Slowest MV of .50 Ball For Squirrels

[Ironwood]

I plan on doing some squirrel hunting with my .50 caliber TC PA Hunter this fall. About what is the slowest muzzle velocity you would recommend for a patched roundball? Some of the trees here are 80 and 90 feet tall. TC says 50 grains for FFG black powder should give me 1,300 fps MV. What's that .50 caliber ball going to do to a squirrel, even if I take only head shots?

 

[BS]

I would not worry about the MV, just go with the most accurate load,[low power] Also try 40-50 grains of 3F.......and shoot for the head!!

 

[roundball]

I plan on doing some squirrel hunting with my .50 caliber TC PA Hunter this fall. About what is the slowest muzzle velocity you would recommend for a patched roundball? Some of the trees here are 80 and 90 feet tall. TC says 50 grains for FFG black powder should give me 1,300 fps MV. What's that .50 caliber ball going to do to a squirrel, even if I take only head shots?

I can't specifically answer that question, but thought I'd mention that TC's charts also start with 50grns for the .45cal.

But I throttled one down to 40, then 30 grns Goex 3F...no recoil or rifle movement...deadly accurate...I zeroed it at 25yds and practiced shooting 1" stickers for head shots...you could do the same with the .50cal.

PS: I have a spare TC Hawken breechplug and measured that it holds about 18grns of Goex 3F...so you could even go as low as 25grns and not have to worry about any air gap under the ball.

 

I have gone down to 30 grs FFFg in both 45 and 54 with success. Even in the piney woods, the ball still has plenty of whump to knock a squirrel out of the tallest tree.

 

[Dave K]

Many 22's are only 40gr. or less in wieght and the FPS is in the 1000-1100 range. I would think a 180gr., 50cal ball going the same speed will have very good results for the shooter, but poor results for the squirrel. ::

 

[Ironwood]

Anvil, I'll be hunting Piney Creek Bottom deep in the heart of the Piney Woods. Hugh Pin Oaks and tall Pines.

Roundball, Thanks for the suggestions. I'll try those light loads at 25 yards. I was planning on shooting at some 1" diamonds at about that distance.

BS, I was pretty certain head shots would be the only shot to take. Specially on our little gray cat squirrels.

 

I backed off to 25 grains and ran into secondary problems!

The ball was bouncing off the target backboards (1/2" plywood) and comming back at me!

If goes "whooof" as it passes you. Not the normal hollow zing of getting shot at.

Could do the same on a tree limb, you never know!

I was also able to call my shots due to being able to see the ball arch to the target with the sun behind me! Sort of like a shiney tracer!

I now recomend staying with a load that does not exit the tree in the shooter's direction.

:front:

 

I cut my load to 40 gr of fffg and it worked very well, I then cut it to 30 gr's and it just didn't feel like it would get the job done, :shake: I went back to 40 and it hits hard. :front:

TheGunCellar

 

[WV_Hillbilly]

Sticking with the "most accurate" load is always a good idea, but you might be using a lot more powder than you feel is really necessary. But you also read about the danger of cutting things back too far and the ball/bullet could "bounce" off of a hard surface. Just like a BB gun when you were a kid... and we all know how hard those BB's can hit, even though you see it coming back at you it's hard to get out of the way. OUCH!

Forget velocity if you don't have a chronograph. It doesn't mean as much as the results do in the woods (or field). What you want is a load that will just punch through a 1 x 4 board (which is 3/4" thick) at a range of about 100ft, and that will also prevent the "bouncing ball" problem.

At that 33yd range, if your gun can't group better than about 1 1/2", then you're going to miss a lot of squirrels' heads. There is what I do with using a large bore for squirrels--now as far as the actual powder charge?--you'll have to try and work the load up (or down) to produce those results. If the typical distance that you get shots at squirrels is longer or shorter, then use "that distance" for your test groups and board penetration.

It's still a whole lot easier to use a .32 or .36 cal BP gun for the squirrels, but if you have a .50 that's accurate, there's no problem with doing that--'cept you'll use more powder and lead to get the same job done. It's still a whole lot of fun to use what you have, and you also get that extra practice in with your big game muzzleloader too.

Good luck and have fun!
WV_Hillbilly

 

[Stumpkiller]

If you get down around 700 fps you'll still be hitting them like a .38 Special with mid-range wadcutters. Squirrels are tough, but I never had one take a wadcutter and toss it back at me. I use 42 gr. FFg in .50's and .54's and it whomps them plenty hard. Not sure the velocity, but I am guessing 1,100 fps or thereabouts.

 

[Tumblernotch]

Whatever load you use, aim for the head. My little .40 with a 50 gr. charge tears squirrels up. So I had to get better at head shots. You can imagine what a heavier ball at about the same velocity will do. If you can slow the ball down to sub-sonic speed (under 1000fps), even a large bullet won't do quite as much damage.
:front:

 

[Runner]

I use a 36, but I have hunted them with a 50. I will differ with the normal instructions in one way. A shot thru the ribcage of a squirrel harms very little meat. Using the muzzleloaders, it can make them a lot harder to clean because they want to pull in two when you are yanking the hide off. I shoot for the head when I can, but one standing broadside with the head hidden will get clobbered thru the ribs. Squirrel livers are the best catfish bait there is! Save them up and try them!

 

Ironwood,

I was in Huntsville for 5 years (the college - not the prison) and hunted squirrels down around Willis and Conroe a lot. Back then, it was public land and free to roam on but I think a lot of it has been closed now.

 

[Regulis7]

Not sure about velocity but I use 40gr FFg in my TC .50 and its dead accurate at 35 yards. Only shot one squirrel with it so far, hit him in the head and it took it clean off.

Regulis7

 

[roundball]

Doesn't make for very good photos does it...a photo of a few squirrels taken with a smoothbore & shot loads looks nice, but head shots from a rifle are something else...
::

 

[Swampman]

In a .50, I use 50-60 grains for all my hunting and target shooting.

 

[Swampman]

I only use 3F Goex for everything if I can find it.

 

[Ironwood]

I have to tell ya! You guys have really given me some things to think about. I had no idea a ball might bounce back. I still have almost two months before squirrel season opens. So I've got a little time to check out a few of the things suggested here. Thanks for all the good info.

Anvil, the only public land is in the Sam Houston, Davy Crockett, Angelina, and Sabine National Forest. Every thing else is private. This will be my 36th. hunting season in my lease near Corrigan.

 

[sidelock]

My notes from July 15 1981 indicate that at 35 Yd 40Gr FFG (real BP) and PRB centered in 1.5[url] sq.in[/url] my .50 TC Hawken. (one ragged hole).I have taken lots of squirels with this load. Don't bother about head shots. This light load ruins no meat. Good luck, and good huntin. :thumbsup: