Squirrels better look out...the .40cal is ready !

[BrownBear]

We've got lots of red squirrels here but they are not hunted.

I'll be darned. We have them up here and some of us hunt them with enthusiasm. Good eating, but figure on at least two per person for average servings and three for a hearty serving.

 

[shortbow]

Bear, we ate them as kids but they are not in the hunting regs. Believe it or not, the only folks can kill them are trappers who take them for the tails. Wish we could take them as we have zillions.

 

[roundball]

07/28/11 ”“ Initial Range trip with new .40cal Late Lancaster

Ӣ 50 shots for initial testing at 25yds with the following:
Ӣ 40 and 50 grain charges of Goex 3F...both excellent...settled on 40grns for now.

Ӣ .015", .018", and .020" patches:
>>>.015" were OK but groups were not as tight as I thought the GM barrel could do;
>>>.018" gave small, tight ragged single hole groups;
>>>.020" were too big”¦had to pound the short starter with a piece of 2x4;

”¢ Hornady swaged .395"s and Eddie May’s cast .395"s...both excellent / interchangeable.
Ӣ Have the sights currently filed / adjusted for dead center POI = POA at 25yds

Definitely shoots as good as it looks...will be an excellent small game / range rifle for me

 

[Rat Trapper]

I'm going to be interested in how the 40 works on squirrels. Last year I found the 36 loaded with 40 grans of 3F Goex to be a little hot for squirrels. While my 32 when loaded with 20 grains of Goex 3F was like shooting them with a 22 long rifle. Round ball keep us posted on how things work out with ur new rifle. It sure is a ice looking rifle.

 

[Tony Logan]

sure is a great looking gun, sounds like a shooter as well.

 

[roundball]

I'm going to be interested in how the 40 works on squirrels. Last year I found the 36 loaded with 40 grans of 3F Goex to be a little hot for squirrels.

Well, if you're referring to meat damage, I guess a lot of that depends on what parts of a squirrel different folks might like.
For example, I've personally never had any interest in 'squirrel brains' so head shots from any caliber wouldn't bother me;
And, IMO, there's not enough meat on the front of a squirrel to worry about...in the past I've only used the hind quarters anyway.
So caliber is less of an issue to me, with my target area basically being the disposable head / shoulder portions of a squirrel.

I've mainly used a .28ga with #5s but I have one place I can try squirrels with a small rifle and not worry about shooting up into the air, so I'm looking forward to trying this one out...we'll see.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Sweet!

Listen for the squirrels to whistle and then pop them. :thumbsup:

Someday I have to invest in a purpose-built squirrel rifle. Back around 1980 I had a Dixie .32 Mountain Rifle that was a miserable b!+c# to get to go off but when it did it was very accurate. I sold it long before there were places like this where information could be had. I wish I had the knowledge then to have tried an L&R lock. Sure wish I had it back now.

 

[roundball]

Another 50 shot practice session this morning...made up a stack of 2"x 6" cardboard rectangles to simulate the body size of a squirrel instead of just shooting boring bullesyes...stuck a row of them in the crush stone at 20, 25, and 30 yards like a squirrel sitting up..."killed" all those squirrels except one, and that was because of the loose screw behind the buttplate...the targets were too big at that range really. Found an empty .12ga hull and picked that off at 25yds so the .40cal is really laying them in there.

50 shots is about all I can handle in this heat & humidity, so I'll go back Monday and see if its shooting fast & flat enough to give me the same POI at 35 & 40yds with the same sight picture...my goal is to drive it fast enough so I have a total 1.5" verticle zone POI...a "point blank squirrel zone" 3/4" above to 3/4" below POA out to 40yds...achieving that consistently given my own limitations of shooting skills, 65 year old eyes, primitive iron sights, etc, might be difficult, we'll see.

I have a steel A-frame with a little 2" steel hanger target I'll be using from now on...may touch it to the grinder and trim it down a whisker smaller...the steel cuts down range time not having to fiddle with paper targets, walking back and forth in the hot sun, etc.

I will say this...I realized I've definitely spoiled myself these past 2-3 years getting round bottom groove barrels in .45/.50/.58cals...one wiping patch and the bore is clean. But this .40cal GM is a regular straight groove barrel and it takes a bit more work after each shot to get the bore back to a clean-cold-first-shot-hunting barrel condition. Once I've finalized the sights/POA/POI for hunting barrel condition, I'll experiment with some amount of liquid lube that will give me the same POI without wiping.

Anyhow, stumbling across his .40cal Late Lancaster was a real find, essentially brand new, drop dead gorgeous, and I can't get over how well it shoots...the 13/16" x 38" straight barrel is not nose heavy yet heavy enough to hold on a target...never a mis-fire, never a problem, just a terrific Flintlock that so far has performed flawlessly...

 

[BrownBear]

...my goal is to drive it fast enough so I have a total 1.5" verticle zone POI...a "point blank squirrel zone" 3/4" above to 3/4" below POA out to 40yds...achieving that consistently given my own limitations of shooting skills, 65 year old eyes, primitive iron sights, etc, might be difficult, we'll see.

Unless the sights are really high above the bore, I bet you're there. That's approximately what I look for in my snowshoe hare rifles, and it takes surprisingly little powder to achieve it. I'm talking 20 grains of 3f in a 36 cal and 15 grains in a 32 cal.

 

[George]

...it takes surprisingly little powder to achieve it. I'm talking 20 grains of 3f in a 36 cal and 15 grains in a 32 cal.

I have excellent results from my .40 with 25 and 30 grains FFFg Goex. Sighted at 25 yards, POI doesn't shift enough out to 40 yards to matter.

Spence

 

[roundball]

I just started out with "the caliber" (40) for a powder charge...I know it shot like a laser in the 32" x .40cal GM drop-in barrel for a T/C Hawken I recently sold, and it seemes to do the same out of this 38" GM barrel.

Not knowing of any downside to using 40grns Goex 3F for squirrels, I'll stay with it in case I have a repeat of a couple squirrel hunts in the past where deer have come wandering through the oak ridge just 20 yards in front of my boots.
Using a throttled back .45cal with 40grns powder both times, I took them with close, direct heart shots...I figure with the .40cal ball being even smaller than the .45, the extra umph won't hurt.

 

[mtcurman]

That is stunning!

 

[George]

A perfect example of how everyone's situation is different, rooundball. Our squirrel and deer seasons coincide, but I never have gone squirrel hunting with the idea of taking a deer that wanders by. I have to drive 30 miles to my hunting spot, I don't take along the gear necessary to process a deer if I killed one, so I go set up strictly for squirrels and just admire any deer which I'm lucky enough to see. I've had them really close in at times, close enough to see their chin whiskers, and I just think of that as a nice bonus to a squirrel hunt. I have been more tempted the other way. I hunt deer sitting on my butt in heavy cover and it's not at all unusual to have squirrels all around, mere feet away. I keep thinking I'll take along a flintlock pistol and collect some, but never have. Just a pleasant bonus to a deer hunt.

I'm getting to the age where just seeing the game close up is more pleasant than killing it. One of these days I'll probably trade in the guns for a camera and "shoot" them that way. I've already let a bunch of them walk away simply because they were too pretty at that moment for me to take the shot.

Spence

 

[roundball]

I usually plan the trip intentionally...late in the season, its rare to see deer movement during the day...so occasionally I'll go in mid afternoon and sit for squirrels a couple hours, knowing that 30 minutes before dark deer might start easing around.

Coincidentally, my hunting area is 30 miles away as well...and the last two Chevy Trailblazers I've owned, the first thing I do is completely remove the back seat, cover the floor with a double thickness of movers padded packing quilts, and it becomes an enclosed, dry, secure 'truck'.

Then at the beginning of the huntings seasons, I load some large 2x2x3 foot storage tubs carrying all my hunting stuff...deer cleaning/processing tools and bags, various supplies, change of clothes/boots, first aid, etc, etc...and they stay there until after hunting seasons close.

I also mount one of those "hitch-hauls" on the trailer hitch receiver to haul off any deer I get to the family I give them to.

 

[roundball]

Unless the sights are really high above the bore, I bet you're there.

I suspect so too...I dug out my chrograph notes from a few years ago when I tested the 32" GM .40cal drop-in barrel:
================================================
GM .40cal 15/16” x 33” Flint barrel
1:48” round ball twist
.015" Oxyoke Oiled Patches
.395" cast lead balls (Eddie May/Georgia)
Wiped the bore after every shot
Pact Pro MK5 Chronograph at 15 feet
Goex 3F powder charges
Average velocity rounded off to nearest 5 fps
30grns = 1300 fps
40grns = 1400 fps
50grns = 1525 fps
60grns = 1620 fps
70grns = 1760 fps
80grns = 1840 fps
90grns = 1950 fps
================================================

And I assume I'd get a bit more velocity out of the longer 38" barrel...maybe 40grns Goex 3F is up around 1500 fps out of 38".
When I get time I'll check it 'just because'...and for comparison to the 32" barrel...but there's a good chance it won't be until after hunting seasons now.

 

[BrownBear]

...but there's a good chance it won't be until after hunting seasons now.

Doncha love the sound of that! High on the list of things wives have to hear. :rotf:

 

[BillinOregon]

This thread has me all lathered for a .40 as well. It's the legal minimum for deer in Oregon, and therefore a good choice for me in a "squill" gun. I think I favor an iron-mounted Tennessee or Southern Mountain style. Always wanted to try a TVM.

 

[roundball]

Well, I had wanted one to round out a set of longrifles I've had built by TVM, but knocking on 66 this year, I made the conscious decision I wouldn't have one built...couldn't bring myself to see it as much of a return on investment so to speak.
Then I 'fell into' this one up for sale...had a couple mods made to it and I'm shooting it now instead of this time next year.
(which really would have meant not at all)

 

[roundball]

...but there's a good chance it won't be until after hunting seasons now.

Doncha love the sound of that! High on the list of things wives have to hear. :rotf:

Yeah...but after 44 years see understands the annual cycle..."ask for it before Labor Day honey 'cause it'll be early spring if you don't".
:grin:
After I retire at year end, I'll have plenty of week days to go to the range and start doing things like running chronograph tests...

 

[roundball]

I'm sorry, but I just have to add this post...this .40cal Late Lancaster just shoots like a dream.
Ran another 50 practice shots at the little 2" steel hanger at 25yds...touched up the front sight a hair with the file and it just laid them in their all morning. The only reason for an occasional miss was 100% the fault of the shooter.

Incidentally, had another one of those moments where a pistol shooter walked over and paid his compliments to the beautiful stock, and asked a few quetions about Flintlocks.
I explained things as best I could, then asked him if he'd like to take a shot, said he would.
So I showed him a drawing on the sight picture I had the sights set up for.
Let him dry fire the set trigger a few times to get a feel for it.
Explained all the loading steps, then let him prime it, close the frizzen, go to half cock, then full cock...set the trigger and took the shot.

I had set up a 6" paper plate at 20 yards for him and dang of he didn't punch it at 6 O'clock, a couple inches below dead center.
He was grinning so big I thought he was going to swallow his ears...commented on how fast it was...had always heard they were slow, etc.
Said maybe he ought to look into one of those...so I suspect he'll tell a positive story to several people about that intro to Flintlocks experience.