I do not now recall how many years I used those standard Vel .22 LR for hunting nor any idea as to the number of Squirrels they put on the "ground". Lodging was simply not an issue with which I was bothered. When one hits a squirrel there is no way to know whether it will fall toward you are away from you (I've seen them fall in both directions using identical loads) so no way to determine if a limb is going to interfere on the way down or whether would be best to hit it with a 30 grain Short or a 40 grain LR.
I took this old Mossberg in on a trade back when I was young & didn't know any better. I immediately found out the only way I could ever make it worthwhile was to shoot it a lot. This I did & of all the guns I have ever owned this one likely "Earned" its keep more than any of the others. I could likely have invested hundreds of dollars in a high-grade target rifle & added hundreds of dollars more in fitting a premium scope & used only Precision Match grade ammo & cut the group size in half. As it was I may have had as much as $20.00 in this Mossberg & added a 3-7 variable Bushnell .22 scope for less than $20.00 several years later. As to accuracy I never really seriously measured group sizes for it. Using those CIL Greasy .22 LR I could crack walnuts or acorns all day with it or drill a squirrel in the eyeball.
Using shorts I was doing extremely well if I could put one in a Punkin at the same ranges. so which to use was simply not an issue.
Would truly love to know what the "Theory" is that the LR will leave more squirrels hanging on a limb than will shorts. Seems to me this is more of a factor of the tree itself than of the cartridge it is shot with.
I suppose one could carry a .600 Nitro Express & blow the poor little critter out beyond the tree, but even then he might lodge in a neighboring tree.
To me, this is one of those issues which "Sound Good IF You Say it Real Fast" but in my experience won't hold up to scrutiny.
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