20 Ga. Vs. 12 Ga.

[Horace]

I am having trouble finding a 38 inch barrell for a 12 gauge and wonder how you guys with 20 ga guns feel about them, particularly for turkeys. i do plan to have the barrel jug choked.

 

[Mike Brooks]

Vern Davis or Tip Curtis have 38" 12 bore barrels by Colerain.

 

[Horace]

i wish they did, but they indicate that they do not have them.

 

[The Baron]

I looked and looked for a 12ga. flinter for some time, as my primary quarry is turkeys. I was totally hung up on my old way of thinking, which carried over the thought from "modern" guns that a 20ga. was less gun than a 12ga. I didn't want a Bess, due to weight, and ended up "settling" for a 20ga Type "C" (I fell in love with the gun's looks). Having done extensive patterning with that gun, as well as my T/C New Englander 12ga, I felt more and more confident with the 20ga. Patterns and resultant range were the same (max about 25 yards from stright bore and non-cupped loads). I recently got out and shot my first tom with my 20ga. and it smacked him down pretty authoritatively. Now, I have complete confidence in my 20. If you think about it, the muzzleloader has no shell length restriction, so the load in 20ga. / 12ga. can be virtually the same (approx. max. 100gr. BP and appropriate shot charge). A smaller bore just means a longershot string, which doesn't matter on a stationary target like a turkey.

I would think a jug-choked 20ga. would be a wonderfully effective turkey killer - and easier to tote over hill and dale than a typical 12ga. or .75. Plus, I am happy to have a gun that will work well for deer and is just plain fun to shoot with PRB.

 

[roundball]

I am having trouble finding a 38 inch barrell for a 12 gauge and wonder how you guys with 20 ga guns feel about them, particularly for turkeys. i do plan to have the barrel jug choked.

FWIW, I have a 33" .62cal(.20ga) Green Mountain Flint smoothbore barrel (drop in for a TC Hawken) and had it jug choked 'full' as a turkey barrel...gives an excellent pattern with this load:

80grns Goex 3F
One .62cal Oxyoke wonderwad
1+5/8oz #6 hard shot
Circle Fly OS card

Averages 16 pellets in a 5" bullseye at 40yds

 

[Horace]

Is the GM barrel a oct barrell or oct to round and can you interchange with the rifle barrel?

 

[roundball]

Is the GM barrel a oct barrell or oct to round and can you interchange with the rifle barrel?

Yes, it's a 1" octagon (full length) made as a complete swapout "drop-in" for the existing 1" barrel in the .54cal/.58cal TC Hawken stock...also drops into the Renegade stock with it's 1" barrel bed...just put the original barrel back in if you want to use it again, etc.

GM also makes a 15/16" x 33" .54cal(.28ga) Flint smoothbore for the regular size Hawken stock...a really nice barrel...the kind that "if I could only have one muzzleloader, what would it be" kind of a barrel.

Shoots PRBs like a rifle to the 50yds I tested it, took a couple nice bucks with it last November...and it throws an excellent, even, dense pattern of #6's at the 25yds I tested it...planning to try it on crows this summer and squirrels this fall.

 

[talon]

Hello, Have you tried Scott Barrel Co.? He turns out a few smoothbore barrels. Have bought some barrels from them in the past. Fast delivery time. ph# 918-358-2933.

 

[Hoyt]

I've got a 36" Getz octagon to round 20ga..(had Pecatonica cut it down to 36") barrel on my Pecatonica Virginia kit I built a couple yrs. ago. I don't feel under gunned one bit with the 20ga. Got my limit of gobblers with it this yr. I do plan to have it jug choked for next season to get a few more yds. range out of it.
I would give Pecatonica a call and see what smooth bore barrels they have on hand.
I'm planning on building an 11 or 12ga. in near future for turkey.

 

[Dallaman]

About how much do the Green Mountain barrels cost and where do you get them? Sounds like a good way to go. Looking for a good turkey gun and I could switch back to the rifle barrel in the fall.
Thanks!

 

[roundball]

About how much do the Green Mountain barrels cost and where do you get them? Sounds like a good way to go. Looking for a good turkey gun and I could switch back to the rifle barrel in the fall.
Thanks!

You can order it directly through GM of course but will pay full MSRP...so far, I've ordered my GM barrels through Scott Cain, Cains Outdoor in West VA...a good size TC and GM dealer...get it a little cheaper that way than buying direct.
GM's new 1" x 33" .62cal Flint Smoothbore drop in for TC Hawken/Renegade was $228 from GM, but $185 through Scott Cain.

Then, Jug Choked 'FULL' by gunsmith:
Lowell Tennyson
209 E Lotte St.
Blue Grass, IA. 52726
563-381-3711
Charged me $60...(and there's UPS both ways)

Mine is outstanding both with shot loads and PRBs, the Jug Choke apparently having no ill effect on roundball accuracy.

 

[Rebel]

Have you done some more round ball shooting with it? What kind of groups will it do at 25 and 50 yds with rd balls now if you have tried it at those ranges?

 

[roundball]

Have you done some more round ball shooting with it? What kind of groups will it do at 25 and 50 yds with rd balls now if you have tried it at those ranges?

Just that initial test when I got done patterning the turkey load...had taken a handful of TOW .595s with me...used 80grns Goex 2F, an Oxyoke wonderwad, .015" Oxyoke precut/prelubed patch, sat down in a chair and had all holes cutting/touching each other at 25yds...while that is by no means a comprehensive test of course, it at least told me the jug choke didn't seem to have any bizarre negative effect on PRBs...I'll test it further one day this summer, but from the way it shot, I'll be shocked if it's not as accurate at 50yds as well

 

[Rebel]

Thanks for the info Roundball. Hope it does good for you.