.45 smoothbore for turkey?

[Pv2 Gilliam]

Hey guys, I'm debating on getting my .45 cherokee bored out to a smoothbore for small game and maybe turkey if i i can... Wing it . Anyway, back to it. Do y'all think one will kill a turkey?

 

[Grenadier1758]

What is the smallest gauge that is allowed in your state for hunting turkey? Most states it is 20 gauge.

 

[sb 54 cal.]

MO. just says shotgun didn't give min. gauge. I use a smoothbore .54 or about a .30 gauge killed a couple with it. Just get close

 

[Pv2 Gilliam]

South Carolina. No gauge restrictions

 

[Brokennock]

Call them in close. Test pattern your gun with different loads 1st. The Skychief load would probably be a good idea.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Mine takes pheasants to about 27yards!

 

[smo]

I don’t think I would bore out a TC Cherokee....
Unless the barrel was a sewer pipe too start with.

 

[Griz44Mag]

I have taken birds and deer both with a 410 - which is a 45 caliber bore.
No reason it would not take a turkey with some heavy shot.
It would be a shame to bore out a Cherokee barrel though, unless like Smo indicated, the bore was bad in the first place.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Hey guys, I'm debating on getting my .45 cherokee bored out to a smoothbore for small game and maybe turkey if i i can... Wing it . Anyway, back to it. Do y'all think one will kill a turkey?

Well the moderns are now talking about a .410 with a heavy choke and A LOT of shot made of tungsten, and using a small size because it's tungsten. The larger the pellets the less number of them you get for the same weight. Plus you're going to be using a cylinder bore. No reason it wouldn't work IF you patterned it and worked up a load.

LD

 

[Pv2 Gilliam]

Yeah, the barrel isn't in the best shape. I got it from my stepdad last year, he'd left it loaded since the early 2000's.

 

[Griz44Mag]

Yeah, the barrel isn't in the best shape. I got it from my stepdad last year, he'd left it loaded since the early 2000's.

Loaded - but if it was clean when he loaded it it would probably be OK.
If it was recently fired and not cleaned, then left loaded, yea, the barrel is probably history.
Bobby Hoyt could take it and give you some options you may not realize are possible. Maybe a liner or maybe kicking it up one standard bore size and saving the barrel as a rifle.

 

[Pv2 Gilliam]

Yeah, bobby hoyt was the one i contacted. I've got another rifle at home, and I've really been wanting a black powder shotgun, but the cheapest i i can find is a pedersoli scout for $675... Plus $30 for the ramrod.

 

[Skychief]

Something tells me you'll be dining on wild turkey shortly......

Don't shoot 'til they're close enough for your outfit.

Go get 'em, Skychief.

 

[Notchy Bob]

I'm not a turkey hunter, so can't comment on the effectiveness of the proposed gun on that particular critter.

I also don't know how shot and wad pressures compare to a patched round ball, or to the .45 caliber MaxiBall, for which your rifle was designed. I think the patent breech on this rifle is inherently stronger than a drum and nipple arrangement, but there will be some limits, one of which may be the diameter of the threaded part of the breech plug.

However, I have a Seneca and do know the Seneca barrel is 13/16" across the flats. You'll not want to go up much in bore size, in any event. I'm thinking you would need to go to at least a 45 gauge (0.470") to eliminate the grooves, but around a 42 gauge (0.481") might be the most to expect, but again, the size of the breech plug may impose a limit. Mr. Hoyt could advise you on this.

For an effective turkey load, you'll need to consider wads, also, and whether or not you can even get them in the size you need.

However, I'm a little uneasy with the whole situation. If you'll permit me to suggest an alternative... Maybe look into getting a T/C Renegade .56 smoothbore. These are not hard to find and you can generally expect to get a good'un for $350 - $450. I got one a few years ago that was (is) in 95% condition or better, off GunBroker or GunsAmerica (I forget), for about $350. In my opinion, T/C should have made these in .55 instead of .56, to make them a true 28 gauge. Not sure how 28 gauge components will fit, probably somewhat loosely, but then again, 010" is not much difference. I haven't tried yet. A lot of guys get these Renegade smoothbores and have them bored out to a larger caliber and rifled. The Renegade barrel is a full inch across the flats.

As it is, the .56 smoothbore will handle round balls or shot. Track of the Wolf carries the recommended .550 balls, if you want to use the gun on bigger game.

The Renegade smoothbore also has more of a shotgun butt, and may point more naturally than your Seneca.

Just my thoughts on the topic. Good luck with your project, and be safe!

Notchy Bob

 

[Notchy Bob]

Regarding my post above... The OP said he had a T/C Cherokee, and I referred to it as a T/C Seneca. However, I believe both have 13/16" barrels, so my comments still stand.

I apologize for the error.

Notchy Bob