36 ot 42" barrel length

[frenchymanny]

Hi All,

First I hunt canadians, on decoys, and I can (and will) limit my shots under 25 yards.
I love woodcock hunting with a good pointer, turkeys and all kind of grouse, so my longest shot should not be more than 30 yards.

I know the limitations, and had my share of long shots with modern tackle. These limitation, the need for doing my homework to succeed is what I'm looking for

So basically, I wanted to be reassured that the fowler I will build will be easy to swing in the woods.
I'm looking at a Tulle or an early New England

Thanks for your input, :thumbsup:
Manny

 

[The Baron]

Hi Manny!

I have first-hand experience in hunting turkeys and geese with my 20ga. fusil, 42" barrel and also with a 12ga. T/C New Englander. I have killed many 100's of geese with "modern" guns (12ga. and 20ga.). Point is, I know from extensive experience what it takes to kill a goose.

I do not know where some folks are getting the notion you must have a 12ga or 10ga. to kill geese. Perhaps it is because they haven't learned how to call and decoy the geese in close. With any cylinder-bore BP firearm, shots on geese should be limited to about 25 yards or less - regardless of gauge. Without a choke, and with the relatively slow velocity of a BP shot charge, shooting any goose past 25 with any gauge is a low-percentage shot. IMHO, if you can't decoy geese within 25 yards, you should never pick up a BP firearm to hunt them with.

My 20ga. ML is very effective on geese. Inside 25 yards, my 20ga. kills the geese very dead with 1 1/8oz. #4 Bismuth. I will give you a demonstration in about a month - and then you will do it yourself with my Caywood. :wink:

Since you plan to hunt grouse and woodcock, I would lean toward a 36" barrel. My 42" barrel is very well balanced and is much handier than I thought a 42" barrelled gun would be. But, in the brush and tight quarters of shooting upland game (especially woodcock and bunny's) I think a 36" would be a slight advantage.

I will look forward to seeing your gun as it comes together. I have lots of different roundballs, patches, wads, shot cups, flints etc. so don't hesitate to ask for any supplies for your testing! :hatsoff:

 

[frenchymanny]

Sir, I can't wait going hunting with you! :thumbsup: :hatsoff:

Your Caywood Tulle is amazing, you know you are responsible for this project :wink: Unfortunately the day we met I had not the oportunity to shoulder it.

So, 42" is more PC, has a better grouping, 36" is easier to maneuver...

Thanks All for the comments
Manny

 

[Capt. Jas.]

I quickly looked thru some auction magazines I have collected from sales of the Keith Neal collection and most of the single barreled fowling pieces from 1720-1780 time frames (approximately 30-35 of them)average between 37" and 44" barrels. Some of the "duck" guns,(those made for waterfowling large birds) have barrels in excess of 50" and there are some whose barrels are 30" and appear uncut.
These are of course, English fowling pieces made in England. It appears most authorities agree that the English made gun would also be the most common in the Southern Colonies as opposed to a colonial made gun.
For grouse and rabbit a 36" 20 is Ok and if I were mainly looking to shoot goose with it, I would for for a 10 ga. with a 42" or longer barrel. That's a good excuse to get 2 guns. :grin:

 

[paulvallandigham]

Yes, I have killed canada geese in both Southern Illinois, and here in Central Illinois. As to the insults, you can stop now. :cursing:

 

[Claude Mathis]

Yes, I have killed canada geese in both Southern Illinois, and here in Central Illinois. As to the insults, you can stop now. :cursing:

The insulting post you reference (and it was) has ben deleted.

 

[Joel/Calgary]

Link
Link

Here's a couple suppliers for the bismuth yielded from a quick Google search. Not cheap, but neither is the steel alternative.

Unfortunately, neither is of immediate utility. I have never heard of anyone (via a number of outdoors forums) who succeeded in getting even an answer, let alone an order, from Hunters' Bismuth - it appears a patent-infringement lawsuit shut them down, but the website remains. Will Belozir is a Canadian dealer for Ballistic Products, and B-P is out of bismuth. However, Will is negotiating with the heirs of the inventor for the rights to produce shot, and hopes to be in production some time this year.

Joel

 

[frenchymanny]

like Le Baron does I believe, I will harvest some tungsten matrix from shells I use in my high end (at list for me :wink: )Browning

F-Manny