[RMc]

In the coastal South the subtropical foliage stays thick and green year around and since most of my squirrel hunting is done from a canoe or in the delta swamps a shotgun gets my vote.

I don't like picking pellets out of the meat so I routinely use #4 shot in my 12 bore for complete penetration. Indeed my favorite load is assembled in Cheddite paper hulls from Graf & Sons, using 100 grains of FFFg pushing 1 1/8th ounce of hard #4 shot, with card wads, a paper shot protector, an over shot card and finished with a roll crimp. These are fired from my 32" full choke NEF single barrel.

There is nothing like paddling over to retrieve your kill as the white smoke drifts through the spanish moss...

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Then there is always the chance of seeing wild hogs, so a few rounds of Dixie Tri-Ball Buckshot are always along for the chance to make bacon!

[rp50817]

Fabuous information. It would be great to hunt from a canoe or in the swamp.

[Walley]

I have used a 410 single shot with 4s to hunt tree rats for over 60 years. The large shot is easily removed from the meat and I have never bitten into one. I have always felt that if you miss with a 22 you could possibly cause a problem you don’t really want. I was taught that part of being a hunter was to always be concerned with what might happen to another person if you missed your shot.

[orangello]

Originally Posted by RMc

In the coastal South the subtropical foliage stays thick and green year around and since most of my squirrel hunting is done from a canoe or in the delta swamps a shotgun gets my vote.

There is nothing like paddling over to retrieve your kill as the white smoke drifts through the spanish moss...

I didn't think we could squirrel hunt from a boat here; i thought it was just waterfowl. Interesting, i may have to try that out.

[rp50817]

No. 4s seems to be the shot of preference for squirrels. I'm switching to that.

[quigleysharps4570]

Originally Posted by Walley

I have used a 410 single shot with 4s to hunt tree rats for over 60 years.

Good choice.
I haven't used a shotgun on them for years now though. Started going after them with a muzzleloader and that's my preference these days. Course I've had to pass on the runners and some days come in empty handed but I still prefer the muzzleloaders.

[RMc]

Originally Posted by quigleysharps4570

Good choice.
I haven't used a shotgun on them for years now though. Started going after them with a muzzleloader and that's my preference these days. Course I've had to pass on the runners and some days come in empty handed but I still prefer the muzzleloaders.

Slipping along in a canoe makes loading from the muzzle quite awkward. By using paper hulled, roll crimp, black powder shotshells with a long tom single barrel I feel a historical connection to late 19th and early 20th century Southern way of small game hunting the backwater swamps or uplands. By the way, I don't wear camoflage when small game hunting, just earth tone work clothes and an old slouch hat. Those "old" clothes just seem to "fit" the relaxed way I like to hunt.

Besides, using a canoe or other small boat also makes it convenient to wet a line if it warms up too much for squirrel hunting!

[RMc]

The good folks at Goex recommended 100 grains of FFFg as the charge needed to reach 1200fps with 1 1/8th ounce of shot in the paper cartridge 12 bore.

For those concerned about black powder clean up, the break action single (or double) is about the easiest of arms to clean.

-Remove the forearm.
-Separate the frame and barrel.
-Wipe off the breech face with a wet cloth.
-Pour water through the barrel - hot water helps to dry the bore.
-Patch until dry.
-Run a lubed patch through the bore, (a 5/8" dowel with a patch groove cut in one end works well).
-Wipe down all the metal parts with a good gun lube, (I like Slip 2000).
-Reassemble.

-Plan your next hunt...optional!

[quigleysharps4570]

That would be a great way to go at it RMc.
How much compression to you have to use to get that 100 grs. of 3f in that case so wads and shot will fit? Never have tried that route but sounds interesting.

[Walley]

I purchased a Pedersoli 32 cal percussion Kentucky rifle recently that I plan to try on tree rats when the leaves are off the trees in our grove. I would say that there has to be close to a hundred of them in our ten acres of standing trees. I went out on Tuesday and filled my limit, 7, in less than an hour with the 410. Not many hunt them around here so I am more than welcome to come and reduce the populations in others groves. They are all corn fed and fat as seals.