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Nice rifle. Looks like its stocked in ash? Those squirrels have alot of red in them.
James
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Squirrel guns
- Thread starter Rodneystiffler
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James
We have a lot of Fox squirrels here too. I used 25 gr fffg Swiss in my .36 Bedford County, 40" Hoppy Hopkins barrel, 3/4 across flats. It only weighed 6 lbs. Hitting a dime at 25 yards off hand was no problem. I kick myself for selling it.
Hunting up north in the Central Pa. big woods , I have switched to a .40. I can back the power level down for small animals , and raise the power for larger critters.
Yes, it is ash. Good eye!
Wildrangeringreen
40 Cal
If it's purely a squirrel and plink-around rifle, you honestly could go all the way down to .24 or .22. Most people don't go lower than .32, because even then, a metal ram rod isn't a bad idea, let alone anything smaller. I made the .22 I had with a barrel meant for an unmentionable (technically, it was a .218 bore, but when you force-load a naked piece of F-Buckshot in the muzzle, it forms to the grooves anyway), just worked it to the shape I wanted with a grinder and files. A .24 (technically made from a barrel for a .243 unmentionable) could use a naked no.4 Buckshot. You can get molds for that small from places like Marty's Arms, in MN., but you could also just buy 8 LBS jugs from Ballistic Products.
.22 ball of pure lead weighs around 16gr (the B.P. shot has antimony, so its a little lighter)(granted, I shot mine with resized cast bullets meant for reloading .22RF); but that's around 3,500 balls for $38.99 . A .24 Ball weighs 21gr (alloy would weigh a bit less), and that's 2,666 balls for the same price. I don't know about you, but that's about a lifetime's supply
. 5gr of 4F powder would make that ball crack pretty good, especially since that's what .22LR was originally loaded with, but with a 38-40gr bullet, standard velocity ammo was 850-900fps, and you'd get about 1,400 charges per pound, about 700-875 shots if you're wanting a flinter. Not a long range gun, but good enough for normal small game distances.
They're pretty cheap and quiet to shoot, but I recommend a brass or steel or stainless steel rammer.
The smallest you're going to see made by a large Mfg is .32 (#1.5 Buck), and there are only a couple companies that offer rifles in that. More common are .36's (00.5 Buck, with a thick patch), but not by much. In either case, they are almost always overbuilt, and you won't find one that weighs less than 5 LBS, which is overkill for a dedicated small game rifle, IMO. Traditions imports their percussion "Crockett" (around $500) rifle and I believe they used to offer their "Deer Hunter" model in .32 as well (similar price). Pedersoli offers their "frontier deluxe" ($780) model (flint and perc.) in .36; also, they have their "Kentucky Rifle) ($750) (F&P) in .32. Pedersoli also offers their "Pennsylvania" ($900) (F&P) in .32, and the "Scout" ($900) Rifle in .32.
I might have missed a few, but these are primarily what you are going to see, if you can find them in stock. As you can see, the prices are pretty high, easily equaling the low end of custom pieces (exception being the traditions rifles, but you probably already guessed that), while not really providing a custom fit (in size, weight, fit to you, suiting the purpose ect). High end kits like the Kibbler's can be exceptional quality, IF you make them so (the parts you are supplied with are well made, just not finished) ; however, they are still overbuilt for a dedicated small game rifle, in my opinion (not to mention, the kits run up into the low-mid range of custom pieces, AND you have to put it together).
Do not be timid on the rate of twist for dedicated small-game rifles, you're not going to really be using large charges and a projectile needs a minimum amount of RPM to be stable in flight. Balls require less, being a fairly stable shape to begin with, but too slow of a twist is often one of the biggest failings of the large Mfg's offerings; as it usually requires an unnecessarily large charge to shoot well. A .22 should probably be `around a 16", .24 and .25 around 20", .27 around 25", .32 around 28", and .36 at around 35".
My ideal squirrel rifle would be a .22, with a 28" barrel (tapering from .6" to .5") and 16" twist, loaded with either a piece of F buck or a 25gr cast slug for an air rifle, with the lock being the Small 3" Germanic Lock from The Rifle Shoppe (or one made like it), for sights- either 1 standing notch- with a couple folding leaves for target shooting (or a tube sight, or a normal aperture sight with elevation adjustment). My second choice would be a .32 set up the same way, only difference being the barrel either being .7" straight or .7"-.6" tapered. While I would want something similar in size to my Remington 512 rifle I grew up with (longish sight radius, slender gun, with good balance and light weight), you could go down to a 16" barrel for a carbine, if you wanted, but I would consider a rear-mounted aperture sight or tube sight to make up for the short sight radius. Could make it a double gun, if you wanted (I prefer O/U configuration)
Another option are smoothbores, and while 20-10 bore make good bird and clay guns, I feel they are overkill for a dedicated small-game gun. More appropriate, in my opinion, would be .40 and .45 guns. At the closer range most small-game is hunted at (or can be hunted at), you really don't need a lot of shot. Overly large payloads just means more shot to pick out of the squirrel, and higher costs (in powder and shot). 1/2 oz of shot is plenty for squirrel, and .40 and 45 bores utilize that well. While I am a rifleman, if my ideal small-game smoothbore would be .40, with a 28" barrel (tapering from .8"-.55") reamed and tapped for .410 chokes (yes, I "cheat", but they make the gun a little more versatile, IMO), with either the same Small 3" Germanic Lock or an L&R "Manton" lock, and a front blade with a fold-down notch rear sight (to make it a little easier to be both a good squirrel gun and clay/bird gun). You could make it a double gun, if you wanted.
My goal with either a single smoothbore or rifle would be a sub 4lbs gun, that is handy and can be carried around with you on walks easily (I think Sir Samuel Baker called them "walking rifles" or something to that effect), my weight goal would be 5ish lbs for a double gun.
.22 ball of pure lead weighs around 16gr (the B.P. shot has antimony, so its a little lighter)(granted, I shot mine with resized cast bullets meant for reloading .22RF); but that's around 3,500 balls for $38.99 . A .24 Ball weighs 21gr (alloy would weigh a bit less), and that's 2,666 balls for the same price. I don't know about you, but that's about a lifetime's supply
. 5gr of 4F powder would make that ball crack pretty good, especially since that's what .22LR was originally loaded with, but with a 38-40gr bullet, standard velocity ammo was 850-900fps, and you'd get about 1,400 charges per pound, about 700-875 shots if you're wanting a flinter. Not a long range gun, but good enough for normal small game distances.They're pretty cheap and quiet to shoot, but I recommend a brass or steel or stainless steel rammer.
The smallest you're going to see made by a large Mfg is .32 (#1.5 Buck), and there are only a couple companies that offer rifles in that. More common are .36's (00.5 Buck, with a thick patch), but not by much. In either case, they are almost always overbuilt, and you won't find one that weighs less than 5 LBS, which is overkill for a dedicated small game rifle, IMO. Traditions imports their percussion "Crockett" (around $500) rifle and I believe they used to offer their "Deer Hunter" model in .32 as well (similar price). Pedersoli offers their "frontier deluxe" ($780) model (flint and perc.) in .36; also, they have their "Kentucky Rifle) ($750) (F&P) in .32. Pedersoli also offers their "Pennsylvania" ($900) (F&P) in .32, and the "Scout" ($900) Rifle in .32.
I might have missed a few, but these are primarily what you are going to see, if you can find them in stock. As you can see, the prices are pretty high, easily equaling the low end of custom pieces (exception being the traditions rifles, but you probably already guessed that), while not really providing a custom fit (in size, weight, fit to you, suiting the purpose ect). High end kits like the Kibbler's can be exceptional quality, IF you make them so (the parts you are supplied with are well made, just not finished) ; however, they are still overbuilt for a dedicated small game rifle, in my opinion (not to mention, the kits run up into the low-mid range of custom pieces, AND you have to put it together).
Do not be timid on the rate of twist for dedicated small-game rifles, you're not going to really be using large charges and a projectile needs a minimum amount of RPM to be stable in flight. Balls require less, being a fairly stable shape to begin with, but too slow of a twist is often one of the biggest failings of the large Mfg's offerings; as it usually requires an unnecessarily large charge to shoot well. A .22 should probably be `around a 16", .24 and .25 around 20", .27 around 25", .32 around 28", and .36 at around 35".
My ideal squirrel rifle would be a .22, with a 28" barrel (tapering from .6" to .5") and 16" twist, loaded with either a piece of F buck or a 25gr cast slug for an air rifle, with the lock being the Small 3" Germanic Lock from The Rifle Shoppe (or one made like it), for sights- either 1 standing notch- with a couple folding leaves for target shooting (or a tube sight, or a normal aperture sight with elevation adjustment). My second choice would be a .32 set up the same way, only difference being the barrel either being .7" straight or .7"-.6" tapered. While I would want something similar in size to my Remington 512 rifle I grew up with (longish sight radius, slender gun, with good balance and light weight), you could go down to a 16" barrel for a carbine, if you wanted, but I would consider a rear-mounted aperture sight or tube sight to make up for the short sight radius. Could make it a double gun, if you wanted (I prefer O/U configuration)
Another option are smoothbores, and while 20-10 bore make good bird and clay guns, I feel they are overkill for a dedicated small-game gun. More appropriate, in my opinion, would be .40 and .45 guns. At the closer range most small-game is hunted at (or can be hunted at), you really don't need a lot of shot. Overly large payloads just means more shot to pick out of the squirrel, and higher costs (in powder and shot). 1/2 oz of shot is plenty for squirrel, and .40 and 45 bores utilize that well. While I am a rifleman, if my ideal small-game smoothbore would be .40, with a 28" barrel (tapering from .8"-.55") reamed and tapped for .410 chokes (yes, I "cheat", but they make the gun a little more versatile, IMO), with either the same Small 3" Germanic Lock or an L&R "Manton" lock, and a front blade with a fold-down notch rear sight (to make it a little easier to be both a good squirrel gun and clay/bird gun). You could make it a double gun, if you wanted.
My goal with either a single smoothbore or rifle would be a sub 4lbs gun, that is handy and can be carried around with you on walks easily (I think Sir Samuel Baker called them "walking rifles" or something to that effect), my weight goal would be 5ish lbs for a double gun.
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hanshi
Cannon
A .32 and a .36 complete my squirrel gun family. Both are SMR, light weight, accurate and Account for the squirrels I've shot. They can also pack a punch well out of their weight class. Cheap to feed and fun to shoot.
The .32 Crockett was one of the most accurate rifles (factory and custom) and did a number on squirrel for years.
The .32 Crockett was one of the most accurate rifles (factory and custom) and did a number on squirrel for years.
My percussion short range squirrel gun is one I made from a .22 RF barrel, a pistol lock and trigger. It shoots 30 grain air rifle slugs into a dime at 30 yards and will penetrate a 3/4" pine board at that range. I had a friend help me with the stock which is ambidextrous for teaching the youth at our club. It has a brass ram rod and a peep sight. I have taken quite a few squirrels with this rifle that were getting into my bird feeder.
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johnfrommd
Pilgrim
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I use a .36 cal and find it to be much easier to manage than a .32 as old fingers don't like small balls.
Don't have a favorite. Depends on weather, mostly. Flint fowler's faster to load than caplock shotguns. Percussion more reliable. Double guns easier to tote and provide a "backup" shot.
We have a mix of Fox and Gray squirrels depending on what part of the farm. My .32 original half-stock isn't all that accurate and next-smallest calibers are .45's. Mostly use shotguns (all 12 gauge). Mixed bag of quail, cottontails, and squirrels on any given day make shotguns more practical.
We have a mix of Fox and Gray squirrels depending on what part of the farm. My .32 original half-stock isn't all that accurate and next-smallest calibers are .45's. Mostly use shotguns (all 12 gauge). Mixed bag of quail, cottontails, and squirrels on any given day make shotguns more practical.
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My squirrel gun is .40. I thought it was a .36 when I bought it, but it was a bit of a rural arrangement with no measurements or any such thing done when it was bought. Someone sure loved it previously. It is an iron mounted Pennsylvania style gun. What one might be inclined to call a Pennsylvania SMR at first sight. Straight barrel. The crown has been filed by the previous owner to adjust POI, it has a gun-name carved into the flat of the but, no nose cap, just the wood left extra thick at the muzzle. The stock has been repaired at the tang opposite of the lock with a brass pin through a crack. The ramrod channel went clean through the lock mortice and is visible when the lock is off. It's a dandy of a well-used, well-made, if imperfect, rifle.
Nothing wrong with a .40. My favorite small caliber is the .36. When I had my Bedford County .36, I loaded it with 22 gr. 3fg, Swiss using 000 buckshot, and could hit a dime from 25 yards. Sorry I sold it, but I needed cash at the time. I am considering a Kibler in a SMR.
Mule333
40 Cal
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I’m really loving my .40 cal TVM (Corinth, Ms) kit, completed Oct.1, 2021. I’m new to the sport, still getting use to shooting flintlock’s. Just worked up my load, patch and ball in the past week. Shooting a .390 ball, pillow ticking, with 30 gr of 3f. Hitting good at 30 yards. Still trying to figure out the sight picture window. My front sight covers up the the dot.
It’s a plain maple stock, 38” Colerain A weight swamped barrel, L&R lock, 13 1/4 inch pull. The stock was to thin for a check piece so I had to glue in a piece of maple and form it in. Tried my hand at carving, but didn’t turn out as hoped. But, this was my first…. Learned a lot!
Good thing I like about this rifle is it’s Lite…. Getting a little late for squirrels here in the south, but there’s always next year! Looking forward to it!
It’s a plain maple stock, 38” Colerain A weight swamped barrel, L&R lock, 13 1/4 inch pull. The stock was to thin for a check piece so I had to glue in a piece of maple and form it in. Tried my hand at carving, but didn’t turn out as hoped. But, this was my first…. Learned a lot!
Good thing I like about this rifle is it’s Lite…. Getting a little late for squirrels here in the south, but there’s always next year! Looking forward to it!
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johnfrommd
Pilgrim
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The best sight pic
For shooting paper, the best sight picture is to adjust your sights so, when you aim at 6 oclock, the ball ends up in the bullseye at what ever range you are shooting at. Several of my rifles are zeroed in for 50 yards and all I have to do is add more powder to get them to hit the bullseye at 100 yards.
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Mule333
40 Cal
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Nice rifle.... the curl in the maple looks good too.
Would love to see that rear PEEP site up close. I've been considering making one. One of my shooting problems is a blurry front site. I've been placing a small piece of blue painters tape, with a pin hole in it, in the top corner of my glasses. It helps a lot seeing the front site.
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ask and ye shall receive!
broken brass trigger guard piece i hammered thinner and bent . then drilled a hole for the peep. hole was too big so i bushed it with a set screw and drilled that with a tiny hole. drilled a hole and tapped it for a elevation screw. attached with the tang screw.
this was going to be just temporary until i cut a dove tail for a rear sight. works so well i decided to keep it like this!
Rock Home Isle
54 Cal.
My general goto shooting rifle has been a .40 calibre flintlock Southern Poory Boy made by TVM. Beautiful gun, well balanced, and accurate.
For squirrels, rabbits and such I load with a .380 RB with heavy denim patching and 35 grains of fffg blackpowder.
For larger game I use a .395 RB and 50 grains fffg with red pillow ticking. I also shoot a caste lead conical .40 S&W 145 grn projectile, by LEE. This prints nicely at 100 yrds.
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