Henry Rifle Forums

I went out at 4:00 this afternoon as the wind was still howling. I thought I could get down in a hollow but that didn't help at all. It was slow with no activity at all until about 4:45 I saw one grey and I took the shot and didn't get it. I thought now how did I not get that squirrel with a 12ga. So 15 minutes later I see another coming down a tree and took a good bead on the head area and it fell out at the shot but when I walked down it was trying to drag itself off and I finished it with a stick. So now I am thinking this gun is not shooting where I put the bead. The one headed down the tree was hit more toward the rear end. So I found a old dead tree that was a light grey color and put a mark on it and walked back about 30 yds. and shot at the mark. I walked up and 3/4 of the pattern was high but well centered with just the lower fringe hitting the top edge of my mark. So now that I know the pattern is going high I will have to place a shim under the recoil pad at the top and vary the thickness until it brings the pattern to POA. Then the fun part begins. I will have to cut that amount off starting with the shim thickness measurement at the toe and make my cut to end up with zero off at the top. I had never shot this 870 but just goes to show you should pattern your gun. So I got three squirrels and the last two I just held below with the bead. Here is a couple pictures from this evening out in the woods.
Nice open woods with some grape vines and oaks to the right and some thicker areas around the outer edges. I have taken a lot of bucks from this woods.

Lots of squirrel sign after going through this clearing and getting to the more dense woods

This was the three from this evening. Gutted and skinned and in the zip top bag in 5 minutes flat. I don't know if I could have done 6 in 10 min. or not.

Congrats again, Bandit! Very nice wood photos, and a good Monday-night-hunt harvest.

I haven't eaten squirrel since Ford was president. I hope to take my H001 out and remedy that later this year. I'm old school and believe on waiting til after the first heavy frost.

OK, out of curiosity, I just looked up wolves, and found that while the condition is real, there is no need to worry about using the meat from a squirrel that is infested.

For some reason, I want to try squirrel pizza.

We have already had several heavy frost in our area. Even though we have had frost a couple times that looked like snow the ticks in the woods and weeds are still a problem unless you spray down with the tick repellent. I think the brand I use is Sawyers and seems to be good at keeping them off. I haven't killed a squirrel with a problem in years. Pennsylvania doesn't have a early season so that may be why I haven't. Can't seem to catch a day without the wind really whipping the trees. I think there is plenty of squirrels but with the wind they don't move until late in the evening right before dark and after dark if the night is a warm one. Going out tomorrow morning if it is fairly still.

Nice looking 870. I'm glad you got the pattern problem solved.

Good looking greys. I hope they eat well.