It sounds like you are committed to a .36...and i am too, if you look at my name... i own one, but it was the poor result of a venture to obtain one. I call it a closet sitter; as i don't believe in wall hangers. The numerich/hopkins allen minuteman is well worth staying away from, for several reasons.
However, and not sure how i feel about this, but much more attainable and readily available squirrel rifles in half stock are available in .32. The T/C Cherokee is about the ultimate. A black powder squirrel hunting enthusiast actually advised them on their design and using a much higher rate twist barrel to provide the accuracy needed with the light loads he preferred to avoid meat damage on body shots...the gun was just about perfect, but a factory fire destroyed all of their machinery for making those guns, and T/C decided to discontinue production of that rifle...very sad. Used ones are around, however, but as Fish D Fly mentioned, it will take awhile, but i suspect you could place one before squirrel season next year...very good guns, and I would love to find money and a cherokee for sale at the same time.
Another good option in half stock, is the crockett .32. With the slower twist, however, it will require hotter loads and demand head shots to keep from wasting meat...but head shots are the essence of squirrel hunting, to the point that guys say anything else is unsporting...(not that I entirely agree, but my current squirrel gun is a .44 single shot long barreled pistol, so I am restricted to head shots...its not that bad, and if i can do it with a pistol, a guy with a half stock rifle could only do better...)
However, the point is, the crockett is an excellent rifle, elegant, quickly and readily attainable, and cost effective, to the point that a guy who is seriously looking to purchase a new rifle, could buy one, and be happy with it, and still have enough left over to purchase some accoutrements and real black powder...that is something seriously worth considering... if i was in your boat right now, and wanted a gun quick, that is what I would go with.
However, and not sure how i feel about this, but much more attainable and readily available squirrel rifles in half stock are available in .32. The T/C Cherokee is about the ultimate. A black powder squirrel hunting enthusiast actually advised them on their design and using a much higher rate twist barrel to provide the accuracy needed with the light loads he preferred to avoid meat damage on body shots...the gun was just about perfect, but a factory fire destroyed all of their machinery for making those guns, and T/C decided to discontinue production of that rifle...very sad. Used ones are around, however, but as Fish D Fly mentioned, it will take awhile, but i suspect you could place one before squirrel season next year...very good guns, and I would love to find money and a cherokee for sale at the same time.
Another good option in half stock, is the crockett .32. With the slower twist, however, it will require hotter loads and demand head shots to keep from wasting meat...but head shots are the essence of squirrel hunting, to the point that guys say anything else is unsporting...(not that I entirely agree, but my current squirrel gun is a .44 single shot long barreled pistol, so I am restricted to head shots...its not that bad, and if i can do it with a pistol, a guy with a half stock rifle could only do better...)
However, the point is, the crockett is an excellent rifle, elegant, quickly and readily attainable, and cost effective, to the point that a guy who is seriously looking to purchase a new rifle, could buy one, and be happy with it, and still have enough left over to purchase some accoutrements and real black powder...that is something seriously worth considering... if i was in your boat right now, and wanted a gun quick, that is what I would go with.
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) = $280- $630
