AboutDave Nyce Expertise I have been an NRA certified rifle, pistol, and shotgun instructor for over 15 years. I was on the Temple University archery team, and was a pistol team captain at a gun club in Pennsylvania for 5 years. I have built muzzle loader handguns and rifles. I have used all of these weapons for hunting. I hunt North American big game, small game, and waterfowl. I can answer questions on hunting safety, getting started as a hunter, equipment and techniques for various types of hunting.
Experience NC certified CCW instructor (concealed carry of weapons). Endowment member of the NRA, Life member of: NC rifle & pistol assoc., National Trapper's Association, and Grass Roots NC.
Question I have heard from some of my friends that it's unsafe to shoot at a squirrel at a tree with a .22 rifle because in case of a miss, the bullets may travel very far and there is the danger of injuring someone. Is that true? If so, what kind of guns should I use to hunt squirrels? Thank you.
Answer .22 LR bullets can travel more than a mile when fired into the air. This can be dangerous. The only way that I think is safe to hunt squirrels with a .22 rifle is to do what I do: I sit in a tree stand and only shoot at squirrels that are at a sufficiently lower elevation than I am, so that I can see where a missed shot will end up, and that it's a safe impact area. The advantage to using a rifle is that I aim for the head, and don't damage the meat.
Otherwise, use a shotgun with #4 or #6 shot. The pellets from a shotgun will come down at a relatively safe velocity when fired into the air, and they won't go very far.
