# Need a gun that wont mutilate a squirrel and can kill a deer



## MarineCorps (Dec 25, 2005)

I need a gun I can kill squirrel with(and still eat them) but also take a deer if i ran into one in the woods. 
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.  
Also if it could be accurate to at least 400 yards that would be great.


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## TN.Frank (Nov 12, 2005)

No such rifle exsists as far as I know. If you get a rifle that has enough power to kill a deer that same power will "toast" a squirrel, especially if you want something that'll work on deer at 400 yrds. You can get something that's under power for deer but WILL kill them like the ol' 25-20 and it'll work great for squirrel but it's limitations on deer will be 100 yrds. or less, generally much less. I suppose if you had a 30-'06 and loaded it up with light bullets at reduced loads you'd do ok for squirrel and then you can change loads and kill deer all day long at 400 yrds. I don't think you'll find one load that'll work for both though. Personally, I'd go with an '06, load some light loads for squirrel and standard loads for deer.


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## huntin1 (Nov 14, 2003)

You are asking the impossible. To my knowledge such a rifle does not exist. First, you need a hi-powered rifle to shoot deer, you cannot shoot squirrels with the same rifle and expect anything to be left of them. And in most places shooting squirrels with a centerfire rifle is illegal.

Use a 22LR for squirrels.

If you get to be a good shot, you can use a 50 cal muzzleloader for squirrels in some states, but you have to head shoot them, it's possible, plainsman and I used to do this all the time. But you will not be shooting a deer with this muzzleloader at 400 yards.

See what I mean by impossible, two very different types of game requiring very different rifles to take either effectively. Sorry.

huntin1


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## DuckerIL (Dec 9, 2005)

Shotgun is the only way to solve this........ 12 or 20 gauge with improved cylinder and 7 1/2 or 8 shot for the squirrels, rifled slugs for the deer. I realize you guys in Nodak use rifles but we can't here in Illinois. Slugs are fine for the deer hunting I do in the timber with the longest shots being about 60 yards. Don't know of a rifle that would fill the bill. Just my thoughts.


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## TN.Frank (Nov 12, 2005)

You could always pick a Proper rifle for deer hunting then strap a good 22lr pistol on your belt for squirrels and finishing shots on deer. Heck, you could even go 22 Mag in a pistol and not have too much gun for the furry little critters.


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## MarineCorps (Dec 25, 2005)

A 20 ga. i do have!  never shot a slug through it though. ok then how about the lowest caliber possible to take a deer with and still shoot alright at 400 yards?


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## 94silverado (Oct 16, 2005)

I Agree with TN.Frank pick a proper rifle for deer and strap a .22LR to your side its a good decision and it is a little fun but make sure you can shoot the handgun well don't need to be injuring the little critters now do we lol but honestly thats a good idea because as far as i know there is no rifle capable of killing a squrriel with little damage and killing a deer.


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## Gohon (Feb 14, 2005)

By lowest do you mean smallest? 22-250 if the right bullet is used and you are a proficient hunter. Certainly a .243 which would be my choice but then again I don't know what you mean by "alright at 400 yards" so maybe neither one. Did you mean accurate at 400 yards or powerful enough for deer at 400 yards. You'll have to be a little more specific........


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## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

Try a shotgun

Light target loads 9 shot for small stuff

Dead Coyote loads for, guess what? Coyotes!

Slugs for deer

Bob


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## MarineCorps (Dec 25, 2005)

of coarse smallest is what i meant by lowest, would highest mean smallest caliber? :withstupid: 
And yes I admit i wasn't specific enough this time, by alright i meant somewhat accurate.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

sure they exist... most guns will do this but I suggest a 25-06, it is plenty big for a deer and when you learn to shoot it you will be able to wing the squirrel meaning not a direct hit.


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## John M (Oct 24, 2005)

.223, but you would have to make headshots on both game, for squirrels so it doesnt ruin the meat and for deer because its not powerful enough like a 243 to shoot through the heart/lungs, and if you dont hit exactly in the heart/lungs with it, good luck finding it.

Thats the only way to go im pretty sure,
hope this helps
~John M :beer:


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## MarineCorps (Dec 25, 2005)

I think i will go with the 25-06 or get a .270 and use my 20 ga. for squirrel.
Can anyone point out the differences between .270 and 25-06, Which one shoots flatter, velocity, range, weight etc.
:beer:


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## Remington 7400 (Dec 14, 2005)

Carry a .30-06, use full power loads for deer.

For small game work up some squib loads, and use FMJ bullets.

Of course this only works if you are a handloader.


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## TN.Frank (Nov 12, 2005)

MarineCorps said:


> I think i will go with the 25-06 or get a .270 and use my 20 ga. for squirrel.
> Can anyone point out the differences between .270 and 25-06, Which one shoots flatter, velocity, range, weight etc.
> :beer:


http://www.remington.com/products/a...ve_ballistics_results.aspx?data=R25063*R270W2
Here ya' go pard.


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## MarineCorps (Dec 25, 2005)

Thanks helps me out alot, well it does if i am reading it correctly. Let me get this straight, the 25-06 is better in everyway except for stoping power due to the width of the bullet? Correct me if i am wrong. :lol:


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## SG552 (Dec 19, 2005)

umm.. why not just get a combination long gun? Ya get the best of both worlds then.

Like this one?
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=3138573

Or even this?
http://www.gunshopfinder.com/savage/savage24F20.asp

There are several others, just do a google search.


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## TN.Frank (Nov 12, 2005)

Hey, heck, you can spend $10K and get a Drillings in double barrel 12Ga. over single shot 30-'06,LOL. 
Savage model 24's are ok but my problem with em' is you have a single shot rifle and a single shot shotgun and they charge you $550 for the privilage, no thanks, I'd rather have a good bolt action that'll take a deer and carry a Ruger Single Six in 22Mag. for the small stuff. Besides, a 30/30 is hardly a 400 yrd. deer ctg. I guess if you were limited to only one gun and did a lot of woods hunting the 24f in 30/30, 12ga would be ok but dang, $550 bucks. Ouch. :eyeroll:


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## marcus_rubbo (Dec 11, 2005)

16 yr. old kid in one of my highschool classes claimed today to kill a deer at 400yrds with a 30/30 with a 30 walmart scope....i just smiled and laughed :roll:


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## SG552 (Dec 19, 2005)

As for the kid killing the deer at 400 yrds with a 30/30 and a $30 scope?? What kinda oatmeal is he smoking? Frank. I agree with the price of the savage being so high but I was just offering a different point of veiw. There are several diff combo's out there way under $500. Thats why I suggested a google search. Just a suggestion. :beer: :sniper:


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## TN.Frank (Nov 12, 2005)

I know SG552, I'm just hackin' on ya' a bit,LOL. Still, if they'd make it in say, 30-'06 over 12ga. then you'd have something but 30/30 isn't really a long range deer round IMHO. I've thought about getting a 24F from time to time but I'm always brought back to the fact that it's really just a single shot, an expensive single shot. I don't think that there's any easy answer to this question. No one rifle is right for both deer and little furry critters.


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## SG552 (Dec 19, 2005)

DEAR FRANK!! for your information? I'm not that sensitive bro? Tho ya did hurt my feelings a little? :eyeroll: haha umm its all in good fun. IMO I don't like the combo guns at all really. I'm going to get a rossi 22lr/410 for my younger son to learn with but I wouldn't go out and pay 15,000.00 for a browning rifle/shotgun combo for sure. (Tho, if I had a combo that would be it) The nice ones are way to high and I would just rather have a 30-06 in one corner and a 12 ga in the other. Know what I mean? But thats as close to a deer/squirrell gun ya gonna get IMO.


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## TN.Frank (Nov 12, 2005)

It's just nice to have a fellow Tennessen here on the board with me, LOL. Yep, it's better to have two guns then one, any time. I'm glad that I don't have to be stuck with only having one gun.


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## SG552 (Dec 19, 2005)

I agree.  We're really within spittin distance. Thats pretty cool. Well bro be good. I'm out for a bit. Gotta prioritize...! cya 
btw we need to go hunting sometime :sniper:


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## Gohon (Feb 14, 2005)

SG552, I highly recommend against the Rossi combo guns. I have two of them. One is the 22lr/410 and the other is 17hmr/410. Both are nice little guns as far as fit and finish goes and a blast to shoot with the 410 except they are so light weight the 410 kicks much harder than you would think. The reason I don't recommend them is the trigger pull is God awful on these little guns. You will never be very consistent with the 22LR, even with a scope. And the rear sight is nothing more than a piece of plastic with a notch cut into it. Even with a scope mounted, every time I took them down to stow in their carrying case, every time I reassembled them if I didn't torque the forearm screw exactly back to the same position I would have to sight them in again. I have finally given up and regulated the 22lr/410 as a boat gun under the seat of my pontoon boat. The other one just wears the 410 barrel now and is in the barn for rats and snakes. Though not as good looking as the Rossi I recommend the NEF if you want a combo that shoots good, has a much better trigger pull and is about the same price.

John M, your wrong about the 223 not being able to take a deer with a heart and lung shot. Loaded with something like the Nosler 60 grain partition it will blow right through a deer while destroying the heart and lung area. Not my choice as a deer round but it will do the job with a proper shot which is required of any caliber. Head shots are for drugstore cowboys. Unless a neck or heart and lung shot can be made then the shot should be passed on.


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## SG552 (Dec 19, 2005)

I appreciate the info Gohon.. Checking the NEF out now


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## Greenhunter (Dec 31, 2005)

Savage makes a model 24F which has two barrels you can have it with a .22LR and .20 ga combo set up.

You're asking too much from one caliber to perform that kind of double duty.

The other alternative would be to carry a nice centerfire rifle for deer and plink your tree rats with a .22 pistol.


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## MarineCorps (Dec 25, 2005)

Ha ha ha... went a different direction, bought an 8mm mauser. :sniper:


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## Alaskan Brown Bear Killer (Feb 22, 2005)

You must be SMOKE'N CRACK!  
What did you say you wanted to do with this rifle?


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## Remington 7400 (Dec 14, 2005)

He said he wanted to reliably kill deer at 400 yards and not mutilate squirrels!

Yeah, far fetched I know, impossable not at all.

Think about it, a .30-06 in the hands of an experience user will cleanly take a deer at 400 yards. For the squirrel part work up some squib loads loaded to about .38 Special velocity and use FNJ bullets, I have shot rabbits with squib .30-06 and 150 grain FMJ, all you get is a nice clean .30 cal hole. Buy a really accurate bolt gun, maybe even a bull barreled gun, take head shots on the squirrels.

There you go, factory loaded .30-06 kills deer at 400 yards.

squib handloaded FMj, head shots on squirrels in close.

It is possiable, however, given the choice I would rather have a .270 or .7mm mag for 400 yards deer and a .17 HMR for squirrels.

My opinion anyways.
:sniper:


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