Author Topic: Let's see your squirrel rifle!!! (Read 381173 times)

D. Taylor Sapergia · « **Reply #300 on:** November 17, 2015, 05:19:07 AM »

That's interesting Mike!

David R. Pennington · « **Reply #301 on:** November 17, 2015, 05:57:10 AM »

The arrow and the finger pointing forward remind me of a passage in Meshach Browning's autobiography. After a severe financial set back and a bout of depression his wife sold some eggs and bought him some powder and lead and told him to go hunting. He said he wasn't sure he remembered how. She told him just to hold the little end of the rifle foremost and shoot.

Bill Ladd · « **Reply #302 on:** November 17, 2015, 04:15:04 PM »

Quote from: Mike Brooks on November 17, 2015, 03:52:04 AM

I'll post some I have built over the years.....

Wowee zowee them's some fancy rifles.

Don Adams · « **Reply #303 on:** November 18, 2015, 01:54:08 AM »

Very nice rifles Mike.

Kermit · « **Reply #304 on:** November 18, 2015, 07:03:27 PM »

Love your .25, Mike. Is there a link to be able to watch that video? Would like to see it.

J Hollis · « **Reply #305 on:** November 18, 2015, 07:24:41 PM »

Those are some great looking rifles! The iron mounted Rowan, NC rifle takes the cake for me. Top notch.

hanshi · « **Reply #306 on:** November 19, 2015, 02:31:58 AM »

Mike, those are splendid looking rifles. The way you "age" them is truly "eye popping". Wow!

Kermit · « **Reply #307 on:** November 19, 2015, 06:31:17 PM »

Quote from: Kermit on November 18, 2015, 07:03:27 PM

Love your .25, Mike. Is there a link to be able to watch that video? Would like to see it.

Found it easily. Feeling foolish. Fun stuff.

craftsmanslegacy.com

Squirrel pizza · « **Reply #308 on:** November 20, 2015, 02:06:22 AM »

You are right. Completely different and I love it! Very nice work Mike

thimble rig · « **Reply #309 on:** November 23, 2015, 05:49:19 PM »

Those rifles are awesome mike thanks for showing us.I like those copper inlays very nice contrast with the coin silver.And that patchbox you made on the first one.I really like that.

Pat_Cameron · « **Reply #310 on:** December 01, 2015, 12:39:39 AM »

Some great rifles to be sure.
I must say that this is my favorite thread.
BUT if your gonna have pictures of squirrel rifles.
The pictures should also have some squirrels.
Sometimes ya get lucky

Mike Brooks · « **Reply #311 on:** December 01, 2015, 01:18:47 AM »

Nice. Those grays hardly sit still enough to shoot.

Pat_Cameron · « **Reply #312 on:** December 01, 2015, 03:49:14 AM »

Quote from: Mike Brooks on December 01, 2015, 01:18:47 AM

Nice. Those grays hardly sit still enough to shoot.

Ain't that the truth.

hanshi · « **Reply #313 on:** December 01, 2015, 10:48:53 PM »

Okay, Pat, You want squirrels along with the squirrel rifle? Here is the only pic I have of both squirrel and rifle. A SMR .36 x 38" X 3/4" and small Siler lock; It weighs about as much as a Red Rider BB gun.

bones92 · « **Reply #314 on:** December 01, 2015, 11:20:34 PM »

I don't have what I'd consider a squirrel rifle, though I do have a couple .40 caliber rifles that would probably suffice.

However, I have decided that I need to find one for my son. He loves shooting BP rifles, but I need something a bit milder so that he continues to enjoy shooting. I'm hoping to find a used .32-cal (maybe a Traditions or CVA)... if any one has one to sell, let me know.

Secondly, did anyone else see this segment on eating squirrel during the CBS Sunday Morning show? https://www.cbsnews.com/sunday-morning/show-notes/

I caught the part about the squirrel-cooking contest, but evidently I missed the segment on the history of the Army-Navy game.

I'm sure a lot of people think it's a very hillbilly thing to do by eating squirrel, but having had a sumptuous squirrel gravy before, I consider the frying pan one of the more noble uses for our favorite tree rats.

I used to shoot ground squirrels while growing up in the foothills of Mt. Palomar (northern San Diego county). We considered them vermin, and most were probably too scrawny to eat even if we'd tried. Ironically, we kids were told not to shoot tree squirrels, though, as there were not that many and they were somehow considered a higher class of squirrel than the lowly, brown ground squirrel. Maybe it's because the ground squirrels chewed the roots of the orange trees, whereas tree squirrels stuck to the oaks and few conifers.

Beat Army!

David R. Pennington · « **Reply #315 on:** December 05, 2015, 06:42:28 AM »

Squirrels seem to be in great abundance around here this year, but do seem much faster than they used to. I have a theory as to why. We used to not have any coyotes but they are everywhere now. I think they caught all the slow squirrels and we only have the fast ones left.

JB2 · « **Reply #316 on:** December 05, 2015, 06:44:51 PM »

Pat, that's a dandy looking little squirrel gun. Can you share any datails about it? It looks especially slim, and light as a feather!

JB2 · « **Reply #317 on:** December 05, 2015, 07:11:31 PM »

haha! Just realized Pat won't be answering this today. It's Saturday, and he's in the woods hunting!

Kentucky Colonel · « **Reply #318 on:** December 05, 2015, 08:18:27 PM »

These are called Squirrel Rifles even though these are in .50 calibre. I assume they are for Sumo Squirrels.

They are made by Hatfield. Yes. Those Hatfields. This American manufacturer is no longer in business. (There are smaller calibers.)
One is flintlock. The other is percussion cap. They both have dual triggers. I enjoy the wood. Maple. The barrels are 'browned by a special process.'

They are not as tricked out as some of the beautiful rifles I have seen on this thread.

But, I like them. They are my first Kentucky long rifles AND the first buckhorn sights I have ever squinted down.

This last is not my rifle. It is just a shot of a similar one in case anyone was curious. (Mine are a little nicer)

nosrettap1958 · « **Reply #319 on:** December 06, 2015, 04:27:26 PM »

I had a Hatfield 50 caliber flintlock also, knocked down a lot of deer with that rifle. It shot fair to good, not in the same class as my custom, but it did the job.

Kentucky Colonel · « **Reply #320 on:** December 06, 2015, 07:17:39 PM »

Quote from: crawdad on December 06, 2015, 04:27:26 PM

I had a Hatfield 50 caliber flintlock also, knocked down a lot of deer with that rifle. It shot fair to good, not in the same class as my custom, but it did the job.

That is nice to know.

I looked into custom and was about to actually do it. I liked what I saw of Clay Smith's work.

The deal breaker there was... there is a TWO YEAR back-log. I know that is likely not unusual,
but dang! Two years is a significant percentage of the time I have LEFT to shoot.

Mike Brooks · « **Reply #321 on:** December 06, 2015, 11:23:10 PM »

This was going along great till I got poked in the eye with a Hatfield!

Wonder where all of those things went?

David R. Pennington · « **Reply #322 on:** December 06, 2015, 11:38:56 PM »

.50 is ok for squirrels, aim for his nose, or bark him. Just uses a little more lead and powder than is necessary.

Pat_Cameron · « **Reply #323 on:** December 07, 2015, 03:47:10 AM »

Quote from: Jim B ( no, another one) on December 05, 2015, 06:44:51 PM

Pat, that's a dandy looking little squirrel gun. Can you share any datails about it? It looks especially slim, and light as a feather!

It is not a fancy gun. It just has a fancy piece of wood.
Well made but simple. That is the way I ordered it.
John Bergmann built.
32 caliber, 38 inch 13/16 barrel.
I had John Case Harden the lock plate. Looks different from every other gun in the woods.
Iron furniture and a couple of simple inlays for a nice touch.
I do enjoy the rifle. I don't do a bunch of target shooting.
But the gun does shoot well.

nosrettap1958 · « **Reply #324 on:** December 07, 2015, 05:25:16 AM »

A lot of people bought Hatfield rifles around here in Pennsylvania as the regulations decades ago only allowed you to hunt with a flintlock and a patched round ball. The Hatfield's acquired a good reputation for being good round ball shooters with their slow rate of twist barrels. In the eighties a number of black powder shops around here couldn't order them fast enough or keep them on the shelves.

But, back to the squirrel rifles.

News:

Author Topic: Let's see your squirrel rifle!!! (Read 381173 times)

J Hollis

thimble rig

JB2

JB2

Kentucky Colonel

nosrettap1958

Kentucky Colonel

nosrettap1958