Tree Squirrel Rifles

I forgot to add in the rifle from my youth. My dad bought this Savage Model 29B in 1949. I started shooting it around 5 years old. Shot many squirrels, but we mainly used this on the shoot "Rats" along the Lackawanna River and in the Rail Road Yard in Moosic PA. Between the both of us we shot thousands of rats. At the time my father was the Yard Master for CNJ RR and he would take me to work with him. The Yard had a lot of rats due to the grain spilling out of RR cars and the River at that time was polluted and loaded with rats. About an hour before dark the rats would start coming out. Sure made me a sharpshooter trying to hit a rat at 75-100 yards with iron sights! I remember every couple of weeks my father would buy us a brick of Federal 22 LR Hollow Points in a bright red box. They were Less than $5 a brick back then (penny a shot).
Ours was 1895 savage pump. Then after we proved we wouldn't waste shells, model 63 Winchester. Man we hunted like you wouldn't even believe.
 
I forgot to add in the rifle from my youth. My dad bought this Savage Model 29B in 1949. I started shooting it around 5 years old. Shot many squirrels, but we mainly used this on the shoot "Rats" along the Lackawanna River and in the Rail Road Yard in Moosic PA. Between the both of us we shot thousands of rats. At the time my father was the Yard Master for CNJ RR and he would take me to work with him. The Yard had a lot of rats due to the grain spilling out of RR cars and the River at that time was polluted and loaded with rats. About an hour before dark the rats would start coming out. Sure made me a sharpshooter trying to hit a rat at 75-100 yards with iron sights! I remember every couple of weeks my father would buy us a brick of Federal 22 LR Hollow Points in a bright red box. They were Less than $5 a brick back then (penny a shot).
I have similar memories of those carefree days full of fun and imagination. Our rat sanctuary was my neighbors large commercial chicken house. Like you mentioned when dark we would sneak in the chicken house, one would hold the flashlight (the old shiny silver 3 battery type) aimed at the rat and close to the shooter so we could see the sights. The rifles we used were an old Winchester gallery pump and an old Remington pump .22's. My Father would purchase a 50 pack of Remington Peters shorts on Sundays at the corner grocery store along with milk after church and we learned to shoot with that old gallery gun way back then.
 
My old Kimber.
 

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How does it balance in the W3? My B14R has a lighter profile 18" barrel and I can't get the balance I like without adding a bunch of weight up front with any of the chassis's I've tried (MPA, ACC, BMP, XLR). The XLR balances the best so far.
It's is a little rear heavy, with a bipod it helps. Front weights fixed it
 
my first was a hand-me-down from my older brother. A Remington model 514 single shot. It had a crappy 3/4" diameter scope on it, and at age7, I tossed it. Shot way to many pest and game animals to count. I had to pry the cases out with my fingernail. I didn't learn about adjusting sights or repairing and cleaning guns for quite a few more years.
Next was a bolt action with a tube mag. My best friend had a .22 with a clip and I wanted a repeater too. Dad bought it for me for work on the farm. It said Coast-To-Coast Hardware, but years later I found it was made by Steven's. I bought a Bushnell 2-7x scope for it. It was a 3/4" tube, but way better than the first piece of crap I threw away.
Then, the year I graduated high school, I bought a Ruger Deluxe 10/22. I didn't have much gun knowledge. but I loved the look and handling of that gun. Put a 4x Bushnell Sportview on it. Finally discovered 1" tubes!!!!
Wat too many have come and gone since. Some much fancier. better looking, more expensive, smoother, more accurate, etc. Still, I couldn't seem to miss with that first Remington, which I still have and shoot. Oh, and I still grab the empty out with my nail, I never did replace the defective part!!
I often use a good quality German made airgun now. Quiet and deadly!
 
Ok, just read this thread, when looking out my window I saw this in the sunrise! He's about 100 yards out, thought he was a perfect picture. So, then I thought I'd share the rifle I learned to shoot with, a model 74 Winchester 22 short with both iron sights and a 3/4" 4x Weaver scope on a side mount so the irons are useable. It was my Dad's favorite, he checkered it himself, and made sure I knew how to use and care for it. We hunted squirrel and rabbit a lot! It also took more ground squirrel and chipmunks than I can count, as he made sure there was plenty of ammo available. Love that gun. A few years ago I found the unmodified model 74 and bought it. Both still shoot real well, the model 74 was meant to be an inexpensive semi auto 22, and by design is very accurate. I didn't see any in the post's yet, so here are mine. Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! God bless
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loving squirrel hunts, I have seen pure black squirrels in Pocono area of P.A & lower Onterio, Canada. never while hunting them have had a shot. a beautiful trophy mount they would make!! any one ever see a white varitity?
I have seen lots of white greys and black fox squirrels.
 
My "tree squirrel rifle" is a RUGER 96/22 magnum lever action re-barreled with an octagonal Green River barrel.
The scope is a Bushnell 1.75 - 4 X 30 that always works well. (Yes, RUGER once made lever action rifles.)

The Green River barrel, to be in proportion to the rifle, was a .22 LR barrel re-chambered in .22 WRM and it is definitely more accurate than the original RUGER barrel - and looks better too. I tried Green River's .22 mag octagonal barrel but it was way too long so sent it back for the shorter .22 LR barrel.

The only thing I don't like about the rifle is the trigger (which is impossible to improve) but otherwise it is truly a very nice piece which I am getting a custom Weineg stock made for it with a classic cheek piece and mild Schnabel forend
 
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