Musket Squirrels

[Loyalist Dave]

Good morning!
I am an avid squirrel hunting and flintlock shooter, so...., I like to shoot my bushy-tails with a flintlock trade gun, replica, which I got from a company in Canada.

I like 80 grains of 2Fg, launching 1 oz. of #4 or #5 shot. I use 3Fg from a horn to prime. I use premade paper cartridges, using "book paper" (harvested from hardback or paperback book from The Dollar Store), and after dumping the powder down the barrel, I crush up the now empty cartridge and stuff that down to form a wad. Then I load a premade paper cartridge that holds the shot, but this is made from newsprint, and I load it whole. Then prime from the horn.

The first photo is from December 10th, the last photo is from yesterday as it was the last day of the season. Yesterday I also added a 1/2" fiber wad, lubed with 30:60 beesway and olive oil lube.



OH and so many folks have told me that since my tradegun is of India in it's origin that such a gun is a "pipe bomb" or "won't shoot" or the "lock won't spark well"....well it came from the seller in Canada with the touch hole drilled, ready to shoot. Well so far so good (I painted the stock a colonial red color with oil based paint as they were sometimes done..., and I added the brass "flash guard" to the lock so that I can use it at historic sites as per safety regs)

LD

 

[troy fairweather]

i would love to build a nice squirrel rifle one day, these paper cartridges must be nice in the woods.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Yes, I tried them out using a caplock SxS 20 gauge from Pedersoli. I was with some guys doing upland birds for two days, hunting over dogs, and they didn't like the long delay for me reloading "old school" style, measuring out everything when needed. So I made up some premeasured stuff, and I got luck 'cause it worked.

LD

 

[troy fairweather]

Yes, I tried them out using a caplock SxS 20 gauge from Pedersoli. I was with some guys doing upland birds for two days, hunting over dogs, and they didn't like the long delay for me reloading "old school" style, measuring out everything when needed. So I made up some premeasured stuff, and I got luck 'cause it worked.

LD

my lgs shop just got in a like new navy arms sxs 12ga mz, i am waiting to see what he puts on it. they are fun and i think it's a nice thing to slow down sometimes lol. what did you use for the over shot.

 

[stillquietvoice]

I used to crush 2 f powder in a glass bowl with a glass pestle into a fine powder worked better than 4f for ignition. I had a repro kentucky 50 cal. I never squirrel hunted with it but took a doe at 109 yds using a 385 gr buffalo bullet.

I use typing or copy paper to roll paper cartridge, a half in dowel with a recessed end, and a trapezoid shape from cardboard to trace pattern and be uniform in size.

Roll with long edge at bottom of dowel twist bottom and force into recess that will be enough to hold it together.

The paper can also be nitrated so that it will burn completely before leaving the bore.

 

[FL-NC]

That's really cool. Not my thing, but still cool as all get-out.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

what did you use for the over shot .

That's the nice thing about putting the shot into a cartridge of newsprint, and loading the whole thing intact. The shot encased in the newsprint doesn't need an overshot card, but just don't get excited and jam the ramrod down real hard when loading the shot, as it might rupture the bag. I firmly seat the shot-cartridge and I have pre-marked my ramrod so I can see the mark is level with the muzzle ensuring the shot is properly seated

LD

 

[stillquietvoice]

Do you nitrate your cartridge paper.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Do you nitrate your cartridge paper.

Nope, no need. Though you must be aware of the fire danger level. However it's been the wettest year on record where I live, so the stuff doesn't smolder long, AND if you use a lubed, fiber wad instead of crushing the powder cartridge, the paper in the shot cartridge doesn't ignite at all.

LD

 

[stillquietvoice]

Some of my civil war reemactor group used sharps rifles and had to nitrate cartridges. No projectiles from the barrels especially with the close proximity of the opposing battle lines.

One ofy colonels had his rifle hit with a metal ramrod because of one mans error. He was lucky. Had a lieutenant shot in neck with hot powder and cream of wheat ny an inexperienced man with a pistol.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Yes the guys using Sharps cartridges, and some of the guys who use revolving carbines, or revolvers, often use "flash paper" which you can get from a "Magician supply store" to make cartridges, and it's nitrated paper.

With the muzzle loader, you could use such, but it's not needed.

LD