P.B.Walsh
Member
What is a "rook" rifle?
Greener showed the top of the line rabbit and rook rifle as a Hollands top break, top lever single shot. Hammer guns were a step down and the Martini was the low end of the market. However a friend's Martini is a nicer looking little rifle than many of the side lever hammer break actions. His was Parkerrifled (relined) to .22 from some larger rook calibre.
Greener said the .22 was not well suited for rook and rabbit, that it paradoxically had too light a bullet and too long a danger space. He said that ideally a rook rifle should shoot accurately for 100 yards and the bullet then drop straight to the ground. Not physically possible, but something to think about when shooting at a rook on a limb or a rabbit in a flat field where a miss could go a long way.
Typical rook rifle calibers ran from .25 to .30. Greener said his .310 Cadet round was probably more than necessary and would probably rate the .300 Sherwood the same.
There was the .360 Rook and some rifles for the .360 No 5 revolver cartridge. Again bigger than necessary but people would shoot deer with them and the Cadet.
Modern rook rifle collectors and shooters are always on the lookout for a .360; it is so close to .38 Long Colt as to make no difference. I think C.E. Harris shoots his with .38 Special wadcutters.
As said, a new gun in .32 S&W long or maybe low end loads in a .32 H&R would do.
The teeny little doubles are cute; but I doubt a crow or rabbit will sit around long enough for the second barrel.
Rook is a British name for a crow. So the literal translation would be "rifle for killing crows". However, like many literal translations a lot is lost. A rook rifle is designed for killing crows and other small pests in a relatively crowded environment. Rook rifles were designed to be quiet, pleasant to shoot and short ranged. They were usually single shots using low power cartridges in the 32 S&W Long class, such as 310 Cadet, 300 Sherwood, etc.What is a "rook" rifle?
A 410 would be a bit too short range. It would also remove the marksmanship element out of shooting stationary crows.I can appreciate the limited range but lethal aspect of a small caliber antique revolver round(as in 32S&W). But wouldn't a single shot 410 be more useful given your criteria?
Rook is a British name for a crow. So the literal translation would be "rifle for killing crows". However, like many literal translations a lot is lost. A rook rifle is designed for killing crows and other small pests in a relatively crowded environment. Rook rifles were designed to be quiet, pleasant to shoot and short ranged. They were usually single shots using low power cartridges in the 32 S&W Long class, such as 310 Cadet, 300 Sherwood, etc.
So while high speed spitzer bullet cartridges such as 22 Hornet and 223 are perfectly capable of killing crows, they don't quite meet the criteria of a rook rifle.
natman said:Exactly. All this talk of 22 Hornet and 17 HMR misses the point that a rook rifle has some specialized requirements that a varmint rifle doesn't. It's a short range proposition. You want a bullet that's relatively slow and not particularly aerodynamic.
See post #31.Henry lever action in .22wmr loaded with shotshells. Seriously why has nobody mentioned shotshells yet? They reach out and touch squirrels just fine. Even the tinyest ones on the highest branches.
Don't be shy about posting pictures of your rook rifles, guys.