Squirrel gun

[Hawkeyes]

Hello all I have been black powder shooting for quite a while now looking to go squirrel hunting I have seen a lot of these kits like the Crockett 32 just wondering if they are any good or should I even waste my money on those kits

[borderdogs]

I can't say anything about kits you mention but I can say something about shooting .32 round balls. In fact .32 round ball shooting is one of my favorite calibers to shoot. I have shot squirrels with it and target shooting fun to shoot, easy on powder, shoulder, develop a load  and easy to freehand shoot depending on the rifle.
Rob

[Daryl]

.25 up through .36 I would suggest.  Up here, the Rendezvous squirrel trail walk put on by Washington State's Grey Wolf Society allows up to .40's.
A .40 should give slightly more range, but squirrel shooting is usually a close range affair.

[doubleset]

I've had a Crockett rifle (finished -- not kit) for about five months now and have been "tuning" it in various ways.  From my perspective they could have done a lot better on the inletting and fitting in various places, but if you go for a kit, then that's all on you.

As for the rifle itself, I absolutely love it  I'm using standard .310" ball and .015" ticking patch material with a mix of olive oil and Simple Green (the magic ingredient) lube.  With 20 gr. 3F Schuetzen powder it will put shots into one ragged hole at 25 yds if I brace it by leaning on a tree.

I have modified the front sight to be more visible by adding a 1/2" long piece small diameter fiber optic rod to the top of the sight (suitably filed).

The gun is a winner and a pleasure to shoot.

[MuskratMike]

If you're planning on a kit gun I would look strongly at the Kibler SMR. It is offered in .32 caliber. It can be supplied as a kit, fully assembled "in the white", or fully finished through a third party gun maker. My ,32 is a hoot to shoot. They can be fussy as to load, ball and patch thickness, but load development is all part of the fun.

[smokinbuck]

If anyone is looking for a real "old fashioned" squirrel gun I have one available. Pennsylvania Rifle Works in .32 caliber with a 46.5" barrel. Rifle is in very good condition and the bore is dark but also in good condition. One old repair behind the breech. Can send pics. Asking $1,000 and face to face in central Ohio.

[alacran]

If it goes inside a canoe, it is a canoe gun. If you shoot skwerls with it, regardless of caliber it is a skwerl rifle.
But the Muskrats advice is strong.
Skwerl, how my hunting buddies in Southern Illinois and Indiana spell it.

[Daryl]

I've shot squirrels with my .69. Makes a big hole, if you can find the squirrel, that is.   I tried barking them and that just doesn't work very well with soft bark
conifers.

[Scota4570]

I have spent a lot of time with at Rice 32 cal barrel recently. After about 200 shots, it shoots it's best groups with 40 grains of 3F. Those groups are in the 2" category at 50 yards with a peep sight and bench rested. I tried every conceivable patch, ball and lube.   To my sensibilities it is not accurate enough for the intended purpose. It also requires too much powder.  It appears the very light ball needs to be obturated into the deep grooves.  That takes a lot of powder. 
 
My guess is that the rifling is too deep and the twist too slow.    Before you buy a 32 cal barrel know what you are getting.  I would want a faster twist and shallow grooves if I were going to try again.  Maybe about 1:30" and 0.006" deep grooves? 

32 is very fiddley to load.  Cutting patches at the muzzle is easier than precut patches. 

I was hoping for a thrifty rifle for club shoots because of the powder shortage and lead accessibility issue in my area.  For a squirrel gun at 25 yards where you can hit them, the 40 grain load will ruin the meat.  At 50 yards accuracy is insuffiecient.   

[Marcruger]

Scota4570, is that a roundbottomed grooved barrel?  I am guessing so when you said it had deep grooves.  Those are challenging for sure (in my opinion and experience). 

Maybe try .018 canvas patching, and as big a ball as you can start down the bore?  The hard part is getting thick patching to fill deep grooves, and then a ball big enough to force the cloth into those deep grooves.  AND being able to start it down the bore.  It's all trade-offs.  Make sure to wash the patching well to remove the sizing. 

One helpful suggestion would be to try wetlubing with some Hoppe's Black Powder Cleaner or their Hoppe's Lube & Cleaner (not the #9 bore solvent).  Either is owl-snot slippery, and will help get a tight combo started and down the bore. 

Hopefully these suggestions will help. 

God Bless,   Marc

[Daryl]

Yeah - I am at a loss for suggestions at this time. My .32 with .008" square rifling 1/2 the width of the lands (wrong way around) preferred .311" and .320" balls with
from .021" to .0235" patches (those with both balls) and any about lube worked, with 35gr. of 3F GOEX.
Track's Mink Oil loaded the easiest, if there was a difference that is, barely notable. It did right around the inch- rarely under, and up to 1 1/2". Less of more powder doubled
group sizes.

[Fyrstyk]

My rice barreled .32 flint  lock with radius grooved rifling at 1:48" twist like a .320 ball over 25 grains of 3f in a .o18 mink oil lubed patch.  I get dime sized groups at 25 yards, and 1-1.25" at 40 yards. (the limit of my home range).  My Pedersoli Pennsylvania long rifle percussion .32 likes a .315 ball with .015" mink oil lubed patch over 20 grains of 3f.  I believe this rifle has a 1:48" twist also.  Groups with this gun are pretty close to 1 hole at 25 yards, and 1" at 40 yards.  All shots from the bench.  I have peep sights on both guns due to failing eye sight.