Good squirrel load

[Southarkrob]

I am eagerly awaiting my new Gregg Christian Poorboy fowler to arrive next week. It is a 20 gauge.. can you guys give me some good powder charge weights and how much shot to use. I ordered some overpowder cards, fiber wads and over shot cards today for TOW. I have some #5 shot. I want to get the best patterns i can. Thanks for the help. Robbie

 

[rabjr]

Do yourself a favor and book mark Spence's site. I've refereed to it many times over the past half dozen years or so myself.
http://home.insightbb.com/~bspen/SmoothboreLoads.html

 

[BigDogg]

Do yourself a favor and book mark Spence's site. I've refereed to it many times over the past half dozen years or so myself.
http://home.insightbb.com/~bspen/SmoothboreLoads.html[/quote]

+1 on that! Spence knows his stuff!
:thumbsup:

 

[Southarkrob]

thanks Guys...that is a neat site...learned some things. Robbie

 

[paulvallandigham]

Here's some loads from the Hodgdon Data Manual #23.

2 drams( 55 gr.)FFg, 3/4 oz. shot= 992 fps. MV.
2 1/4 dr.(61 gr.)FFg, 7/8 oz.shot= 984 fps. MV.
2 1/2 dr.(69 gr.)FFg, 7/8 oz.shot= 1014 fps.MV.

You can add more shot, and probably increase powder charges, too, but patterns will probably suffer if you put more powder in the load, or even use FFFg powder instead of FFg.

Choose the size shot to match the size game you are hunting. I use #5 for pheasants, and larger birds. Smaller birds, I will use either #8, or #7 1/2 shot. If I were hunting turkey, I would try to work up the tightest pattern load using plated #5 shot, and hold range to 35 yard or less- preferably under 25 yds. Because pellet energy is lower with the lower velocities of BP loads, compared to what we are used to using Smokeless powder cartridges, Use at least 1 Size larger shot size for the same game you shoot with smokeless powder loads, and reduce the maximum range by 10 yards- more, if your smokeless powder shotgun is choked full and your BP gun is cylinder bore-- to get your killing patterns with a BP smooth bore.

 

[MikeC]

I've had good results with both 6 and 5 shot on squirrels. 70 grains of FFg and 80 grains measured of shot. I like to keep things simple so I carry lubed Wonder Wads for 20 gauge when hunting. Two over the powder and another over the shot.

Squirrels are tough little suckers. My favorite game to hunt and eat. Love hunting them with the .36 Tennessee also. When I need meat I take the fowler.

 

[Homesteader]

My fowling piece is a little larger than yours (14 bore with a 48" tapered barrel), so I'm not sure this is helpful. I like #4 shot for its ability to retain energy, going a little heavier than balanced on the shot. Generally 70 grains of powder, light wad or several over powder cards, one pierced over-shot card. I vary and experiment quite a bit.

I actually like to stalk and get 'em peering over a branch or around the trunk of a tree, and if I can't do that I aim just forward of the critter's head in an attempt to not make the whole limb chicken explode! :shocked2:

(I've mangled a few, missed a few, and made good meat from more than a few.)

Those little acrobats are the most fun I have hunting, that's for sure! :thumbsup:

 

[roundball]

Speaking only for myself, based on the old saying of "load powder, more lead, shoots far, kills dead"...I generally use a higher shot to powder ratio in my .54cal/.28ga and .62cal/.20ga smoothbores because with the larger pellet sizes for hunting, there's a lot of wasted dead air space between them, and the pellet count is low.
For example:
A squirrel load in my .54cal/.28ga is: 60grn measure of powder / 90 or 100grn measure of #5s.
I do the same in my long barreled .20ga except I bump the powder charge to 70grns to keep the pressure (velocity) up in the larger bore volume.

Recent .54cal/.28ga tests run a couple weeks ago on some 3.5" tuna cans at 25yds: