Shot in a T/C Hawken

[Walks with fire]

You have too much time on your hands Scotta4570.

 

[Billnpatti]

Rifled barrels give a bad doughnut pattern. It really scatters the shot. The problem is caused by the shot load being spun by the rifling. This spinning causes it to produce a terrible scattering of the shot. If you want to use shot, you will need to use a smoothbore.

You can hunt squirrels with .50 and many people do. I always thought if it as overkill but those who hunt with one use a target load and try for head shots. Since there is so little meat on the rib area, a shot through the ribs doesn't mess up much meat. As long as you miss the forequarters and the hind quarters, you will have saved all the meat that is worth saving. Keep your shot low in the midsection if you shoot for the body because there is that good bit along the back that you want to save.

Bottom line, shot in a rifled barrel just doesn't work worth a darn.

 

[jdkerstetter]

You can hunt squirrels with .50 and many people do.....

....but check your local hunting regulations first. In Pennsylvania rifles in .40 caliber are the largest allowable for small game.


Sucks, but true. :cursing: Enjoy, J.D.

 

[eaglesnester]

just make sure U use bees wax and lead shot only as steel shot will mess up your lands and groves.
U will have no accuracy as your shot will be spun out to the ozone as your lands and groves will spin the shot in all directions up, down, and to both sides. None of the shot will reach your target

 

[Billnpatti]

Yep, forgot to mention that. Those game laws have BIG teeth.

 

[Alden]

You can hunt squirrels with .50 and many people do.....

....but check your local hunting regulations first. In Pennsylvania rifles in .40 caliber are the largest allowable for small game.


Sucks, but true. :cursing: Enjoy, J.D.

Interesting. Not to go OT, but, in PA can you hunt medium game like deer with a .40? Or was part of the design of the rules to hamper people and/or sell more "stuff"!?

 

[BrownBear]

Here is the only account of actual testing I've found. I was surprised by the results compared to my own. Then late in the article he points out what may be the difference. His rifle had a slow twist AND shallow rifling.

Still gotta confront questions of leading and certainly use of nontox if required in your region. But there's certainly food for thought. And I'm thinking.