Caliber for Squirrel Hunting

[BaronBrian]

Well being new to hunting and new to muzzleloading I've got a question that might seem a bit... well, off. Here in Oklahoma the squirrel season starts in less then a week. This will also be my first chance to go hunting since I finished my hunter safety work. So enough of the set up, let's get to the question.

I want a muzzleloader in .36 but that's not possible at the moment. All I have is a T/C Hawken in .50 caliber. So the question becomes: Is it possible to hunt squirrel with a .50 caliber muzzleloader (and still leave anything worth keeping and eating)? I know I've heard it referenced before but for the life of me I can't find anything to back it up. Is this even reasonable?

I guess if worse comes to worse I could always get a slingshot and use the .50 balls as a load in that. :grin:

 

[paulvallandigham]

Sure. Work up a 25 yard load with a light powder charge. Usually around 25-30 grains will give you 1 inch accuracy at that range. That is a long range shot on squirrels. With luck, the ball will hit the same POI as your hunting load does.

Then, as with all squirrel hunting, try to take head shots. The ball, if it hits squarely, may decapitate the head, but the squirrel be instantly dead, and you can't ask better than that.

 

[Wehrmacht]

I concur with Paul as I usually do 90+% of the time! I've shot a few squrriels with my .50cal,(head shots) but in all honesty my .32cal sees a lot of service in the squirrel arena.

A couple of weeks ago I had an opportunity to display some of my Southern Mountain Rifles up at the Museum of Appalachia in Tennessee. While there I saw an original Ambrose Loving Southern Rifle, and I couldn't control my impulses! Ed Rayle is now making me a 40 inch swamped .25cal barrel, and I'll have a new Loving rifle in the perfect squirrel cal. in time for the upcoming squirrel season :winking:

 

The classic squirrel rifle caliber IMHO is the .32 (in original rifles these ranged from .28-.34). It gives .22LR to .22 Mag performance depending on loads. A lot of folks will tell you that any caliber will do, that .36 is more versatile, etc, but in my book the .32 is THE squirrel rifle. Now, you CAN kill a squirrel with anything and a smoothbore with heavy shot is most foolproof, but most big bore rifles are not ideal for squirrels. We do have some truely gigantic red squirrels around here, but even they drop from my little Favorite and .22 CBs. For generations the .22 Sh or LR has been the basic round for squirrels--and the .32 comes closest to that in MLers....

 

[BaronBrian]

Good information. I figured it might just be a question of accuracy (a squirrel being so small) and powder charge. I just wasn't sure I could even load that light since T/C's loading chart starts at 50 grains.

Edit: For generations the .22 Sh or LR has been the basic round for squirrels--and the .32 comes closest to that in MLers....


Well I know I want my next ML to be a .32 or .36 with a nice slow twist in the barrel but that's a purchase that'll have to wait until later in the year and I want to get out NOW. :grin:

 

...a slow twist in a small caliber barrel may not be the best choice--most shooters would say go to a 1:48 or faster for the small calibers....

 

[BaronBrian]

Because a smaller round needs more spinning kind of thing?

 

[Ron LaClair]

Mike is right, the .32 is THE rifle for squirrels. You can make a body shot and still have something left to eat :winking: Anything bigger, even a .36 cal and you'd better make head shots if you like to eat them.

Here's my Jud Brennan .32 and a pair of Fox squirrels taken with the help of Dolly, my treeing beagle

 

[cptleo1]

If you HAVE to use the .50 so be it.

It will work just fine.

BUT, the essence of tree rat hunting is the .32.

I have tried it with .32, .36, .40. and I am sorry the .32 is the right gun for the job.

Can't really explain it - it just feels right !

Leo

P.S.

A 20ga Tulle full of #5's ain't bad either.

 

[roundball]

"...All I have is a T/C Hawken in .50 caliber. So the question becomes: Is it possible to hunt squirrel with a .50 caliber muzzleloader (and still leave anything worth keeping and eating)?

Without question the .50cal will do fine...almost any muzzleloader will...I've personally experimented with 30 and 40grns Goex 3F in a .50cal and it's deadly accurate...would be perfect for squirrels at normal squirrel distances...go zero it in at 25yds and enjoy.

I've throttled back a .45cal and popped them, also shot one with a .62cal ball while deer hunting one day...not a problem.

PS: I have a different view from the concerns about tissue damage...either make a head shot or shoot them right through the middle...shoulders and hindquarters will still be right where they always are.

 

[paulvallandigham]

This thread began with him asking if he could hunt squirrels with his .50. Having answered his question, there should be not doubt that the .32 pea shooters is the IDEAL rifle for shooting squirrels. If God in his infinite wisdom could provide ever ML shooter with sufficient funds to have a fully stocked gun cabinet with all the useful calibers, no doubt exists that every one shouldhave a .32 rifle, prefarrably Flint, in their gun cabinet. They are a joy to shoot, if not to clean, take very little powder, and provide a lot of squirrel for a cost not much more than using a modern .22 rimfire rifle in its many variations. My best friend hunts with a .22 Magnum, but even he admits he does so because he likes to take long shots. He doesn't have to take long shots, but he happens to like his 22 magnum rifle so much that he does.

 

[Vaino]

Many, many years ago I changed from a .22 to my .50 TC "Hawken" deer rifle for squirrels and everybody including me was astounded at the accuracy that enabled head shots to be made regularly. Of course w/ this .50 cal. head shots are all that's available exceptin' if you don't like to eat squirrels. Used the .50 for 3 yrs. and then made a .45 flintlock w/ a super accurate Douglas bbl. Again head shots are a must, but head shots were the order of the day even w/ the .22. I get 6 pcs of meat from each squirrel and anything less is wasteful......Fred

 

I grew up eating squirrel (preferrably fried before my current diet) and head shots were jes' fine--but around here folks eat the brains! They think head shots are a sign of poor marksmanship! A ball through the front shoulders/heart area is the shot [although many local meat hunters use a scattergun].

 

[Pork Chop]

Keep in mind that if you are out shooting squirrels with a .50, the local game warden may not believe that you aren't looking to poach a deer...

 

[BaronBrian]

Ah, lots of good info coming my way.

Mike, I think I'd have to go for the head shots. Maybe one day I'll try squirrel brain but it just doesn't seem like something that would bring a big smile to my face. I'll try fried squirrel first and then perhaps step up to the brains later.

Keep in mind that if you are out shooting squirrels with a .50, the local game warden may not believe that you aren't looking to poach a deer...

That's a pretty good point and the most persuasive argument against not using the .50 for squirrel. Forget about tissue damage, arguing with a game warden for hours could be a pain in the rear.

 

[Headhunter]

All I use for Squirrels is a 50.

They don't run far with A square head shot.

Headhunter

 

[tom hargrove]

if you are going to try the brain just skin out the head with the rest of the sq. and fry it when it is done,take a spoon whack it a few times with the edge and open it up and scoop out the morsel dont forget to break the jaw bone and fork out the tounge that is a fine bite that is over looked :thumbsup:

 

[Ron LaClair]

f you are going to try the brain just skin out the head with the rest of the sq. and fry it when it is done,take a spoon whack it a few times with the edge and open it up and scoop out the morsel dont forget to break the jaw bone and fork out the tounge that is a fine bite that is over looked

:barf: :barf: :youcrazy: ...... :rotf:

 

[BaronBrian]

Squirrel tongue? Seems like it'd be too small to be worth the trouble.

 

[Runner]

I use a 36 and I attempt to use headshots most of the time. I will also take a ribcage shot if that is all I can get. The ribcage is no loss for eating on most squirrels. The reason that shot is not used more often is that it makes them hard to skin out. They pull in half too easy.