Advice needed
01-08-2014, 02:03 AM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Harrisonburg, Virginia
Posts: 12
Advice needed
For a number of years I've been thinking about buying a flintlock. I'm considering getting one I could hunt squirrels with since a lot of the fun of a flintlock is shooting it. I already have an inline for deer hunting, and a squirrel (or groundhog) rifle would get shot a lot more often, which I think is the point. Do any of you have opinions on caliber or things I should take into account?
01-08-2014, 06:24 AM
#3
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: River Ridge, LA (Suburb of New Orleans)
Posts: 10,917
First off, check you State's game laws. Many have caliber restrictions for small game.
That aside, I would go with .45 caliber if it's allowed. You're going to be trying for 20 yard head shots anyway, and a down-loaded .45 is not going to destroy any more meat than a .32 or .36. With a hotter load the .45 is a better caliber for ground hogs. It will reach out farther than the small bores, and can be used for deer at an appropriate range. There's a broader selection of guns available, and components are more readily avaliable.
That aside, I would go with .45 caliber if it's allowed. You're going to be trying for 20 yard head shots anyway, and a down-loaded .45 is not going to destroy any more meat than a .32 or .36. With a hotter load the .45 is a better caliber for ground hogs. It will reach out farther than the small bores, and can be used for deer at an appropriate range. There's a broader selection of guns available, and components are more readily avaliable.
01-08-2014, 07:09 AM
#4
Fork Horn
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 370
36 cal is about the most popular small bore out there. Alot of squirrel hunters like them.
Personally I like a .40 cal.
.40 cal makes a nice middle of the road MZ. Sort of small for deer but loaded correctly and with proper shot placement it will do the job. My buddies in the NE take deer every year with a double ball load with theirs.
It is excellent for small game. Ive killed dozens of squirrels with my .40 Cal Green Mountain Renegade. All things being equal the .40 cal have proven themselves to be the most accurate of the MZ's by nature winning more of the matches than any of the other calibers.
Personally I like a .40 cal.
.40 cal makes a nice middle of the road MZ. Sort of small for deer but loaded correctly and with proper shot placement it will do the job. My buddies in the NE take deer every year with a double ball load with theirs.
It is excellent for small game. Ive killed dozens of squirrels with my .40 Cal Green Mountain Renegade. All things being equal the .40 cal have proven themselves to be the most accurate of the MZ's by nature winning more of the matches than any of the other calibers.
01-08-2014, 07:23 AM
#5
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 21,193
If your looking for plinking and squirrel, then a .32 or .36 is normally what is used. But as Semisane said, I was hunting them with a .50 caliber loaded light, using roundball. And I would only shoot if they had tree behind them. It worked just fine and its easy to bark them too. The problem with loading a hot load (for me) and then shooting up into a tree.. if you miss, where is that ball coming down.
Years ago, there was an incident where a person discharged their muzzleloader and it killed an Amish woman driving a buggy over a mile away, when the load came down. Freak of nature, terrible accident, of course it was. But it did happen. So pay attention to what's behind your target when you shoot.
The idea of a smoothbore shooting shot is a great idea. You can load them light, you miss less, and its an easy way to make hunting a lot of fun. Plus with a smoothbore, you can hunt big game with them if you so wish. Simply load a round ball. Your range is limited but not your fire power.
Years ago, there was an incident where a person discharged their muzzleloader and it killed an Amish woman driving a buggy over a mile away, when the load came down. Freak of nature, terrible accident, of course it was. But it did happen. So pay attention to what's behind your target when you shoot.
The idea of a smoothbore shooting shot is a great idea. You can load them light, you miss less, and its an easy way to make hunting a lot of fun. Plus with a smoothbore, you can hunt big game with them if you so wish. Simply load a round ball. Your range is limited but not your fire power.
01-08-2014, 05:27 PM
#6
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Harrisonburg, Virginia
Posts: 12
Thanks for the suggestions!
A friend of mine was talking about double balling with a .40 cal, and another friend of mine is talking about building a fowling piece. Sounds like I can't go wrong. I suppose buck shot in a fowling piece would be a possibility as well. Hmm, a hunt in the late season with black powder enthusiasts on slightly spooked deer with lots of smoking powder. Now that sounds like fun!
01-09-2014, 01:43 AM
#7
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location:
Posts: 195
40s are very popular here because of the law. 40 and under for small game and 40 and over for big game. Of coarse they will tear a squirrel or rabbit up a bit more. But they shine on bigger varmints like groundhogs, fox and coyote. With a rabbit you need to head shoot them and it will pretty well blow their head off. For squirrel you can rib shoot them and really not ruin much, no meat there anyhow. The heads get saved for the old timers to make dumplings with so that's a no no to head shoot a squirrel here.
For deer it's a little light and I hear some stories every year of folks wounding them. I do hunt deer with a 40 from time to time but I use a 175 .401 swc cast in pure lead. Up close it has as much power as a 50 prb. Out further it has more power than a 50 because bullets hold more energy down range than a ball does with their better ballistic coefficient.
For deer it's a little light and I hear some stories every year of folks wounding them. I do hunt deer with a 40 from time to time but I use a 175 .401 swc cast in pure lead. Up close it has as much power as a 50 prb. Out further it has more power than a 50 because bullets hold more energy down range than a ball does with their better ballistic coefficient.
01-09-2014, 05:24 AM
#8
Fork Horn
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 370
40s are very popular here because of the law. 40 and under for small game and 40 and over for big game. Of coarse they will tear a squirrel or rabbit up a bit more. But they shine on bigger varmints like groundhogs, fox and coyote. With a rabbit you need to head shoot them and it will pretty well blow their head off. For squirrel you can rib shoot them and really not ruin much, no meat there anyhow. The heads get saved for the old timers to make dumplings with so that's a no no to head shoot a squirrel here.
For deer it's a little light and I hear some stories every year of folks wounding them. I do hunt deer with a 40 from time to time but I use a 175 .401 swc cast in pure lead. Up close it has as much power as a 50 prb. Out further it has more power than a 50 because bullets hold more energy down range than a ball does with their better ballistic coefficient.
For deer it's a little light and I hear some stories every year of folks wounding them. I do hunt deer with a 40 from time to time but I use a 175 .401 swc cast in pure lead. Up close it has as much power as a 50 prb. Out further it has more power than a 50 because bullets hold more energy down range than a ball does with their better ballistic coefficient.
01-16-2014, 07:30 AM
#9
Spike
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 79
In the old days men would use a 32 or a 36. I have read that the old timers would use their 50 caliber and use a technique known as Barking. This was done by shooting next to the squirrel and letting the bark knock the squirrel out of the tree killing it with no damage to the meat. Just saying !!
