While I love lever and bolt actions in general, because they just have that "feel" to them, using a semi-auto for squirrel hunting gives you the opportunity to sit still and not move at all when you miss. My 40 year old 10/22 with replacement match barrel will shoot around 1" at 50 yards rested. I imagine Ruger has a factory version these days that will do the same.
If you decide you want a 10-22 give me a shout .