Small enough for squrriel, big enough for deer?

[TN.Frank]

I got a beautiful 45cal Lancaster style longrifle form Two-Bellys in a swap. I'm also getting another 45cal CVA Mt.Rifle from him plus I did a swap with Rebel for a gun that he had that's .54cal just in case I want to go after someting REALLY BIG.

 

[Haggis]

When I yet lived in Kentucky I hunted squirrels for many years with all manner of ML rilfes, but the .40 was my favorite for deer and squirrel.

As the Stumpkiller says, just load down them big bores. A body can kill a squirrel with a slingshot if the varmint is hit in the head. One only needs enough ummff to knock the critter out, then ya can break its neck at your leisure.

 

[fw707]

I shoot my squirrels in the mid-section. The only meat on a squirrel is the 4 legs anyways. Nothing lost with a "middle" shot and it's a bigger target (when it presents itself).

If you shoot a squirrel through the middle you are wasting the best part---the loins that run down both sides of the back. I'd much rather shoot at the head and take a chance of losing the front legs.
I've killed a bunch of squirrels with a .40 caliber, but I wouldn't want to use it with a round ball for deer. Just use your .50 or .54 deer rifle and head shoot 'em or bark 'em if you get the chance. :winking:

 

[whitetrash078]

for muzzleloader season india pattern Brown Bess 90 gr ffg .735 home cast ball.

For centerfire season GPR with a 425 gr great plains bullet a top 80gr ffg

 

[TN.Frank]

It's not that I don't think a 40 will kill a deer, I just wanted something with a bit more 'umph' to it that would still be small enough not to tear up little critters too much. I really do think that the 45 cal is a good "middle of the road" caliber to go with. I think the 50 cal is so popular because most guys shooting muzzle loaders are deer hunters and that caliber is good for deer, if more muzzle loaders hunted both big and small game with one rifle you'd probably see more 44/45cal muzzle loaders on the market. I think I made a good choice and besides, if I really need to thump something I've still got the 75cal smoothbore shooting .690" round balls. :grin:

 

[fw707]

I really do think that the 45 cal is a good "middle of the road" caliber to go with.

Yep, if I had to pick just one, it would be a 45.

 

[Lone Carabiner]

Regards squirrels I've never eaten but have heard that the brains is a delicacy? Davey and Daniel 'barked' 'em out of a tree for some reason!
:hmm:

 

[fw707]

Yep, a lot of the older folks around here ate the brains, but squirrel brains have been linked to the "mad cow disease" thing lately.
Has anybody on here ever really "barked" a squirrel?? :hmm:

 

[tom hargrove]

i did once ,but it was an accident ,i was going for a head shot and missed ,i think he just had a heart attack and fell out. :shocked2: :shocked2: :rotf: :rotf: :rotf:

 

[Lone Carabiner]

Be hard to say without autopsy, and you may think I'm engaging in :bull: here but years ago I made a 'cannon' of sorts from steel schd.40 pipe to 'shoot' acetylene in for a racket maker on the 4th. I 'loaded' it with oxy-fuel mixture and let rip a BOOM whereupon a rabbit ran out of nearby grass/weeds and flipped over dead without a kick. Deader'n a nit. So help me this ain't BS, don't know what killed him but was either heart attack or stroke likely.
:hmm:

 

[Lone Carabiner]

You can always load 2 prb's if you figger the .45 ain't emough gun 4 bear/deer. The old timers called it 'loaded for bear'.
For that matter what would the results be of dumping in some # 7 shot and stuffing a card on top for a shot load. Probably fling 'em all over but up close it should work? :rotf:

 

[roundball]

"...Has anybody on here ever really "barked" a squirrel??..."

Not me...I like to be as quiet as I can when I'm in the woods hunting...

 

[fw707]

Dang roundball!!
I said "barked a squirrel", not "barked AT a squirrel". :rotf:
Well, I did it one time with a 40 caliber caplock. The squirrel was laying flat on a limb about 15 yards in front of me and I had a perfect rest. When I teched er off the squirrel fell out and rolled down a steep bluff. When I found it, there was just a little spot of blood on its nose.

 

[roundball]

Dang roundball!!
I said "barked a squirrel", not "barked AT a squirrel". :rotf:

:grin:

 

[RC]

Be hard to say without autopsy, and you may think I'm engaging in :bull: here but years ago I made a 'cannon' of sorts from steel schd.40 pipe to 'shoot' acetylene in for a racket maker on the 4th. I 'loaded' it with oxy-fuel mixture and let rip a BOOM whereupon a rabbit ran out of nearby grass/weeds and flipped over dead without a kick. Deader'n a nit. So help me this ain't BS, "don't know what killed him but was either heart attack or stroke likely." Probably seen ya when ya started,laughed and said "if this thing works, I'll die!" :blah: RC
:hmm: