Squirrel killing distance of Cyl. bore?

[hanshi]

I use only rifles on squirrels and simply do not trust a smoothbore on them as I do on rabbits and other small game. A few years ago I took a 12ga double percussion with me thinking it would be just the ticket and was worth an experiment. Well, I was wrong. After knocking a squirrel out of a tree I walked over to retrieve it. It suddenly came to life and escaped. I was appalled. I decided then and there to stick with rifles for squirrels. It was within the 20 yard limit but "just".

 

[Homesteader]

This is just generally to those who commented about using shotguns for hunting branch prancers...

If you decide to use shot for squirrel, you've gotta hunt in a very particular way, I believe. Personally, I love it. You more or less let them know you're there so they hide from you. Then you wait for them to check to see if you're still there after a while. I only take a shot at a head peering over a limb or around the trunk. Never at the full body of the tree rat itself. It's almost a "peek-a-boo" game. That means I see a lot more of 'em than I shoot at with my smoothie. When I do send a load of shot from my 14 bore the head is pretty much the only target available, and I don't stretch the distance. Pretty close, really. So far, I either knock their heads apart, or miss completely. I've done it this way for quite a while.

A rifle's a completely different game, of course.

 

[roundball]

General comment not aimed at anyone:

To suggest there’s something wrong with using shotguns for squirrels is ridiculous...people have been squirrel hunting with shotguns for centuries...just do the load development for a good pattern, understand the range limitations, and use the right shot to ensure a clean kill.

.20ga Flint smoothbore with #4’s @ 25 steps after he hopped up on a stump.

.28ga Flint smoothbore with #5’s @ 30 steps.
Both taken off the side of the same huge beech tree about 30 minutes apart

 

[DanChamberlain]

Never said there was anything wrong with it.
Just said it wasn't my preference. I've eaten a lot of shotgun killed tree rats. Truth is, regardless the game...flying or running, I'd bet a lot get peppered with shot that don't go down and we call it a miss.

Dan

 

[PGTMG]

I have never used a smoothbore flintlock on squirrels but I intend to this year.

I used to be a very active squirrel hunter with modern shotguns.

Shotguns kill squirrels fine heck they kill pretty much anything on this planet loaded right used properly.

I hunt squirrels with a shotgun most of the time by scouting a good tree waiting to ambush.

As far as wounded game escaping it can happen.

Use sound judgment in your shots and do your part you and you should not have to beat yourself up.

:v

 

[roundball]

Never needed squirrels so bad that I shoot at them running and don't do it...squirrels have a predictable start / stop cadence to their travel and don't go far without pausing to look around making an excellent stationary target.

 

[tg]

I kind of enjoyed wingshooting some as they ran or jumped along limbs 15-20 feet away,I have a sot where you can get real close while they work an orchard, now my Grouse I prefer sitting on a stump....the Grouse sitting on the stump not me.

 

[hanshi]

I also don't care to shoot at running squirrels; I like them sittin' and still. Even game like, say, doves. I don't shoot 'em while they're hard flying. I'll whistle and when they pause to look around I shoot. If I miss they continue on their way; if I hit 'em they fall to the ground.

Seriousness aside, I've never been much of a shotgun hunter. When I was a kid I had an old (even then) Mossberg bolt action 20ga. I shot that gun really well and only traded it when it literally wore out. Loved that gun. Later had an ancient L.C. Smith hammer 12ga. To me shotguns are fun to shoot at clays but for game I prefer rifle or pistol. That does not apply to turkey, though.

 

[Chilidog]

Eons ago when I first started hunting, I tried different approaches to squirrel hunting to see what worked. At times, when using a shotgun, a squirrel would "carry on" and escape when wounded. This troubled me enough to decide to use only rifles (a 22 back then, and a flint 32 now) when pursuing this worthy. I know many a hunter who use fowlers/shotguns and I'm not saying you shouldn't. If that's your way, go for it. It's just not mine. One thing I've noticed, a head shot with a rifle and they come down and stay down. Granted, today my eyes really make me concentrate a whole lot more, but that just adds to the challange. If I can't be certain of the shot, I don't take it. My bag limit isn't what it used to be either. One or two makes me happy. Shoot, just being out there makes me happy, whether I shoot or not. Life is good.

 

[shootemup]

Hey there Skychief,

I usually use a twenty-gauge for squirrels but only because my flintlock fowlers are both twenty-gauge.

I also have a twelve-gauge T/C New Englander in 12-gauge, and it's a regular squirrel killer too.

I'm sorta careful with range as I'm sure you are too (your question about this verifies that you are). With the New Englander and a full choke - and my New Englander is one of the later models with the screw-in chokes - I can take squirrels out to 40 yards or so.

With the fowlers, less than thirty yards. This isn't usually a problem, at least where I hunt squirrels.

I'm still a week away from squirrel season, but am really exited about it. Best to you this season -

:hatsoff:
Spot

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

General comment not aimed at anyone:

To suggest there’s something wrong with using shotguns for squirrels is ridiculous...people have been squirrel hunting with shotguns for centuries...just do the load development for a good pattern, understand the range limitations, and use the right shot to ensure a clean kill.

.20ga Flint smoothbore with #4’s @ 25 steps after he hopped up on a stump.

.28ga Flint smoothbore with #5’s @ 30 steps.
Both taken off the side of the same huge beech tree about 30 minutes apart

Absolutely right. In some areas you have to use a smoothbore due to the proximity of people. The biggest error people make is using shot of too light weight and trying for shots at too long a distance. Personally, #5 shot and 20 yards is about it for me and my 20 bore and most shots are closer.

 

[roundball]

Agree...IMO, #6s & #7.5s are better suited for birds like doves/quail, but something like squirrels/crows are tougher and I believe that #4s & #5s have these benefits over #6s & #7.5s:

Velocities out of a muzzleloading smoothbore are often slower than a modern shotgun, so using the next larger size pellet helps offset that.

The heavier pellets carry more lethal energy to longer distances than smaller lighter shot, and are also less affected by wind, etc;

The heavier pellets bore straight ahead further before starting to spread out due to pellet deformation from the bore which helps the pattern;

 

[Hoyt]

This yr. I'm using a .20ga. smoothbore I built for spring gobbler hunting. It's got a Colerain Turkey Barrel l had them cut down to 34". The barrel goes from a .62cal. to .58cal. about one inch from the muzzle. It shoots a very tight pattern out to over 40yds.

I got rid of my 20ga. Old Virginia with open cylinder..but it killed it's share of squirrel too. However..the trees were a lot shorter down in Fl. where I used it than here in Southern Illinois where I'm living now.

 

[Skychief]

Very nice Hoyt! By the way, I love that horn. :thumbsup:

 

[Skychief]

I want to report that I did some tweaking with my load and now realize at what range my shotgun is certain to kill squirrels (

 

[Homesteader]

Isn't it great? I probably hunt limb prancers a little differently than a lotta folk, but I sure do have fun with it. Not sure which I like more, the squirrels I get with my 48" barrel cylinder-bore fowler, or the looks I get from other folk who see me hunting with it! :grin:

 

[Dphar]

I want to report that I did some tweaking with my load and now realize at what range my shotgun is certain to kill squirrels (

 

[Capt. Jas.]

Anyone with a modicum of shooting skill can kill squirrels with a shotgun by putting the bead on the varmint and pulling the trigger. A FL rifle requires a little more skill.

Dan

So a smoothbore really is superior to a rifle? :rotf:

 

[roundball]

"...Thought I would share my newfound enthusiasm. Thanks for the help all! :thumbsup: ..."

Skychief, just ignore the chronically negative posts...they contribute no value to your thread and disrespect you and your interests as an individual.

Sounds like you're having a great time exploring different avenues to go after game...I've shot some squirrels with Flintlock PRBs, and then after deciding to get into Flint smoothbores needed something to hunt and went after squirrels with them...have had a few goods hunts now with both .62cal and .54cal smoothbores...looking forward to going after squirrels with the .54cal smoothie again this fall...just wish our squirrel season opened earlier!

:thumbsup:

 

[tg]

I would agree with Round ball Squirrels are fun to hunt with a smoothbore as well as a rifle and I have done both, some folks just cannot bring themselves to see a smoothbore as being usefull for anything but a fence post and with their attitude really should stay out of the smoothbore threads, all they do is take cheap shots at scatterguners centuries old sport, and show their own shallow tunnel vision.Claude please get the ignore function working again.