.50 cal for squirrel hunting

[frontierman01]

Hi everyone. I just got into muzzle loading hunting last year. would like to try muzzle loading for squirrel. heard that to hunt squirrel a .32 cal would be ideal. unfortunately can't afford another one at this point. would using a .5o cal be overkill? thanks

 

[vern faulkner]

:shocked2: .50 cal. That ought to give them tree rats one hell of a headache. Here in Pennsyltucky it's illegal to willfully damage any trees on state land, so be sure that your sight picture is a good one :hmm:. Vern

 

[dbiggers]

Hi everyone. I just got into muzzle loading hunting last year. would like to try muzzle loading for squirrel. heard that to hunt squirrel a .32 cal would be ideal. unfortunately can't afford another one at this point. would using a .5o cal be overkill? thanks

Yeah i'am pretty much in the same boat your in. I would love to be able to afford to get me a .36 cal for squirrels, but i'am having to settle with using my .50 cal just like you. I usually only load about 45 to 50 grains of 3f and try desperatly for a head shot. :blah: Mostly i just scare the manure out of'em and have fun shooting my rifle and playing dress up.. :grin:

 

[JayDee Flohr]

Just be careful and head shoot them. I've used a .54 for years on them.

 

[BrownBear]

Though I own both a 32 and a 36, I've been using larger calibers for snowshoe hare for years. Don't know of a better way to get lots of field time with your favorite big game rifle. Coincidentally the same charge (and measure) is really accurate in both my 50s and my 54. It's 35 grains of either Goex 3f or Pyrodex P. My rifles don't seem to know which is which pouring down their bores. I've also tried it in my 58's and it's really accurate with them, too. Really looking forward to getting those 58's out for snowshoe hare this winter.

Size of the hole in the barrel don't matter a whit when you're head shooting. If using larger calibers is legal and safe where you're hunting, I highly recommend it. No better way to turn a rifle into a friend than packing it in the hills.

 

[PGTMG]

Hi everyone. I just got into muzzle loading hunting last year. would like to try muzzle loading for squirrel. heard that to hunt squirrel a .32 cal would be ideal. unfortunately can't afford another one at this point. would using a .5o cal be overkill? thanks

No your smart to use what you have. If you ever feel over gunned on the hunt just think of this forum because one of our more knowledgeable members hunts squirrels with a .54. :grin:

 

[buford87]

I used to have a t/c hawken .50 and I could use an empty .45 colt case for a powder measure to shoot squirrels with a prb. The round balls are not as bad as you would think for ruining meat at the lower velocities. Also a .30-30 case holds about 42-45 grains of powder for use as a measure............watch yer top knot

 

[frontierman01]

thanks everyone for your advice. I will be in the woods this season with my muzzle loader then.will let you know how successful I am. I also see from some of the responses that you use less powder for smaller game. is there a formula for determining powder load? thanks again :grin:

 

[jmac]

I've shoot squirrels with everything from a .36 to a .58. I even shot a big Indiana fox squirrel with a .58 Zouave and a 525 gr. minnie. Not pretty... :shocked2: Often times squirrels are a target of convenience, your hunting something else and the oppourtunity presents itself. Use what you have. Load down that .50 to 30-40 grains{ what ever works best } and teach those tree rats to fear you... :surrender:

J-Mac

 

[Trench]

There's a couple of reasons to lower your powder load if you're using your larger bore rifle for small game. First, you just don't need all that powder to smack a squirrel head. Second, it'll lower your point of impact closer to point blank at squirrel ranges assuming you're shooting a couple inches high at 50 yards with your normal deer load.
I don't think there's any formula to it. Just experiment, see what's accurate and find out where your ball is impacting on your target compared to your point-of-aim.

 

[29caliber]

Back in the 1970s, I was in the same situation. I had only one muzzleloader and it was a .50 percussion T/C Hawken, so I used it for squirrel hunting. While I shot many, they all had to be head shots so as not to ruin any meat. Fast forward to 2009 and I'm now using a .25 flintlock...and still have to shoot them in the head so as not to waste any meat.

 

[kherring]

Make sure you shoot them in the head. I tried to "bark" a squirrel with my .50 once. I skimmed the tree cutting a nice furrow under him. The bark and lead fragments flew, and the squirrel exploded like a grenade went off under him! Like I said, shoot them in the head.

 

[Eric Krewson]

Killed a bunch of squirrels with 50cal renegade. I loaded it down to the point it went "bloop" more than "bang". Not much damage no matter where I hit the squirrel. I shot them at less then 25yds and a miss was rare.

 

[buford87]

I have a story like woodsloper. I was deer hunting and working my way out of the woods I saw a squirrel sitting on a limb.Shot the limb and the squirrel looked sorta like a wooden hand grenade went off under him. Spent the rest of the morning using a half load of powder a .45 case full............watch yer top knot