Squirrels and such

[Arcturus]

Yesterday was a warm afternoon here, so I decided to go to a nearby Northern Ohio public wildlife area for a few hours with one of my flintlocks rather than sit around the house.  This spot is shotgun or archery hunting only, so my Caywood Wilson loaded with #5 shot over 80 grains of 3f was what I brought in search of squirrels.  I had killed a couple big fox squirrels here many years ago, and figured it would be nice to get out and see some fall colors at the least....  It beat sitting on the couch...

[n stephenson]

Nice pics !! Pretty country.

[Turtle]

 What load and shot size did you use? I found them hard to kill.

[wattlebuster]

Nice pics !! Pretty country.

I agree. Looks like that area should be loaded with deer too

[Mike Brooks]

What load and shot size did you use? I found them hard to kill.

He used #5's. I usually use #4's. I tried #7 1/2 once long ago and it didn't work well. Load volume can vary according to bore size and amount of choke if any.

[Osprey]

Those first two pics look more like you should be hunting beavers and wood ducks!

[Arcturus]

Yeah, I used about an ounce and a half of nickle plated #5s over 80 grains of FFFg.  That load has done well for me on squirrels.  The barrel of this smoothbore is jug-choked for turkey and takes squirrels cleanly at decent ranges

[Arcturus]

  Looks like that area should be loaded with deer too

I jumped a few deer on my hike out.

[Arcturus]

Those first two pics look more like you should be hunting beavers and wood ducks!

Yeah, I had to cross a marsh to get back to the mature timber, big beech and oaks.  Had to walk across a log to cross the water at one point.  There's a lot of thick young growth, too, full of briers I had to fight through...my forearms and hands look like someone's been playing tic tac toe on 'em with a knife... The kind of spots that should hold grouse if we had any left here...

[James Rogers]

Nice! Thanks for sharing that little adventure!

[Turtle]

 I shoot a .62 with no choke. recommendations for turkey and squirrel?
                              Thanks, Turtle

[hanshi]

Those great photos show a beautiful place to hunt.  I only shoot squirrels with a .32 or .36; never had good luck with shot.  My smoothbore is a .62 and cylinder bore.

[Arcturus]

I shoot a .62 with no choke. recommendations for turkey and squirrel?
                              Thanks, Turtle

My smoothbores are about .62 also (20ga).  I would experiment with 70 to 80 grains of powder, with a greater volume of shot than powder.  I like #5 shot for greater penetration and bone breaking ability than smaller shot sizes, and more pellets per ounce than #4.  I have a 5/8 punch and make wool wads from hat blank trimmings, lubed with a mixture of melted tallow and beeswax...one over the powder, another on top of the shot.

[Mike Brooks]

I shoot a .62 with no choke. recommendations for turkey and squirrel?
                              Thanks, Turtle

All guns are different. Time to head to the pattern board. What works in my gun probably won't work in yours.

[Brokennock]

I shoot a .62 with no choke. recommendations for turkey and squirrel?
                              Thanks, Turtle

Turtle, I have two. 62 smoothies, in both I'm using 60 grains 3f a thin overshot card separating the powder from a lubed felt wad, this propels a paper shot cup containing 1oz #5 shot. This is for squirrels and small game. For turkey I bump up to 80 grains 3f pushing 1.25oz #5 shot in a more heavily constructed paper shot cup. In both loads  I use 2 more thin overshot cards to hold the whole mess in.

[Daryl]

Sensible loads, Brokennock.

[vtmtnman]

Nice.I try everytime I bow hunt OH to nab one of those fox squirrels with my recurve with no luck.Wish we had them here.The .32 would make short work of them.

A day spent in the field is far better than in the house.Nice shooting.