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Smoothbore Squirrels...
- Thread starter roundball
- Start date
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Skychief
69 Cal.
roundball said:
I was tired yesterday for sure...this morning up at 4:45 and went after the squirrels with the .28ga...only saw two and they each saw me before I could get close enough...the good news is there's no Flintlock to clean...and the whole time I couldn't keep my eyes from looking for deer :wink:
Decided the .28ga is going back in the case and the .40cal is going on the next trip for a little more reach. Zeroed at 25yds with 40grns Goex 3F, .018" pillow ticking, and Hornady .395's, and it'll be good for squirrels even a further than that...not being married to head shots I'll take the highest percentage shot if longer distance is involved.
Decided the .28ga is going back in the case and the .40cal is going on the next trip for a little more reach. Zeroed at 25yds with 40grns Goex 3F, .018" pillow ticking, and Hornady .395's, and it'll be good for squirrels even a further than that...not being married to head shots I'll take the highest percentage shot if longer distance is involved.
cottonmouth
36 Cal.
- Joined
- May 25, 2009
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roundball,
What type of rifle is your .40 cal?
I purchased a .40 cal GMB for my TC Hawken and am itchin` to try it out on some bushytails and varmits!The Hawken is in the percussion configuration!
What type of rifle is your .40 cal?
I purchased a .40 cal GMB for my TC Hawken and am itchin` to try it out on some bushytails and varmits!The Hawken is in the percussion configuration!
The same barrel but on a T/C Hawken Flintlock...when I bought it from GM I paid them an extra fee to swap the cap plug to Flint (then reblue it) before they shipped it...mine is extremely accurate...suspect yours will be as well.Cypress Wolf said:
Hey RB,
I've got a fun one to share from last weekend in Central NC. This was the first time I'd ever loaded a flintlock with lead shot. I hadn't even had a chance to pattern ol' Brown Bess before we were in the woods.
Saturday evening as the light was falling and the guys were owl-hooting for me to meet up on the trail, I saw a squirrel munching pinecones at the very tip top of a super-tall pine tree. It had to be 25yds from me diagonally. I figured I had to discharge the gun anyway before we got back to the cars. I crawled to a spot where there were no branches in my way and lined up a shot - it was at probably a 75° vertical angle. The ignition was perfect. The little guy comes tumbling down to the ground and only wriggled for a couple of seconds. My antler powder measure is for 70gr of 3F and I used it for an equal measure of #6 shot. It had apparently got him in his hind quarter and eye/head. Pretty lucky at that distance considering it is basically a cylinder bore choke!
We skinned/salted/froze the meat for stew at our Longrifle club's Fall doings this coming weekend. He was a big chunky monkey. The other funny part is my two buddies both missed a shot at the same squirrel.
- Jet
PS: I got the Bess used from Ian here on the forum so "Howdy Ian!" if you're out there.
I've got a fun one to share from last weekend in Central NC. This was the first time I'd ever loaded a flintlock with lead shot. I hadn't even had a chance to pattern ol' Brown Bess before we were in the woods.
Saturday evening as the light was falling and the guys were owl-hooting for me to meet up on the trail, I saw a squirrel munching pinecones at the very tip top of a super-tall pine tree. It had to be 25yds from me diagonally. I figured I had to discharge the gun anyway before we got back to the cars. I crawled to a spot where there were no branches in my way and lined up a shot - it was at probably a 75° vertical angle. The ignition was perfect. The little guy comes tumbling down to the ground and only wriggled for a couple of seconds. My antler powder measure is for 70gr of 3F and I used it for an equal measure of #6 shot. It had apparently got him in his hind quarter and eye/head. Pretty lucky at that distance considering it is basically a cylinder bore choke!
We skinned/salted/froze the meat for stew at our Longrifle club's Fall doings this coming weekend. He was a big chunky monkey. The other funny part is my two buddies both missed a shot at the same squirrel.
- Jet
PS: I got the Bess used from Ian here on the forum so "Howdy Ian!" if you're out there.
