Mike,
I have hunted squirrels with black powder before. I use a .32 cal caplock. I believe it is made by CVA. I have only killed one squirrel with it at close range and it nearly blew it in half. I have trouble getting the powder to ignite. I have had the best luck using pistol powder(FFFG?) for the most reliable ignition. Have not carried that old thunderstick for a while now. Maybe I should get it down and grease her up for this fall. Thanks,
Brandon
Great use of the term thunderstick......always makes me laugh!
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have heard of people having good success with the smaller calibers. Old folk lure has it that the old time hunters used to "bark" them. shoting close enough to them where the fragmentations of bark and wood do the job of killing without all of the meat damage. I'm too afraid of wounding one to try it.
I've hunted squirrels for years using a DGW .32 cal. Tennessee Squirrel rifle. A .315 patched ball and 20gr FFg is a very accurate load and doesn't ruin much meet if I miss the head.
Location: Apt.402-24 Carlton st. Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. R3C 1P1
Posts: 402
Thunderstick, eh Beaurt? Up here in Manitoba we usually call 'em "thunder poles". I was kinda interested in black powder and re-enactments, but the same hassle with them guns as any other with our new gun laws and all.Probably even check for licences and registrations @ 21 gun salutes now!!!
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I use a .32 Traditions Crockett for squirrel hunting. It's the only gun I've used for squirrel hunting for the past two years. My son (just turned 10) uses a 28 gauge percussion shotgun.
where did you find a 28 gauge shotgun? I used to have one a long time ago but broke the stock on it. I used 28 gauge shotcups in its with and over the shot wad.
thanks,
Hunter6657
The 28 ga I just picked up by chance one day at the range. A guy was showing it around and said he was thinking of selling it. I asked how much. He said $100, so I wrote him a check before he could change his mind. He gave me a grocery sack full of wads to go with it. My boy loves it, and it's a squirrel killin' son-of-a-gun. 2 drams FFg & 7/8 oz of 7 1/2s.
It was originally sold by Dixe Gun Works, and is marked with their name. I think it's about 30 years old.
Yep, it looks just like the one I had back in 1973. I think I paid $25 for it back then. It was good out to 25-30 yards since it had no choke in it It would kick the fool out of me since it weighed about 4 lbs and I would shoot a 370 grain maxiball and 60 grains of powder for deer hunting. I never got anything with it though.
The steel buttplate was murder on your shoulder.
thanks for the info,
Hunter6657
I'd like to have a .32 flintlock. A friend of mine has one from Tennessee Valley Manufacturing. Shoots great but has really to slow of a twist. A squirrel rifle needs a fast twist of about 1 in 32 or so. His is 1 in 66. Meaning you have to use more powder to get good accuracy. A double 12 guage would be nice too. Keep'em Smokin'.
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when I still hunt I use a .36 cal. sidelock. When I am training dogs I use a .12 caplock....or if I feel like REALLY being sure of killing the squirrel for the dogs I pull out the TK2000. It is an inline 'turkey' gun. I have a modified choke with it and it will get the meat on the ground but the dogs don't care if there is a little of the #4s left in it.
use a 58.cal muzzle loader it works well infact they dont twitch when u shoot them once u pull that trigger its all over hit it where its stomach is so u can get its guts blown out
I'd like to have a .32 flintlock. A friend of mine has one from Tennessee Valley Manufacturing. Shoots great but has really to slow of a twist. A squirrel rifle needs a fast twist of about 1 in 32 or so. His is 1 in 66. Meaning you have to use more powder to get good accuracy. A double 12 guage would be nice too. Keep'em Smokin'.
I have a Dixie Gun Works Tennessee Mountain Rifle in .32. It was originally caplock but you can purchase fintlock conversion kits from them. I changed to flintlock because it is more in line with the tradition of a muzzleloading squirrel rifle. It has a 1-in-56 twist in the barrel. A fast twist of 1-in-32 is necessary in a make-believe muzzleloader which fires conical bullets or sabots. A true muzzleloading hunter would shoot nothing but patched round balls. If the rifling is too fast the ball will fly out without taking the spin resulting in poor accuracy. The rate of twist must be slow. I get good accuracy with 25 gr. of 3f.
I recently purchased a .40 cal flintlock squirrel rifle which was made riflesmith Matthew Avance in Corinth, MS. He owns a shop called Tennessee Valley Muzzleloading. Great people. The best. I have never ownded a more beautiful firearm in my life and it will consistently place shot after shot inside a 1-inch circle at 25 yards. I routinely take squirrels out to 40 yards and it does not destroy the meat. The rifle has never failed to fire and I have bagged many squirrels with it. Best load I have found to be is .395 swaged round ball, hand cut pillow ticking patch with saliva as retardant instead of grease. Grease is necessary if the rifle will not be fired for more than an hour after loading. The charge is 40 gr. 3f. Always use black powder, never synthetics and always prime with a tiny amount of 4f.
I've got a TC Cherokee in .32 and it's a squirrel killin' machine!! The sights on it are very, very small and it makes it very easy to have a small aim point.
I shoot 20 grains of Pyrodex P, under a .310 ball, patched with pillow ticking..
What amazes me is the enorumous amount of damage that stupid little .310 ball does!! I always aim for the head, and even though the ball only weighs 45 grains, it CRUSHES the skull on a squirrel. Way more damage than a 40 or 38 grain .22 LR bullet does..
Anyway, a couple falls ago I went squirrel hunting with a buddy in his woods.. Wisconsin has a 5 squirrel daily bag limit, and I was using my .32 and he was using a 10/22 with a 3x9x40 scope.. I'm not saying it was a race, but I made him complete his bag limit with two of my squirrels..
I clean them while they're still twitching, right after they hit the ground. I shoot, gather dead squirrel, reload, clean the squirrel, and all this time I'm looking for my next victim, while letting the woods quiet down.
I have a Royland Southgate longrifle in .38 cal. which I use for small game. A .375 round ball, .10 patch and 40 grains of 3f works wonders on small game.
By all means use a small caliber rifle for squirrels and such. Andy
I'm considering squirrel hunting with a muzzle loader. I'd like to find an inexpensive 32 caliber. I've owned several big bore black powder rifles, but never a small bore, and think it might be fun. Reading the posts here, I'm a little surprised at the damage the 32 cal does on squirrels. Anyone ever shot larger game with a 32?
