Penultimate squirrel hunting rifle scope

[steve white]

Since some of the best big game hunting training takes place on squirrels, and since there are some seriously avid pursuers, what in your opinion is the cream of the crop on optics? (please, no "anything is good enough for squirrel hunting" entries...

 

[Ray B]

My preference is a Leupold M8 6x42mm that has been returned to Leupold for readjustment of parallax to 50 yards.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

I have never hunted them, but because it is reasonably close in, lots of brush structure and the need to spot other ones left and right that may offer a better shot I would go with something like the Leica Magnus 1-6.3 x 24. Crystal clear optics and massive field of view. The red dot is there if you want it, turn it off if you don't. Good DG practice!

 

[1dirthawker]

my 2 cents,

i have shot lots of squirrels (small red ones) and consider a PCP air rifle the ultimate gun for such work. a 4-16x scope is probably about as good as one can get for hunting squirrels. they are small, and having good magnification is a big deal. head shooting a squirrel is easier with higher magnification.

 

[steve white]

my 2 cents,

i have shot lots of squirrels (small red ones) and consider a PCP air rifle the ultimate gun for such work. a 4-16x scope is probably about as good as one can get for hunting squirrels. they are small, and having good magnification is a big deal. head shooting a squirrel is easier with higher magnification.

Don't know why "air rifle" surprised me--well done! Of course there are some out there who stretch the effective range with .17 caliber of different sizes.
Is your air rifle spring cocked, or pumped, and does that motion after the first shot betray your presence?
Does your scope have adjustable parallax? What level of optical quality/light gathering, etc.?

 

[BourbonTrail]

No optics, 410 Shotgun with #6 shot

 

[shotgungibbs]

I have a Leupold 4X Rimfire on my 10/22 Ruger

 

[Flipper Dude]

Iffen you can bag a mess o’ cat squirrels from the tops of these tall pin oak trees here in East Texas with a 22, you can kill anything on the planet. I’ve never seen one come to a complete stop.

 

[TucsonFX4]

my 2 cents,

i have shot lots of squirrels (small red ones) and consider a PCP air rifle the ultimate gun for such work. a 4-16x scope is probably about as good as one can get for hunting squirrels. they are small, and having good magnification is a big deal. head shooting a squirrel is easier with higher magnification.

Same here, except it’s eradicating round-tailed ground squirrels, all with a PCP. Accuracy is paramount for these itty bitty creatures. So for me it’s a higher power scope, usually around 12x. It’s a cheapy scope though, so I won’t bother with a brand preference for my task.

 

[Challer]

IMO, training with the glass and rig you use for hunting is what is optimum for training. So, the .22LR goes on the R8 and aways I go. Something bigger and its the 223 or 308 for training. Same Swaro Z8

 

[1dirthawker]

Is your air rifle spring cocked, or pumped, and does that motion after the first shot betray your presence?
Does your scope have adjustable parallax? What level of optical quality/light gathering, etc.?

Steve,

the air rifles i use now are called pcp, just compressed air. they are more accurate than spring piston rifles and more powerful. calibers range from .17-over .50 cal. they are very quiet with a legal and over the counter moderator for $1-200 bucks.

these higher powered scopes all need adjustable parallax, whether on the objective or side mounted. re: light gathering, depends on the scope and how much you want to spend. i believe they are more accurate (within their range) than most 22 long rifles.

go to Utah Airguns, Pyramid Airguns, etc, to see their products. Then go to Youtube for reviews on guns or optics that interest you.

 

[steve white]

I have never hunted them, but because it is reasonably close in, lots of brush structure and the need to spot other ones left and right that may offer a better shot I would go with something like the Leica Magnus 1-6.3 x 24. Crystal clear optics and massive field of view. The red dot is there if you want it, turn it off if you don't. Good DG practice!

Just looked at the Magnus #4 reticle--it is really fine on the inner crosshairs--would be great on squirrels. Good choice

 

[steve white]

Iffen you can bag a mess o’ cat squirrels from the tops of these tall pin oak trees here in East Texas with a 22, you can kill anything on the planet. I’ve never seen one come to a complete stop.

Brother, you ain't lying!!

 

[igotit]

I have Nikons, Athlon, and a Vortex. However i just got a Ruger 8334 HB .22lr. I installed a Burris 4.5x14AO. AT 50 yards I am blowing out the 10 ring.

 

[baxterb]

Penultimate means second-to-last - so you are looking for the one you'll buy until you get the last one? ;-)

The Leupold 4 x 33 is a great scope. an @Ray B , you can adjust parallax at home. Although I've not done it myself, a rather well-known builder used to use the 4x rimfire scope on his rifles and set parallax for 100yds himself.

 

[Ray B]

@baxterb - I have scopes that have parallax adjustment using a third knob along side of the windage/elevation knobs and also a dial on the objective, but on the "field" scopes such as the M8 6x the only adjustment is turning the ocular into/pit of the scope body. This adjusts the focus-does adjusting the parallax involve disassembly?

 

[Marc Ret]

Mcarbo has a tutorial on adjusting parallax if inclined to do it yourself.

Adjusting Parallax on Scopes Without Adjustable Objective (AO) | Rifle Scope Tips – M*CARBO

Learn how to adjust parallax on rifle scopes without an Adjustable Objective (AO). This guide explains fixed parallax, how it affects accuracy, and what you can do to minimize its impact.

www.mcarbo.com

 

[Jeffrey]

If your squirrel rimfire is light and handy, a light and handy scope compliments well. A 2-7X Leupold is great for most rimfires.

 

[baxterb]

@baxterb - I have scopes that have parallax adjustment using a third knob along side of the windage/elevation knobs and also a dial on the objective, but on the "field" scopes such as the M8 6x the only adjustment is turning the ocular into/pit of the scope body. This adjusts the focus-does adjusting the parallax involve disassembly?

@Marc Ret has posted the basic procedure. There are also some videos online that show it. On a leupold, that’s about all my friend used, the objective end has a little ring just after the gold ring that screws off. The inner lens is then turned to refocus. But as I say, never done it myself. Come to think of it, I have several fixed 2.5s, I might try to reset one to 50 yds for my .22…

 

[Ray B]

This instructions call for a 1/4" ring behind the Gold Ring. Photograph of a M8 6x42mm bell shows the gold Ring but no other ring. Is the portion in front of the gold Ring the part that turns and if so, will turning it allow the nitrogen to escape? The other issue is if turning it changes th parallax, how will I know when it is adjusted to 50 yards?