Skychief said:
It seems that no matter if the gauge is 10 or 12, or the caliber 58 or 54.....all the patterns seem to dwindle to reliably kill squirrel past a magical ~20 yard range. :hmm: It is something to marvel at.
I think you've gotten to the meat of the problem.
I have an area on my hunting spot where the trees are unusually tall, and I have faced the same frustrations. Hitting a moving squirrel in heavy foliage in an 80-100 foot tree is a real test for me with a rifle, and I don't even bother with the smoothbore. That's why I tried the long shot with the Colerain, because I always threatened to get after them with it. I much prefer a traditional cylinder, though, so I've never done it.
The next round of my experiments begins Saturday when our early season opens. I'll be after them with my smoothbore wadded with tow. I had really promising results at 20 yards in some recent tests with tow, and am anxious to see if it holds up in the field. If I find that I can cause them grief at 30 yards I'll share the secret with you, of course. For a price. :haha:
Spence