Practice for Squirrel Head Shots

[roundball]

07/01/11 2nd practice trip with new .45cal round bottom groove barrel
50grns Goex 3F / .58cal x .022" pillow ticking patches / Hornady .440” balls.

Practiced squirrel head-shots at 2" sticker / 25 yards / sitting...28 out of 30 shots in about 1+3/8"...would have had a mess of squirrels.

 

[Robby]

Wow, fine shooting Roundball! :thumbsup: :hatsoff:
Robby

 

[Rifleman1776]

That is good shooting. Pretty rifle. You may come here and control the squirrel population in my yard any time. :wink:

 

[buford87]

I remember when I was a kid I would shoot the sycamore seed balls for practice , that used to be a lot of fun..................watch yer top knot...........................

 

[David W.]

I used to practice knocking gum balls out of the tree in the back yard.

 

[Flintlock]

way to go, and a very fine rifle too.

 

[roundball]

For these first two range trips I had arbitrarily picked the 50grn powder charge just to see what the barrel would do...wasn't even thinking about squirrel hunting with it...but guess I could if I wanted to.
To be honest, although I wouldn't need more than 30grns powder for squirrels, the thought occurred to me if a deer came wandering through the oaks at only 20-40yds looking for an acorn while I was sitting there, the 50grn charge would have plenty of authority to take out the pump at that distance.
Next trip I want to see if I can find a good deer load for a 50yd zero without having to change the sights at all.

 

[wattlebuster]

Thats gettin er done Roundball. Beautiful maple too :thumbsup:

 

[George]

The squirrels are in trouble, roundball.

I assume you are shooting on the level? Have you ever tested how high your gun would shoot in a real hunting situation with the squirrel elevated 45°, 60° or more? Since all guns shoot high by a surprising amount when shooting sharply uphill or downhill, I've always wanted to rig a test to try that out at squirrel ranges, but have never figured a way.

I know the effect is there, though, with reduced charges, low MV and steep angles, so if the squirrel is at a really steep angle and the tree is a tall one, I do as Rooster Cogburn did with Lucky Ned Pepper, shoot at their lower lip in order to hit them in the upper lip. :haha:

Spence

 

[Skychief]

The squirrels are in trouble, roundball.

I assume you are shooting on the level? Have you ever tested how high your gun would shoot in a real hunting situation with the squirrel elevated 45°, 60° or more? Since all guns shoot high by a surprising amount when shooting sharply uphill or downhill, I've always wanted to rig a test to try that out at squirrel ranges, but have never figured a way.

I know the effect is there, though, with reduced charges, low MV and steep angles, so if the squirrel is at a really steep angle and the tree is a tall one, I do as Rooster Cogburn did with Lucky Ned Pepper, shoot at their lower lip in order to hit them in the upper lip. :haha:

Spence

Oh boy Spence....you may have opened a can of worms now! :surrender: :rotf:

Sorry Bill, couldn't resist! Maybe we can resurrect the old thread you are recalling at this moment. :haha:

Good shooting, Skychief. :thumbsup:

 

[roundball]

I assume you are shooting on the level?
Have you ever tested how high your gun would shoot in a real hunting situation with the squirrel elevated 45°, 60° or more?

Yes, shooting on the level...am aware of the deflection issue of course and not sure where I'd go to practice that...LOL...just compensate.

I don't like shooting any rifle up in the air from a safety point of view and rarely ever do...if I'm sitting in a little oak flat in November, the acorns are down on the ground and the squirrels have to come down to get'em
:wink:

 

[George]

Yes, shooting on the level...am aware of the deflection issue of course and not sure where I'd go to practice that...LOL...just compensate.

My problem, too. I'd like to test it out, but have never found an appropriate place. I think the chance of finding a place to shoot down at an angle is better than one shooting up, but have never found one.

Spence

 

[majg1234]

I've practiced off a rock ledge @ the hunting club shooting @ smallish rocks and small limbs below me, also stumps etc. the angle down can vary between approx 45-70 degrees it does change the impact location a little but on shorter ranges say less than 25yds it is less than you think,@ least with my 32 and 36 TC's,pretty gun BTW RB :hatsoff:

 

[roundball]

Beautiful piece of wood for sure...all those amber curls just light up in direct sunlight.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Sure 'nuff good 'nuff. :thumbsup:

 

[paulvallandigham]

If you find a deep ravine, you can usually find a 45 degree Down angle to fire at, safely, Then, if you are standing in the bottom that ravine, you can pick a tree trunk growning up on the top of the ravine, and easily find a 60 degree UP angle to fire, and the trunk will easily hold your ball. I once emptied my .50 cal. rifle into a tall hickory tree growing in the bottom of a ravine in The Shawnee National Forest in S.Illinois, after killing my first deer with the gun. I picked a set of thick vines that crossed the trunk of the tree more than 40 feet up, and aimed at the middle of the cross. I hit exactly where I aimed, and, a couple of years later, when I went back to that site, I could still see the scar on that vine where I hit it. The ball did Not exit the back of that trunk, which, up there, was no more than 10 inches across.

 

Nice shootin Roundball! Tree rats will be in a lot of trouble for sure. Beautiful rifle, TVM?
Aim small, miss small...

 

[roundball]

Beautiful rifle, TVM?

Yes, Early Virginia from Matt Avance

 

[jethro224]

Nice. :thumbsup: Both rifle and target.

 

[Tony Logan]

Beautiful gun, nice shooting.