Glad to see this thread come back. I've been slacking on small game since deer season has gotten so long around here. I have some "nice" .22's, but my favorite is an old H&R 750 single shot bolt action. There is really nothing nice about it. I paid 50 bucks for it. The finish is trashed. I put an old cheap scope I had laying in around on it. The only thing it has going for it, it will group .22 short CCI hollowpoints all day long out to 50 yards.
It sees regular groundhog duty around my garden. Seeing this post has me motivated to hit the woods for squirrel this September. I used to cook them in a crock pot with mushroom soup and eat them over noodles, or make a brunswick stew.