Author Topic: got the itch to go shootin' (Read 1180 times)

keith44 · « **on:** July 24, 2011, 06:54:41 PM »

I'm gettin' an itchy trigger finger. It's been almost 12 days since I fired a muzzle loader, or any thing for that matter. I'm thinking charcoal briquettes hung on strings at 50 yards to dust off the squirrel rifle. May even knock walnuts out of trees at unknown ranges (yes I know to keep the trunk as a back stop just as I do with squirrels)

greenrivers · « **Reply #1 on:** July 25, 2011, 01:25:14 AM »

Addiction is a terrible thing and one can only hope that those who understand it will help. It has been almost a week for me as well and with any luck the number of days that I do shoot will increase. What caliber do you use on those squirrels?

coyotejoe · « **Reply #2 on:** July 25, 2011, 06:03:02 AM »

With my first .22 my Dad had me shooting walnuts out of trees. He claimed it was the very best form of practice for actual squirrel hunting and I suspect he was right.

keith44 · « **Reply #3 on:** July 25, 2011, 06:34:05 AM »

Greenrivers, I use a .32 cal Ky flinter for most of my small game hunting. It supports the addiction without breaking the bank like the large bore guns can.

coyotejoe, we started with the walnuts placed on a fencepost. when we got good enough to hit those at 40 paces, we moved to the ones in the trees. There being two lessons in that. 1) know where the bullet stops, and 2) a form of range and tragectory estimation. To this day I cannot "call" a distance, but I can show you where to aim.

greenrivers · « **Reply #4 on:** July 25, 2011, 09:46:26 AM »

I hope to purchase the parts to build a .32 at some point in the future, but as with all things, priorities. The G.M. .36 cal. barrel should be ready this week and that will do for me for now.

keith44 · « **Reply #5 on:** July 25, 2011, 11:58:50 AM »

In the choice between .32 and .36 cal a good argument can be made for either. I would not be able to justify having both. Both are great at what they do, both are more powerful (ie the projectile of both carries more energy) than a .22 magnum. The .36 is stronger than the .32 in that it carries a heavier ball and conical bullets are readily available. The .36 also requires more powder to reach the same velocities than does the .32. So for me it came down to choosing between the two with the primary target being squirrels, and some rabbits. Limiting myself to 50 yard shots there was just no justification to have one over the other. Powder usage being the only advantage the .32 had over the .36 and the .36 only having a greater amount of energy at the target being its only advantage I chose the .32. Some day I will also have a .36, and a .45, but for now the .54's and my .32 cover all my needs.

Ladobe · « **Reply #6 on:** July 25, 2011, 01:18:44 PM »

Keith,

You might try snorting a little black between shooting opportunities to take the edge off. FF will work by FFF is smoother.

I didn't even try to make a choice between 32 and 36 when I was buying, and instead bought two of each. Wanted a 40 too but never did get one. But in the field the 36 won out as the most versatile to the point that both of the 32's eventually went to live someplace else as they were not being used, and later one of the 36's for the same reason. The 36 just gets it done better for far more species than the 32's, important here because the "more" are a possibility on every outing.

In recent years also had 45's, 50's and a 54/12GA - used the 45's for primitive matches, but as I don't hunt big game anymore the others just didn't get used.

greenrivers · « **Reply #7 on:** July 25, 2011, 03:53:38 PM »

My choice had become the .32 for some of the same reasons. It is very thrifty and represents the small game capabilities I was looking for. However at this point fate has taken over and provided an opportunity for the GM .36 drop in barrel for my Hawkins. Time will tell if it will satisfy my needs. As mentioned, I still am looking forward to building that Kentucky rifle I mentioned. It would end up weighing less than half of the Hawkins with its one inch barrel, but never replace it.

Ladobe · « **Reply #8 on:** July 25, 2011, 07:59:47 PM »

FWIW, with the minuscule difference in cost to shot a 32 verses a 36, thrifty is not a selling point for the 32 IMO, and versatility is for the 36. Powder charge for both of them can be the same for small game, so we are talking about 20 grains of lead per shot difference is all. At less than $1 per pound, lead is cheap even if you do have to buy it.

What fits your circumstances is the right choice, and that was the 36 for me for small game.

keith44 · « **Reply #9 on:** July 25, 2011, 10:34:26 PM »

Ok, lets look at some numbers. For one pound of lead you can cast 110 .36 cal roundballs, or 150 .32 cal roundballs. 40 shot advantage to the .32 (miniscule) 1,200 fps with a .32 can be reached with a mere 10 grains of 3F (1,200 fps chosen as a reference point due to the common velocity of .22 long rifle ammo being aprox that speed) while the .36 requires 15 grains of 3F to reach the same velocity. A one pound container of 3F holds 7,000 grains of powder. The .32 will give 700 shots per pound of powder (at the 10 grain 1,200 fps level) while the .36 equalling the velocity with ease requires 15 grains per shot returns 466 shots per pound of powder. Again advantage to the .32 233 shots per pound of powder.

Costs per shot advantage?? At aprox $15 for a pound of Goex (plus shipping and haz mat fees and idiot tax etc) each grain of powder used costs $0.002 So if you get your lead for free it costs you 2 cents plus the price of a cap or a flint and powder to fire your .32 at the above level. The .36 costs 3.2 cents in powder to fire at the same velocity. Put another way over the life of the gun if it is fired 5,000 times the .32 will use 7.1 pounds of powder, and at the $15/pound cost $106.50. The .36 will use 10.7 pounds at a cost of $160.70. Advantage .32 by $54.21 yes it is a slight advantage, but there is a real difference in the cost of operating a .32 vs. a .36. The power difference is just as miniscule, but there is a difference.

Load each with 30 grains of 3F and you get a suprise! The .32 launches at 2,100 fps and returns a muzzle energy of 462 f-p. While the .36 loaded with the same 30 grains of 3F only reaches 1,764 fps with a muzzle energy of 449 f-p. Advantage to the .32 by over 300 fps and 13 f-p muzzle energy.

I question the versatile argument when only shooting patched roundballs.

greenrivers · « **Reply #10 on:** July 26, 2011, 03:04:05 AM »

It is really hard to argue with facts like those! Having a "decent" representation of calibers in breach loading firearms that spans from .22 Hornet to .45/70 allows me to Tailor my needs as well as placate my moods. Small calibers are just plain fun to shoot, effective on game when placed right, and cheep. The safe now holds a .54, and a .50, with the .36 on it's way. Hopefully a .32 will join them. Why limit myself?

keith44 · « **Reply #11 on:** July 26, 2011, 06:12:51 AM »

there should be no limits to the frontloaders available. The limits being what the spouse will tolerate

Higene · « **Reply #12 on:** July 26, 2011, 09:18:25 AM »

I find casting for the small calibers tedious. I shoot 0 buck in the 32 and 000 buck in the 36. 148 HBWCs also work well in my 1:48 twist 36 flinter. When I crunch the numbers (or the computer does- my pencil gets rusty) I get 8.5, 9.5, and 15 cents per shot at 35 grains of powder.

It works for me.

PS I just got a .36 for my wife. My hunting buddy says it was a good trade.

greenrivers · « **Reply #13 on:** July 26, 2011, 09:35:45 PM »

Two of my smoke poles were actually gifts from the wife. This has never been an issue for us as it was discussed before we married. She did ask once what happened to the days when I left with a knife, lever gun and wool clothing and came back with my deer? Now that is just downright unfair.

keith44 · « **Reply #14 on:** July 27, 2011, 08:11:51 AM »

Quote from: greenrivers on July 26, 2011, 09:35:45 PM

Two of my smoke poles were actually gifts from the wife. This has never been an issue for us as it was discussed before we married. She did ask once what happened to the days when I left with a knife, lever gun and wool clothing and came back with my deer? Now that is just downright unfair.

My wife has only purchased one smokepole for me, it was for our first christmas as husband and wife. A traditions Hawken in .54 cal. She gave it to me early, opening day of the late muzzleloading season. I took it to my grandfathers farm to sight it in, set up a target, loaded it, aimed...movement next to the target. A fat doe. She stepped out and stood at the backstop...boom! First shot first outing first kill. I have never missed with that one, the load is 80 grains 2F under a patched .530 roundball. It's 19 years old now, and the bore is somewhat worn but it still puts 'em where I want 'em. Oh and I kept the wife too

greenrivers · « **Reply #15 on:** July 27, 2011, 11:08:15 AM »

You've got to know that when a wife buys a rifle or revolver for you, SHE IS A KEEPER. When that same rifle does what yours did, it too is a keeper. Mine has bought two for me. The Colt Army .44 and my .54 Hawkins. Got to give her credit for good taste-----in firearms too.
I just got back from picking up my .36 cal. barrel for the Hawkins from Green Mountain. Now I need to find a RB mould. GM recomends .350 for hunting and a .360 for target. It is a 1 in 48 twist, what do you recommend? Also was told that as there broaches would never be replaced, this would be their final run of .36 in a one inch drop in. Two hundred and two were produced and a call to them would reveal there destination. I suspect that they will go fast.

keith44 · « **Reply #16 on:** July 27, 2011, 02:38:35 PM »

Quote from: greenrivers on July 27, 2011, 11:08:15 AM

I just got back from picking up my .36 cal. barrel for the Hawkins from Green Mountain. Now I need to find a RB mould. GM recomends .350 for hunting and a .360 for target. It is a 1 in 48 twist, what do you recommend? Also was told that as there broaches would never be replaced, this would be their final run of .36 in a one inch drop in. Two hundred and two were produced and a call to them would reveal there destination. I suspect that they will go fast.

I hate to hear that this is the last run they will do. It does bring up a question about your barrel, and its place in that line of 200 or so barrels. The assumption is that the first few will have deeper grooves or perhaps even a larger over all bore and groove combination when compared to the last one. The difference may only be 0.0001" but it will likely be there.

As for ball diameter, the .360 dia sounds waaay too tight, and would not leave room for a patch. It may be assumed that the target load is a naked ball, but I can't imagine that for a light target load. If it were me, and this time it is not, I would shoot the .350 ball with a .010 pre lubed patch over 25 grains of 3F, for the first shot. Swab the bore and dry it, then look to see if that load shoots "to the sights". It should be low, maybe even low and left, increase powder charge until it shoots to the sights. Somewhere around 35 to 45 grains is my bet. Swab between every shot for the first ten shots. After those ten, fire a three shot group, cleaning between each shot, then fire a three shot group with a fouled barrel (first shot is fouler, then three for group). You should see very little difference in group size, but there may be enough difference that younwill want to reduce the powder charge by 5 grains and adjust the sights as needed. By shooting this much with swabbing between the shots, you will be putting a final finish on the inside of the barrel fire lapping the bore. After all that, I'd call it ready to hunt

keith44 · « **Reply #17 on:** July 27, 2011, 02:40:00 PM »

oh and congradulations on the acquision

greenrivers · « **Reply #18 on:** July 27, 2011, 11:52:54 PM »

Your concern over the bore dimensions crossed my mind as well while I was being told this was their final run. However that would be the same for any run of barrels. As long as the tooling is kept with spec. the product should be. Time will tell.
Thanks for the seasoning advice, I will post results as soon as I am able to obtain a mould.

Rock Home Isle · « **Reply #19 on:** September 02, 2011, 11:13:47 AM »

Quote from: keith44 on July 24, 2011, 06:54:41 PM

I'm gettin' an itchy trigger finger. It's been almost 12 days since I fired a muzzle loader, or any thing for that matter. I'm thinking charcoal briquettes hung on strings at 50 yards to dust off the squirrel rifle. May even knock walnuts out of trees at unknown ranges (yes I know to keep the trunk as a back stop just as I do with squirrels)

I'm getting the itch to go shooting as well, but this summer has been so hot and muggy that I try to shoot for a few hours in the early morning. The weather this weekend is looking very nice, and I can't wait till the cool days of fall. Course for all the griping that I do about the hot dry weather...it's nothing compared to what those poor souls in Texas have had to deal with for the last 6 or so months.

I like the briquettes...haven't done that in a while...maybe this weekend after I get back from Dove Hunting in Eastern Colorado.

I'll give my dad a call, been a while since I've gone shooting with him.

Rock Home Isle · « **Reply #20 on:** September 02, 2011, 11:18:43 AM »

Quote from: keith44 on July 25, 2011, 06:34:05 AM

Greenrivers, I use a .32 cal Ky flinter for most of my small game hunting. It supports the addiction without breaking the bank like the large bore guns can.

coyotejoe, we started with the walnuts placed on a fencepost. when we got good enough to hit those at 40 paces, we moved to the ones in the trees. There being two lessons in that. 1) know where the bullet stops, and 2) a form of range and tragectory estimation. To this day I cannot "call" a distance, but I can show you where to aim.

I wish we had Wlanut trees around here, that just sounds perfect for training the eye to hitting small targets. I shoot small limbs and branches looking for challenging shots to take, sort of prune the tree at various distances with my little .32 calibre percussion. Shooting at walnuts would be a "hoot."

keith44 · « **Reply #21 on:** September 02, 2011, 09:19:05 PM »

Do you have Persimmon or White Oaks? Even Hickory nuts are also good targets (Acorns can be very difficult if not down right aggervating to try to hit though) Another fun target is wood chips hung on string like the charcoal, only this bounces and moves around more instead of turning into a dust cloud.

Rock Home Isle · « **Reply #22 on:** September 05, 2011, 05:25:29 PM »

Quote from: keith44 on September 02, 2011, 09:19:05 PM

Do you have Persimmon or White Oaks? Even Hickory nuts are also good targets (Acorns can be very difficult if not down right aggervating to try to hit though) Another fun target is wood chips hung on string like the charcoal, only this bounces and moves around more instead of turning into a dust cloud.

Unless its in somebodies backyard we don't have those types of trees. As a kid we had wild apple trees all over where I grew up, those were fun to shoot.

these days I target in and shoot holes in the leaves of cottonwood trees to pass the time...its just not the same as plucking a walnut out of a tree. That would be so cool.