Squirrel Loads?

[kingsax26]

Hi guys im sure this has been thrown around already, if so poi nt me there. But I was wondering what you guys use for squirrel loads. I tried a 75 grain measure of powder and equal amount of shot....and the pattern was ummm...wide ! I ahve since "borrowed" some 7/8 oz shot cups ...and tried those but I tink the pattern is still a bit anemic...
this is my pattern at 30 yards. I f i can tighten it up a bit ...im all set. again..this was a 7/8oz load....im thinki of trying a 1.5oz load in t he future http://i713.photobucket.com/albums... stroh fowler/received_10207137575661357.jpeg

 

[coloradoclyde]

I'd use whatever you shot the upper left target with..... :haha:

 

[Archer 756]

:hmm: Shoot 28ga / 1 1/4oz #5 80 grains 2F :hatsoff:

 

[Pete G]

What are you using for wads? A relatively thin over powder wad is all you really need. The thick felt wads were used to take up space in a loaded shell and sometimes can disrupt the pattern. You might also try lowering your powder charge a little and see what you get.

 

[No Deer]

First off, what are you shooting? Makes a big difference in the loads.

In my 20 ga. trade gun, I shoot 75 gr. 3f, over powder card, 1/2 prelubed cushion wad, 1 1/4 oz. #5 shot, thin over shot card. This is for fox squirrels because they are tough. This is also my turkey load, and it patterns well and is effective out to at least 25 yards.

If the shot cups you are using are plastic, I would advise against it. Plastic shot cups have a tendency to melt from the heat of the black powder burning, and you can end up with your barrel full of melted plastic. Not fun to clean up.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

this is my pattern at 30 yards. I f i can tighten it up a bit ...im all set

30 yards is like MAX range in a cylinder bore muzzleloader using a "square load"...i.e. using the same setting on the powder measure to throw your shot load.

I like 70 grains of 2Fg, and 1¼ ounce of #5 or #4. I use paper cartridges which form my wad, and hold the shot column in the barrel. I got four squirrels last year when I went hunting with that load. I keep the shots to around 20 yards.

LD

 

[kingsax26]

well im brand new to shooting shot, but I am currently using 60gr of 3f, 1/2" fiber wad. 7/8 oz plastic shotcup on top of the wad with the end off the wad torn off for the OS card. I think my first thing i need to change is the amount of shot. it seems like everyone uses a fairly larger amount. so we will start there!

 

[No Deer]

I meant what ga. gun are you shooting? 60 gr. of powder may be a bit light depending on what ga. you are using. Work up a good pattern, then check penetration. Set up a steel (not aluminum) soup can at the distance of your pattern and make sure you get penetration of the pellets through the can. If not, then you may need to up your powder charge and retest pattern. Repeat as necessary. A perfect pattern without good penetration is not much help putting meat on the table.

 

[kingsax26]

im shooting 20ga, 46" barrel

 

[No Deer]

In my 20 ga. I shoot 75 gr. of 3f. 60 may get the job done for you, but I like a bit more power and assurance. Good luck, with patience and practice you will find a good load that patterns well and penetrates at the distance you want.That is part of the fun of smoothbores, experimenting to find the ideal (or close to it) load.

 

[Robert Egler]

In my 28 gauge I am currently using 70g 2F and equal volume of shot, usually 7 1/2, with a paper shot cup. Shot cup is triple layers of paper cut halfway down on 4 sides. Two wonder wads over powder, cardboard over shot wad. Maximum range is about 20 yards.

Although I once got 2 squirrels with one shot where the squirrels were 5 feet or so apart at about 25 yards. I was just shooting at one but the second squirrel was exceptionally unlucky and caught a pellet that was very wide through the head.

 

[kingsax26]

agreed no deer, but I think I am severely limiting myself with my rather small load of shot. I think i will ahve to go to the range as if I needed an excuse

 

[BrownBear]

30 yards is like MAX range in a cylinder bore muzzleloader using a "square load"...i.e. using the same setting on the powder measure to throw your shot load.

Yup. I mostly don't even pattern at 30 yards any more. It's all 25 yards, and the difference between the two is dramatic. I just face the fact I'm a 25 yard shooter and forget all about modern guns, chokes and ammo.

No squirrels here, but we're sometimes overrun with snowshoe hare. My standard load in 12 gauge or 20 gauge is 7/8 oz of shot. If a pattern is too thin for my tastes, I go to one size smaller shot to thicken it up, rather than getting all whinged out about magic wad combos.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

:thumbsup:

I was all worried the first few times I went out with a cylinder bore 20 gauge about the range to the target. I got my first squirrel with my trade gun pretty close, like say 5 yards, as it came down the backside of a tree to me, and came out on a limb. So I then put it on a stump and checked how it looked at 10, 20, and 30 yards, when looking over the barrel at the front sight. Found out where I hunt squirrels, I'm not going to really get a shot at over 25 yards, and 20 is pretty much the norm...and it works good at that range.

LD

 

[Wes/Tex]

Read through Spence's page ...especially the load info. Good load data and wonderful stories. :wink: :haha:
http://home.insightbb.com/~bspen/

 

[Rifleman1776]

rather than getting all whinged out about magic wad combos.

Too bad. I would love to see you when you are all winged out sometime. :wink: :haha: :rotf:

 

[Rifleman1776]

Read through Spence's page ...especially the load info. Good load data and wonderful stories. :wink: :haha:
http://home.insightbb.com/~bspen/[/quote]

Compared to what others post they use, I must be what is called a 'moderate load' guy. Whether in my 11 ga. Brown Bess or my (sorta) 20 ga. fowler, I use loads in the 50 to 65 gr. range with about 1 oz. shot.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Actually those are sorta "light", especially from the Bess. :grin: As long as they work for you, it's just academic, right? :thumbsup:

When I started shooting BP shotguns, I started with a choked, SxS caplock 20 gauge, and tried to duplicate the inexpensive, modern 20 gauge shells that worked for me in a modern 20 gauge. They still had "dram equivalent" on the boxes back then, and "2½ Drams with 7/8 oz. of #5 shot" came out at 70 grains of 2F plus the shot. Worked fine in a shotgun choked IC and Mod, but in the cylinder bore trade gun I found I needed more shot..., and the same amount of powder to work the same.

:idunno:

LD

 

[tenngun]

:thumbsup:

I was all worried the first few times I went out with a cylinder bore 20 gauge about the range to the target. I got my first squirrel with my trade gun pretty close, like say 5 yards, as it came down the backside of a tree to me, and came out on a limb. So I then put it on a stump and checked how it looked at 10, 20, and 30 yards, when looking over the barrel at the front sight. Found out where I hunt squirrels, I'm not going to really get a shot at over 25 yards, and 20 is pretty much the norm...and it works good at that range.

LD

:thumbsup: 20 yards is a good range, even in a modern gun a cylinder bore needs to be close. Ball on big game or shot on small ml are close range guns.

 

[Stumpkiller]

#5 lead shot with a stout load in whatever smoothbore I am using. Squirrels and pheasants take a lot of abuse.