use #6 shot.Having only one shot will make him concentrate on making the shot count. As far as safety he can carry it with the action open. A 410 will not ruin much meat at all.


Mike
 
A .410 is more than enough. But, I was toting a ruger 10/22 unsupervised at that age. Of course I was on private land. Not shooting at targets overhead is sound advice...
 
I need to go out and get me another break action .410. My dad misplaced mine years ago.
 
Definitely not a pistol, It's just to easy for a youngster to accidentally get the barrel swung around the wrong way. I'd go with the single shot rifle/shotgun or a good .22 air rifle.
 
.22 rifle is perfect. Bolt or single shot. Aim for the eye, make sure you have a good backstop, etc. Helps them get used to thinking about where a bullet's going to go AFTER it passes through an animal (or if they miss) which will be beneficial as they move up to larger game. If you're going to set/still hunt, talk about choosing your stopping point so you have safe shots when the squirrels appear.

J-
 
I don't hunt but think the break action shotgun would be my choice if I did. However, is the .410 really a viable gauge? At what range can it relaibly take a squirrel? Is it any good for larger game if one wanted to expand their hunting or would they have to move up to a .20? I've heard a lot of people talk down about it. Not flaming, just curious.
 
I quit using a 410 for squirrels because of its range. I shot squirrels and just wounded them then theyd hide behind a limb. Didnt have that problem with a 12 . I think the 20 would be suitable for a 10 or 11 year old.
 
I would go with a 20 gauge for a youngster. The .410 may hurt his confidence...less room for error. As for damaging meat, with the proper load that won't be a problem. Single shots are great for beginners, but another option if you like pumps or semi-autos is to only let him load 1 round until he is older. Some parents get their recoil sensitive son/daughter a semi-automatic shotgun because of the mild recoil (the action takes up a great deal of the recoil), but again only let them load one round until they are older. The .22lr rifle is another good option and will allow for longer shots once they get more proficient, and the ammo is cheaper than shotgun ammo. But like others have said, no overhead shots with the .22. The advantage the shotgun has over the .22lr is that it is more versatile and can be used for other game like a flushed grouse, running rabbit, or a deer using slugs.
 
I started dove hunting with a single shot break action New England Firearms .410 with a fixed full choke. It didn't hurt my confidence. It is more than enough for squirrels at reasonable ranges. I wouldn't try 50 yard shots with one, but 30 ft with 6 shot will put squirrels in the pot all day long- even with an 11 year old behind the gun...
 
As a kid growing up in LA and TX I used a .410 all of my early years, a Mossberg bolt action 183. My Dad just would hand me the shells one at a time until he was comfortable with my gun handling. At 10 I was hunting with cousins. I NEVER lost anything I shot at due to being undergunned. I still use that same gun today hunting Spruce Chickens up here in Alaska now. Just use the Modified choke and throw a rock at the birds to get them to fly!!!
 
Oh I agree with you guys that the .410 is capable of cleanly taking squirrel, heck I still have the one I used growing up for rabbit and squirrel. However, the 20 gauge can take everything the .410 can, and then some, at only a slight cost in added felt recoil using light loads. At the club I belong to this question comes up quite a bit and the 20 gauge is recommended for beginners over the .410, because more of the younsters shoot better with it. They have worked quite a bit with the kids and some missed a lot more with the .410, so much so that some were getting discouraged. I also have read a few articles that seemed to say more or less the same thing...YMMV
 
Thanks guys for all the helpful info. I guess I am leaning a little closer to 20 gauge vs. .410 only because I think it will be more versatile overall and allow him to shoot slug if he wants to hunt for things like javelina. It would also be more effective on animals like coyotes. Does a 20 gauge kick significantly more than a .410? Does anyone think a 20 gauge would be too much?
 
If the intent is to hunt a multitude of things than the 20 ga is the way to go for a 1st gun. NO the recoil is not that bad that a kid 10 years old couldn't handle. I always like the 20 ga myself, I just went from .410 to 12 ga.
 
I agree with some of the others regarding the 20 ga. It's enough gun for Adults yet totally usable for young boys as well. If you choose the right loads the recoil is not brutal. Obviously a semi auto will not be as harsh as an H&R single but throw a limbsaver butt pad on there and/or add some lead or sand inside the stock and the felt recoil will be very minimal.
 
What about a good quality pellet rifle in .177, .20 or .22? I use a .177 when i go squirrel hunting. They're quiet, can be carried around and shot near houses without people freaking out and are great for target shooting too. I practiced so much when i was younger that now i can take out ciggarette butts and asprin off hand with a 12lb gun.
 
I recommend a youngster learning to shoot (on a shooting range) with a 22, but a 410 for small game hunting for the safety factor the limited range and varity of loads a shotgun provides.
 
I was started at 9 years of age with a Winchester youth model .410 gauge crack barrel shotgun. Variety of loads, no recoil, small, light, teaches one shot hunting skill, must be manually cocked to fire, ammo is widely available and inexpensive, can be carried with action open, etc. Too many benefits or pros to list. That said my son who just turned 7 is being trained on a Remington 20 gauge youth model 1100 which is a semi auto, he just turned 7 but he is too big to for a youth model .410 at 75 lbs and 4.5 half feet tall. He shots the 20 gauge with no problem whatsoever and his favorite part is actually feeling some recoil he says it feels like he is doing something.

.22 caliber for squirrel hunting is a thing of the past given most shots are at squirrels in trees, if you miss that bullet is traveling far and wide so hunting tree rats with a rifle just ins't smart in this age of lawyers. 40/50 years ago it was cool and a good way to sharpen your markmanship but now with the movement of so many people out into rural areas and litigation based society we live in, the .22 for squirrel hunting just isn't a good idea. Too be fair like someone else said I was hunting with on my own with a 10/22 at the age of 11 but that was a different time. Now if you own your own land and I mean lots of it like over 500 or 600 acres of woods that are surrounded by other woods than go for it.
 
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