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.36 SMR Does the Trick

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Joined
Nov 23, 2010
Messages
5,488
Reaction score
5,442
Location
On the Mississippi in SE Minnesota
This afternoon I decided to take a couple of hours to do some squirrel hunting right by my house. I only have six acres, but I have access to 80 acres that borders mine. I haven't hunted either yet this year as I leave it for my SIL and Grandson for bowhunting...but today they were off skiing, and it's the last day of bow season in MN, so figured it was time to start hitting the squirrels that reside in the area.

It was pretty chilly with temps in the low 20's and a good breeze brought wind chills in the low teens along with cloudy grey skies, so I pulled on my wool drop-front pants and a heavy wool blanket shirt over wool long johns and topped it off with my bottle green canvas hunting frock and an orange voyagers hat (to be legal). My moose hide mocs finished off the ensemble.

In the SE Minnesota Mississippi river valley area you are usually climbing or descending hills and my hunt started up hill right out my back door. I almost immediately saw a little pine squirrel but just passed that up although I have been known to knock those off close to the house since they can be nasty pests that chew on stuff. Even though it was chilly, it was just nice to be out. I was just taking a few steps, then standing and surveying the oak and hickory tree covered hillsides for a few minutes before repeating the process. It wasn't exactly good winter squirrel conditions today, so I didn't know if any would be out or not.

When I was about 150 yards from the house I thought I heard a squirrel "squeak." I strained trying to listen above the breeze for more sounds. Then there is was...a bark. It seemed to be coming from around 75 yards or so up the hill, but I wasn't seeing anything moving. I took a few more steps in that direction, searching. Finally, I saw a nice grey coming through the trees down the hill, but angling away from me. I could tell it was on a mission as it never stopped moving. It was never on the ground, just in the treetops going from tree to tree. I starting angling sidehill to try to intercept it. It was quite a ways away yet when it got as far out on the limb of the tree it was in, but apparently couldn't make the jump to the next one as it was just too far. So, down that tree it came. As soon as it hit the ground it was over a hump in the hill and I could not see it, which meant it probably could not see me. I picked up the pace. When I was around 40 yards from the tree it came down, I saw it climbing up a small tree of only six inches or so in diameter and it decided to sit on it's haunches on a tiny limb right next to the trunk to eat something it had picked up. Problem was, there were all kinds of tiny limbs obstructing a shot and I didn't stop next to something I could rest the gun against. So, I backed up a few yards and uphill a bit to get next to a tree I could rest on and had a very small "hole" I thought I could get a 40 yard shot through. The new SMR was loaded with 35 grs of Swiss 3Fg, and a .018 pillow tick patch lubed with mink oil surrounding a .350 Hornady round ball. Since the squirrel's head had a little branch blocking it, I decided on a chest shot. Hopefully I'd miss the front legs and not do damage to that meat. The crack of the shot seemed loud in the cold air. I saw the squirrel flinch a bit and slowly go back down the tree and out of sight. It looked hit to me, but usually a .36 blows them out of the tree!

I stuffed another load down the barrel pouring powder from the new Ames-made Southern Banded Horn into my handmade antler measure, then used the tools on my leather thong necklace, which holds a six-ball block and other loading necessaries, to start the patched ball and finished ramming it home before I made my way toward the tree the squirrel was in. There was a large downed tree log obstructing my view, but when I got close enough and peeked over it, there the big grey lay just a couple feet from the base of the tree I shot her out of. The .350 ball had caught about the bottom quarter of the ribcage. All the good meat was unharmed. I thanked our good Lord for the opportunity to be out in His creation and take the squirrel.

I always clean my squirrels immediately. I carry a small traditional hatchet to cut off the head and feet and use a small hand forged squirrel knife a friend of mine made for me to finish the job. It's nice when there is snow as I can use it to wash out the body cavity and immediately cool the meat before putting it in a zip-lock bag that goes into my game bag for transport home.

I put in a couple more hours slowly still hunting, but the wind kept picking up and no more squirrels were seen. But, it was a good day for the new SMR and its first shot at a game animal! It's a dream to carry and shoot. I suspect it will put several more squirrels in the pot over the next couple of months.

50784982802_46c120c54f_c.jpg
 
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Nice job and nice story. Hunting squirrels with a flintlock is about my favorite thing to do. I have been out about every day this week and just havnt been seeing them. I will be out tomorrow and hopefully have a chance at one.
 
This afternoon I decided to take a couple of hours to do some squirrel hunting right by my house. I only have six acres, but I have access to 80 acres that borders mine. I haven't hunted either yet this year as I leave it for my SIL and Grandson for bowhunting...but today they were off skiing, and it's the last day of bow season in MN, so figured it was time to start hitting the squirrels that reside in the area.

It was pretty chilly with temps in the low 20's and a good breeze brought wind chills in the low teens along with cloudy grey skies, so I pulled on my wool drop-front pants and a heavy wool blanket shirt over wool long johns and topped it off with my bottle green canvas hunting frock and an orange voyagers hat (to be legal). My moose hide mocs finished off the ensemble.

In the SE Minnesota Mississippi river valley area you are usually climbing or descending hills and my hunt started up hill right out my back door. I almost immediately saw a little pine squirrel but just passed that up although I have been known to knock those off close to the house since they can be nasty pests that chew on stuff. Even though it was chilly, it was just nice to be out. I was just taking a few steps, then standing and surveying the oak and hickory tree covered hillsides for a few minutes before repeating the process. It wasn't exactly good winter squirrel conditions today, so I didn't know if any would be out or not.

When I was about 150 yards from the house I thought I heard a squirrel "squeak." I strained trying to listen above the breeze for more sounds. Then there is was...a bark. It seemed to be coming from around 75 yards or so up the hill, but I wasn't seeing anything moving. I took a few more steps in that direction, searching. Finally, I saw a nice grey coming through the trees down the hill, but angling away from me. I could tell it was on a mission as it never stopped moving. It was never on the ground, just in the treetops going from tree to tree. I starting angling sidehill to try to intercept it. It was quite a ways away yet when it got as far out on the limb of the tree it was in, but apparently couldn't make the jump to the next one as it was just too far. So, down that tree it came. As soon as it hit the ground it was over a hump in the hill and I could not see it, which meant it probably could not see me. I picked up the pace. When I was around 40 yards from the tree it came down, I saw it climbing up a small tree of only six inches or so in diameter and it decided to sit on it's haunches on a tiny limb right next to the trunk to eat something it had picked up. Problem was, there were all kinds of tiny limbs obstructing a shot and I didn't stop next to something I could rest the gun against. So, I backed up a few yards and uphill a bit to get next to a tree I could rest on and had a very small "hole" I thought I could get a 40 yard shot through. The new SMR was loaded with 35 grs of Swiss 3Fg, and a .018 pillow tick patch lubed with mink oil surrounding a .350 Hornady round ball. Since the squirrel's head had a little branch blocking it, I decided on a chest shot. Hopefully I'd miss the front legs and not do damage to that meat. The crack of the shot seemed loud in the cold air. I saw the squirrel flinch a bit and slowly go back down the tree and out of sight. It looked hit to me, but usually a .36 blows them out of the tree!

I stuffed another load down the barrel pouring powder from the new Ames-made Southern Banded Horn into my handmade antler measure, then used the tools on my leather thong necklace, which holds a six-ball block and other loading necessaries, to start the patched ball and finished ramming it home before I made my way toward the tree the squirrel was in. There was a large downed tree log obstructing my view, but when I got close enough and peeked over it, there the big grey lay just a couple feet from the base of the tree I shot her out of. The .350 ball had caught about the bottom quarter of the ribcage. All the good meat was unharmed. I thanked our good Lord for the opportunity to be out in His creation and take the squirrel.

I always clean my squirrels immediately. I carry a small traditional hatchet to cut off the head and feet and use a small hand forged squirrel knife a friend of mine made for me to finish the job. It's nice when there is snow as I can use it to wash out the body cavity and immediately cool the meat before putting it in a zip-lock bag that goes into my game bag for transport home.

I put in a couple more hours slowly still hunting, but the wind kept picking up and no more squirrels were seen. But, it was a good day for the new SMR and its first shot at a game animal! It's a dream to carry and shoot. I suspect it will put several more squirrels in the pot over the next couple of months.

50784982802_46c120c54f_c.jpg
Nice shooting Spike!..Seen this rifle in person..she's a keeper..in the sun the grain just pops.
How did it feel to shoot one with a rifle?..Vs your smooth bore..
Squirrel hunting in God's country..Your living right!
Like you my squirrels woods has just opened up due the closing of archery deer seasons.
Keep the pic's coming..Good Luck in the woods.
 
How did it feel to shoot one with a rifle?..Vs your smooth bore..
The last squirrel I shot with a muzzleloading rifle was probably 12 - 15 years ago. As you know, I've used my .62 "Early Virginia" smooth rifle for quite a long time now and it's taken a lot of small game for me. I'm sure there's going to be pro's and con's. In this case I probably wouldn't have been able to close the gap to 20 yards to have an opportunity with the smoothie and the rifle shined. On the other hand, I'm pretty sure that I am going to have m-m-m-misses :rolleyes: with the rifle that would have been game taken with the smoothie.

I know one thing for sure...it's a lot nicer carrying a 7 1/4 pound rifle than the near 10# smooth rifle! :)
 

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