Prepping for Squirrel Season

[PathfinderNC]

Squirrel Season opens up down here on October 17th, and I want to start working on a good load with my Fusil de Chasse. It was a beautiful Autumn day and I got away from my work bench to do some fun shooting. I set my target at 25 yards which I guess would be a moderate distance. I started off with 75 grains 2f and 75 grain measure with #5 shot and a .125" over powder card. Dang if the card (more like a wad) didn't punch a hole right through the target! (and there were almost no pellets hitting my 'happy squirrel'.) It happened a second time so I decided to do what I had read about- using corn meal instead of an over powder wad.
I lowered my powder load to 65 grains, and dropped that amount of corn meal on top. I then set my adjustable powder measure to 75 grains and filled it with the #5 shot. A bit of paper towel held the whole load down. It was a much better pattern as my 'happy squirrel' quickly became a very 'un-happy squirrel'
Well, I am satisfied with this first trial and think I am onto a good load that will do the deed. I may even move the target out to 30 yards to see how well it goes.

 

[Fisherking]

Extra points for the two legged Rudolf dog.

Lol

 

[Compressorguy]

Seeing that target, should be prepping some recipes!

 

[Tradbow]

Good load results. I see your artistic talents on building beautiful rifles didn’t carry over to drawing on paper

 

[DanL]

Good morning Pathfinder. Looks like you have the potential for squirrel gravy and biscuits coming your way come squirrel season. [ Limb Bacon; to pay homage to Terry Eddings, a now gone former muzzleloader and squirrel hunter extraordiniare! ]

If you have not already, Try your load with #6 shot. With my 20 bore, I have a good pattern with #5 shot also. However, I find that #6 shot gets me a few more pellets on the target/squirrel and, at least for me, #6 is just as effective on the limb bacon as with #5 shot.

Squirrel season is in here in Alabama now and I have brought home a few. However, that limb bacon hides good in the leaves this time of year. Limb bacon or no, walking in the woods with a 20 bore flintlock is as good as it gets!

Enjoy you experience and good luck putting limb bacon in your pot.

 

[Walkingeagle]

Good morning Pathfinder. Looks like you have the potential for squirrel gravy and biscuits coming your way come squirrel season. [ Limb Bacon; to pay homage to Terry Eddings, a now gone former muzzleloader and squirrel hunter extraordiniare! ]

If you have not already, Try your load with #6 shot. With my 20 bore, I have a good pattern with #5 shot also. However, I find that #6 shot gets me a few more pellets on the target/squirrel and, at least for me, #6 is just as effective on the limb bacon as with #5 shot.

Squirrel season in in here in Alabama now and I have brought home a few. However, that limb bacon hides good in the leaves this time of year. Limb bacon or no, walking in the woods with a 20 bore flintlock is as good as it gets!

Enjoy you experience and good luck putting limb bacon in your pot.

Terry Eddings? Fiddlesticks??
I’m trying to get this old chemo riddled brain in gear. Fiddlesticks was an inspiration and I loved his posts, stories and way with words.
Walk

 

[PathfinderNC]

Good morning Pathfinder. Looks like you have the potential for squirrel gravy and biscuits coming your way come squirrel season. [ Limb Bacon; to pay homage to Terry Eddings, a now gone former muzzleloader and squirrel hunter extraordiniare! ]

If you have not already, Try your load with #6 shot. With my 20 bore, I have a good pattern with #5 shot also. However, I find that #6 shot gets me a few more pellets on the target/squirrel and, at least for me, #6 is just as effective on the limb bacon as with #5 shot.

Squirrel season is in here in Alabama now and I have brought home a few. However, that limb bacon hides good in the leaves this time of year. Limb bacon or no, walking in the woods with a 20 bore flintlock is as good as it gets!

Enjoy you experience and good luck putting limb bacon in your pot.

Hey DanL,
Sure never heard of them as limb bacon before! Without much fat to be found on a squirrel it’s a funny name.
I just have a sack of 5’s and a sack of 7’s. (If I combine them will that work instead of buying a sack of 6’s? )
I’m looking forward to a good many woods trecks. I have an acre of woods on my property and a gazillion acorns everywhere with them limb bacons dropping them all the time. Also, my good friend and neighbor gave me an open invite to hunt his 55 acres on the mountain and his field lines. He has a rarely used T.C. 50 cal flintlock that he’s gonna be using when we both do some deer hunting on his land as well.
I have to say, North Carolina has some beautiful country and wonderful folk. I expect the game will be just as notable.

 

[hanshi]

Your load should work just fine on bushytails, Pathfinder. Back when I hunted I got sour on squirrels & smoothbores and much preferred a .32 or .36. All the squirrels I kill now are made of paper. Now they don't taste as good as the actual rodents, I can tell you that for sure. For decades I used a .45 caplock or a .45 flintlock but that was before I got my first .32. That .32 was the turning point in my squirrel relations; they didn't like it but I did. I've had my flintlock .20 ga for years but feed it mostly ball (deer ya' know). Happy hunting.

 

[Fisherking]

I was just teasing you about your drawing Pathfinder. I think your load and drawing were awesome.

Happy hunting!

 

[PathfinderNC]

Your load should work just fine on bushytails, Pathfinder. Back when I hunted I got sour on squirrels & smoothbores and much preferred a .32 or .36. All the squirrels I kill now are made of paper. Now they don't taste as good as the actual rodents, I can tell you that for sure. For decades I used a .45 caplock or a .45 flintlock but that was before I got my first .32. That .32 was the turning point in my squirrel relations; they didn't like it but I did. I've had my flintlock .20 ga for years but feed it mostly ball (deer ya' know). Happy hunting.

I’ve heard that those paper squirrels are very high in fiber though

 

[PathfinderNC]

I was just teasing you about your drawing Pathfinder. I think your load and drawing were awesome.

Happy hunting!

But I enjoyed your fun comment Fisherking- thanks
My squirrel drawing looks like a mutated dog

 

[DanL]

Walkingeagle. Aye that was none other than the infamous Fiddlesticks on the old campfire forum. Best stories ever!!!!

 

[Walkingeagle]

Walkingeagle. Aye that was none other than the infamous Fiddlesticks on the old campfire forum. Best stories ever!!!!

Loved that forum! Fiddlesticks, Leon, Crossfox, Mike and the whole group. Really made it seem more like a family than a forum.
Thanks for the memories sir.
Walk

 

[PathfinderNC]

Enjoyable hour or so out back. Little squirrel looked bigger high up in that tree though

 

[appalichian hunter]

The young ones are what you want for frying.

 

[Patrick Thomas]

Your load appears to have worked very well. The more I see of those Fusils de Chasse, the more I like them. Have you any more pictures of yours that we may see?

 

[Patrick Thomas]

Pathfinder, I found your previous thread that shows the completed Fusil. Beautiful! Well done all the way around.

 

[hanshi]

The tree squirrels taste better, Pathfinder, but if fiber is what you're looking for you can't beat the ones I'm confined too. 100% fiber, I've heard.

 

[PathfinderNC]

Pathfinder, I found your previous thread that shows the completed Fusil. Beautiful! Well done all the way around.

The Fusil de Chasse is a really nice long gun, lightweight and versatile. It and my Kibler .54 are really all I use now.

 

[DanL]

Hanshi....fiber comes from the bark when you have barked the squirrel. The squirrel lives to shoot another day and the bark is boiled down for soup.

Best regards,
DanL