Flintlock Squirrel Rifle?

[VTdeerhunter]

Thanks Ohiochuck for asking this...with the majority of the hunting seasons over for the year, I am starting my next rifle build project... yup a squirrel rifle.
I started on the stock back in the spring, got it about 75% blanked out and dropped the project to start hunting. Roughed out a lot of the trimmings in iron that still need a lot of file and polish.....but have not decided on a caliber????
So the current tally on this post so far is;

30 caliber ”“ 1 vote
32 caliber ”“ 15 votes
36 caliber ”“ 6 votes
40 caliber ”“ 1 vote
45 caliber ”“ 2 votes

I was leaning towards the .32 in the beginning and based on feedback, that’s the barrel I am going to order”¦will let you know after September 1st when our squirrel season starts how she works!

 

[Crewdawg445]

Why not just build all of them? ;-)

 

[Critter Getter]

I will give the 40 grain and under a workout then and see if I can find an accurate load to squirrel hunt with then! Thanks Crewdawg! Greg.

 

[Eric Krewson]

I killed lot of squirrels years ago with a .50 loaded with 20 gr of powder. It was deadly accurate at 25 yards and didn't tear up the squirrels, most were head shots though.

 

[VTdeerhunter]

I'm on my way to making them all....my wife says I have a problem, I keep telling her that once you kill something with one it's all used up and I got to get another :grin:

 

[galamb]

Thanks Ohiochuck for asking this...with the majority of the hunting seasons over for the year, I am starting my next rifle build project... yup a squirrel rifle.
I started on the stock back in the spring, got it about 75% blanked out and dropped the project to start hunting. Roughed out a lot of the trimmings in iron that still need a lot of file and polish.....but have not decided on a caliber????
So the current tally on this post so far is;

30 caliber ”“ 1 vote
32 caliber ”“ 15 votes
36 caliber ”“ 6 votes
40 caliber ”“ 1 vote
45 caliber ”“ 2 votes

I was leaning towards the .32 in the beginning and based on feedback, that’s the barrel I am going to order”¦will let you know after September 1st when our squirrel season starts how she works!

While I'm going to be different just because I like to "hang with the cool kids".

I say get a 38 cal - it's not very common so odds are "nobody else" will have one.

And since you can shoot roundballs for the 36 cap/ball revolver (.375's) you can pick them up from Hornady "right off the shelf" and as an added bonus a 3/8" ramrod will "just" fit.

The ball comes in @ 79 grains, so (almost) double a 45 grain/32 cal and a little over 20% more than a 65 grain/36 cal.

And then you "still have room" to add the 32, 36 and 40 to your smaller bore collection - because you can never stop at one rifle

 

[Crewdawg445]

There ya go! I'm there myself, I just hide the keys to my safe... :grin:

 

[Grizzly Adams]

IMO, a light-loaded .45 or .40 or anything smaller will fit the bill.

With 35 grains of powder or so, I wouldn't hesitate to take my .45 into the squirrel woods.

 

[VTdeerhunter]

Thanks for the info on the .38...guess that goes on the short list too

 

[Zonie]

IMO, .38 caliber should go on the bottom of the list or just save the ink and leave it off.

Although it sounds like a good idea, .38 caliber is not one of the common bores.

Unless you can find a custom barrel maker that has the tooling to make one, it's unlikely you will ever find one.

 

[hanshi]

You simply can't beat a .32 for a squirrel rifle. I have both the .36 and .32 and almost all my squirrels were taken with a .32. My load was a .311" ball, .024" patch over 30 grains of 3F. With body shots it did no more damage than a .22LR Hollow point. Never was fouling an issue even after several dozen rounds. 20 to 30 grains of 3F worked like a charm in my .36. I sold my former .32 after 12 years of use and bought a .32 Tn rifle. I've yet to settle on that one load for the new flinter but should get that done by this spring. The wooden ramrods have served well and the one I sold still had the original wood rod.

 

[Lonegun1894]

Add another vote for the .32 for me, or maybe two votes since I have two of them?

As to the .38, it is a good caliber, but like has been said, somewhat uncommon. I kinda hate to say it, but I recently sold a .38. It shot well, and was good on rabbit and squirrel, but I just never used it because it used about twice the lead and a bit more powder that my .32s do, and didn't kill them any deader.

 

[VTdeerhunter]

Beautiful gun Hanshi, thanks for sharing.
So I decided to let the gun gods decide, I ordered both .32 & .36 caliber barrels. The .36 arrived yesterday so that's what will go on this build.

Of course once the .32 shows up....whatever will I do with it

Starting on the barrel lugs....