For some people, squirrels are small, playful animals, but for the majority, they are a nuisance that ruins their yard. Even animal lovers find squirrels hard to handle as they like to destroy things. Therefore, getting rid of them is the only solution to protect your house. Can you kill squirrels with a BB gun? This question must have crossed your mind when annoyed by the squirrels.
No. You cannot kill squirrels with a bb gun instantly. Shooting a squirrel with a bb gun will only injure it, maybe with one or two fractures. Without any first aid, it can die from the injury. However, it will cause a slow and painful death.
Continue reading the article to learn about the use of BB guns and the best BB guns that can kill squirrels.
What Is Bb Gun?
A Bb gun is a type of air gun made to fire metallic spherical projectiles known as BBs, similar in size to lead birdshots used in shotguns. Modern BB guns use round pallets or steel balls known as bullet balls.
The new guns have a smooth barrel of 4.5mm, and the diameter of the bullet ball is 4.3 or 4.4 mm. The balls are made of zinc or copper to prevent erosion. Some manufacturer still makes lead balls.
BB gun has three essential components: a bullet ball chamber, a tube for projectile direction, and a frame and system to release the propellent at an appropriate speed. Pulling the trigger of the BB gun causes the sear spring to lift from the piston by pushing on it.
When the piston releases from its latch, the spring will open up and push it forward. The air in the chamber behind the bullet ball compresses swiftly, creating the pressure to thrust it down the barrel.
Will A Bb Gun Kill Squirrels?
BB gun will cause a slow and painful death. It cannot kill the squirrel instantly due to the reduced power impact by the bullet and comparatively lower caliber than the other guns that can kill squirrels instantly. A standard high-power BB gun has a .177 caliber and can shoot BBs at 490 fps.
The impact of the BB gun bullet is low and will only cause a few fractures and wounds that can cause slow deaths in the squirrels ranging from a few hours to days. Therefore, your state might not include BB guns as hunting guns, and it might be illegal to use them to kill squirrels and other animals.
Is It Legal To Use BB Gun To Kill Squirrels?
Dealing with the squirrel is complicated. There are many ways to repel the squirrel because killing them is inhumane and can be illegal depending upon your state. BB guns fire small bullet balls that are not powerful enough to kill squirrels instantly.
Squirrels are fast and move quickly, so you will not be able to kill them immediately with your shot. The bullet ball can only injure the squirrel leading to a cruel and painful death.
There are three types of squirrels; ground squirrels, tree squirrels, and flying squirrels. In some states, you will have to get a permit from the government to kill the squirrels.
Killing a squirrel on your property is legal in many places, only in hunting season and when you do not live close to the city. You will have to take an official permit for the off-season killing of squirrels, even on your private property.
How Much Fps Is Required To Kill a Squirrel?
The FPS required to kill squirrels depends upon the caliber of the gun and your target. It is better to aim for a headshot of the upper chest cavity of the squirrels.
The bullet must pass through the fur and bones to damage an organ to kill the squirrel. The bullet will cause shoulder blade and rib cage fractures even with a low impact.
However, the headshot is challenging as squirrels are quick, and the bullet does not penetrate the head bones.
To kill a squirrel, select at least 177 caliber guns that fire bullets at a high velocity of at least 800fps. The speed and impact of the bullet must be strong enough to penetrate the squirrel’s body and kill it immediately. The guns with lower fps will only injure the squirrel. Therefore, BB guns are not ideal for hunting squirrels.
What Is The Best Caliber Bb Gun for Killing Squirrels?
Bigger guns do not mean better guns. The best guns shot bullets quickly and hit the target with the highest power. When purchasing a gun for hunting, it is necessary to keep the caliber of the gun and the speed of the bullet in mind.
The .22 and .177 caliber guns are best for killing squirrels. The .177 caliber BB guns work best at the velocity of 800 fps is lower and gets to the target twenty-five percent and thirty-three percent faster than the .22 caliber gun.
The .22 caliber gun is the best and clears away the target instantly. It is deadly, quiet, and accurate compared to the .177 bb guns. The .22 caliber gun is also a perfect choice for killing the target from longer ranges like thirty-five to forty meters. Therefore, making it ideal for killing the squirrels sitting on the branch.
What Are the Best Bb Guns You Can Use to Shoot Squirrels?
Before purchasing a gun, it is necessary to go through all the guidelines given by the local authority so you can later stay out of trouble and many other issues. Remember, many states allow shooting only during specific months. It is necessary to get a permit for off-season shooting. While purchasing a BB gun, look out for its length and weight and purchase safety equipment with the BB gun.
After a detailed search, I found a few BB guns with good reviews that are comfortably available.
Disclaimer: We don’t sell any type of gun. The following air guns and pistols are just for knowledge and recommendations.
1- Glock 19 Gen3 .177 Caliber BB Gun Air Pistol
Features
The Glock 19 is more adjustable than the regular BB gun model because of its smaller dimensions. It is a replica of a CO2 air gun and is small and portable with a similar appearance to an original pistol and has high power.
It has textured grips for easier grip and aim and makes it easier to reload magazines. The Gen 3. 177 caliber bb gun has a classical Glock U-shaped rear sight and white dot front sight.
The length of the gun is 7.25 inches long and weighs 25.6 ounces. Even though the Glock 19 Gen 3 is small, it fires 177 caliber steel bullet balls (BB) with a terminal velocity of up to 410 FPS.
2- DPMS Full Auto SBR CO2-Powered BB Air Gun
Features
The DSBR is 30 inches long and weighs 6.21 pounds. It has a durable synthetic design. It runs on CO2; the two CO2 cartridges are in 25 round magazine. It is ideal for ordinary 4.5 mm BBs. The gun has a dual action selector that allows you to choose between semi and full auto capability.
The DPMS SBR fires bullet balls at a velocity of 430 fps. It also includes a quad rail with six points of adjustment rear stock for placing flashlights, lasers, and other essential accessories. It has a fully adjustable rear sight, red dot sight, and detachable pop-up sight.
3- Sig Sauer We the People 1911 CO2 BB Pistol
Features
The Sig saucer has a metal body with a distressed finish. Fifty raised stars on the grip for smooth grip and handling. It has a drop magazine that can hold 4.5 mm steel BBs and projectile them at a velocity of 340 FPS. The gun is light, weighing only 0.5 pounds which makes it easier to handle.
4-Umarex Beretta M92 A1 Full-Auto BB Gun Air Pistol
Features
The Umarex Beretta M92 is powered by 12-gram CO2 cartilage. CO2 is also inside the gun magazine for your convenience. The 18-round magazine has an uncomplicated drop which makes reloading easy. It is eighteen shot, a 177-caliber BB gun with metal fixed front and rear sight.
The body is built of metal and gives resilient blowback actions. It shoots .177 caliber steel BBs at a velocity of 310 fps. It provides front and rear sights and a weaver rail to mount all accessories.
5-Umarex TDP 45 .177 Caliber Steel BB Gun Air Pistol
Features
It is a semi-auto double-action 177 caliber steel BB gun. It has a 19-drop-free magazine and fires steel BBs at 410 fps. The TDP has fixed front and rear sights great for aiming and dropping targets. It is fueled by 12-gram CO2 cartilage and comes with an accessory rail.
What Can You Hunt With A BB Gun?
It is impossible to kill any animal instantly with a BB gun as it does not have enough power to penetrate the body. However, it will cause bruises, wounds, and fractures.
To humanely kill small animals, like squirrels and rabbits, it is better to use a gun with more power and high velocity, which can take down the target within one shot and cause less to no pain to the animal.
BB guns are better for practicing your target with cans for hunting. Never attempt it on humans or other animals as it can cause severe injuries and damage the retina if it hits the eye.
How To Get Rid Of Squirrels Without Using BB Guns?
Squirrels are the most annoying and destructive animals in the yard. They will burrow in the grass to store food and can eat fruits and vegetables grown in your house plants. Squirrels enjoy eating the bulbs and can dig deep in the roots to search for them, thus weakening the plant.
Even though squirrels are annoying, they are cute innocent creatures. Many of us will agree that it is inhumane to use BB guns to kill the squirrels as the bullet balls will cause severe injury and pain to the poor creature.
Therefore, you can use other methods to get rid of squirrels. Following are a few tips to remove squirrels from the yard without hurting them.
- It is better to prepare ahead than to deal with the problems of squirrel infestation later. Install a high fence around your yard. The fence must be at least three feet big with narrow mesh. You can also use electrical mesh, but it is risky when you have pets and children.
- Keep the area around your house and yard clean. Remove garbage cans, trim the bushes, and clean fallen fruits and leaves daily to avoid squirrels’ attraction.
- Plant the mint, garlic, rosemary, pepper, and lemon plants around your house. Squirrels have sensitive nostrils and hate the sharp and pungent smell. Squirrels also hate daffodils, fritillaries, geraniums, hyacinths, Galanthus, and lily-of-the-valley. Also, squirrels can die from eating daffodils as they contain poisonous compounds.
- Dogs are the natural predators of a squirrel. Even though it is difficult for dogs to catch a squirrel, a pet dog can intimidate the squirrels in your yard and scare them away for good.
- Remove all the standing water sources like bird water bowls and water fountains. Cover the pools when not in use. Fresh and clean water will attract rats to live near your house.
Essential oils also work effectively in removing squirrels. Soak a few cotton balls in mint or cinnamon oil and place them inside your potted plant.
Chemical squirrel repellents you can find at your home are dryer sheets, mothballs, vinegar, and ammonia. All of these are great for scaring squirrels.
Conclusion
BB guns can and cannot kill squirrels. It depends upon your target, the gun’s caliber, and the power at which the bullet hits. After detailed research, I can conclude that BB guns are not strong enough to kill squirrels in one shot.
Instead, it causes slow and painful death which is inhumane. The killing of squirrels is legal in many states, and you can kill the squirrels on your property with an appropriate hunting gun only during hunting season. Hunting off-season will require a permit from the government.
Some states do not consider BB guns as hunting guns. Therefore, do detailed research according to the laws of your state before picking up a weapon to kill animals. You can use other methods mentioned above to remove them instead of killing them.
FAQs
References
- Tsui C, Tsui K, Tang Y. Ball Bearing (BB) Gun Injuries. Hong Kong Journal of Emergency Medicine