Can we see some Fowlers...

[Greenmtnboy]

I have put a full jug choke in it.
Here is an average two shot group at 40 yrds.
I shoot 90 grns of ffg goex and one and one quarter ounce of #4.
A reminder, if you are going for H.C. a jug choke is not.
:thumbsup:

 

[John Tice]

I realized that my post from the other night got cut off in mid- transmission when my computer froze up. I mostly shoot traditional loads and methods, as I am always interested in trying to figure out how things were done or might have been done in the past. I basically follow Noah Webster’s definition of wadding in his first American Dictionary of 1828, which he defines as: “A little mass of some soft or flexible material, such as hay, straw, tow, paper, or old ropeyarn, used for stopping the charge of powder in a gun and pressing it close to the shot, or for keeping the powder and shot close.” He was born in West Hartford, Connecticut in 1758, so I consider him a pretty good source.

What I do is take a bag of tow (which I got at TOW) and in the palm of my hands I roll balls about ¾ of an inch in diameter and dab a little lard or olive oil on them. I keep them loose in the front compartment of my shot pouch. I then load 70 grains of 3F into my charger, down the barrel, then wad, 70 grains of #6 shot, a wad, then ram it down tight. My shot I keep in a two-section shot snake which holds two different size shot. I got the idea from a homemade one on exhibit at Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts. I made everything but the gun.

I’m sure there are better ways of doing it, but I find it a lethal load on squirrels in tree tops and makes for a heck of day of hunting. Coincidently, Webster also described squirrel flesh as “delicate food,” which is interesting. They ate a lot of squirrels in New England back in the day. A couple more pics of Roy's gun...

 

[Stumpkiller]

That's some "Long Tom". I like!


I've been playing with wool roving (the step before spinning into yarn) as a wad and overshot. Works pretty well, but I think I'm getting shot in among the fibers that causes the pattern to open and have voids. I'm working on reducing the amounts to minimal practical.

 

[Jason Lewis]

once again a beautiful piece, if you don't mind a couple more questions?

maybe i missed it but what gauge did you say it was? what does it weigh? and if you've patterned it can we have a pic of the pattern?

thank you for sharing your loads and technique!

 

[rabjr]

http://www.roystroh.com/custommuzzleloaders64.html

 

[David Coulter]

It was built by Larry Williams (I bought it second hand). I hated the original color stain of the wood ("poop brown" to quote Mike Brooks) and the metal just looked bare... so I refinished the stock and took a little cold bluing & Scotch-brite to the metal.

Being a Connecticut Valley style fowler, it doesn't really go with my PA German persona, but it'll have to do for now... I've only taken small game with shot loads with it. Missed one deer with it w/ PRB if that counts for anything! :haha: It handles pretty well... not very heavy but the barrel is 46". I remember trying to slowly swing the gun on that deer... and it felt VERY long at that particular moment! :haha:

Here's some more details/photos of the gun: N.E. Fowler

Maestro, are you at Jacobsburg? I haven’t made it to their gun works when it was open. Dc

 

[Robby]

16 gauge, I've taken a lot of turkeys with this one.
Robby

 

[hanshi]

Here we go, a more better photo but posted previously. Not ugly but super plain. It still has all it original "good".

 

[David Coulter]

Question for you fowler experts, how far from the muzzle should I end my stock. It’s a Chambers PA Fowler. Thanks, dc

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
Bring the stock right up to to the muzzle like below:

dave

 

[David Coulter]

Beauty, sold! thank you very much, dwc