Best Shot for Fox Squirrel & Raccoon- 20 Gauage

[AlabamaMountainMan]

Heading to the MS Delta soon for a small game hunt. Mostly squirrels but raccoon and rabbit are plentiful, often provide shot opportunity, and are welcome to come home in the freezer if I get the chance. Need some recommendations on shotshells though. I went a while back and was not impressed with performance of some winchester #6 on the fox squirrels nor on a raccoon. Each squirrel took 3 shells (or more) and were consistently being hit each time + the raccoon took a shell to the face at maybe 15 yards and still wasn't dispatched efficiently. The Win #6 has been okay on grey squirrel in AL where I normally hunt, but even then it sometimes feels marginal.

Will probably just have to stop in a BPS on the way there. #4 shot 20 gauge seems to be a little hard to find other than in turkey loads. Would something like a fiocchi golden pheasant #5 nickel plated pheasant load work? Any other recommendations that are relatively common to find?

*no interest in buying a .22LR, .17hmr, .22mag. Might go back to 12 gauge one day, but definitely not before this hunt.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

When we used a shotgun, we always used #5 or #6 shot on squirrels and rabbits.

 

[FLS]

#5s

 

[AlabamaMountainMan]

When we used a shotgun, we always used #5 or #6 shot on squirrels and rabbits.

Any specific brand/model? I see some Fiochhi Gold Pheasant and Federal High Brass Upland.

 

[AlabamaMountainMan]

When we used a shotgun, we always used #5 or #6 shot on squirrels and rabbits.

Any specific brand/model? I see some Fiochhi Gold Pheasant and Federal High Brass Upland in the #5.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

We used the Federal high brass back in the day.

 

[S-3 ranch]

#6
#7 1/2 in a pinch

 

[AlabamaMountainMan]

#6
#7 1/2 in a pinch

I just haven't had great luck with the #6. Especially on the fox squirrels and raccoons.

 

[Chris in TN]

My little boy hunts all his squirrels with subsonic 20 gauge handloads that I make for him with 3/4 oz or 7.8 ounce of #6s. I use W-AA hulls, 7/8oz Claybuster wads, and Green Dot, and I won't post a charge weight because it's *less than* the published data I stole it from. Won't cycle a semi-auto but fine in a single shot.

You absolutely do not need super high velocities to kill squirrels. I'd say the same applied to raccoons though it's been many years since I shot one with anything other than a .22lr. As for rabbits, I've never found them to be even remotely hard to kill; they seem to succumb to things a squirrel might shrug off.



Photo was last year and means more to me than any deer or elk I've ever shot. He fired a single shot and the squirrel froze for a second then fell out of the top of the tree, dead. We don't have many fox squirrels here and that one was the culmination of a 3-year quest for me to find one on public land. I doubt that I ever personally kill another fox squirrel unless it's somewhere away from home.

ETA: if anyone is wondering how I put only 3/4 ounce of shot into a 7/8 ounce wad, the trick is airsoft BBs. About 4 of them added to 3/4 ounce of shot, fills the wad space. I put them in the bottom and they do not seem to have any impact on patterns.

 

[Pescetism]

Low brass #6 - #8 is what we normally use for all of those except coons past 10 yards or so. My experience with golden pheasant loads in 20 gauge is limited but they are hammers in 12 gauge. I can't see there being much difference between the two gauges assuming those shells pattern well in your gun/choke. Specific shell or brand matters less than patterning. Didn't see what choke constriction you're using but could you go up to the next tighter choke?

1 oz #5s should be plenty unless you're shooting coons past 30 yards.

 

[CMF]

Didn't see what choke constriction you're using but could you go up to the next tighter choke?

I was going to say switch to full choke if you haven't already

1 oz #5s should be plenty unless you're shooting coons past 30 yards.

Those are big az trees in the delta. Could very well be past 30yds. Maybe try 4's for that distance.
I can't recall a specific shot size I've used, but I remember switching to full choke.

Also, a great chance of running into wild hogs, just fyi.

 

[S-3 ranch]

I just haven't had great luck with the #6. Especially on the fox squirrels and raccoons.

You must be doing something wrong?
Maybe shooting too far, we kill lots of coons @ 20-30 yards trying to kill the ducks , chickens in the yard.
#6-4 is good for nutrias, raccoons,opossums