Squirrel Rifle

[Ryan Saunders]

Hello, I'm new to this forum and I joined it cause I have questions that demand answers which I can't resolve myself- I have a decision to make and I need some input from someone else so I can decide. I'm building a small bore flintlock longrifle for my senior project, and after that is over, I will definitely be using the rifle to do a whole lot of squirrel hunting. I have never had a flintlock gun, and my experience is limited to Hawkens and (forgive me), inline .50's plus one .45 pistol and two .45 Colt (repro) revolvers. Anyway, what I can't decide is between .32 and .36 caliber- I'm pretty sure I want .32 but I guess ya'll know the conflict I'm going through in deciding? I think I'm going to go with a Bucks County parts set from Track of the Wolf- but right now it says they are out of stock of .32 caliber barrels- Can anyone compare .32 and .36 for me? Average powder charge, effectiveness on larger game (coyotes, grizzly bears :bull seriously though, please give me some advice

 

[Celt5494]

For squirrels, rabbits and such a .32 or .36 will do fine. They shoot flat and fast and in my opinion either would make just as good a squirrel gun with no noticed difference between the two.

 

[Tinker2]

First, welcome to the forum.

“I can't decide is between .32 and .36 caliber”
You would like both. I do.

Based on what you said “I'm pretty sure I want .32” that is what you should do. You can have more then one.


Whatever you do have fun and be safe.


Tinker2

 

[roundball]

If caliber ownership is a pre-requisite, I'm not qualified to comment on the .32 / .36 as I've never been attracted to tiny little calibers, feeling their versatility is lacking when weighed against the financial investment, unless money is no object of course.

IE: the smallest I have is a .40cal for plinking and small game like sqirrels/rabbits...and it would certainly do the job on coyotes if I decide to use it for that. So in that regard if I HAD to force an opinion between your two options I'd at least suggest the larger .36cal.

 

[rmonday2]

I think i read on here that 00'buckshot was a good sorce of RB for one of those callibers if my mind still works right LOL! not sure if that would be a deciding factor or not.
Ronnie. Happy Shooting

 

[Ryan Saunders]

Okay, another question- is it true that progressively smaller calibers are more sensitive to precise loading as far as accuracy? In other words, do the smallest calibers require more attention to the details than the larger ones? I read this somewhere and it has been on my mind ever since- Actually I read it an old book called 'Small Game Hunting in America' and the author stated that he always used .40 and .45 exclusively because they weren't sensitive like the diminutive ones- Any truth to this?

 

[Celt5494]

I'm not sure that I would disagree. You can overcharge a smaller/lighter round easily and this can have a tendency to give you some fliers. You will need to look at ballistics charts much the same as when reloading ammo and tuning it to what you want to accomplish. Larger calibers it can be a little more difficult to overcharge although not impossible and I say that within reason of course.

This is where you will have to put in your range time and work through the patch thickness, ball size and type of load for what you are wanting to do. The barell will also have a bit of a break in period. This in my opinion is where it can get really fun because of the variables. You can put two almost identical guns up against each other with the same loads and you'll get variances in the strike of the round. Assuming of course both shooters are doing their part and the existing weather conditions remain the same. If you want to go out and get squirrels, prairie dogs, rabbits etc. you won't be dissapointed with your project.

 

[Semisane]

Actually I read it an old book called 'Small Game Hunting in America' and the author stated that he always used .40 and .45 exclusively because they weren't sensitive like the diminutive ones

I'm no small bore guru either, but perhaps he was referring to sensitivity to wind.

 

[F.G. Ford]

Hi, and welcome to this wonderful world of "Black Powder"
I have several small caliber rifles, .32, .36, .40, and .45.
I do find a small ramrod can be a bit of a challange to work with, and that .32 ball is small to dig out of the pouch, and load, especially on a cold day.
Also a dirty barrel does give me trouble.
To get my best grouping with the .32, I must swab between shots, and that is a problem, on a woods walk.
I love my .36 & .40
I do hope this confuses you more!
All the best!
Old Ford

 

[Ryan Saunders]

Yes, that's another factor I've thought about as well, but I imagine that a .32 PRB is just as stable in a breeze as a .22 LR hollowpoint, would you agree? I mean, I normally hunt squirrels with an open sighted CZ .22 LR, and from what I've read, I should be able to take the flinter and with practice and the perfect load, emulate the effectiveness of the CZ. Something like minute-of-squirrel head? :haha: As for the chapter I was referring to, here is the exact text: " Small caliber, as we said-but not too small. It isn't that a diminutive bullet won't kill game surely, but the smaller bores are harder to load and generally require very meticulous handling to produce top accuracy. I'd not recommend less than .36 caliber, and would advise larger, at least .40. As for myself, I use .44 and .45 almost exclusively because they shoot most accurately with least attention to load and loading." The reason I questioned the validity of this information is 'cause the same author also said that you need a rifle with a 30 some inch barrel rather than a 42"+, and that percussions are better than flinchlocks :shake: :grin:

 

[saber]

a realy fine squirel gun and small game coyotes and fox a 36 would work a little better also if you get good and legal in your area deer I did a TOW bedford and it is a out standing little game gun

 

[saber]

a realy fine squirel gun and small game coyotes and fox a 36 would work a little better also if you get good and legal in your area deer I did a TOW bedford and it is a out standing little game gun

 

[saber]

a realy fine squirel gun and small game coyotes and fox a 36 would work a little better also if you get good and legal in your area deer I did a TOW bedford and it is a out standing little game gun

 

[hanshi]

Welcome to the forum. I have both a .32 and .36. The .32 is a Traditions Crockett and the .36 is a TVM(uzzleloading) flint SMR. I like both calibers and the .32 has accounted for it's share of squirrels. But as soon as I got the .36 SMR it became my favorite. The .32 is best under 50 yards though it can certainly be accurate much farther on a calm day. The .36 will do everything the .32 will and much more. They are both cheap to feed, pleasant to shoot. Neither fouls any worse than larger calibers and while they are more sensitive to variations in powder charges, I've never experienced random fliers. Both work well with the same 3f charges of 20 to 30 grains and perform similarly on squirrels and other small game. They are both easy to load without taking any particular care other than what's done with larger calibers. .32 ball = 46 grains , .36 ball = 66 grains. The slightly heavier .36 ball is much more versatile in application. This probably clouds the issue even more. Ultimately, .32 great for small game, adequate to marginal for anything larger. .36 just as good for small game but fine for larger varmints and (maybe) deer. The .40 is best of all.

 

[MikeChapin]

I have both. Either one will work for small game. A .36 will take a deer within 50 yards but your state laws will have a lot to say on that.

Hanshi is right on what he says. My small bores don't require any more field cleaning than my larger bores. If your using a greasy lube while hunting, it's a good idea to run a damp then a dry patch down the bore between shots but you should do that with a larger caliber also.

The first rifle I built was a flint .36 longrifle. I used it for small game and competition. It was good enough to win several aggregates. An aggregate consists of paper targets, one at 25 yards, two at 50 yards and one at 100. To win the aggregate your total score on all four targets must be the highest. The .36 did great if I was careful to shoot the 100 yard when the wind was down.

Both calibers are sensative to wind. Round balls lose energy fast and it doesn't take much to push the little ones. I would go for the .36 for versitility. My only gripe with the .32 is what someone mentioned earlier, handling the small balls can be a pain on cold mornings.

 

[Birddog6]

NMC: I would say the .36, but personally prefer the .40. Reason being we are talking about squirrel hunting right. Very little powder used in .32, .36, .40 for that so powder cost is minimal. Same with ball cost being minimal.
Now that being said, you get into a age thingy & Uncle Arthur arriving in the hands & fingers, etc. ,whether ya want him or not. :idunno: Add a cold .45 degree morning & you're fresh up before daylight & getting moving, & so you go out in the crisp cold morning to take a few tree rats.
Now for me, after I got all of my get-up going (and I am loosing that get-up & go at an alarming rate as years progress. :redface: ) I now find that a .040 ball, which is a tad larger than the .32 or .36, easier for my now-not-so-nimble fingers to manipulate & keep spru up & etc. when loading. Now keep all this in consideration that you mentioned Senior Project, I took that not to mean High School, but a age thing, so I am thinking 55 or older, this WILL come into effect eventually to most, like it or not.......

And another good things is with the .40, if you want to bump it up a lil on the charge & do some target shooting or take a varmint, you have a lil more umph out there at 75 yards & still very flat shooting.....
As for shooting tree rats & the now & then stories of meat damage by caliber of the .32, 36,40, that is all hogwash. A head shot is a head shot, it is a hit of a miss & the caliber in that scope of it is not a consideration..... And the squirrels don't know the dif. anyway.... :wink:

As for TOW, I would not wait on them. Last time I had to wait on a barrel on them it took over 6 mo & it was a standard barrel, and I still had to get it from another vender.

I suggest ya call Tip Curtis at 615-654-4445. Tip has a beaut of a Bucks Rifle parts set & has one with the rounded buttplate as shown as the Unknown Bucks in the RCA books. It makes a really nice rifle. You can get it with a A or a B weight barrel, and it would serve you well. If you are a newbie builder, I suggest a B weight in a .40 cal.

Keith Lisle

 

[410-er]

I have both 32 and 36.IMHO the 32 is better suited on squirrels and small game.The 36 is better at turkey,yotes,etc.

 

[Ryan Saunders]

Actually I am referring to a High school senior project but that doesn't reduce the value of your suggestions. I thank all of you who have taken the time to reply to my post- and also I have something else I've been thinking about that maybe ya'll might have some ideas about- I don't know if there is a commercially availible conical bullet mold for a .32 rifle, but if I could acquire one or have some of my machinist friends and family make one for me,how significantly would that increase the effectiveness of the .32 on larger game with a maximum powder charge? (within reason)In my state (N.C.) feral hogs are not regulated at all as far as season or weapon used, so it would be legal, my concern is, would it work? (head shot)(within 50 yards)

 

[hawk]

Keith that bucks county was the first custom gun i remember seeing on the internet and thought "this computer was worth buying "thanks for the memories Keith....still my favorite blonde stock on the internet :thumbsup:

as for squirrel guns i need a scatter gun ...too many new houses going in around me :cursing:

 

[ny griz]

I'm very happy with my 36cal.it does what i ask her to do.Great cal. :thumbsup: Griz