New Squirrel Rifle

[DOUBLEDEUCE 1]

Beautiful wood! I like the acorn touch.

 

[Tumblernotch]

Thanks everybody. I appreciate it. Hopefully I'll have a nicer one to put on here one of these days.

John you missed a fun shoot Saturday and I'm sorry you had to miss it. I hope your wife is doing well. We shot off 11 turkeys and I got 2 of them, but not with the above rifle I'm afraid. I just missed the head on the first shot and pulled off and hit to the right on the second. Rick got a head shot and a neck shot to win it. I should have made an easier target for me to hit. :hmm:

Maybe I'll see you at the January shoot. My daughter is graduating college when we have the December shoot so I won't be there.

 

[suzkat]

Beautiful figure on that stock. I also like the wooden under rib. I usually like a reddish brown
stock, but this one really pops. What did you use for finish and stain? Squirrel gun....acorn
carving...I like it. I could have used it the other night when I was archery buck hunting and a couple squirrels were making a racket around me. It wouldn't have helped me get the buck though.
Had to settle for a doe in the last minutes of shooting hours. Another year without an archery buck. Great Rifle :thumbsup:

 

[Tumblernotch]

Thanks! I like a reddish brown color best myself and usually use Wahkon Bay AF and boiled linseed oil rubbed in real good. But I was out of AF and wanted a slightly lighter color to show off the grain better so I simply rubbed in 2 coats of Minwax Red Mahogany stain followed by 2 coats of Formby's Tung Oil Finish. The rib was stained with a blend of Red Mahogany and Red Oak. The color is still a little lighter than I would prefer but I have to admit it's growing on me. This is the first time I've used the Tung Oil Finish and I like it. Dries fairly fast, spreads evenly and gives a hard finish without being too shiny.

I figgered, well, it's a squirrel gun so acorns and oak leaves would be appropriate. The first rifle I ever built was a .40 that would be primarily used for squirrels but I was afraid to try to carve on it so all it got was a little German silver acorn inlay on the cheekpiece. That was over 20 years ago and with the AF finish on it and years of shooting and handling it has darkened considerably and I find myself picturing how it would have looked now with some carving. I'm going to learn how to carve and one of these days I'm gonna have another flinter with all kinds of it on the stock. I carved another .40 a couple of years ago but it's only so-so.

Ain't that the way it always goes? If I'm squirrel hunting the deer practically run over me. If I'm deer hunting the squacks won't leave me alone. Guess it's that way everywhere. Congrats on the doe anyway! I look at it this way, you can't eat antlers!

By the way, I bought a 4' piece of 5/16" brass rod today to make a ramrod with. Gonna make her a bit muzzle heavy I'm afraid. And the durn thing cost almost $13! Stuff just keeps getting more expensive.

 

[smo]

Looks great :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

[mtcurman]

Very nice rifle! :thumbsup: My .32 has a wood underrib as well... It was made by my dad for my brother and I for our "starter" muzzleloader and he put the wood underrib on to save weight. It's an accurate little bugger! :grin:

 

[hanshi]

That's a beautiful little rifle. I love that stock and wood rib.

 

[chance]

She is a Beauty!!!

 

[Tumblernotch]

Thanks a lot fellers. I appreciate it.

While visiting PA for Thanksgiving I stopped at Ft. Chambers Gun Shop and visited my friend Jim Cullers and picked up some more sights and some 5/16" ramrod blanks. My rear sight is just a tad low for me to be able to use a 6:00 o'clock hold and I don't want to file the front one any lower. And I can do away with the Super Rod for field use. Gotta make some new ramrod tips for them. After deer season I want to get out and finish sighting and do some serious squack hunting.

 

[Tumblernotch]

Well, everything is all right now. I just finished up a proper hickory ramrod for it. Had to turn and fit up a tip for it. I don't like small rods. Not much wood left to stuff inside that little tip.

 

[MSW]

nice architecture... and i really like the wood!

Great looking rifle!

 

[Tumblernotch]

Thanks! It groups good, but is hitting a little low. Will probably change the sights as soon as I have time to take it out again and bench it.