It's over

[BrentD]

The last of squirrel hunting ended at sundown today. I managed to get out there for the last 2 hours of the season and got lucky with three large ones. It was a bit of a tough year for squirrels for some reason. Great mast crop though so maybe a good hatch in the spring if the redtails and roughlegs don't get them all in the next 2 months.

Rabbits remain, but I will be lucky to get just one.

 

[TheGreek]

Please give us the details on your squirrel gun there. I’ve got another two weeks here in IL, will try to get out once more, but not with anything that cool looking.

 

[HuntTalk Freak]

I’m lucky enough to be able to hunt squirrels year round down here. I shoot 100x more in my back yard than I do out in the woods though.

 

[noharleyyet]

Is that the early origins of CDS?

..a beauty btw.

 

[BrentD]

Thanks,I have showed off this rifle before. It is my favorite and is made from a thick-tang old Winchester action from the late 1880s. But many parts have been swapped around to get to where it is. It is custom stocked, recase colored. The barrel is a #2 28" octagon. But it was bored out to about 5/8" and a 17" Lilja match barrel glued inside. The top flat is matted like a shotgun rib and the underrib adds back some of the weight lost to the hollow muzzle. Single set trigger. English Walnut. Unertl 4x Small Game scope. Runs on both a normal flat spring and a coil spring. It has another buttplate, hammer, sights, and some miscellaneous other parts for other applications.

 

[Europe]

it is truly a labor of love. very nicely done Brent

 

[noharleyyet]

Sounds like the complications of a fine watch Brent...thanks for the rundown, very interesting.

 

[rjthehunter]

Thanks,I have showed off this rifle before. It is my favorite and is made from a thick-tang old Winchester action from the late 1880s. But many parts have been swapped around to get to where it is. It is custom stocked, recase colored. The barrel is a #2 28" octagon. But it was bored out to about 5/8" and a 17" Lilja match barrel glued inside. The top flat is matted like a shotgun rib and the underrib adds back some of the weight lost to the hollow muzzle. Single set trigger. English Walnut. Unertl 4x Small Game scope. Runs on both a normal flat spring and a coil spring. It has another buttplate, hammer, sights, and some miscellaneous other parts for other applications.

Making the rest of us feel like rookies! My 10/22 gets the job done, but not as gracefully as that does I bet!

 

[mdeerjunkie]

That’s a cool looking squirrel gun! Great job. Till next year.

 

[1_pointer]

That rifle is way to classy for a homer like me to tote! Well done.

 

[marshman]

Very cool stuff, nothing like that type of hunting out here on the Pacific coast.

 

[Ben Lamb]

I like that stock. Very appropriate for the gun. Assuming it's a 22 LR?

 

[BrentD]

Ben, Yes, it is a .22. A weird one under the cover, but a .22 lr.

1_pointer, do not sell yourself short. Everyone should have one special gun. I was going to do it with a centerfire, but a friend sat me down and said, if you do this, do it with the gun that you will use the most. Immediately, I knew it had to be a .22. It is my fun gun, my hunting gun, and my target rifle. Since then I went down the rabbit hole twice again and am doing it twice more, but that is another story. You owe yourself one special rifle - One with soul (plastic and stainless cannot have soul - they are the zombies of the firearms world).

It doesn't have to be super expensive. Figure out how to do some stuff yourself. I did the polishing, the rust bluing, and the wood finishing - and they are as good as they can be. I'm not a pro, but I learned and took my time. Other parts got done as time and money allowed. The checkering came later, the underrib came later (I did that too), the matted top flat came later and the second buttplate, and custom hammer (target work only) as well. But pick a gun, do some homework, hunt for donor actions and barrels, make a plan and assemble a slew of subcontractors. This is not hard and actually quite fun.

Marshman, don't be so sure. You have at least one or two species of pine squirrels which may not be as desirable, but still fun and tasty. More importantly, when you don't pull that goat tag, or maybe even if you do, why not make an out of state trip (and a cheap one at that and in nice weather if you choose), to hunt squirrels? Almost no one but me, it seems, takes small game seriously on this forum except for maybe birds. But there is nothing to say that you can't. You can do a whole lot more hunting, for a whole lot less money, and come home with something that is a whole lot tastier than an ungulate. Throw in some fishing or birds if that's what it takes to get you to load up and head out. Small game is so underrated I bet half the game biologists don't even know what's available in their districts (I'm kidding, but only slightly), I would bet fair money they don't know when squirrel rut happens either, but you don't have to hunt the rut for bags full of squirrels.

This guy, however, has it figured out (the hunting part. He needs a SERIOUS upgrade on his gun, but he is out there doin' it!). https://www.fieldandstream.com/phot...ame/2011/11/becoming/?photo=4#node-1001458293

 

[Panda Bear]

That is a very nice set up Brent, very nice. My husband in his infinite wisdom surprised me with a Win 9422 which works well on the Arctic Fox and Hare. We eat them and use or sell the fur. I actually enjoy the rifle and am considering a 9417 but not sure how accessible ammo is for it up this way.

Sorry, got off track, Beautiful rifle!

I posted before I saw your last post. very informative, thank you for sharing. interesting

 

[Europe]

You owe yourself one special rifle - One with soul (plastic and stainless cannot have soul - they are the zombies of the firearms world).

Yes !!! Thank you

 

[BrentD]

Yes !!! Thank you

I would be worried that the 17 will really tear them up, plus it makes more noise, costs much more for ammo, even down here. I use only subsonic hollowpoints for very little meat or hide damage. I don't know what the 17 will do that the .22 Eley subsonics won't do better. But don't let me stop you from getting a new gun! Ever!

 

[1_pointer]

Ben, Yes, it is a .22. A weird one under the cover, but a .22 lr.

1_pointer, do not sell yourself short. Everyone should have one special gun. I was going to do it with a centerfire, but a friend sat me down and said, if you do this, do it with the gun that you will use the most. Immediately, I knew it had to be a .22. It is my fun gun, my hunting gun, and my target rifle. Since then I went down the rabbit hole twice again and am doing it twice more, but that is another story. You owe yourself one special rifle - One with soul (plastic and stainless cannot have soul - they are the zombies of the firearms world).

It doesn't have to be super expensive. Figure out how to do some stuff yourself. I did the polishing, the rust bluing, and the wood finishing - and they are as good as they can be. I'm not a pro, but I learned and took my time. Other parts got done as time and money allowed. The checkering came later, the underrib came later (I did that too), the matted top flat came later and the second buttplate, and custom hammer (target work only) as well. But pick a gun, do some homework, hunt for donor actions and barrels, make a plan and assemble a slew of subcontractors. This is not hard and actually quite fun.

Marshman, don't be so sure. You have at least one or two species of pine squirrels which may not be as desirable, but still fun and tasty. More importantly, when you don't pull that goat tag, or maybe even if you do, why not make an out of state trip (and a cheap one at that and in nice weather if you choose), to hunt squirrels? Almost no one but me, it seems, takes small game seriously on this forum except for maybe birds. But there is nothing to say that you can't. You can do a whole lot more hunting, for a whole lot less money, and come home with something that is a whole lot tastier than an ungulate. Throw in some fishing or birds if that's what it takes to get you to load up and head out. Small game is so underrated I bet half the game biologists don't even know what's available in their districts (I'm kidding, but only slightly), I would bet fair money they don't know when squirrel rut happens either, but you don't have to hunt the rut for bags full of squirrels.

This guy, however, has it figured out (the hunting part. He needs a SERIOUS upgrade on his gun, but he is out there doin' it!). https://www.fieldandstream.com/phot...ame/2011/11/becoming/?photo=4#node-1001458293

I've already got a series of trips planned on for the squirrel slam! We can now get 3 of them in IN alone. Just waiting on a pard to get done with grouse, then we'll tackle the squills

 

[BrentD]

I've already got a series of trips planned on for the squirrel slam! We can now get 3 of them in IN alone. Just waiting on a pard to get done with grouse, then we'll tackle the squills

Thou needs a nice rifle for such adventures. This might be a relatively good starting point (no connections to me).

ASSRA Forum - Stevens Model 44 in 22LR

 

[Ben Lamb]

I've already got a series of trips planned on for the squirrel slam! We can now get 3 of them in IN alone. Just waiting on a pard to get done with grouse, then we'll tackle the squills

Great. The next big thing in hunting: Auctioning off Governor's squirrel tags.

 

[1_pointer]

Thou needs a nice rifle for such adventures. This might be a relatively good starting point (no connections to me).

ASSRA Forum - Stevens Model 44 in 22LR

You really have me confused with someone with taste...