Squirrels with a .410 Shotgun?

410 works great... i just prefer to use a 22lr. ive just never enjoyed too-much-gun soup. nothing irks me more than biting into a pellet.

one in the ear hole and done. no wasted meat, nothing to chip a tooth on.
 
I hunt the Gray pine squirrel and one 80+ feet up hiding in the pine needles is hard to get a bead on sometimes. I prefer a 22 also but sometimes you can't find them for a head shot in the tall pines.
 
My grandpa gave me a 1951 bolt-action Mossberg 183 when I was 7. I'm 32 now and that thing has killed more squirrels between Kansas and Alabama than anyone should be lucky enough to shoot. By far my favorite gun, mostly because Papa gave it to me.
 
my nephew gave me a Mossberg 142A 3O years ago and it is a squirrel killing machine. One of the most accurate 22's I've ever shot.
 
The .410 guys love their lil plunkers. I however HATE them. I had 4 and only saved them for my kids. When my kids became old enough to use them I pattern tested all of them. I couldn't believe how terrible they were. I wouldn't feel comfortable shooting at a rat at 20 yards with them. I couldn't get rid of them fast enough. We now have 20 ga. for the wife and kids. By the way, I am probably biased because my very first gun was a single 12ga. and I killed a mountain of squirrels with it.

My buddy from Florida was a brag-about 410 lover until he tried it on the top of our WV mountain oak trees. I watched him shoot a big fox squirrel one time that was way up. After his 4th shot, he sheepishly looked at me and said hand me your @%$#^ 12 gauge
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I never cared for a 410 as bird gun but for killing squirrels or rolling bunnies in front of the beagles it was perfect. I shot a Stevens sxs and my hunting buddy a Win Model 42.
 
I'm not a .410 fan. In my eyes, shotguns begin at 28 gauge and go up. For me a 20 gauge is about right for squirrels, rabbits, doves and the like.
 
I like using a .410 for close squirrels. Pattern your gun, but mine is full choke and likes 3" 5s and 4s (federal). Under 30 yards, its coming down from that tree. Some guns need 6's to keep a good dense pattern, doesnt matter.. any shot size from 7.5-4 have enough penetration to kill a squirrel sub 30yds. Aim for the nose and you will be fine!

Beyond 30yds is rifle time for me anyways, so it all works out good.
 
I use a 410 all the time. Our squirrel season opens May 15th thru February 28th. 12 per day. I squirrel hunt 3 or 4 times a week. Before i started shooting a 410 much. I bought a reloader. My squirrel guns r
Mossberg

500 410ga TSS turkey gun.
SA 410ga TSS turkey gun.

Tristar G2 Viper 28ga

I even crow and quail hunt with my 410's. I am glad i bought a 410 reloader. My reloading set up's r a Mec 600 jr mark 5 in 410 28 20. And a sizemaster in 12ga. I have 30 + boxes of 410 3 inch 5 and 6's loaded up for the season. I run a full choke most of the time. But i do carry a modified in my vest.
 
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