My mates ridiculed me the first time I brought this rifle to squirrel camp, and frankly, it looked so radical that I was self-conscious about using it.
It is a Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22, an AR-15 style rifle chambered for .22 Long Rifle. It has an adjustable length stock and a flash suppressor. It wears a Simmons 22 Mag 3-9x32 variable objective scope and a Sig Sauer red dot laser. I use a 25-round banana style magazine. These features categorize it for critics as a firearm that has no legitimate sporting use.
It is the best squirrel hunting rifle I've had.
With its short barrel, it is ideal for skulking through dense woods and brush. Its matte black finish makes it invisible from the treetops where a squirrel can see flashes from glossy blued metal and glossy wood stocks. It is made of plastic and aluminum, so there's no wood to scratch or dent or metal finish to mar.
Its compact shape and pistol grip allow a rock steady hold to maintain a sure sight picture on a target as small as a squirrel. The scope, mounted to the gun's Picatinny rail, is zeroed to 30 yards. I practice with it often, shooting a swinging metal disc target behind my house.
The M&P-22 is inexpensive, but its quality is outstanding. Some say I don't need a gun like that for squirrel hunting. I disagree. I need the best gun available for the job, and there is none better than the Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22.
Sports on 05/31/2020