Squirrel huntin with the 38 special

[Dee]

I have been squirrel hunting with this round in a rifle for more years than I can remember. I have Lyman 158 grain semi-wad cutter mold that has seen more wheel weights than a Goodyear tire store over the last 37 or so years, and was wondering if anyone else uses this round for small game?
My load is 3.5 grains of Unique, and in a 24" barrel it is very quite for it's intended purpose. I have never chronoed this load, as I am not interested in such, but figure around 670fps according to Lyman's loading books.
My Model 92 Winchester clone is a tack driver, and after I slicked up the action (got it several years ago after going thru several Marlins) is a pleasure in the woods. I load 10 hot 158 grain jacketed soft points in 357 magnum first with the last two or three the light 38 specials. We have feral hogs here in my part of Texas, and the rifle make for a good dual purpose woods gun.
I used to do my bought new in 1958 Winchester Model 94 3030 this way back in the early 70s using a cast bullet, and it worked fine but, too much velocity and range in my opinion.
This 38 special load falls off very fast, and is not of much use except for plinking and small game, but is cheaper than 22 shells, quieter (in my opinion) and won't shoot near as far. The rifle has a Lyman receiver sight (apeture) exactly like my 3030, with an identical front post sight. I have been shooting this type of sight for about 40 years. Both rifles are zeroed in the same manner.
Has anyone else ever used this round for such?

[Blackhawk44]

.38 Spec?  You bet!  For longer than I can remember.  My .38 is a Navy Arms Yellow Boy.  With Blue Dot and RNFP's its effective as a laser on jackrabbits inside a hundred yards.  Only load .357 cases in my Rossi 92.  Still working on its perfect load.

[bilmac]

Makes a good cottontail plinker too.

[WyoStillhunter]

Thirty years or more ago I was active in one of the early practical pistol leagues and became a fair pistol shot.  I had hunted squirrels in my home state of Missouri using a variety of .22 pistols for many years at that time, as well.

One day I took my son, seven or eight at the time, for a walk in my favorite hunting woods.  I was carrying a retired police department pistol:  S&W Model 15 (4" bbl. with partridge sights).  The ammo is long forgotten but was most likely a basic 158 gr. lead RN handload.

As luck would have it I took three Fox squirrels with one shot each.  Realizing I had won the admiration of my son as the greatest pistol shot in the world I decided not to risk bursting that balloon.  I said something like, "Well son, Mom needs for us to get home a little early so we better quit hunting now."  For many years he thought his Dad couldn't miss.  He has known better for many years now. 

And "yes" the .38 Special is a terrific squirrel cartridge.

[Graybeard]

Yup I'm sure it would be nice to be able to use my '92 that way but not legal here in Bama.

[Dee]

Just get in your pickup and drive west on I-20 until you get to Dallas, Tx. Turn north on U.S. 75 for about 50 miles, and bring your Model 92. We'll go squirrel huntin with'em, and it's legal here.

[Graybeard]

Were I heading out on such a trip it sure wouldn't be in my tired old pickup truck but rather in my new 2008 Toyota Sequoia SUV.

[Dee]

Just bring the Model 92, and if ya can't walk far, I have a four wheeler, cause I can't walk very far either. Bad knees.

[Graybeard]

I'd like to do just that Dee and perhaps I'll get around to it in the future. It's not gonna happen this year however. I do hope to be out in that general direction with no specific agenda in mind next year. If the economy and my health allows it me and Mrs. GB will be at the GBO Prairie Dog shoot out in the far end of the OK Panhandle come late May and early June of 2009.

We hope to turn it into a non specific journey of the sort William Layton aka Bill Close is on at this time. Specific to the trip of course will be attending the PD shoot for a few days. Ditch Digger has invited us to drop by his area in SE OK to visit and hog hunt and maybe go fishing with him. I hope to be able to do that too. There are a couple folks from the Bigfoot Study site who on rare occasions even post to this site that I also hope to drop by and meet as they don't live far from Digger.

Faye wants to see some sights in OK that her dad had planned to take the family to see when she was a child but they never got around to it so I hope to let her see those sights on this trip. I wanna drop down into NM, go up into CO and KS and down into the TX panhandle while we're out and about before returning home. Depending on the order and direction our ramblings take us maybe a trip by your area can be worked in also.

Mark and Teresa Carona our friends who live down in Houston have bought a retirement ranch somewhere far from Houston and should be moving out there in the not too far distant future. When they do we certainly plan to make a trip out to visit with them and see the retirement home and to do a bit of hunting with them again. It's been too long since we've seen them. For sure there should be time to drop by your place on that trip if not on the PD hunt.

All that of course depends on my health and the economy as either is subject to cancelling my plans at any time. Still that's a couple trips I hope to take in the next few years and since you aren't too far off the path on either perhaps we can visit with you and get out and roam around for squirrels or hogs or whatever while were there.

[Dee]

Sounds like a plan. I've got hogs, and squirrels. Just let me know in advance your coming and I'll be here.

[dpe.ahoy]

Careful Dee.  You're gonna have a whole bunch of us showin' up on your doorstep.   DP