.45 load for squirrel

[Nifeman]

Hey fellers, gonna try to work up a load for my CVA .45 for tree rats and need to know if 25-30 gr. of FFF will give decent accuracy out to say, 50 yds, or would I be better off getting a .32...
Thanks in advance, Bud

 

[roundball]

Hey fellers, gonna try to work up a load for my CVA .45 for tree rats and need to know if 25-30 gr. of FFF will give decent accuracy out to say, 50 yds, or would I be better off getting a .32...
Thanks in advance, Bud

I tried the same thing in a TC .45cal...both 30 & 40grns Goex 3F are extremely accurate...never tried a squirrel at 50yds but popped a couple in the 15-20yd range

 

[boar]

I killed a deer at 40yrds with 40grs 3ff.The less powder the less you will tear them up. A 45 will tear their leg off, Have shot one with TC 54, max-ball, 110grs, just cleaned out its chest. Dilly

 

[xxgrampa]

greetings nifeman,

a 45 is not a good caliber for squirrels. any ball that goes up has to come down.

a 45 dropping out of the sky could kill someone.

even with a 32 or even a 22, always know where the bullet is coming down or pass up the shot.

howsomever, if you are able to hunt in the wiiiidddee open, then i am envious :grin:.

..ttfn..grampa..

 

[Christiaan]

We have different tree rats here in our neighborhood. Real Rats, some as big as small squirrels. Sneaky guys,... we shoot them with the Pellet air rifle as it is legal to shoot a Pellet gun in a residential area at rats and Indian Mynahs. :hmm:

 

[davy]

Do not kid yourself .. although a 45 cal is not an optimal size for small critters .. many a small animal has been taken with such in the past ... those boys shot what they had ... just think shot placement, and small powder loads.

Aim small ... miss small! :hmm: :thumbsup:

Davy

 

[shmrck1]

nifeman,
I you intend to use it strickly on squirrels, I would go with the .32. However I do use my .45
usually as a tune up for deer season.If I could see a squirrel at 50 yards I probably could hit it with either. I can picture a large squirrel
in the kill zone on a deer and do real good hitting it at 50+ yards with my .45. I use 35grns
3fff Goex in the .45 on sguirrels and if I see them I usually can hit them. 25grns 3fff in my .32. :hmm:
snake-eyes:hatsoff:

 

[410-er]

GET A 32!I have used the 32 and 36 for squirrels and the 32,in my book,is the best.Head shots out to 40-50 are no problem with 20grs of FFFg.This was my 1st year tring this and I am really hooked!My 36 I will save for ground hogs,turkey,and the likes.

 

[Deacon4]

Hit'em in the head or bark'em. The bore or charge don't matter that much, but don't waste powder. I've killed a lot of tree limbs that way and very few squirrels trying to bark'em. I use a 40 cal most of the time and my grandson's young eyes to put'em in the skillet.
:hatsoff:
Deacon

 

[Vaino]

My squirrel rifle is a .45 cal. flintlock and 30 grs. 3f w/ a .445 RB and .018 pillow ticking patch is a very accurate load. Have taken some squirrels at 30 yds, but normally they are a lot closer. I wanted this LR to be both a squirrel and deer gun and after a few days at the range, this same load w/ 70 grs of 3f zeroed at 100 yds. w/o a sight change and has killed a few deer. Of course the squirrel load is favored as far as accuracy, but the deer load is plenty accurate. I only head hit squirrels, so the cal. is irrelevant and in fact for a few years, a TC .50 cal. was used.........Fred

 

[quigleysharps]

I use 35 grs. in the .40, .50 and .54 for squirrel hunting. Brings them out of them trees. :winking: