Shot Size

[Ketchakah]

Bezon friends,
What Size shot do you like for Skwerrels and Rabs? I have been thinking #5 or maybe #4

 

[BrownBear]

I've tinkered quite a bit with shot size and snowshoe hares with muzzleloaders. They're roughly the size of jackrabbits, and though easy to anchor I try to balance pattern density and penetration in my shot choices.

At the lower vels of muzzleloaders, I settle on #5 for the minimum size to fully penetrate within range. That's to ease cleanup, because #6 will certainly anchor them, but leaves behind pellets in the meat. If it's mostly going to be close range shooting, I'll go to #4 along with smaller charges just to limit the # of hits. It's more a game of uniform patterns than dense patterns in my world, and a hit is a hit, so long as they can't fly through holes in a pattern.

Squirrels? All we've got are the little "red" squirrels about the size of a big hamster. I'd guess #7 1/2 for them, but someone else will have to pipe up for bigger squirrels.

 

[CoyoteJoe]

Here in the Rockies we don't have tree rats, the Pine Squirrel are more like "Thee Mice". But I grew up hunting Fox Squirrels in Ohio and #6 shot from my .410 always got it done, same for cottontails.

 

[saber]

in my smooth rifle 54 and in my fusil 20 I like no#4 only other size I carrey is some 32cal buck for geese

 

[Ft. Jefferson]

I to shoot a 54 and 62 smoothbores. I generally use 5's for rabbit, squirrels, pheasant, etc. Usually go to 8's for the small stuff, sparrows, starlings, pigeons,etc.

 

[410-er]

Grey Squirrels have tough hide.Tried both #6 and#4.I settled on #4 on squirrel as it hit harder.Had more cripples with #6.
Rabbits are thin skinned and I use #6.With a reg shotgun I used #7 1/2 but bumped it up with the muzzy.

 

[Bearbait2]

Mr. Shawnee Mike,
We have settled on #6 for our small game requirements.
Best Wishes

 

[tg]

I like 5s' (1 1/8 oz)for any thing leagal to take with my .58 if I were using a bigger gun I would likely use bigger shot for some types of game.

 

[Congress Own Regiment]

I agree completely with Brown Bear.
Bigger shot passes through the meat, Brakes bones.
Close shots on rabbit. 5# are my first choose 4# if i have them on hand. Less shot left in meat.
tree rats might use 6# after the leaves are off trees for the longer shots to fill in pattern.
Grouse 5#

 

[roundball]

Lead #4s are an excellent powerful pellet size but the reduced pellet count can be a handicap if the target is small or distant...but if the shots are fairly close #4s will put them down with authority.

Lead #5s are my favorite all around shot size for general purpose use in muzzleloaders for most small game like squirrels, rabbits, crows...seems a decent balance of energy / pellet count in muzzleloaders using a powder to shot ratio of 1 to 1.3.

I've used Lead #6s to fill in a Full choke pattern better for small turkey head size targets, found Nickel Plated #7s out of an Improved Cylinder + .20ga worked fine on a Tom this spring, #7.5s do the job on doves, and #8's do well for clay targets.