Barrel Length for Turkey Hunting

[The Baron]

Hello All,

I'm still deliberating over a flinter for turkey hunting. I'm having a tough time getting over mental issues related to barrel length. It wasn't that long ago I was a modern shotgun lover, and barrels on turkey guns got shorter and shorter. Now I am looking at flintlocks with barrels up to 46" in length. I know it's traditional and all, but is a 46" barrel an awkward, unbalanced mess in the turkey woods? How do you sit at a tree and ease around on a bird with that kind of length? I did see one nice flinter with a 34" barrel and it looked too stubby - didn't really fit the era I thought. If it helps, I'm looking at .62 smoothies.

Help.
Signed... Over a Barrel

 

[Darkhorse]

I think a 38" would be about right. My modern Turkey gun has a 24" and it still gets hung in the vines and bushes down here.
Colrain has a Turkey choked barrel but it is 44". Maybe by the time I start my fowler they will have that choke in a 38".

 

[BillinOregon]

Baron: It's a question that's popped into my head, too. One solution is a Northwest trade gun, 20 gauge. A barrel as short as 30 inches can be correct.

 

[Hoyt]

I just put together a .20ga. Virginia Style Pecatonica kit. I went with 36's...just because of my style of hunting. I hunt public land and have to cover a lot of country in a hurry..and lots of time I carry my gun strung across my back. Going through trees even with a 24" barrel it will hit on occasions. I'm sure since this is my first yr. with a barrel even as long as 36" it's going to get wacked a bunch of times. If you carry it in hand I see no problem with barrel length.

 

[No Deer]

My trade gun has a 42" barrel and I have no problem going thru the woods either turkey or deer hunting. You just have to get used to the length and then you can ease along. :imo:

 

[BillinOregon]

Hoyt: Sure would like to see your Pecatonica Virginia. How do you like her so far? Was the kit reasonably easy to assemble? I just know there's a Pecatonica kit or three in my future.

 

[Hoyt]

Bill..I hadn't even ever shot a flintlock till I put this kit together and haven't shot it but about 20times. But I didn't have any problem what-so-ever with the kit and if I can scrape up some money somewhere am going to attempt a rifle build from Pecatonica before next deer season. I just wanted a flintlock smoothbore to hunt turkeys with and I like it a lot..will really like it if I kill a gobbler this spring... don't know much about PC and that stuff so bought The art of Building the Pennsylvania Longrifle and went by it and this board. Got a lot of answers on here..specially from Zonie.
here's a couple of pictures.

Pecatonica Virginia 1

Pecatonica 2

 

[BillinOregon]

Hoyt: Have mercy, that's a gorgeous gun you built! Wow! I think you could just show it to the gobbler and while that old tom is admiring its lines, you bop him with a stick.
Which grade of maple did you use?

 

[BillinOregon]

Oops -- one other question. What's she weigh, Hoyt?

 

[Hoyt]

Bill..it weighs 8lbs. with the sling and the stock is a #2 grade.

 

[Rat]

We've discussed the barrel length thing for hunting before, and really ANY barrel length is going to work well for Turk. Short barrels being more "handy" in the brush is way over-rated. Really the main thing a short barrel gives you is a lighter gun, and there are many long barreled smoothbores that are very light...!!

After hunting most of my life with carbines and rifle barrels under 30", last season I hunted Elk for a couple of weeks with a 42" barrel. It worked perfectly fine and at no time did I wish I had a carbine. I didn't even notice the extra weight.

I hunt Turk with a 31.5" Brown Bess carbine, and it works great, but if I could make the barrel grow a bit I think about 35-36" would be perfect for that musket, as far as swing and balence go...on the other hand it's nice and light at 8.25 pounds at that length, so I'm not complaining.

I think you'll find most fowlers in .62" to be around the 40" mark, and that will work great in any type of terrain, certainly wont' be awkward or ill-handling. Easing around the tree with a 40, 42 or even a 46" barrel is no different really than with a carbine...just sticks out further.

Rat