A Squirrel rifle

[sulphur]

Some day another muzzleloading rifle will grace my gun cabinet. Lots of head scratching here, but I think a Zouave 58 would take a back seat to a slender, wood stock to the muzzle 36 caliber rifle for small game hunting.
Anyone with a similar rifle like to state their opinion or reflect on their hunting/shooting experiences with something like this? Caplock or flinter, please indulge us here.

 

[azmntman]

Id say flintlock .36 myself. I have a .32 crocket and a 36 "hawkinish" type caplock. My dream gun as you described just sold in classified for $600 IRCC. NICE rifle! I would get a 38-42' barrel and all the goodies I could afford!

 

[99whip]

I have a Squirrel rifle, .32 caliber made by CVA, my dad got it for me when I was in high school. I'm just a plinker but really enjoy shooting it, cleaning it up, looking at it in my closet and thinking about the next outing. I think the CVA stuff is mostly thought of as entry level, but it's been a fun, reliable gun to shoot. No complaints.

It's percussion, not sure if CVA made a flinter in that model. Don't know if that helps you, hope so.

 

[hanshi]

My .36 is a flinter but could just as easily have been built a percussion. Had a "Crockett" for many years and sold it only to get a flinter. I like barrels of at least 38".

 

[galamb]

OldSmoker, as a fellow Canuck you are well away that since Squirrel's don't have a PAL they can't have rifles :rotf:

I don't have a 32 or 36 cal now and have never had either.

I am currently building a 38 cal that will be my small game/medium game rifle.

I do tend to shoot the lighter calibers for deer (40 cal is my Bambi rifle currently) while others would see that as better suited for rabbits.

I went with the 38 cal (vice a 36) because I can still "just barely" get a 3/8" ramrod down the hole and it still has enough "thump" for my style of deer hunting (so may try it) - PLUS, it's not difficult to source roundballs since the .375 balls are popular for 36 cap/ball revolvers, so can get them in Canada from a couple of sources.

At minimum I would go with the 36 cal. You have a couple of conical options (as well as round balls) - just makes it a little more diverse of a caliber compared to the 32.

But don't overlook a 40 cal - nice all round caliber for small game upto/including coyote's.

While I do have a flint to say I have one, for "reliability/functionality" my rifles that go "into the woods" are all cap guns.

 

[galamb]

Should have added on more comment (pertinent to Canada).

A modern/contemporary flintlock is simply considered an Antique Replica whereas a caplock is a non-restricted firearm.

So if you plan on selling it, giving it away, lending it out etc at some later point, the flint is simply a "thing" requiring no licence.

 

[sulphur]

Ok...

 

[Philip63]

I'm just finishing up a conversion froma .45 to a .32. Wanted a small cal. but they are hard to come by down here. Found an older cva with a two piece stock and later acquired a Crocket barrel. Managed to shoot it this past Saturday and it will hold a minute of squirrel head at 50 yds. If I do my part. Now I've got to finish it up and head to the woods.

 

[don hepler]

I have a 32 and two 36"s. The 32 is a TC Cherokee and one of the 36 cals. is a TC Seneca. Both a great little rifles, but my favorite is a Custom built John Armstrongish style, with a Douglas barrel. I got it at a LGS, but the builder, was not very good, and I'm in the process of a complete redo. All of three rifles are caplock, but the Armstrong, would be sweet, in flintlock. That Douglas barrel, shoots raged holes, at 25-30 yards.

 

[sulphur]

Just as yourself and Philip have stated, it seems that any slender barreled 36 is one elusive critter to locate. :hmm:

 

[Ron_T.]

I don't have a "squirrel rifle", but when I eventually get one, it will probably be a percussion-cap Hawken in .36 caliber with a 28-inch barrel.

But any squirrel rifle I buy will have to be in .36 caliber.

Not sure what brand of rifle it will be... depends a lot on the quality of the rifle vs. the cost of the rifle.

Of course, I'd buy a flint-lock Pennsylvania Long Rifle if I found one at a reasonable price built by a well-known-for-quality builder. Unfortunately, every Long Rifle I have seen that I like is $2500 or more... and out of my price-range.

Butttttttttt HEY... a guy can "dream", can't he? :v


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

 

[BigBoreBLR]

36 cal is nice, you can use 000 buckshot to load it with, it save a few bucks that way.

However, if you purchased a 40 cal, I would not hesitate to take a deer with it.

One thing to think about is being historically correct. The post-1800 rifles more leaned toward "squirrel" calibers. Around 1820 or so, whitetail deer was really hard to come by, atleast in the northeastern part of the US.

Maybe look at what they call ohio rifles for something what would be historically appropriate. However, other know way more than me on it here.

However, 40 cal was popular in the golden and earlier era's. Lead and powder were imported from England, so rifles were designed to use less of it and were more effective with what they had by putting longer barrels that produced more velocity.

Putting the minimum 45 caliber for legal deer hunting in New York aside, I would not hesistate to take a deer at 50 yards with a well placed shot with a 40 cal long rifle. Atleast once, so I got some preserved deer hooves to hang the rifle on the wall with.

 

[EN]

Be careful of the powder charges for your little squirrel rifle. If you make it go to fast and must take a body shot, that little ball makes a mess. I had a .32 Dixie Tennessee poor boy and it was nicer on the body shots. Less collateral damage. Actually I have found a bigger ball(.45 and up)if not pushed to fast makes a dandy small game cal. That is one of the beauties of muzzleloading, you can go from a big game gun to a small game gun and anything in between at your leisure.

 

[sulphur]

I guess going to a 45 is okay too. The added plus is this is the minimum for big game hunting in Alberta. But a BP rifle starting with a 3 is so sweet when paired to a slender rifle for small game/varmints close up.

 

[sulphur]

IIRC, Sgt Alvin York started his shooting career with a very long barreled rifle in 41 calibre.

 

[biliff]

Had one like that built a few years ago.

.32, 42" barrel, 3/4" across the flats. Ash stock, iron furniture.
Verging on "delicate".



Works fine for any small stuff, but like anything, shot placement is key if you want to eat it.

 

[32 ballard xl]

According to the New York DNR rulebook, 44 caliber is the minemum for deer. I like my 44 - I can go both ways without thinking I'm sledgehammering the squirrels. :hatsoff:

 

[Pete44ru]

.

Yep - hunting regs can vary, state-to-state.

My state hunting regs mandates that only muzzloading rifles UNDER .40cal are legal for small game; and only muzzleloading rifles OVER .40cal are legal for deer.

IDK if the uncommon .40cal is legal for any game hunting here.


Sooooo, my selection is two virtually identical rifles - lightweight T/C Seneca's in .36 & .45.

.