Me thinks you’re looking for an excuse to go to the range then go home and get drunk.
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2024/2025 Squirrel Hunting Thread...........
- Thread starter ETipp
- Start date
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Took my newly coned .32 Crockett to the range today. I cannot believe how well this gun shoots, maybe it just fits me well. Here is a picture I took of the last target I shot today. This is 25 yards, OFFHAND! And I can never shoot offhand like this. I think the quick ignition, easy handling , no recoil and slight muzzle heavy barrel made this group possible. I used a .310 ball, .012 lubed patch and about 18 gr. Swiss fffg powder.
I have many muzzleloaders, but none I can shoot offhand as well as this one. Can’t wait for squirrel season to open in September.
I have many muzzleloaders, but none I can shoot offhand as well as this one. Can’t wait for squirrel season to open in September.
That's awesome, Rusty!
That's some fine shooting for sure Amigo.
I shot this target last August. Standing supported as if using a tree while hunting. Hunted squirrel very little with it due to stepping in a hole and jacking up my knee. Got a couple squirrels, missed a few (always so). Haven't really shot her since. You just got me panicky! And for the record, I only drink on days ending with "Y".Me thinks you’re looking for an excuse to go to the range then go home and get drunk.
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Just noticed an error on that score sheet. Shoulda been ,018 ticking, not .014.I shot this target last August. Standing supported as if using a tree while hunting. Hunted squirrel very little with it due to stepping in a hole and jacking up my knee. Got a couple squirrels, missed a few (always so). Haven't really shot her since. You just got me panicky! And for the record, I only drink on days ending with "Y".
They're ghost squirrels, I tell ya.
Now that I got Mr. "C" squared away, I took it to the woods this morning. I was off of my 4-Wheeler at 0658, saw the first squirrel off to my left at 0702. Just as I was about to put the sneak on that one, something caught my eye to my right. It was closer to the first one so I tried to put the sneak on it instead. However, it vanished fast like. Looked back towards the first one and it too, was gone. Then about that time, I got a quick look at another one to my right but farther down a little ways. About the time I was considering how to ease my way over towards it, he gone!
After all of that, I stood pretty much in the same place for about 20 minutes but did not see the vanishing squirrels again. It's so thick in these woods this year that the lower and smaller trees blocks the view up in the taller trees. I was darn lucky to see what I did. I could occasionally her some leaves and branches moving, as well as due dripping from them, but just could not see anything due to the thick lower trees. The best one could do under those conditions is to get a glimpse of some leaves and limbs moving through a very few small openings in the smaller trees.
Decided to ease my way uphill a little and didn't see another squirrel. The wind began to blow at 0841. This was absolutely what I did not need. In fact, it flat out ruined it.
Continuing on, I kept on scanning the sky, the sides of trees and the ground all around me. I thought surely the squirrels would move to the ground as the wind became stronger, but it was not to be.
I told myself, Okay, ETipp, time to formulate a new plane of action. So, I slowly headed back in the direction I came in from. At 0854 after I walked back down hill a short ways, my knee was telling me that I needed to sit down for a few minutes. Found a large flat limestone boulder to sit on and just watched and wished I could see a squirrel under those conditions.
I sat on that boulder looking around and at 0905 I looked over and, I'll be darn, a squirrel was on a tree limb about 20 yards away and, as my luck often has it, was heading directly towards me. There was a tree between the two of us and the squirrel jumped up onto the side of another tree but disappeared behind the tree blocking the view. I said to myself "It's now or never, ETipp. So, I grabbed Mr. C and in one motion, raised it up while cocking it, pushing up the peep, and setting the set trigger. Held and held but no squirrel came into view. What the heck? Finally after about maybe 1 minute the squirrel moved into view over on the side of the tree and stopped facing head up. It was about a 15 yard shot Mr. Jim K style....sitting down. I said to myself "I'll be darn, I can do this". Only one other time was I able to shoot that thing while sitting down and actually hit a squirrel.
I sat there for a few minutes motionless while looking around. No more squirrels so I wiped out the bore, reloaded slowly and quietly, then walked over and picked up my squirrel. I noticed right away that it was a boar with fairly large inflamed reproduction organs.
Easing my way around more I saw two more squirrels in a pine tree that acted as if they might have been in the beginning stages of mating. They were chasing each other but not too aggressively. Round and round the tree they went but in a slower fashion. They just wouldn't sit still long enough to get a good aim at them. Finally, they too, disappeared just like the others. I saw one more squirrel across the road on the side of a tree and it disappeared as well.
The wind continued to pick up to the point of no hope noticing any squirrels up in the trees, if there were any. So, time for another plan of action and change of scenery. There simply was no hope of hanging around that area any longer.
Trying my best to find places where the wind wasn't, I moved to the other side of the mountain. After reaching some mature woods that are open to where I could see a long ways, I sat for a few minutes on a log. Not a thing to be found. Moved upslope and made my way around for a while and finally called it quits for the day. I saw, I think, 8 squirrels total for the day and got one of those.
I am still puzzled that on this hunt, with the wind picking up and all, why I did not see the first squirrel on the ground anywhere the entire morning. Not even on the ride back to my truck and trailer, not on the roads and not in what few yards there are on the way home. Yesterday, after I got done shooting Mr. C, there were squirrels on the ground around my house, even in the rain later on, but not the first one to be seen today on the ground anywhere.
Indeed, spring squirrel season is tough here. This year is tougher than last year. That's the way it goes, I reckon.
After arriving home and cleaning Mr. C then cleaning my only squirrel for the day, this ole boy has already reloaded my squirrel rifle and plan on going to another squirrel hood in the morning. This time it will be somewhere I have never hunted or been to.
Now that I got Mr. "C" squared away, I took it to the woods this morning. I was off of my 4-Wheeler at 0658, saw the first squirrel off to my left at 0702. Just as I was about to put the sneak on that one, something caught my eye to my right. It was closer to the first one so I tried to put the sneak on it instead. However, it vanished fast like. Looked back towards the first one and it too, was gone. Then about that time, I got a quick look at another one to my right but farther down a little ways. About the time I was considering how to ease my way over towards it, he gone!
After all of that, I stood pretty much in the same place for about 20 minutes but did not see the vanishing squirrels again. It's so thick in these woods this year that the lower and smaller trees blocks the view up in the taller trees. I was darn lucky to see what I did. I could occasionally her some leaves and branches moving, as well as due dripping from them, but just could not see anything due to the thick lower trees. The best one could do under those conditions is to get a glimpse of some leaves and limbs moving through a very few small openings in the smaller trees.
Decided to ease my way uphill a little and didn't see another squirrel. The wind began to blow at 0841. This was absolutely what I did not need. In fact, it flat out ruined it.
Continuing on, I kept on scanning the sky, the sides of trees and the ground all around me. I thought surely the squirrels would move to the ground as the wind became stronger, but it was not to be.
I told myself, Okay, ETipp, time to formulate a new plane of action. So, I slowly headed back in the direction I came in from. At 0854 after I walked back down hill a short ways, my knee was telling me that I needed to sit down for a few minutes. Found a large flat limestone boulder to sit on and just watched and wished I could see a squirrel under those conditions.
I sat on that boulder looking around and at 0905 I looked over and, I'll be darn, a squirrel was on a tree limb about 20 yards away and, as my luck often has it, was heading directly towards me. There was a tree between the two of us and the squirrel jumped up onto the side of another tree but disappeared behind the tree blocking the view. I said to myself "It's now or never, ETipp. So, I grabbed Mr. C and in one motion, raised it up while cocking it, pushing up the peep, and setting the set trigger. Held and held but no squirrel came into view. What the heck? Finally after about maybe 1 minute the squirrel moved into view over on the side of the tree and stopped facing head up. It was about a 15 yard shot Mr. Jim K style....sitting down. I said to myself "I'll be darn, I can do this". Only one other time was I able to shoot that thing while sitting down and actually hit a squirrel.
I sat there for a few minutes motionless while looking around. No more squirrels so I wiped out the bore, reloaded slowly and quietly, then walked over and picked up my squirrel. I noticed right away that it was a boar with fairly large inflamed reproduction organs.
Easing my way around more I saw two more squirrels in a pine tree that acted as if they might have been in the beginning stages of mating. They were chasing each other but not too aggressively. Round and round the tree they went but in a slower fashion. They just wouldn't sit still long enough to get a good aim at them. Finally, they too, disappeared just like the others. I saw one more squirrel across the road on the side of a tree and it disappeared as well.
The wind continued to pick up to the point of no hope noticing any squirrels up in the trees, if there were any. So, time for another plan of action and change of scenery. There simply was no hope of hanging around that area any longer.
Trying my best to find places where the wind wasn't, I moved to the other side of the mountain. After reaching some mature woods that are open to where I could see a long ways, I sat for a few minutes on a log. Not a thing to be found. Moved upslope and made my way around for a while and finally called it quits for the day. I saw, I think, 8 squirrels total for the day and got one of those.
I am still puzzled that on this hunt, with the wind picking up and all, why I did not see the first squirrel on the ground anywhere the entire morning. Not even on the ride back to my truck and trailer, not on the roads and not in what few yards there are on the way home. Yesterday, after I got done shooting Mr. C, there were squirrels on the ground around my house, even in the rain later on, but not the first one to be seen today on the ground anywhere.
Indeed, spring squirrel season is tough here. This year is tougher than last year. That's the way it goes, I reckon.
After arriving home and cleaning Mr. C then cleaning my only squirrel for the day, this ole boy has already reloaded my squirrel rifle and plan on going to another squirrel hood in the morning. This time it will be somewhere I have never hunted or been to.
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Rats, double.
You have nothing to worry about. Nice shooting.I shot this target last August. Standing supported as if using a tree while hunting. Hunted squirrel very little with it due to stepping in a hole and jacking up my knee. Got a couple squirrels, missed a few (always so). Haven't really shot her since. You just got me panicky! And for the record, I only drink on days ending with "Y".
I would wholeheartedly endorse Joe Woods barrel coning tools, especially in the .32 caliber. Those tiny balls are so easy to drop while reaching for the short starter. Especially when your hands are cold. No problem after coning, simply place the patch over the barrel, and press the tiny .310 ball into the barrel, no short starter needed, and certainly just as accurate. Love this Crockett
TDM
Cannon
- Joined
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You Guys are going to talk me into getting a .32 Crockett yet!
TDM
Cannon
- Joined
- May 28, 2022
- Messages
- 9,658
- Reaction score
- 24,218
- Location
- Louisiana & My camp in Mississippi
I like that reasoning!I tell this to my wife often Thad. If golfers have more than one club, why do you frown upon me as a hunter and shooter, having more than one rifle? She just rolls her eyes
Y'all are approaching this wrong. Draw about a thou out of your 401k and buy her a Louis Vuitton purse, and give it to her as a "surprise, just to show her how you love and appreciate her". Then you can buy all the guns you want and she can't say anything. Best investment you'll ever make.
I see your angle Hammer, but it wouldn't work on mine. If I dropped a grand on a purse for her, she'd damn sure cut me with a straight razor across the cheek
That's kinda like my wife, but instead of a straight razor across the check,I see your angle Hammer, but it wouldn't work on mine. If I dropped a grand on a purse for her, she'd damn sure cut me with a straight razor across the cheek
Ole Myrtle would take a 10" cast-iron skillet to my head.
Hah, they put on a big front, but you drop that purse in her lap and she'll melt like a candle. You'll have to buy a batch of those blue pills...
ETA: LOL you could buy her a $50 fake one, but I wouldn't advise it - they can tell.
ETA: LOL you could buy her a $50 fake one, but I wouldn't advise it - they can tell.
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Rusty, that's a combination I might try out of my Crockett. However, I don't have a lot of confidence it will work, but ya never know.
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