.32 and Squirrels

[dlgcrosstimbers]

After some frustrating time I finally got my little Traditions Deerhunter .32 caliber shooting decently. My traditional black powder rifles have gotten green with jealousy since small game seasons opened. I've been chasing the whitetail so much with my stickbows that all my spare hunting time has been spent with a recurve in hand. Well today I had a few morning hours before time to put hay in the barn, so I grabbed my Traditions "Deerhunter" 32 caliber rifle and quickly headed to the hardwoods. Shooting 15 grains of Goex FFFg behind a patched round ball. Nothing like the sight and smell of real black powder smoke drifting through the woods on a frosty morning! Didn't have time to stay long but managed a couple for the stew pot. Felt good to be back in the squirrel woods with my muzzleloader. Gotta make more time for this....lotsa fun!

 

[Boomerang]

That's my favorite past time! I like doing that more than deer hunting anymore. Besides they are easier to drag out of the woods.

 

[Ricochet]

Awesome! Sounds like you had a ball! That little crack that 15-20 grains of powder under a patched round ball makes is music to my ears! And the feeling that you get when you connect takes a feller back in time a ways

 

[BrownBear]

Atsa way! I have to confess I miss squirrel hunting more than most all the others, but they're not to be had in Alaska. Making do with snowshoe hare, but it's not the same. Shoot a few more for the rest of us!

 

[Britsmoothy]

After some frustrating time I finally got my little Traditions Deerhunter .32 caliber shooting decently. My traditional black powder rifles have gotten green with jealousy since small game seasons opened. I've been chasing the whitetail so much with my stickbows that all my spare hunting time has been spent with a recurve in hand. Well today I had a few morning hours before time to put hay in the barn, so I grabbed my Traditions "Deerhunter" 32 caliber rifle and quickly headed to the hardwoods. Shooting 15 grains of Goex FFFg behind a patched round ball. Nothing like the sight and smell of real black powder smoke drifting through the woods on a frosty morning! Didn't have time to stay long but managed a couple for the stew pot. Felt good to be back in the squirrel woods with my muzzleloader. Gotta make more time for this....lotsa fun!

Excellent stuff.

Another .32 thread. Stop it, yally killing me

 

[hanshi]

I love the .32 for squirrels and also the .36. A hunt with the little guns is absolutely soul comforting.

 

[dlgcrosstimbers]

I love the .32 for squirrels and also the .36. A hunt with the little guns is absolutely soul comforting.

Thanks to you Hanshi for all the advice you gave me awhile back to get this little Deerhunter 32 shooting decently. Its still appreciated.

 

[dlgcrosstimbers]

Back out this morning for a couple hours after feeding livestock. Added a few more plump grey squirrels to the stew meat pot. I don't think I could ever get tired of seeing game moving about and seeing & smelling the black powder smoke drifting through the hardwood forest on a cool morning. Makes a man feel really alive!

After almost using this rifle for a tomato plant stake back in the summer, I am amazed at how well its shooting now. I've heard the terms "shooting in a new barrel" but never gave it much credit. I bought the little 32 Traditions Deerhunter rifle used but never shot. It had been handled but never shot. After burning lots of Goex through it during the summer, and about to give up on the gun for any repeatable accuracy, almost like flipping a light switch this rifle started shooting a patched roundball decent. I'm a believer now in the fact if a new rifle don't shoot well, don't give up...keep burning powder through it. It sure made a difference in how well this little rifle shoots now.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Absolutely on shooting it in.
Lapping helps but is hard work.

B.

 

[dlgcrosstimbers]

I cant help but wonder this....

Back in late summer when I was very frustrated with this rifle's accuracy shooting a PRB, I shot some maxi-balls through it. The accuracy of those was some better but still not what I wanted. When I got the rifle back out and shot it some more, the accuracy started improving, and continuously got better the more it was shot. I wonder if shooting the maxi-balls helped smooth out the rifling? I tend to think it did.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Don't know friend.
But a shot patch inspection will tell alot.
A new barrel can cut patches easy and let a slightly uneven gas leak, usually totally in a random fashion.
Sometimes adding a firewall like cream of wheat or some leather or felt wads can help a new barrel shoot.

B.

 

[Travis Hampton]

Nice shooting. Question how wide of a front blade do yall use for squirrels? I habe a pedersoli 32 cal percussion rifle. I need to shoot it more but that being said . i dont like the rear full buck horn sights. I have a hard time keeping a consistent sight picture. I have been thinking of going with a narrower width fromt blade as well. Thoughts on sight set up for small game?

 

[dlgcrosstimbers]

Travis, I am using a set of Williams Fire Sights. My eyesight is great mid-range but focusing on a small point my eyes struggle, especially in low light as it often is in the timber while hunting. The sights that came on my rifles (notch rear, blade front) I struggled to see them, especially in hunting conditions in low light. I owe it to the game I hunt to make as clean of kills as I possibly can, so I had to switch out the sights to something I can see better. All my hunting rifles have fiber optic sights installed on them, not period-correct I know but I need to see them for accurate shooting on my part. My front sight is a small bead atop the ramp.

 

[Jumpshot]

Thanks to you Hanshi for all the advice you gave me awhile back to get this little Deerhunter 32 shooting decently. Its still appreciated.

Just out of curiosity, can you post a link to that conversation? I have a .32 Deerhunter that I haven't shot yet and I'll take all the tips I can get.

 

[dlgcrosstimbers]

With the forum conversion, they are gone I guess. I had to re-register to get back on the board and all the private conversations I had are in never-never land somewhere I suppose.

 

[Jumpshot]

Oh, I didn't realize it was via private message. Never mind then.