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.32 cal rifles?
- Thread starter Big_Al
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I gotta report in on a 32 cal incident this afternoon.
I've never taken anything but head shots on snowshoe hare with mine, but this afternoon they weren't cooperating. Crunchy snow and brittle vegetation made it impossible to move quietly, and I just couldn't get a sitting shot.
Finally spotted one at about 20 yards, but with its head completely concealed by a large alder branch. In those conditions there was no chance to move for a better angle, and if I didn't shoot it there wouldn't be any rabbit going home.
Went ahead and shot just under the alder, aiming to hit it as high in the shoulder/neck junction as I could.
The bunny dropped flat at the shot and didn't even kick. Later when I dressed him out I found the shot had gone high through the shoulders, just clipping the top of the lungs but missing the spine.
Can't say why, but the wound was even cleaner than what I expect from a solid 22LR, and the critter certainly dropped faster than any body shots I've seen with the smaller slug. I can probably salvage both shoulders!
Load was 20 grains Pyrodex P under a .310 Hornady ball in a prelube .015 patch. Rifle was my Crockett.
Not that I'll go looking for body shots, mind you, but in the future I'll probably take one again if the head isn't offered.
Thought you'd like to know as you get ready to hunt with your own.
There's no supersonic crack when I shoot this load, so it's at least a little subsonic.
I've never taken anything but head shots on snowshoe hare with mine, but this afternoon they weren't cooperating. Crunchy snow and brittle vegetation made it impossible to move quietly, and I just couldn't get a sitting shot.
Finally spotted one at about 20 yards, but with its head completely concealed by a large alder branch. In those conditions there was no chance to move for a better angle, and if I didn't shoot it there wouldn't be any rabbit going home.
Went ahead and shot just under the alder, aiming to hit it as high in the shoulder/neck junction as I could.
The bunny dropped flat at the shot and didn't even kick. Later when I dressed him out I found the shot had gone high through the shoulders, just clipping the top of the lungs but missing the spine.
Can't say why, but the wound was even cleaner than what I expect from a solid 22LR, and the critter certainly dropped faster than any body shots I've seen with the smaller slug. I can probably salvage both shoulders!
Load was 20 grains Pyrodex P under a .310 Hornady ball in a prelube .015 patch. Rifle was my Crockett.
Not that I'll go looking for body shots, mind you, but in the future I'll probably take one again if the head isn't offered.
Thought you'd like to know as you get ready to hunt with your own.
There's no supersonic crack when I shoot this load, so it's at least a little subsonic.
BrownBear
Your results aren't surprising.
Although the Lyman Black Powder Handbook doesn't show loads below 30 grains in a .32, the velocity they got tells me that your gun was probably shooting somewhere around 1,200 FPS.
Doing some idle number crunching if I calculate the area of a .31 diameter hole and divide it by about 8 pounds (the weight of a snowshoe?) and then multiply the answer by 120 pounds (the weight of a smallish deer) and convert the results back into a diameter it says that shooting a 8 pound rabbit with a .31 diameter ball is about like shooting a 120 pound deer with a 1.200 diameter ball!
Yes, I know things don't exactly work that way but we geeks have to get our fun where we can. :rotf:
zonie
Your results aren't surprising.
Although the Lyman Black Powder Handbook doesn't show loads below 30 grains in a .32, the velocity they got tells me that your gun was probably shooting somewhere around 1,200 FPS.
Doing some idle number crunching if I calculate the area of a .31 diameter hole and divide it by about 8 pounds (the weight of a snowshoe?) and then multiply the answer by 120 pounds (the weight of a smallish deer) and convert the results back into a diameter it says that shooting a 8 pound rabbit with a .31 diameter ball is about like shooting a 120 pound deer with a 1.200 diameter ball!
Yes, I know things don't exactly work that way but we geeks have to get our fun where we can. :rotf:
zonie
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It's worse than that, Zonie. Arctic hare may reach 8 pounds (yet to see one that big), but snowshes average less than 4 and 3 is probably closer. Think jackrabbit size.
I've shot them for many years with 75 or 86 grain cast FN bullets at 1150 fps from a 25-20, and the difference from 22 LR is impressive, to say the least. Perhaps due to the FN design, you definitely don't want to resort to body shots. Ick!
I've never noticed a difference between 32 cal and 36 cal RBs, though they both seem to smack at least as well as the 25-20 on head shots.
Kinda makes me wonder what a 36 would do on a body shot, also being "round nosed" like the 32.
But man, it's sure hard to make myself take a body shot just to find out.
The timer here on the counter sezz that yesterday's hare will be cooked in another 72 minutes, but the smell is already driving me and my wife crazy! She's already said too bad I only got one, and I said we'd have had two if she had come along with her 36.
I'm betting I don't have to ask twice next time there's time for a hunt! :hatsoff:
I've shot them for many years with 75 or 86 grain cast FN bullets at 1150 fps from a 25-20, and the difference from 22 LR is impressive, to say the least. Perhaps due to the FN design, you definitely don't want to resort to body shots. Ick!
I've never noticed a difference between 32 cal and 36 cal RBs, though they both seem to smack at least as well as the 25-20 on head shots.
Kinda makes me wonder what a 36 would do on a body shot, also being "round nosed" like the 32.
But man, it's sure hard to make myself take a body shot just to find out.
The timer here on the counter sezz that yesterday's hare will be cooked in another 72 minutes, but the smell is already driving me and my wife crazy! She's already said too bad I only got one, and I said we'd have had two if she had come along with her 36.
I'm betting I don't have to ask twice next time there's time for a hunt! :hatsoff:
Guest
Man, I'd love to be able to hunt snowshoe hares on a dreary winter afternoon!!!
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After all the expense of getting to Alaska on a hunt, most visitors don't have time left for small game hunting. But that's what we do the other hundreds of days a year we aren't chasing big game.
Of course, your opportunities for whitetails, squirrels, turkeys, quail, cottontails, pigs and more beat the stuffings out of my chances for them!
Of course, your opportunities for whitetails, squirrels, turkeys, quail, cottontails, pigs and more beat the stuffings out of my chances for them!
MikeChapin
58 Cal.
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BrownBear said:
I haven't shot a snowshoe with the .36. About the only time I run into them is when I'm elk hunting and don't want to spook them by taking a shot. Have got a couple with a rock though. How's that for primative? :wink:
I have shot a lot of jack rabbits with a .36. A high shoulder shot will make both forlegs often too blood shot to make them good for anything. Haven't tried shooting jacks with the .32 yet.
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I'm guessing the lack of bloodshot meat I experienced was due to low velocity. Dinner was great last night, and I was able to salvage about half of each front shoulder. Lots of work for a little bit of meat, so I'll stick to headshots as a matter of choice. But next time the snowshoes are shy, I won't hesitate to take a shoulder shot with my slow loads if one is offered. Some rabbit is better than none, and a little extra work beats the heck out of balogna.
MikeChapin
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I use 30 grains 3F in that rifle. I don't know the actual velocity but it's cooking along pretty good. I have used a .36 revolver on jacks in the past and those don't seem to tear up too much meat.
MikeChapin
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It's a 12-28. I got some for my Wife's Seneca a couple of years ago from TOTW. The same nipple fits the Cherokee and Patriot pistol.
MikeChapin
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I don't know. The ones I got were AMPCO bronze by Uncle Mike's.
shdwlkr
40 Cal.
Big Al
I like the 36 caliber Seneca over the 32 cherokee if I am shooting at longer distances. My 36 works out to 200 yards and yes it has a scope on it to help my old eyes see that small ball hit. My 32 so far is good out to 75 to 100 yards and the 36 works better on bigger game like coyotes better more weight and a larger maxi 32 is 103 the 36 is 128.
I like the 36 caliber Seneca over the 32 cherokee if I am shooting at longer distances. My 36 works out to 200 yards and yes it has a scope on it to help my old eyes see that small ball hit. My 32 so far is good out to 75 to 100 yards and the 36 works better on bigger game like coyotes better more weight and a larger maxi 32 is 103 the 36 is 128.
If he is still in business you might try Bruce at Blue Grouse.
There used to be some folks selling balls and bullets on eBay. They have a website now. Black Jack Hill is the company name. They have a .32-40 163 grain projectile that looks pretty interesting. They do a lot of different calibers.
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