Weapons, Marksmanship & The Upward Shot Core

The .22 Rimfire: The Classic Squirrel Rifle

Lesson 25 of 41 · Module 6, lesson 1

Assumes the Hunting Primer. New here? Start there first.

Your objective

By the end, you'll be able to explain why the .22 LR is the classic squirrel rifle and what it asks of you in return.

Concept ~7 min

A gray squirrel freezes flat against a hickory limb, 30 yards up, the size of your fist. You could throw a cloud of shot at it — or you could thread one tiny bullet into its head, drop it clean, and carry home a carcass with every bit of meat intact. For generations, the tool for that second option has been one rifle: the .22 Long Rifle. This lesson is about why.

Quick recall

Quick recall from the Primer — a rifle differs from a shotgun in that it fires…?

A single bullet along one precise line A spreading pattern of many pellets A large heavy slug for big game

Show answer

Correct: A single bullet along one precise line — Right. One projectile, one aim point. That precision is exactly what lets a .22 take a clean head shot — and why it punishes a careless one.
Not quite: A spreading pattern of many pellets — That's a shotgun. A rifle sends one bullet exactly where it's pointed — no forgiving spread. Hold that distinction; it's the key to this whole module.
Not quite: A large heavy slug for big game — A .22 LR bullet is tiny — about 40 grains. Its job is precision on small targets, not power. It fires one small bullet on a precise line.

Why the .22 earns its place: clean meat

A squirrel is a small animal carrying a small amount of very good meat. A center-of- the-body hit from almost anything ruins much of that meat and leaves you digging for fragments. The .22 LR’s answer is precision, not power: a single small bullet placed in the head kills instantly and leaves the body untouched. A head-shot squirrel is also far easier to clean — no shot or bullet pieces buried in the meat to find.

That is the whole tradition in one line: the .22 lets a careful hunter trade a harder shot for a cleaner, fuller game bag.

It’s cheap enough to actually get good

Precision isn’t free — it takes repetition. Here the .22 LR’s second virtue shows up: it is about the cheapest centerfire-or-rimfire cartridge there is to shoot, and it kicks almost nothing. You can put a few hundred rounds downrange in practice for the price of a single box of bigger ammo, and your shoulder won’t care. Cheap, low-recoil practice is how a beginner builds the steadiness a head shot demands. The gun that’s easy to practice with is the gun you’ll actually shoot well.

Deep dive Standard, subsonic, or hyper-velocity .22 LR?

You’ll see three rough speed classes of .22 LR. For squirrels, plain standard-velocity or subsonic loads are ideal: they’re typically the most accurate in a given rifle, they’re quieter (subsonic stays below the sound barrier, so there’s no sonic “crack”), and a head shot needs no extra speed. Hyper-velocity loads buy a little flatter trajectory but are often less accurate and noisier — not worth it at squirrel range. When in doubt, pick the load your rifle groups best and move on.

The honest trade-off: it asks for discipline

A rifle does not forgive. A shotgun’s spreading pattern covers small aiming errors and can fold a moving squirrel; a rifle puts one bullet exactly where the barrel points and nowhere else. That means the .22 demands what a shotgun lets you skip: a still target, a steady rest, and patience to wait for the shot rather than force it. Picking the .22 is choosing to learn marksmanship. That discipline is a feature — it’s the same skill that makes you a better hunter with every weapon.

Schematic of a hunter standing still in open timber, eye-line angled up toward a tree limb. The figure is settled and patient, illustrating the rifle hunter's posture: wait, steady, then take one precise shot. — Diagram (not a photo). The .22 hunter's bargain: wait for a still squirrel, get steady on a rest, and place one precise bullet. Precision in exchange for patience.

Check your understanding

Knowledge check

A friend asks why you carry a .22 rifle instead of a shotgun for squirrels. What's the best meat-hunter answer?

A precise head shot kills clean and leaves all the meat undamaged and shot-free It hits much harder than a shotgun and drops squirrels at any range It's the best tool for squirrels running and jumping through the canopy

Show answer

Correct: A precise head shot kills clean and leaves all the meat undamaged and shot-free — Exactly. Clean meat and easy cleaning are the heart of the .22 tradition — you trade a harder shot for a fuller, cleaner game bag.
Not quite: It hits much harder than a shotgun and drops squirrels at any range — Not it — a .22 is a low-power, short-range round. Its value is precision and clean meat, not power. And a shotgun is actually better for far or moving birds-in-a-tree shots.
Not quite: It's the best tool for squirrels running and jumping through the canopy — Backwards. A rifle needs a still target; the shotgun is the moving-squirrel tool. The .22 shines on a stationary squirrel you can aim at carefully.

Knowledge check

Which .22 LR load is the better default for close, quiet, accurate squirrel work?

Standard-velocity or subsonic — accurate and quiet up close Hyper-velocity — you always want the fastest, hardest-hitting round

Show answer

Correct: Standard-velocity or subsonic — accurate and quiet up close — Right. You don't need extra speed for a head shot at squirrel range, and the quieter, often-more-accurate load is the smarter pick.
Not quite: Hyper-velocity — you always want the fastest, hardest-hitting round — Speed buys you little at 25–40 yards and often costs accuracy and quiet. For squirrels, the calmer load usually shoots tighter.

Take it to the woods

Before you trust a .22 on squirrels: prove it at the range

0/5

Safety Run the whole session with the muzzle in a safe direction and finger off the trigger until sights are on target. The four rules don't get a day off at the range.
Shoot off a rest or sticks — the same steady support you'll use in the woods, not a wobbling offhand hold.
Put 5 of 5 inside a 1-inch circle (about a squirrel's head) at 25 yards.
Test standard / subsonic ammo and keep the load your rifle groups tightest.
Buy enough cheap .22 ammo to practice regularly — the low cost is the point.

Sources

American Hunter — Hunting Squirrels: Which .22 is for You? https://www.americanhunter.org/content/hunting-squirrels-which-22-is-for-you/
Gun Digest — Squirrel Hunting: Rifles and Calibers for Success. https://gundigest.com/rifles/hunting-rifles/squirrel-hunting-rifles-and-calibers-for-success
Outdoor Life — Shotguns vs. Rimfire Rifles for Squirrel Hunting. https://www.outdoorlife.com/hunting/best-squirrel-hunting-gun-rimfire-vs-shotgun/

Season dates, legal calibers/methods, and bag limits change — verify current SCDNR regulations before you hunt: https://www.dnr.sc.gov/regs/index.html

If you remember nothing else

The .22 LR is the traditional squirrel rifle because it rewards a precise head shot and leaves the meat clean.
It is cheap to shoot, so you can practice enough to actually earn that precision.
Its low report and short range keep it well suited to close work in the timber.
The trade-off is honesty: a rifle demands a still target and a steady rest — it does not forgive a sloppy shot like a shotgun's pattern does.
Standard-velocity or subsonic .22 LR is plenty for squirrels and is quieter and more accurate up close.

How ready do you feel?

How ready are you to explain why a .22 LR is the right first squirrel gun for a meat hunter?

Before you go — a quick look back

Distributed practice: one fast recall from an earlier lesson keeps it from fading.

Quick recall

From the Primer's rifle-caliber fundamentals — what makes a rifle a 'one projectile, one aim point' tool compared to a shotgun?

Show me the answer

Show answer

Correct: Show me the answer — A rifle fires a single bullet along a precise line, so it can only hit exactly where it's aimed — no forgiving pattern of pellets. That precision is the whole reason a .22 can take a clean head shot and leave the body untouched, and it's why a rifle demands a steady rest and a still squirrel.

Done with this lesson?

Mark it complete to track your way through the path. Saved on this device — no account needed.