Charge for Squirrel with .50 Cal

[Josh Smith]

Hi All,

I'm wondering if there's a charge you all use for your .50 calibers when hunting squirrel.

I'm still without a dedicated traditional squirrel rifle as none have happened across my path, and it occurs to me if I put a small charge in the .50 and load it with hardcast lead balls (I shoot these all the time; they're pretty accurate) I should be able to knock the critters in the head without penetrating and ruining a bunch of meat.

I figure about 100fps or so over the average slingshot would work nicely.

I'm looking to knock 'em out of trees; nothing long-range.

Any thoughts/help would be awesome.

Thank you!

Josh

 

[buford87]

Josh, you will likely get several replies to your question it has been talked about before. I have used a .45 colt case full of FFg goex powder with a patched round lead ball and it worked very well. As you mentioned this is for fairly close range but it still will pass through on most squirrel shots. I should add that a .45 colt case will hold between 40 to 45 grains of powder, just use the brass case for your powder measure and it will be consistent enough for hunting . Watch yer top knot.................

 

[Rifleman1776]

For close work (under 25 yards) anything that will get the ball out of the bore will kill a tree rat. Try 25 gr. on paper and see what happens.

 

[Josh Smith]

Thanks gents. I was thinking 20 grains 2Fg would be a good starting point.

I've been largely absent for a couple years and must have missed the other conversations!

Josh

 

[BrownBear]

I head-smack a whole lot of snowshoe hare with 50, 54, 58 and 62 caliber, a mix of cappers and flinters. In all of them I use 30-35 grains of Goex 3f.

Try shooting a range of charges in yours and find the one that not only groups best, but also hits closest to point of aim at 25 yards with no change in your sights. I'd be surprised if you don't find that most of the charges shoot well and to point of aim at that range, but it's worth a check. Only exception I have found is with really slow twist barrels. They tend to wand a little more oomph in their britches.

 

[longcruise]

Well, in a .50 a .45 LC case full of powder is an ok whitetail load! In a rifle with a patent breech, 20 grains probably won't fill the breech enough to seat the ball firmly on the powder. In a rifle with a FL vent or drum with either set up a bit too far in front of the breech plug face, the ball may cover the flash hole!

Best pay attention to what Brown Bear says and focus on accuracy. In a head shot game, accuracy trumps all.

 

[Ron LaClair]

Sorry for the picture of the modern rifle, Marlin 45-70 Guides Gun, head shot squirrel with 405gr Government. Use what you got but if you wanna eat em make head shots.

 

[sidelock]

My TC .50 will place PRB balls on top of each other at 35 yd. using 35 gr 2f goex. Many busy tails have fallen to this load in the past. AND !!! at 100 yds. the same sight setting will produce 1 1/2" groups on the bull with 95 gr.2f. Very handy.

 

[TNGhost]

Anybody bark squirrels?

 

[Vaino]

My TC Hawken when used for squirrels liked 50 grs 2f and a .490 PRB....and so did I. I like loads that "feel" like I'm shooting. Of course as was said....head hits are mandatory. Yes..as a last resort, I've "barked" a few squirrels and the .50 did it well....Fred

 

[Josh Smith]

Thanks folks!

The thing about barking squirrels though, there was debate here some years back about it. Many have seen as many wounded as dead with barking.

Thanks again!

Josh

 

[robinsroost]

Josh, Take some advise from a refugee from Logansport, In. I once shot a big Fox squirrel, that was looking at me, telling me about my family history and my likelihood of ever becoming a father, with a .50 caliber PRB, over 70 grains of 3Fg. The ball went in his mouth and out the tip of his tail. There wasn't enough left to pick up. Pick your shot carefully. Keep yer powder dry.......Robin :wink:

 

[Wes/Tex]

Have only tried "barking' one time and even that was more fluke than deliberately done. Just another limb chicken who raised my ire by being noisy and aggravating. When he jumped up on the back side of an east Texas pine of fair diameter, I let her rip about where I thought he'd be. 'Rip' in this case was my old .71 caliber Potsdammer, a .690" ball and a wee big bit of powder! He did a double back flip off the back of the tree and I had to sit down and have a good long laugh before reloading and going to fetch him. About the time I was near the tree he pushed up off the ground and did that cartoon head shake...wabba-wabba-wabba and lit out through the woods at a dead run. Curses, foiled again! They say third time's a charm...after this looney character and ole Yodels last year, I'm kind of scared of what #3 may be like! :shocked2:

 

[smoothshooter]

I wouldn't worry about using hard lead for your reduced loads - at the low velocities you are talking about, there will be no expansion in animal tissue anyway. Accuracy may suffer with the harder lead. In my Tip curtis .45 rifle, every load from 25 to 70 grains of FFFG
seems to shoot well. I will have to admit, the lighter loads are extremely fun to shoot, and they make a pound of powder go a lot further.

 

[Richard J.]

Was deer hunting with a friend. We were being lic. checked by the warden when a squirrel started barking at us about 25 yards off and three feet off the ground.He said he was going to bark it. Fired the flinter and squirrel drops. Warden congratulates him. Picked up squirrel and put in back pack. About two minutes go by when all hell breaks loose. Wasn't dead, just knocked out. Trying to get it off of him when it came out of his pack and all we could do is laugh. Didn't know the old man could move that fast. Every time he would knock it off of him it would climb back up. The warden and myself had tears in our eyes from laughing so hard. Of course we were the only two laughing. Squirrel got tired of the game and climbed up a tree and hugged a limb. Those are the times you wish you had a camera.

 

[BrownBear]

Outstanding!

Reminds me of the bud who spotted and collected a big old hornet nest late on a cold winter day and tossed it in the bed of his truck. Got home after dark and parked his truck in the heated garage.

Next morning his wife went to get sausage out of the freezer in the garage. She was not amused! :rotf: