THE ACCURATERELOADING.COM SMALL GAME HUNTING FORUM


Moderators: Saeed
Go
New
Find
Notify
Tools
Reply
  
squirrels the hard way
 Login/Join
 
One of Us
posted
Three years ago I acquired a fusil de chasse flintlock smoothbore. This would be the firearm my ancestors would have brought to New France. It is a 20ga./.62cal shotgun sort of. The first year I killed one squirrel and the next year I killed three. I had great difficulty finding the right components to make it kill beyond 10 yds. Finally Spanish moss as wadding seemed to hold the shot together and I could reach out maybe twenty yards or so. This past year I killed 33 squirrels with this combination.



 
Posts: 3494 | Location: Des Allemands, La. | Registered: 17 February 2007Reply With Quote
one of us
posted Hide Post
I am sure it makes hunting very interesting.
 
Posts: 19317 | Location: wis | Registered: 21 April 2001Reply With Quote
One of Us
posted Hide Post
It does. I got into them fairly thick at one point, shooting and reloading as fast as I could. That is until I forgot to add powder to one load, which brought things to a halt for a bit.
 
Posts: 3494 | Location: Des Allemands, La. | Registered: 17 February 2007Reply With Quote
One of Us
posted Hide Post
Now that's hunting!
 
Posts: 20076 | Location: Very NW NJ up in the Mountains | Registered: 14 June 2009Reply With Quote
One of Us
posted Hide Post
Outstanding!
 
Posts: 109 | Registered: 05 January 2018Reply With Quote
One of Us
posted Hide Post
Thanks
 
Posts: 3494 | Location: Des Allemands, La. | Registered: 17 February 2007Reply With Quote
One of Us
Picture of Mike_Dettorre
posted Hide Post
You got a recipe for squirrels? care to share it?


Mike



What I have learned on AR, since 2001:
1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken.
2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps.
3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges.
4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down.
5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine.
6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle.
7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions.
8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA.
9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not.
10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact.
11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores.
12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence.
13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances.
 
Posts: 10043 | Location: Loving retirement in Boise, ID | Registered: 16 December 2003Reply With Quote
One of Us
posted Hide Post
Well Mike I don't have a receipt but I cook my squirrels in what We call a friscasse'. You start by making a roux, then Brown an onion or two in the roux. Add water, squirrels (quarted) , season to taste and summer until squirrels are tender.
 
Posts: 3494 | Location: Des Allemands, La. | Registered: 17 February 2007Reply With Quote
one of us
Picture of packrattusnongratus
posted Hide Post
I have a recipe. Remove the entrails and head as you shoot them. Keep the meat cool. Bring to kitchen skinned. Put one 15 oz bottle of Worcestershire and same size bottle of Soy sauce in a large bowl. Put squirrel in bowl with marinade and soak for 20 minutes or more. Start smoker and place marinated squirrel on racks. Smoke until done, to taste. Time always varies with each smoker. A hot one will cook faster. Enjoy. This usually works with tough old boar squirrels and tenderizes them well. I used to start the smoker then butcher some domestic rabbits, rinse in salty vineagar water to remove hairs, marinate and place on smoker with a hot fire. It spoiled me on wild rabbit because I produced rabbits with no wild taste and larger size. Good luck with your efforts.
 
Posts: 2140 | Registered: 28 May 2002Reply With Quote
One of Us
posted Hide Post
I will try it.
 
Posts: 3494 | Location: Des Allemands, La. | Registered: 17 February 2007Reply With Quote
one of us
posted Hide Post
Pan fried squirrel with gravy

1. Skin, quarter and wash meat. Soak covered in the refrigerator for 24 hrs with a half cup of salt and quarter cup of sugar. Enough water to cover.
2. Put quarters in a 4-6 qt pressure cooker
3. Add 2 cups chicken broth, salt & pepper
4. Cook on 15 psi for 10 minutes
5. Cool and remove meat, reserve liquid
6. Flour meat and season with salt pepper and paprika with some garlic powder if you like
7. Fry at 350 F in a skillet using fat of choice until browned on both sides. Beef suet is the best.
8. Remove meat and make gravy.
9. Add flour to fat and make a roux. About medium color.
10. Add reserved liquid and whisk to make gravy.
11. Add squirrel meat back, cover and simmer for 30 min.
12. Serve with rice or biscuits.
 
Posts: 3652 | Location: SC,USA | Registered: 07 March 2002Reply With Quote
One of Us
posted Hide Post
A traditional Southern dish, loved by many. You're looks better than most however.
 
Posts: 3494 | Location: Des Allemands, La. | Registered: 17 February 2007Reply With Quote
one of us
posted Hide Post
We've cooked a lot of squirrels over the years, but the problem was many of them were tough as whang leather. So, starting with my grandmother, we "par-boiled" them before frying. One could do this in a sauce pot or the best method is to use a pressure cooker, then fry them as above. Yummy.

OTOH, if I had to use a flintlock for squirrels, I'd give up. My hat is way off to someone who is determined enough to hunt them that way. My favorite method used to be a scoped Python with .38 wadcutters. Now I mostly use a scoped .22.


xxxxxxxxxx
When considering US based operations of guides/outfitters, check and see if they are NRA members. If not, why support someone who doesn't support us? Consider spending your money elsewhere.

NEVER, EVER book a hunt with BLAIR WORLDWIDE HUNTING or JEFF BLAIR.

I have come to understand that in hunting, the goal is not the goal but the process.
 
Posts: 17099 | Location: Texas USA | Registered: 07 May 2001Reply With Quote
One of Us
posted Hide Post
Taking squirrels with a handgun is not so easy either. But the good thing about either method is there isn't a large pile of tree rats to clean. My mom often used a pressure cooker when dealing with squirrels. I don't , I will let them simmer in a roux until tender. What I get is the younger squirrels will come apart by the time the older ones become tender. Just need to what out for bones in the friscasse'.
 
Posts: 3494 | Location: Des Allemands, La. | Registered: 17 February 2007Reply With Quote
one of us
Picture of wildcat junkie
posted Hide Post
When I lived in Southern Indiana in the 1980s/'90s killing a limit of squirrels with a scope sighted .22lr became so routine I would be disappointed if I didn't "limit out".

I built an iron mounted .36 flintlock "Tennessee" rifle. On the occasions that I managed to bring 2 grays to bag, I felt like I had really accomplished something.

Given my eyesight, stalking to within 20yds or less with a sapling for an improvised rest was necessary for consistent head shots.


GOOGLE HOTLINK FIX FOR BLOCKED PHOTOBUCKET IMAGES https://chrome.google.com/webs...inkfix=1516144253810
 
Posts: 2440 | Location: Northern New York, WAY NORTH | Registered: 04 March 2001Reply With Quote
one of us
Picture of packrattusnongratus
posted Hide Post
WJ I think flint is the way to go. I have always used caplocks as I am too lazy to learn the longer follow through of the flint. Those are some beautiful rifles. I still have a Douglass XX octagon barrel in .32 waiting for the right stock style. I think a Bedford County style in .32 flint would be a marvelous squirrel rifle.
 
Posts: 2140 | Registered: 28 May 2002Reply With Quote
one of us
Picture of wildcat junkie
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by packrattusnongratus:
WJ I think flint is the way to go. I have always used caplocks as I am too lazy to learn the longer follow through of the flint. Those are some beautiful rifles. I still have a Douglass XX octagon barrel in .32 waiting for the right stock style. I think a Bedford County style in .32 flint would be a marvelous squirrel rifle.


Going smaller than .36 can offer challenges with a flintlock. Not saying it isn't practical, but you must pay attention to the location of the pan/touchhole and keep charges stout enough to blow the touchhole/pan clean.

Also, smaller calibers should have a fast twist. My .36 has 1 in 48" twist and I can load "subsonic" loads that still provide tack driving accuracy. The 1st barrel was 1 in 66" and I had to load it up so much to get sufficient accuracy that it was too damaging to the meat.

I used a 20gr load of fffg behind a .350 rb. It sounded a lot like 22 SV when shooting. No loud crack and it left a neat hole in the squirrel's neck/head instead of blowing it off.


GOOGLE HOTLINK FIX FOR BLOCKED PHOTOBUCKET IMAGES https://chrome.google.com/webs...inkfix=1516144253810
 
Posts: 2440 | Location: Northern New York, WAY NORTH | Registered: 04 March 2001Reply With Quote
new member
posted Hide Post
I used to hunt them with a TC .32 cal Cherokee. That was really difficult, I can't imagine using a flintlock. Another rifle I foolishly sold that I wish I had back.
 
Posts: 7 | Registered: 23 September 2018Reply With Quote
one of us
Picture of wildcat junkie
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by 3:10:
I used to hunt them with a TC .32 cal Cherokee. That was really difficult, I can't imagine using a flintlock. Another rifle I foolishly sold that I wish I had back.


I had a .36 TC Seneca that I foolishly traded for a botched .36 Flintlock Pennsylvania rifle.


GOOGLE HOTLINK FIX FOR BLOCKED PHOTOBUCKET IMAGES https://chrome.google.com/webs...inkfix=1516144253810
 
Posts: 2440 | Location: Northern New York, WAY NORTH | Registered: 04 March 2001Reply With Quote
  Powered by Social Strata  
 


Copyright December 1997-2023 Accuratereloading.com


Visit our on-line store for AR Memorabilia