My Interior Red Squirrel Rifle project

[mainer_in_ak]

right now, it is a 444 marlin, BUT I think Jes can rebore it to 50 alaskan:

[Mobius]

Scrap it. Interior red squirrel needs .700 nitroexpress minimum.

[Amigo Will]

Make sure to get at least a 20X scope as you don't want to be in their attack range if not a clean kill. The 444 necked 500 does make an intresting chamber

[mike h]

Make sure to get at least a 20X scope as you don't want to be in their attack range if not a clean kill. The 444 necked 500 does make an intresting chamber

I think you could get away with 16x, especially if the reticle options make your trade off worth it. At $3000, the Leupold Mark 6 is probably your best starting point. They may be able to custom your reticle with ballistics/drop compensationfor 444 or 50 Beowulf interior red squirrel loads ( 444 IRS/50 BIRS):

http://www.leupold.com/hunting-shoot...4mm-m5b2-34mm/

[Mobius]

One more question. How do you intend to stuff these squirrels into the chamber once you've decided on the bore diameter?

[iofthetaiga]

One more question. How do you intend to stuff these squirrels into the chamber once you've decided on the bore diameter?

Depends on time of year and the condition they're in. In the spring you should be able to just rub a little Imperial Gopher Wax on their necks and shove em in there. You should be good to go, unless while your inspecting their necks you notice they really seem to be bent out of shape (this happens sometimes due to rough handling)... In the fall sometimes their basses get a little fat and you might need to full length resize em first.

[Mt Al]

50 Alaskan? You can only hope to anchor one for follow on shots with that pip squeak. Must have a death wish or something.

[mike h]

For goodness sakes. It's been said a hundred times already.

SHOT PLACEMENT

[rbuck351]

Yep, gotta hit em in the shoulder to turn em for a heart shot. It's the only way to stop a charging chipmunk or a rampant red squirrel. They have been known to knaw a mans ankles off clear up to his knees if not hit really well with the first shot especially if not using at least a .777 monster masher magnum. I think I'd just play it safe and stay home if all I had was a 444.

[iofthetaiga]

I think I'd just play it safe and stay home if all I had was a 444.

Oh good god man, if we're talking red squirrel defense, staying at home with your head under your pillow isn't going to save you! You've got to cowboy up! Protecting yourself at home is the paramount goal here! These little bass tards are worse than Reavers! In an hours time they'll unzip you and have your owens corning pink hanging in trees for half a mile in every direction! If you have time for surgical precision, sniping their scouts outside the perimeter with CCI CB's can be effective, but once they've targeted your position / if you're outnumbered, the only viable defense is to fall back and try to hold them at the wire, and the 444 isn't the best tool for that job. If they breach your perimeter en mass all hope is lost, but if you can keep up with them as they come through the wire, I've found that the best weapon is the 12 gauge Winchester Target Load launched from a short pump gun. In close quarters it will literally vaporize the little bass tards.

[68 Bronco]

Heard from a reliable source (Lifetime Squirrel Battler) wherein one very PO'd wounded one ran up a poor fellow's pant leg.

DO NOT SHOOT UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES - DROP YOUR FIREARM AND BEAT IT TO DEATH WITH YOUR FISTS

[Akheloce]

I prefer not to get that close.

The real issue here is being able to reliably take them at 400 yards +.

My 35 Whelen is woefully inadequate at this task, so I'm considering a 358 STA. if only Remington would make a 358 Ultra Mag.

[BluNosDav]

You guys need to visit Remington's web-site and watch the multiple War on Squirrels videos.
Although the one filmed is obviously a Gray, the lessons learned should apply to Reds as well.

http://www.remington.com/

Enjoy, Dave.