midland man
Member
so guys I am torn as I want one of these for squirrel hunting? so which one you prefer and why?
so jackrabbit1957 if I may ask what loads where you using in that 36? plus does it shoot pretty straight??I've never fiddled with a .32, just a .36. I do know it will flat out destroy squirrels. Try to stick to head shots if at all possible, hits to the body will do some remarkable damage. I popped a Jackrabbit last spring from around 30ish yards and it damn near tore it's head off. Earlier I shot a ground squirrel and almost cut it in 2. This was with a .36 flinter.
thanks for your help as soon hopefully this early spring i'll be purchasing one and also are you using a wooden ramrod or something stronger?I use 45 grains of 3f black powder, .018 canvas duck patch, and a cast ball from a Lee mold. The load was worked up 5 grains at a time till I found the most accurate load, then went further and found it will go to around 60 grains before the group opens up on paper at 50 yards. It will put them in the same hole all day long as long as I do my part.
yep that cub looks nice I wonder if anyone here has one or had one and their experiences with it??Like loyalist Dave said this is about the only game in town for a 36 caliber unless you can find a Traditions Pennsylnania rifle. I had one a stupidly sold it. But the Cub from Dixie would be an excellent choice.
https://www.dixiegunworks.com/index...3135+Dixie+Deluxe+Cub+.36+Caliber+Flint+Rifle
Like loyalist Dave said this is about the only game in town for a 36 caliber unless you can find a Traditions Pennsylnania rifle.
THE 36 CAL. SHENANDOAH RIFLE http://www.possibleshop.com/rifle-pennsylvinia.html
It does not say out of stock or discontinued.
yep that cub looks nice I wonder if anyone here has one or had one and their experiences with it??
I use the delrin rods that Track sells on all my front stuffers. I built a Dixie cub years ago from a kit and then sold it. They are nice handy little guns, I'm just not into production guns. My .36 is a custom gun I built for myself. I built one before as a spec gun in .36 and started shooting it occasionally and really liked it. It was posted on my website and a doctor in Tennessee bought it. I will try to figure out how take a photo of it and post it here.thanks for your help as soon hopefully this early spring i'll be purchasing one and also are you using a wooden ramrod or something stronger?
yep people back then were poor and so one gun had to do it and that's why most tried to get there hands on a smoothbore as it can be used for small game all the way up and to big game! It was a very versatile gun that can be used for a lot of things!I am guessing that way back in the 18th century when most only owned one gun it did everything from squirrels to elk since there were still elk and bison in the eastern woods. Most couldn't afford several guns like we can today and think we need a separate gun for each day of the week. Thats why I mentioned the OPs 45 he already owns. He said he has killed deer with it and it will do yoeman service as a squirrel killer. D. Boone would have thought so.
as one follower knows me by now I love flintlocks and are looking to either trade my navy arms 10g double barrel BP shotgun or sell it for a 36 or 32 caliber flintlock rifle in good condition, as I now have my French fusil in 20 gauge smoothbore but I also want a small bore flintlock rifle to try some challenging squirrel hunting!Anyone heard of the Crocket rifle in 32cal.? It's by Traditions I think. Nice rifle. A little small though. Pedersoli makes a fairly nice Frontier rifle in 36cal. also. Long 39 inch barrel.
Small game can be ruined with either the 32 or the 36. I think it's good to start with small powder loads and work up to where the accuracy is.
I built a small 32 fer the wife and used a Green Mountain barrel. Shoots real well. I go with the 36 and keep the charge down to 30gr. FFFg. I go fer the head shots on squirrel and if I do a behind the shoulder shot I try to keep it a little low. The little rib bones can ruin meat. Of course a head shot that is too close to the rear of the head can ruin some shoulder meat.
Sorry, but that seems like overkill in my opinion unless you're shooting at range much over 15 yards. I'd probably go with percussion. Less time between ignition of the priming and the ball leaving the barrel. Squirrels are fast, tiny and spook easy. If you insist on using flintlocks, I'd advise a very fine priming charge, plus you might be best served by loading with birdshot for short range, cast lead bullet for long range. With shot, about 1/3 the amount of #7 you'd find in a .410 shell for good measure. Might want to add in a shot cup or fill the spaces between the shot with corn starch to tighten spread a bit. With bullets, any round nose projectile should work great on squirrels if you're not trying to splatter the critter to bits and pieces. Works best if you've a smooth bore, otherwise I wouldn't bother past about 12' with birdshot. If you'd like to save money and improve your hunt, I'd go with a brass-framed 1863 Pocket Remington replica, load it with about 15 grains of your flintlock priming powder or FFFG 777 and 0 buckshot pellet in 4 or 5 chambers depending on the replica safety features, if any. .36 cal. seems like overkill and not worth the added cost unless you'd like to keep it for more than just hunting small game, or you're shooting soft loads, with round balls, and are prepared for significant bullet drop. At least you'd have less drift with balls VS bullets, but between standard charge in .32 and soft charge in .36, I'd think it's about the same amount of powder. The choice is yours, but I'd personally go with the .32, .31, a .22 LR or get a break-barrel pellet rifle for squirrels.so guys I am torn as I want one of these for squirrel hunting? so which one you prefer and why?