I was a terror on the squirrel population here too, Ted, as a kid. Was given a .410 J C Higgins double at 8 yrs. old. They thought a .22 was too dangerous to turn me loose with, they said. My family didn't eat squirrel, so I sold them out of my Dad's country store for $.25 each, uncleaned. Shells for the .410 cost me 12 cents apiece, so if I had to shoot twice I broke even on the squirrel. When I finally got my first .22, a Remington Nylon 11, I did the math and decided that within a few seasons I was going to be rich!, one .22 bullet cost waaay less than a 3" .410 load of 6s, and would knock a squirrel out of the very top of those tall virgin yellow pines. I got $.50 for a rabbit and $2.00 for a 'coon. Market hunting at an early age.
SRH
