You gentlemen have brough this thread to life in many enjoyable ways. I haven't contributed a BP hunting story since January 2022 when I shot a big doe with the .54 GPR. But, due to your inspiration I brought out the .32 TC Cherokee this afternoon to ensure it could possibly hit a squirrel in the head, if I could see the sights in the woods well enough.
I put this together as a kit in 1987 while newly married and on Spring Break from the classes I was taking at the local college, when I wasn't working at the family orchard. When the gaggle of kids came along fast and furious it eventually became regulated as a safe queen and squirrel hunting was shelved for a time or two a year when the kids were little, as that was the best learning opportunity we had to teach them woodsman/ladyship. Even then, though, a 22 lr was normally used. Caring for little kids, cleaning a few squirrels and then the BP rifle was getting too much in a busy schedule.
First time it went hunting in at least 3 decades was last year when my oldest, who is in his 30's, and I camped in the Daniel Boone Nat'l Forest during the KY early small game season in May of 2022 to try our hand at squirrel hunting together. I kept missing the chances afforded to me, finding out on the last morning that the sights weren't as fine tuned as I thought. O well, it was a fun trip and the RM and 12 gauge we took along did help us bring home some meat on that excursion.
This afternoon I tested out the .32 quickly at the farm and then down the road to a friends spread that hosts about a 5 acre hickory woods. Interspersed in that stand are Red Oaks, White Oaks and Black Walnuts, but the vast majority are Shag Bark Hickory trees aplenty.
Standing in the thick honeysuckle understory near the base of a large White Oak for about 20 minutes finally I began hearing the tell tell sounds of falling pieces of nut hulls. Hearing this was a far cry from being able to see where and who was making this sound, though. The foliage is dense and thick in this stand of wood. Looking up at the White Oak:
About 30 minutes into this searching the rascal began it's squawking bark from beyond the white oak. I crept around the trunk to the north side trying my best to make out the squirrel. The light was not bright in the midst of all these leaves but I thought I was making out a balled up form on a lower thin limb of a shag bark. The only thing that was convincing was the feathery brown color of what I was pretty sure the bushytail. Then it moved to squawk at me again and I knew what I was seeing was real. Man, trying to see those sights was tedious. I would line of the sights, front and back, while looking off to the side of the tree, then do my best to put them onto the squirrel. It didn't work. At the boom of the rifle that fox squirrel tore out of there without delay. O well, I had given it a try.
After reloading I made my way through the blow downed ash trunks and brush toward the East. I didn't go far before I heard the nut hulls drop off to my right. As I scanned that canopy without being able to see the culprit, another squirrel began barking to my left. Hmm, Right or Left? I choose left. That barker, too, was a shadowy form on a limb that I was not 100% certain was my quarry. Then it too moved to bark some more. That was enough to level the rifle and miss again. O boy, this wasn't looking good.
Thankfully, said squirrel, or maybe another one from that area, commenced to hope from tree to tree in my direction. Momma didn't raise no fool, so I quickly reloaded to be ready should a shot opportunity present itself. And it DID! On a white oak it stopped looking at me, about 20 yards and 12 feet or so up. Ah ha! I connected and it fell!
The wound is on the other side of the head. A young boar fox squirrel to add to the two greys I took earlier in the week with the 22. I had done it, only taking about 30 or so years since being successful with this fine little rifle once more.
In my rush to reload on a well fouled bore I broke the ramrod. It was a cobbled one crafted from a carbon arrow in preparation for last year's KY hunt, so not a big loss. There were more squirrels moving about here and I hoped to pot another, if possible. Not using wisdom in my excitement is all I can say for how it was snapped off. Thankfully the Dewy Rod at home allowed me to seat the ball and clear the barrel. This TC has been needing a good hickory ramrod for years. Now is time to make that happen.
The load is 20 grains of Goex FFFg (used to use 30 grains years ago. Not sure why, as 20 is certainly enough) and homemade percussion caps (good threads on this in the Percussion Forum). If only my eyes were as sharp as they were 3 decades ago I may have taken home a few more. O well, it was a good experience and definitely different than the ML deer hunting I've done a lot of since this rifle was used more often. I had forgotten just how loud a .32 BP rifle in the woods is. I've lost way too much hearing as I've aged. These shots in the confines of the woods didn't help that any. I can see why longrifles are utilized by many for this sort of activity, LOL.
The meat is in the refrigerator, the barrel washed with soapy hot water and drying out overnight. It may be sometime before the Cherokee is used again, but I am glad I freed it from the safe for this foray into the woods.
