.62 or .54

[Jim West]

Debating with myself on caliber of smoothie to be used for squirrel, rabbit, turkey and deer. Right now I have a 12 ga., but would like to move to a 20 or 28. I would probably sell the 12 to fund the purchase, so this would end up being my only smoothie. (I hate this fixed income retirement thing.) The last 10 years, all my turkey shots have been under 20 yards if this helps. Since I own a nice pack of beagles, I would probably use it to hunt rabbits and hares more than anything else. Please give me your thoughts.

 

[Ron LaClair]

Call me lucky but I have all three calibers of flintlock smooth bores. I use the 12ga mostly on turkeys but I have taken a couple turkeys with the 20. The 54 smooth rifle (28ga) is a great rabbit and squirrel gun loaded with #6 shot,it'll kill em without shooting em up. I've taken several deer and a buffalo with the 20ga with RB. If I could only go with one I'd say the .62 (20ga) would be a good choice, it'll do it all.

 

[tg]

I have not tried any smoothbores on Turkesy but have had .54/.58/.62 and .72 smoothies of one syle or another and would pick the .62 as the "go to" gun with the .58 a close second, this is in part due to the laws determining what size bore is leagal for various game and often the 20 gauge is the smallest bore permitted but even with out this limiting factor I believe the .62 would be my first choice. I do not consider the anmounts of powder and lead consumed into the equation when trying to detrmine such things.

 

[roundball]

The last 10 years, all my turkey shots have been under 20 yards if this helps.
I would probably use it to hunt rabbits and hares more than anything else.

When you're only going to get one, its hard to argue against the slightly larger .20ga.
But in true practical terms, a .54cal/.28ga will do fine for the items you mentioned.

I'm fortunate enough to have both a .20 and a .28 and the .54/.28 is quickly becoming my favorite for hunting deer, turkey, and squirrels.
Here are three typical tuna can targets at 25yds, excellent pattern density on a small 3.5" target...30yds would be fine as well and easily covers 99% of most small game distances.

Rice 42" smoothbore barrel / cylinder bore
60grn measure of Goex 3F
Two 1/8" Oxyoke prelubed wool wads
100grn measure of #5s, #6s and a 90gr measure of #7.5s
Two OS cards

 

[ohio ramrod]

The solution for fixed income retirement is to find a hobby that makes you a little money instead of costing you money. When I first started going to rendezvous I realised I could make and sell camp furniture, and machine muzzle loading accesories. So I was soon going to rendezvous and actually coming home with more money than I left with.Do you have access to things such as leather scraps that would allow you to make and sell items that would cover your costs.Old files that would allow you to forge knives or any other such items. The secret is to do what you enjoy and make a buck at the same time. :idunno:

 

[ericb]

I'd go .62...

Eric

 

[ApprenticeBuilder]

The solution for fixed income retirement is to find a hobby that makes you a little money instead of costing you money. When I first started going to rendezvous I realised I could make and sell camp furniture, and machine muzzle loading accesories. So I was soon going to rendezvous and actually coming home with more money than I left with.Do you have access to things such as leather scraps that would allow you to make and sell items that would cover your costs.Old files that would allow you to forge knives or any other such items. The secret is to do what you enjoy and make a buck at the same time. :idunno:

:thumbsup:

.62

 

[Jim West]

Roundball, is your gun a fowler or smooth rifle?

 

[roundball]

Roundball, is your gun a fowler or smooth rifle?

Smooth rifle...don't a fowler's looks, prefering a "rifle architecture" instead...both of mine are Early Virginias built by TVM.
Other than the occasional overhead crow, my shot loads out of a smoothbore are at basically at small stationary targets...turkey head & neck, squirrel, heart of a deer, etc...with a rear sight they are rifles without rifling.

Christened the .62cal/.20 on Saturday...now going after the 2nd tag with the .54cal/.28.

 

My second muzzleloader, bought when I was 18, was a $19.95 28 gauge, half-stock percussion. Over the years I killed a ton of squirrels with it. When I was deciding what I wanted in the way of a flint smoothbore a little over a month ago I strongly considered a 28. In the end, I ordered a 20, ONLY because it was minimum for turkey in Indiana. I’ve never hunted turkey, and I may never hunt turkey, but at least I have the option. Other than that, there isn’t much limitation to the smaller bore.

 

[roundball]

"...I ordered a 20, ONLY because it was minimum for turkey in Indiana..."

Excellent point for you to check Head Hunter...your state may have a minimum gauge which might force the decision on you

 

[Dausener]

Get the 20ga. Here in Iowa it is also the minimum for turkey. It is a very versatile gun. You can hunt everything from cottontails to whitetails.

 

[hawk]

I have one of each if your going after turkeys in ths area at least you'll need a 20ga min and a 10 max to be legal the 28 and 12 are also good guns for squirels . I like the 12 for turkeys and rabbits and grouse .

 

[Jim West]

The only thing that I can find in my turkey guide about legal methods are shot size. Nothing bigger than #4 shot. I prefer #6's anyway because of pattern densities. Also, you cannot use a single projectile in a firearm for hunting turkeys here. Still, the .62 sounds like the way to go as some of the adjoining states require it and you never know when I might take an out of state hunt.

 

[Stony]

.62, it just about does everything and more.

 

Either one is a good choice, they will work well on anything you want to shoot in the lower 48 states. I have taken anything from rabbits to buffalo for many years with only a few problems of my doing, poor shot placement. !@#$%^