The debate between squirrel hunters regarding the fitness of scatterguns and .22 rifles for chasing bushy tails has raged for generations and is not likely to be settled anytime soon. Some insist that only a shotgun is suitable for chasing chicken off the tree whereas others wouldn’t even dream of taking one with anything but a rimfire. Others see the virtues of both.
For hunters that choose a .22LR rifle for chasing squirrels through the late Fall timber, gear is minimal. Simplicity is one of the things that attracts so many hunters to this small game species. Hunters may carry little more than their rifle, a tote or game bag, and maybe a call or two. Some veterans will call in squirrels with little more than two quarters or two pieces of a hickory nut.
As for their preferred shooting platforms, bolt and lever actions reign supreme, with some fans falling in the camp of semi-automatics. Another thing is also true about squirrel hunting: the action can be consistent, with many opportunities for several shots throughout the day.
A squirrel hunter might carry some premier optics for connecting on distant shots on distant squirrels; some hunters might even accept the modern touches of carbon fiber barrels to increase the handling and balance of their rifles. Do you know what most squirrel hunters don’t carry? Brass catchers.
This is interesting because there’s no doubt that many hunters choose semi-automatic rimfires for the pursuit of this small game species and also no doubt that some hunters, who live in states with generous seasons, probably use AR-15s in .22LR and other sporting rifles to pursue this quarry. A brass catcher makes more sense than not if you get to thinking about it.
It’s not so much that squirrel hunting takes place in dense country as it has to do with the fact that .22LR rimfire casings are nearly impossible to recover. They’re difficult to handle before they’ve been fired and almost impossible to find if they’ve been so much as dropped in the grass. Lay them down among pine needles, pine cones, twigs, and last year’s dried grass and leaves and you’ll never get them back. A brass trap that corrals spent brass can help with that.
Why is this such a big deal? Well, it isn’t really. It’s nearly impossible to reload rimfire cartridges and you won’t destroy the squirrel woods by leaving a few casings of .22 brass around. That said, for hunters that believe in leaving no trace, a brass catcher is effectively the only way to hunt squirrels with an autoloader and do so.
If you do chase squirrels with a sporting rifle like an AR-15 variant chambered in .22, what you need is a brass catcher that is purposely designed to your needs. The Brass Goat by Magwell Mounts lacks the wire frame and mesh bag of competitors. Instead, this AR-15 brass catcher is made of hard ABS resin that will slip through the brush unnoticed and undetected and will leave your sight picture clear. It’s also designed to quickly attach to the Magwells of AR-15 lower receivers, without the need for tools.
Tired of leaving .22 casings behind in the woods during the small game season? Visit BrassGoat.com to learn more about this brass catcher and contact them for more information if you have any questions.
