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.62 smoothbore as an all around gun?

L & R
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William Lincoln said:
All good advice. Smoothbore was original game getter for
Colonists and in the Frontier of Early America. Wisdom of the Flinters is that you never have the Elite ESG crowd pulling
caps off the market and choking down production of caps.
Click to expand...

Or nerfing musket caps to the point that they barely work.

Until they make mining and possession of flint illegal, I'll never ever be short of primers.
 
Troy said:
I've seen those but my biggest concern is with the experience that I have with cap lock firearms isn't good, the caps have always been loose fitting and easily fall off, and I'd be hunting squirrels and rabbits in the extremely thick cherry laurels in which I'd be crawling on my hands and knees, caps can easily fall off in all those branches, that's a big concern with cap lock firearms
Click to expand...
Get a beagle.
 

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I have a Pedersoli Indian Trade gun and after I added this small rear sight my round ball shooting improved greatly. Have only tried shot up to 25 yards and if you work on load development, and burn lots of powder you will figure it out. Good strong lock, big flints, works great.
 

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Rob M. said:
I just love the 20 ga. smooth bore trade gun . Very versatile gun. I can hunt anything in this country with it . I make my own powder and even gather flint out of the creek for it ! LOL ...just a neat aspect of it let alone the history of the type . Love all trade guns but esp. N.W. guns .
Click to expand...
That is awesome, just now started knapping my own flints. Have made a few, but a some a little thin. They are not pretty, but get the job done. Over the years I have found many broken arrowheads/spear points in farm field. Have knapped down a few to use. Feels appropriate to use broken points for a native used gun. My next step powder making. Do you corn the powder? Made some fine powder in small batch, worked good in pan, but have not tried in barrel was very fine. Love my trade gun, and find I take it out to shoot much more than my rifle.
 
Cryptocoyote said:
That is awesome, just now started knapping my own flints. Have made a few, but a some a little thin. They are not pretty, but get the job done. Over the years I have found many broken arrowheads/spear points in farm field. Have knapped down a few to use. Feels appropriate to use broken points for a native used gun. My next step powder making. Do you corn the powder? Made some fine powder in small batch, worked good in pan, but have not tried in barrel was very fine. Love my trade gun, and find I take it out to shoot much more than my rifle.
Click to expand...
Very cool . Funny , only one other person than I have I heard about using arrowheads in a flintlock ! LOL ...if it works , it works ! My powder making is very simple .I hated to use a tumbler , because I didnt want to use modern equipment but it is essential I found out .... I buybthe two ingredients , I make the charcoal ( I'll post pics of it in the paint can , use a clean never used one ) combine them then tumble , 20 hours for a half pound , it can be used after that !! Its too fine for me so i mix it with rubbing alcohol to dough like consistency , rub it through a mess seive on to a cookie sheet, makes it granulated close to 2F , and set in sun to dry ...thats it. There are other steps some use but thats not for me. It works JUST fine. Fast too.
 
Flintandsmoke said:
My point exactly
Click to expand...
She was purty ...sure wanted to keep her :) ....Oh yeah ! I just got back from coffee in town . This feller was loading bags of shelled corn in his truck , deer hunter. He chatting for sec about deer ...I looked at his truck bumper ...he's from New Hampshire ! Ain't that somethin ? You dont see those plates around here !/I mentioned you and the Fusil etc. Pretty cool . Nice feller .... Small world :)
 
This game is a matter of choice. Or as I often say: "do yer own thang". What you propose is a matter of choice. A flint smoothie will do what you mention. But, understand, shots with ball are often questionable with a ball. It is a challenge you must conquer to be effective. Even at best, hunting deer would be limited about archery ranges. They are good for shot. Pick yer pizzen and enjoy.
 
I BUILT A KIBLER .58 CALIBER SMOOTH RIFLE IN NO TIME FLAT. COST FOR EVERYTHING, INCLUDING CUSTOMER SERVICE AND TECH HELP THAT FELT DEEPLY PERSONAL, FOR $1,250. REGRETTABLY, IN A WEAK MOMENT, I SOLD IT TO A FORUM FRIEND. IMMEDIATELY I BOUGHT AND BUILT A KIBLER .40 CAL RIFLED SMR, WHICH IS A SQUIRREL/DEER TACK DRIVER, IN LESS TIME. ALL PARTS ON A KIBLER ARE EXCELLENT ESPECIALLY THE LOCK. NO SLOWFIRE, MISFIRE, HANGFIRE. ALL THIS TO SAY, BUILD YOUR OWN. CARVE IT, PAINT IT, STAIN IT OR OIL IT! THE GUN BECOMES AN EXTENSION OF YOUR SOUL IN SOMEONES HANDS. I MISS MY SMOOTHBORE TERRIBLY.
 
I've got a 20 gauge smoothbore flintlock, built from Curly Gostomski's parts. She's a fine shooter and has taken much game for me. She has a very fast lock and shoots to the point of aim at 25 yards if I draw the bead down close to the top flat of the barrel. I load her with .600 round ball and a ticking patch for big game, with #6 or #4 shot plus wads for doves, ducks, grouse, tree rats, or bunnies.
 
Rifleman1776 said:
This game is a matter of choice. Or as I often say: "do yer own thang". What you propose is a matter of choice. A flint smoothie will do what you mention. But, understand, shots with ball are often questionable with a ball. It is a challenge you must conquer to be effective. Even at best, hunting deer would be limited about archery ranges. They are good for shot. Pick yer pizzen and enjoy.
Click to expand...
"Archery ranges"????
Seriously?
Maybe if you are considering modern compound shooters with all sorts of wiz-bang tech stuff (and often questionable ethics regarding range) as your standard for "archery ranges."
With some load development and some practice there is no reason one can't reliably get sub 4 inch groups at 50 yards with a roundball from a 20 gauge smoothbore, often 3 inches or less. If one can't take a deer out to 50 and maybe 60 yards with that, something else is amiss.

But then, some seem to pride themselves on how far away they can kill stuff rather than how close they can get to game.
 

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