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Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: KeganM on January 06, 2014, 08:00:00 PM

Title: Squirrel points?
Post by: KeganM on January 06, 2014, 08:00:00 PM
Hello folks! I normally look around on AT but I've been looking for some more hunting-oriented help.

Does anyone have any good info for a squirrel thumpin' screw in point? I'm shooting a 175 gr. My current rig is 57#, but I'm building myself a new bow at 50#. I've tried ACE Hex blunts, with mixed results. Don't really want to stick my broadheads in a tree. Has anyone tried just using a washer behind a field point? I've seen them before but I don't hear much about them.

Thanks for the help!
Title: Re: Squirrel points?
Post by: Duncan on January 06, 2014, 08:06:00 PM
I know guys that use the washers under a field point with good results. I like a steel blunt with a rubber blunt over that. Adds some weight and a lot more punch. I typically don't take long shots so the blunts work just fine for me.
Title: Re: Squirrel points?
Post by: pamike on January 06, 2014, 08:08:00 PM
SGH's!!! Awesome
Title: Re: Squirrel points?
Post by: ChuckC on January 06, 2014, 08:12:00 PM
I get em fine with nutters.  Pretty cheaply too.
ChuckC
Title: Re: Squirrel points?
Post by: KeganM on January 06, 2014, 08:13:00 PM
I hear that the rubber does better than just steel, is that the case? I'd love to be able to put a rubber/plastic tip on to help with snaking in the grass or bounching off trees.
Title: Re: Squirrel points?
Post by: Stix on January 06, 2014, 08:20:00 PM
I use wing nuts behind a field tips
Title: Re: Squirrel points?
Post by: damascusdave on January 06, 2014, 08:32:00 PM
Take a look at the Small Game Thumper from VPA

DDave
Title: Re: Squirrel points?
Post by: stykbow67 on January 06, 2014, 08:38:00 PM
If you check out the "Small game thread" you'll notice a lot of dead squirrels with a Hammer Head or a Small Game Thumper being used. I use Hammer Heads and you can get them in a variety of weights i'm sure the SGT is the same.

Steve
Title: Re: Squirrel points?
Post by: KeganM on January 06, 2014, 10:29:00 PM
Thanks guys! I forgot about the Hammmer/Thumper. Last time I tried one was out of a 70+# bow, and the temper was a bit too much, a rock or hard log hit resulted in a broken shank left in the arrow.
Title: Re: Squirrel points?
Post by: tracker12 on January 07, 2014, 08:40:00 AM
Foot your arrowns and use the VPA Thumpers.  But the Wing Nut looks like something worth trying.
Title: Re: Squirrel points?
Post by: KeganM on January 07, 2014, 09:37:00 AM
I don't think I can shoot a carbon without footings, there's too much temptation to stump shoot in the yard!

Between the Hammer and the Thumper, which one would be the better bet? Spread the arms, or more of them?

Definately have to try the wing nut heads too!
Title: Re: Squirrel points?
Post by: Over&Under on January 07, 2014, 09:57:00 AM
Don't think you can go wrong with a judo...just need to put something behind it to gain weight
Title: Re: Squirrel points?
Post by: Slickhead on January 07, 2014, 11:16:00 AM
squirrels are tough critters

I think your best bet is a head that has a cutting edge+blunt force trauma

One like SGT, red feather talon
Hammer etc I feel are the best.
Seen em run away after a broad head hit.
Title: Re: Squirrel points?
Post by: Bill Carlsen on January 07, 2014, 11:16:00 AM
I sometimes think a butcher knife attached to the arrow would get the job done when so many others fail.
Title: Re: Squirrel points?
Post by: Bear Heart on January 07, 2014, 06:43:00 PM
Saunders bludgeon
Title: Re: Squirrel points?
Post by: JamesKerr on January 07, 2014, 06:50:00 PM
Call Bill Dunn and see if you can get a hold of some of his small game grizzlies. He sent me one to try out and I shot a squirrel with it. Instant kill I didn't even take a picture though to show you guys what the head does to the squirrel it is really gory  makes em hard to clean!   :bigsmyl:
Title: Re: Squirrel points?
Post by: Bill Turner on January 07, 2014, 06:53:00 PM
As said above, squirrels are tough critters. I use old broad-heads backed with a washer on older shafts. Does the trick. Course I'm pretty selective with my shots. I don't spend a lot of time chasing arrows or climbing trees to retrieve them unless there is a squirrel attached.    :campfire:
Title: Re: Squirrel points?
Post by: tarponnut on January 08, 2014, 02:10:00 PM
I use the Red Feather(TG sponsor) Talons. They are three sided so they slip right into my quiver holes perfectly(I shoot Woodsmans).
Absolutely devastating on squirrels! They won't stick into trees either.
Title: Re: Squirrel points?
Post by: Fastltz on January 08, 2014, 03:47:00 PM
http://www.3riversarchery.com/The+Forge+Converta+Blunt_i4914-1_baseitem.html

these look just right. I may try some.
Title: Re: Squirrel points?
Post by: Brianlocal3 on January 08, 2014, 05:27:00 PM
Hi kegan!!
Glad to see you over here. I too shoot 175 and this works well for me .

8/32 screw, 1/4" wingnut and 3 8/32 nuts for weight. This makes abou 195 grain head.  I grind my wingnuts to a sharp point and it drops them to right at 175.
 (http://i1166.photobucket.com/albums/q618/brianlocal3/jd%20viper/null_zpsc58c0ff6.jpg)

Bottom one is same as above but only 2 8/32 nuts, makes for around 150 grain head, not ground down.
 (http://i1166.photobucket.com/albums/q618/brianlocal3/jd%20viper/null_zps331ec711.jpg)

Here it is ground down
Title: Re: Squirrel points?
Post by: KeganM on January 08, 2014, 09:51:00 PM
Thanks guys! Brian, I picked up some 8/32" screws at Home depot yesterday, now I just have to put them together with some ashers and get the weight right. Have you tried putting two on, one behind the other?

Have to put an order in to 3Rivers... I think I'll pick up some of those converta points too!

Now if I can just find some tree rats to shoot at  :)
Title: Re: Squirrel points?
Post by: Alexander Traditional on January 08, 2014, 10:26:00 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Fastltz:
 http://www.3riversarchery.com/The+Forge+Converta+Blunt_i4914-1_baseitem.html  

these look just right. I may try some.
I just ordered some of these from 3Rivers. They look right to me to!
Title: Re: Squirrel points?
Post by: johnnyk71 on January 09, 2014, 10:55:00 AM
a friend of mine gave me a Barta blunt (like 3 Rivers sells). this one is a screw-in version, though. that thing is wicked nasty. i've missed more squirrels than i've hit with it, but i knocked a couple of good holes in the stucco on the side of my house!  :scared:    :knothead:
Title: Re: Squirrel points?
Post by: Brianlocal3 on January 09, 2014, 03:01:00 PM
Kegan,
you cant get the two wing nuts to sit right with two of them.  I tried that too.  

Here are some more I made up today. I used socket head bolts instead of pan heads this time

  (http://i1166.photobucket.com/albums/q618/brianlocal3/jd%20viper/null_zpsbb4debcb.jpg) (http://s1166.photobucket.com/user/brianlocal3/media/jd%20viper/null_zpsbb4debcb.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Squirrel points?
Post by: Brianlocal3 on January 09, 2014, 03:02:00 PM
just to show the difference in ground and un-ground
Title: Re: Squirrel points?
Post by: Bowjunkie on January 09, 2014, 03:16:00 PM
For squirrels, I really like the Thundervalley Small Game Head (formerly Magnus). Basically a blunt with a broadhead bleeder blade inserted. It kills by both hemorrhage and trauma. They can be shot directly into hardwood tree trunks and they'll either bounce off, or barely stick in the bark. I thought they had quit making them altogether, but found out yesterday that they're back in production. I bought a dozen more :^)
Title: Re: Squirrel points?
Post by: KeganM on January 10, 2014, 10:09:00 AM
Thanks guys! I've been hesitant to sit in the stand for deer behind our house lately because I keep seeing a guy sneak in behind Walmart (50 yards from my stand and only 70 from my house). Takes a lot of the fun out of it. We've been seeing a lot of squirrel activity picking up though, and I'm itching to try my new bow on something tastey  :)
Title: Re: Squirrel points?
Post by: LittleBen on January 10, 2014, 10:48:00 AM
Who's property? Maybe it's time to talk to walmart, or the property owner
Title: Re: Squirrel points?
Post by: Alexander Traditional on January 15, 2014, 12:42:00 PM
I got my points in and figured I would take some pictures and bring this one back up.  (http://i1254.photobucket.com/albums/hh619/_9alex/100_2055.jpg) (http://s1254.photobucket.com/user/_9alex/media/100_2055.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Squirrel points?
Post by: Oregon Okie on January 15, 2014, 12:49:00 PM
I got those 3R screw on dealy's too and like em. Screwed a 100 gr field point for 175 gr.
Title: Re: Squirrel points?
Post by: Alexander Traditional on January 15, 2014, 12:59:00 PM
Yeah I ordered some more when I got them in Russell. I've got a 175 grain tip for a 250 grain total.
Title: Re: Squirrel points?
Post by: stagetek on January 15, 2014, 05:00:00 PM
Judo's.
Title: Re: Squirrel points?
Post by: bendotwood on January 16, 2014, 03:53:00 PM
Obviously broadheads work well if they're on the ground.  When they aren't though, I use plain steel blunts from 3 rivers.  With the blunts on 700gr cherry shafts fletched with 3X5'' Parabolics the squirrels go down fast.  If I shoot a spiral flu flu however, blunts don't do the job.  For this reason I opted for a point with more penetrating potential.  I now use a field point with an adder behind it.  I haven't shot a squirrel with this set up yet, but I tested it on a roadkill possum and it did great.

An added bonus to the adders is that they keep the arrow in the squirrel, makes it harder for it to run off...
Title: Re: Squirrel points?
Post by: JC on January 16, 2014, 04:31:00 PM
Red Feather Talons can be sharpened on a flat stone to get both a wicked clawed blunt and 3 cutting edges on the same head. Best small game head I've ever used.

I'll take the 3Rivers Hammer as a second choice....but only if stumping and don't want to dull the Talons or am out of them.
Title: Re: Squirrel points?
Post by: tomsm44 on January 16, 2014, 08:40:00 PM
Haven't tried them but the Magnus small game head looks good.  Combines a blunt with a bleeder blade from a Magnus 4 blade.
Title: Re: Squirrel points?
Post by: MacRae on January 18, 2014, 08:52:00 AM
Sorry for the necro-post....but I thought I would share what works for me....

I use 5/16" ramin dowels or oak or whatever hardwood works for me...

I then glue on a .30 carbine brass casing.  I then cut a perpendicular slot in the top and insert a bleeder blade that I make from metal band material...I use an old bear bleeder as a template, but leave it solid.  I then pin and glue it in place.

I sharpen the tip....deadly.

To keep the cost down, I buy feathers by the hundred count.  I mark the cock feather with a blue sharpie....

I calculated the cost and it comes out to something like 1.50$ per arrow.  As disposable as an arrow can be....and deadly.
Title: Re: Squirrel points?
Post by: Bowjunkie on January 18, 2014, 10:12:00 AM
I use only Magnus Small Game heads and was freaking out when they sold the company, or part of it, because I couldn't find those heads for sale anywhere... Now they're making them again. I stocked UP! Just got a dozen more in the mail two days ago.

Thundervalley archery is making and selling them. THANK YOU!

They are a steel blunt with a Magnus bleeder blade inserted and I have shot a pile of squirrels with them. You can shoot them right into the trunk of an oak or cherry tree and they either bounce off, or barely stick by the tip of the bleeder and can easily be removedfrom  the tree. They sure do a number on squirrels and rabbits... with both shock and hemmorage. I got the last batch from FS Discount Archery.... but I bought all they had :^) so you'd better contact them before you place an order :^)
Title: Re: Squirrel points?
Post by: bendotwood on January 26, 2014, 12:09:00 PM
If you're shooting up the trees, then fluflus with rubber blunts are the only way to go.  Anything else will get stuck up there.

I have killed many squirrels with steel blunts, but like you, haven't been thrilled with their performance.  

I currently use a field point with an adder behind it for small game.  I haven't shot a squirrel with it yet, but I have shot a bird and a roadkill possum with them.  On the bird it was an instant kill, complete pass thru, dead before it hit the ground.  In both tests it achieved enough penetration to kill, and the adder tore a nasty hole going in.  An added bonus to them is that if you don't get a pass thru then the adder acts like a barb and keeps the arrow in the critter, makes it a little harder for them to run up a tree.

Just my 2 cents.
Title: Re: Squirrel points?
Post by: Danny Roberts on January 26, 2014, 05:55:00 PM
Nothing but Judos !