Blunts vs broadheads for squirrel

[Mo_coon-catcher]

On fluflued arrows, which is better for squirrels on a 400gr arrow from a 50# bow? I'd rather use blunts shooting up into trees for both sticking and falling issues. But I'm worried about being able to kill a squirrel from the impact. Those spiral wrapped fluflued sure do make great parachutes. My arrows go about 35-40 yards when shot at a 45* angle from my 50# bows. I'm going to try getting some made up for my 70# bow at about 600-700gr so i don't have to swap bows to harrass squirrels while chasing deer. I'm not worried about those killing a squirrel with a 357 case.

Thanks,
Kyle

[Trumpkin the Dwarf]

I've shot squirrels in the ribs at 5 yards with heavy banded slingshots and steel balls. If you don't break the spine or knock em silly, they just run off. I'd say broadheads.

[woodchucker]

I prefer shooting my squirrels on the ground. Everything gets a broadhead!!! Flu-flus work great, but I've had more than a few "hit" squirrels get into a nest, or hollow tree.

[Ron LaClair]

Blunts are no good on squirrels unless you hit em in the head. I knocked one off the side of a tree once with a steel blunt from an 80# longbow. He got up, went back up the tree and into a hole in the tree.

Game Nabbers will work, the shallow point will penetrate a squirrel but wont stick in the tree. My favorite squirrel arrow is a flu-flu with a 3 blade Bodkin with 1/2" of the point cut off.

[Ron LaClair]

This squirrel was shot with a Judo point from an 85# bow. It didn't come out the other side.

 

[Warden609]

Broadheads all the way.

[Drewster]

Yep, go with the broad heads.  AND, good luck shooting at them with fluflus.  They'll hear them coming and be long gone when the arrow gets there.

[Gdpolk]

RFA talons. Kind of like a blunt and kind of like a broadhead. That said flu flu shots are HARD to land. They go dodging them like the actor on The Matrix most all the time. I only use my flu flus now on upland birds, rabbits, and some stumping shots. Squirrels are just too fast, small, and agile. They get only regular arrows.

Pink fletching and light up nocks are the key to recovery of squirrel arrows in my experience. I hunt small game mostly and loose quite a few arrows in daytime even with pink fletching. Come back at night and those $10/ea Lunenocks start to pay for themselves rather quickly.

[Possum Head]

Yep my .22 rifle was how I retrieved 2 Judos that were escorted to tree tops by those tough critters!

[wingnut]

NO JUDOs for skweerls.  I use bodkins cut off like Ron does.  They are great for all small game and non walk or run away.

Mike

[RJonesRCRV]

I shot one in the face with a blunt and regular fletching, maybe 8 yards.  He flopped a bit, so follow-up shots missed.  Then he regained his composure as best he could and ran off into the woods.  Im sure he either bled to death or starved because the shot busted his face pretty bad.

Either way, he ran off and suffered, maybe a broadhead would have prevented this.

[RJonesRCRV]

I think their reflexes combined with strength, flexibility and light weight allows them to react upon impact of an arrow, or maybe absorb the impact rather than the arrow passing through.  They are plenty tough though

[M60gunner]

Shot squirrels with everything from a Wamo slingshots to a 20 gauge shotgun. For bows and arrows we used field points with two holes drilled through, insert and glue nails. Kind of like a judo. Trouble with broadheads is they would stick into the tree. But know doubt tough little critters.

[RIVERWOLF]

Squirrels  ain't nothin' but a ball of muscle wrapped in buffalo hide !

I've taken a few with judo's-Ace blunts -and broadheads....best advise ....keep your shots close and behind the front shoulder....

>>>------------>

Two years ago I shot 9 fox squirrels, I got everyone I hit.  All with a 50 JD Berry dual shooter with cedar arrows and blunts or Hammers.  I use to use hi-precision 3 blades, but I am out of the larger version.  I shot a squirrel with a Wasp broadhead years back on a 2020 out of a heavy bow.  I pinned the squirrel to the tree.  I thought it was dead, I could not pull the arrow out of the tree so I unscrewed it with the dead squirrel hanging on the arrow.  When it hit the ground, it woke up and climbed high up a maple tree and never to be seen again.  Later that same year, me and Toad Smith were working a corn field and a nice buck did a backwards jump when I shot with my arrow passing in front of it, just grazing the brisket, hair on the ground and no blood on the broadhead arrow or on the ground. I saw the slight contact plain enough.  I was a little ticked off, I shot at a squirrel, up high, with my Schulz Legend with an htm with a nickel glued on it.  I hit the squirrel and it was stone dead when it hit the ground.  I was tempted to put my deer tag on it. I suppose it all depends where you you hit them.

[Mo_coon-catcher]

Thanks everyone, that settles it for me. I won't worry about changing up my arrows. I'll just leave them as I will have them for deer and use them as is. But take a file with me for in field touch ups. I figured they were tough little buggers since I've watcheed them fall 40-50' from a tree, bounce off a log, and go running off. might save my fluflus for winter time bunnies and maybe doves if they cooperate. And just put my more worn out broadheads on them.

Thanks,
Kyle

[KevinK]

I like Judo points or blunts with a tiger claw. I've gotten many with a compound and my first with a trad bow this year. Even with a 60# compound the arrow stays stuck in the squirrel and doesn't pass through. Everyone of them ran a few yards (rib shots). Longest was maybe 10 but the arrow was heavily embedded so he was unable to run far. These are Georgia grey squirrels though, not monster fox squirrels so YMMV. I don't feel safe shooting broadheads up into a tree and I also shoot squirrels in my yard with other houses close by so those are other reasons for small game heads for me.

[two4hooking]

Squirrels will dodge flu flus often.

I've killed them with a plain blunt or .38 but had a few get away also.  Now I use a short screw or a piece of banding steel in my .38 blunt. enough to get you through the hide.  I wouldn't go shooting broadheads up in the trees myself.

[batbow]

Apparently your eastern squirrels are a lot tougher than our ground squirrels.
I have had good luck with both rubber blunts and the steel hammer blunts.
45 lb bow and a solid hit there lights are out!
Have also shot them with field points and a G5 claw looking thing they call a small game head, neither have worked as well as the blunts.

[Crittergetter]

I've never hit one so I can't say which is best!