50 cal for squirrels

[ric44]

Got a deal on a Thompson New Englander in 50 cal the other day and am toying with the idea of taking it out for some squirrel hunting in the upcoming spring season here in western ky. Looking for some advice as to the reduced loads. Im figuring around 45-50 grs black with a prb but am open to comments from those who have tried this before. I have not shot it yet so cant comment on accuracy but plan to soon if it ever warms up a bit. What say you?   

[STUMPJMPR]

I've never done it, but there is youtube video on it.  Check your regulations.  I know here that it must be 36 caliber or smaller.

[flintlock]

No problem, head shots only...
 
I bought my first flintlock in 1977, a custom built .45 caliber made by Bob Watts...From 1977-1990 I used it for most of my hunting...For squirrels I used 40grs FFF, for turkeys I used 50grs and deer I used 75 grs...It worked well on all...
 
When I finished my .54 in 1990 I used it a few times for squirrels, using 50grs FFF...Once I converted my .45 to a .40 that's what I started using...I use 30grs FFF in the .40 and still take head shots...

[Ladobe]

"Barking" squirrels was common practice in the old days with muzzies, just as useable today with any bore.  I've done it with 45's/50's.
 
At the short ranges you'd most likely be shooting you can download way down in the 50 as well.   Old gal I used to do primitive matches with shot a TC Renegade 54 with something like 15 or 20FFG, and she was usually in the running to win those matches with shots up to longer than you'd probably shoot squirrels.
 
 

[MTNRGR]

Daniel Boone was famous for "Barking" squirrels with a .50 in your neck of the woods, I believe.

[tacklebury]

Just drop to 30 gr. powder with the patched round ball... 

[ric44]

I will try the 30gr load and work from there. Thanks for the comments guys.

[coyotejoe]

Of course you can take small game with head shots with a .50 caliber, if you want edible meat you pretty much have to make head shots with any caliber. One issue I haven't seen mentioned however is the questionable safety of firing large balls up into trees where they may ricochet about and end up who knows where. There is no denying that a big ball will travel a lot farther and do a lot more terminal damage than will a small caliber. There are few places where I would feel safe in launching a .490" ball at a high angle of elevation.

[tacklebury]

Just sayin, the .22 lr (most used squirrel gun in the world) is probably the most ricochetingest gun there is.  I have shot many squirrels with them, but always make sure there's a solid backer or shooting downward into the ground.  A 30 gr. light load in a 50 cal would be more likely to be a candidate for bounce back than going further on a ricochet than a .22, imo.  I've had a .22 ricochet off a twig so thin, I couldn't see it in my scope, lol.

[spooked]

Read where during the war of Northern Agression,powder and lead being so dear, that people would wait til they got a squirrel onna tree where the ball would stick inna tree after barkin,killing the squirrel..Take their knife and dig out the ball for reuse..

[Ladobe]

Just sayin, the .22 lr (most used squirrel gun in the world) is probably the most ricochetingest gun there is.  I have shot many squirrels with them, but always make sure there's a solid backer or shooting downward into the ground.  A 30 gr. light load in a 50 cal would be more likely to be a candidate for bounce back than going further on a ricochet than a .22, imo.  I've had a .22 ricochet off a twig so thin, I couldn't see it in my scope, lol.

That is closer to a real life opinion, in mine.   Doesn't matter what your shooting, what's beyond should be in the front of a shooters mind always.   Have had RB's bounce back many times, can't say the same for any 22RF.   Can easily agree that 22RF's as a group are bad skippers literally off almost anything if the angle of impact is shallow enough, and some of their boxes claim they can supposedly carry up to 1.5 miles.   Built in safety claim extended?  I've shot steep angles into lakes that didn't carry even close to that far.   Would think it depends on MV, angle shot up, any resistance (air/object), bullet design, etc just how far one really would travel.   A 50RB shooting "squirrel loads" is not going to carry as far just by the nature of the beast.   I didn't use shotguns, always long/short rimfire firearms/muzzies, a few times long bows to hunt tree rats, and never had any issues by picking my shots, giving a free pass if deemed not safe to shoot at all.   But then where I hunted them was also a big factor with endless miles of nothing far more often than anything you wouldn't want to rain on.
YMMV
 

[tacklebury]

Well, I know they can go near a 1/2 mile.  8(  My dad tells a story of when he was a young man, being a little dumb as most kids are, was plinking and shooting birds.  He was shooting .22 Shorts out of a rolling block single shot and shot at one and heard the ole' zzzzzinggg.  He didn't think much about it and kept shooting until suddenly the neighbor from (2) 40 acres farms away, came pulling into their driveway in his truck and came out steaming after my dad.  Apparently, he'd been standing on the clutch of his tractor and heard the his and dropped down and the ricochet from my dad's gun took his hat off.  He said he could barely see the glinting from where it came from as it came in out of the corner of his eye.  It was really close.  I have ever since being told about that day been Verrry careful about backstops and angles.  Unfortunately, ricochets are a fact of .22's because they are so light and easily redirected. 

[Rock Home Isle]

Got a deal on a Thompson New Englander in 50 cal the other day and am toying with the idea of taking it out for some squirrel hunting in the upcoming spring season here in western ky. Looking for some advice as to the reduced loads. Im figuring around 45-50 grs black with a prb but am open to comments from those who have tried this before. I have not shot it yet so cant comment on accuracy but plan to soon if it ever warms up a bit. What say you?

I hunted squirrels and rabbits for many years with my .50 cal. The .50 was grand on small game, then my state changed the game laws by adding calibre restrictions for small game and forced my hand. I finally broke down and bought a .32 calibre.
The .50 calibre is a very versatile firearm.

[45-70.gov]

my kids guns were  1 in 16 spin....fast


ball  shot great with  30 grains


they shot hundreds of them when they were little