If you're going to the range with a Mauser...

[madcaster]

Do NOT forget the cleaning rod!
Today I went on National Forset to do some shooting,squirrel season is in here.
Had a gallon jug of cast .30/06 and my P.O. Ackley barrelled Mark X Mauser rifle.
I got one shot from it before I failed to push the rounds all the way to the rear of the magazine well,they need room to allow the controlled feed features to work.
One shot,no way to clear the stuck round,being as it was a cast bullet load and I could not close the bolt on the round.
Of course I cleared it when I got home.
Somedays it is Monday all day!

[Flatlander]

.30/06 for squirrels? Holy Cow! You must have some very big critters out there!
Here in Connecticut we have these itty bitty things that a 22 will take care of.

[Uncle R.]

.30-06 for squirrels?
Holy Cow!
Don't you read any of the gun magazines?
You should have at least a 339 Super Short Ultra Fat Magnum for squirrels.
Everybody knows that .30-06 is just a wounder on anything larger than a field mouse.
<
Everyboy knows - everybody who's up-to-date on the latest articles.
Uncle R.

[madcaster]

I was not particularly after squirrels,just wanted to warm up me barls!If I would have been after bushytails seriously I would have taken a flintlock,my gun of choice!

[Shiloh]

.30/06 for squirrels? Holy Cow! You must have some very big critters out there!
Here in Connecticut we have these itty bitty things that a 22 will take care of.

I was thinking the same thing. Huge squirrels.

SHiloh

[NVcurmudgeon]

Do NOT forget the cleaning rod!
I got one shot from it before I failed to push the rounds all the way to the rear of the magazine well,they need room to allow the controlled feed features to work.

My bolters are an accumulation of Mausers and push feeders. I load all of them from the magazine, pushing each round fully back and have taught my stepson the same way. Won't hurt with the push feeds, but it is vital with Mausers. Another trick is the old German Army single loading method. Grip the left side of the receiver and the extractor between left thumb and forefinger to spring the extractor open. Yes, it IS a PITA!

[madcaster]

Thanks for the tip NVCurmudgeon,thought for awhile I would just sell the ole 06 and get a Ruger #1 in .45/70,that would solve the problem.But I have so much of an "arsenal" of .30/06 cast loads loaded up that I would have to do something there!

[rob45]

I like to use those 30 caliber sabots that hold a 22 cal bullet with a reduced load. Right now in my area rimfire ammo is very hard to get, so I conserve every bit I can. Besides, it helps me stay in shape with the larger gun. Still a little overkill, but my centerfire component supply far outweighs my rimfire ammo and I am not a very good shot with the one .22 I have. (Or is it the rifle??)

[PatMarlin]

Problem is Madcaster- when you bring a ramrod with you surely will never need it. You can't win nomatter waht ..

I was just reading an old book by POA my dad gave me back in the 60's, on care and repair of your firearms.

[geargnasher]

I was invited to squirrel hunt by a friend in Arkansas one time, and of course I showed up with my ancient Glenfield bolt .22 (that drives tacks with a little help from Paco Kelly).

Imagine my surprise when everyone met up (6 of us + dogs) and everyone started pulling out .22-250s and .223s. One guy had a .221 Fireball. I'm like ***?????? and they're laughing their butts off at me with my little .22lr, and an off-brand at that!

Come to find out, in the dense pine forest and mountains, most of the shots were taken at over 100 yards, some over 200 (yeah, one guy brought a range finder and a really good set of binoculars, he enjoyed spotting for the rest of us). Those squirrels were smart and far, I didn't think you could hunt them successfully without dogs and high-powered rifles. I took a few shots, but you only get one per squirrel and no chance to "walk it in". Naturally we were very careful of shooting direction, trying mostly to shoot in an uninhabited-for-30-miles direction, and even then trying to pin them against a solid tree trunk to stop the bullets.

Part that killed me, though, is we're loading up in the trucks with our combined 11 squirrels for the day and this character comes walking down the road in his buckskins, coonskin cap, border collie, Kentucky Flintlock (.45 cal) and 8 fresh squirrels swinging from his belt. We all just stared at him stupidly for a minute and then started applauding. What else could we do?

Gear

[carpetman]

My rifles were all push feed and I was used to dropping one in on occasion. Got a controlled round feed and I needed a push rod a few times. Started carrying one.

[Lead Fred]

Ive shot doves with an odd six before, after the second poof of fathers far off in the distance, we couldnt stop laughing so hard, could not make another shot.

[Rio Grande]

It's always a good idea to take a cleaning rod. I use the jointed m16 rod, w/ an adapter for commercial jags (different threads).
Even the 1/2 rods that the military Mausers have are good sometimes for stuck cases, and for that, pull throughs, bore snakes etc. don't cut it...

[armyrat1970]

Wow. I guess different parts of the country has an effect on what you hunt with. Here in Southeast Louisiana I have never used anything but a shotgun for squirrel or 'bits.

[HORNET]

Shotgun for squirrels early in the season and real windy days, switch to the .22 when the leaves drop. Also shotgun for bunny-busting, usually .410 SxS. The M-16 take-down rods are real handy, got 2 in my range bag.

[qajaq59]

If you use a 30-06 for squirrels you're supposed to "Bark" them. That is you shoot the limb they are on just below them and the concusion is supposed to knock them out. That's the way it was explained to me many, many moons ago.

[Flatlander]

Here in Connecticut there is not much hunting, we have thousands of "tree rats" that are not fearfull in the least. Because I have a bird feeder we will get 5-6 robbers at a time munching away at the free food. So I have taken to the "sport" of plugging the little buggers from my deck. Record for me was 5 in twenty minutes, I usally bag about 25 a year. 75 yards is about the max distance with my 22. I have recently started using a pellet rifle (RWS) and nailed one in my walnut tree at about 60 yards. If you miss one they get real wary and get skittish so I take my time and try to get them with one shot. But now you got me thinking, I have a .303 that someone gave me......

[Blammer]

I agree about having the cleaning rod, always have one in my range bag.

as far as 06 for squirrel.

YEP! Good stuff for them.

[snaggdit]

I have my father's Savage 22/20ga. Awesome squirrel gun. If a grouse or rabbit flushes, you are a flip of the firing pin away from the 20ga.

[357maximum]

I feel waaay undergunned all of a sudden.


I consider 3 things vital to for squirrel hunting.

1. Roxy- my 7 yr old female mcduffie strain leopard cur.
2. Reload- my 3 yr old male Mt. Cur
3. My stevens crackshot #16 SINGLE SHOT 22LR w/ammo

If I had to leave one of them 3 things behind...i would leave the gun.


a 30/06 for squirrels...no wonder people think you need a howitzer for great big ol whitetails..................