Just finished my first Kibler kit and smoothbore. As soon as I finish scrounging or making the supplies the learning curve begins. Primary targets are going to be turkey and deer. Recommendation's welcome. It's a .58.
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First smoothbore
- Thread starter Indy Durtdigger
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Good looking gun! I have a 58 smooth rifle in the works when the parts get here. We'll have to compare notes since it will be my first smooth rifle too.
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Nice job ,it’s alooker for sure.yup the old smoothbore learning curve .lots of cussing and head scratching to come.On the bright side it keeps the mind busy.
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i finished a smoothbore some time ago, it shoots a .600 ball over a felt wad, over 85g of fff like this. i forgot the hornet nest wad over the ball to keep it on the powder. 35 yards.
TDM
Cannon
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Congratulations on your build. Looks great.
Nice smoothbore!
Thanks all. Spent the last few days gathering "traditional" wadding materials. Just so happened to be poking around on TOW tonight looking for a new range rod and realized the shot wads and cards are stupid cheap. Far be it beyond me to think opening a plastic bag beats shaking metal tin full of old nests of stingy things to see if anyone's home before taking the lid off.
@Ballshooter has some great round ball patterns with his!
Cool. Just so happens I've spent the morning punching out felt wads and getting my patch material washed. Also finally remembered where I put all my .58 goodies after not seeing them since sometime in the late 90s. Saves me having to get some balls cast for a bit.
When I get back from town in a bit I'll probably start weighing out shot to see what measure to use for my loads. Thinking about going 80gr ish on the powder charge and heavy on the shot since no choke.
Just need the weather to stop being obtuse. Been super nice during the week while at work and manure on the weekends.
I’ll have loads redone once I get my barrel back from being jug choked. It’s fine, just need to pick it up. I too, have a .58 Kibler smoothie (and rifle). Mine will mainly be a turkey gun, but I’ll work rb loads as well
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I can’t count the number of times I configured a Kibler Colonial ja lot like this (No patch box, walnut, 58 smooth) before they announced the Fowler. I was patiently waiting on the fowler When the Woodsrunner “took the place“ of the fowler in the production schedule. I ordered the Woodsrunner as it looked to be what I wanted in a rifle. It has proven to be so!
Still wanting a smooth bore I have put my name on a builder’s schedule for a “type G” and because I anticipate being done with my caplock build by May I also odered a Petaconica Trade Gun kit. I guess my patience waiting for the Kibler fowler didn’t last!
Still wanting a smooth bore I have put my name on a builder’s schedule for a “type G” and because I anticipate being done with my caplock build by May I also odered a Petaconica Trade Gun kit. I guess my patience waiting for the Kibler fowler didn’t last!
Dunno if this belongs here or not, but....
How do you smoothbore folks load your guns?
I only have one smoothbore barrel, though contemplating getting another one or two. I shoot mostly very light loads because my gun's barrel is only 12" long. A typical load is 30 grains of whatever suitable powder I have on hand, a 1/8" Circle Fly Wads Nitro Card, a CFW Fiber Wad, a 1.2 or so shot charge capped by a CFW over shot card.
This generally produces acceptable patterns with moderate recoil that are suitable for rabbit-sized targets out to twenty to twenty-five yards or so... possibly a little longer as I have not done any serious patterning with it yet. I've heard of folks putting the shot charge into a paper sack of sorts with fins on the front that cause the bag to rip open a few yards down range, which makes for a tighter pattern. As there are now unmentionables out there that do the same thing with different shot cups, this idea would seem to ring true. I have a few of these charges in my possession that were made by the now-deceased former owner, retired DePere Police Officer Dave Younkle, who swore by them.
My question is perhaps a little silly, but, I normally carry that gun on a sling muzzle-down. Nothing has happened yet, but that over-shot card seems awfully thin and I wondered if anyone has experienced a failure of the overshot wad? As dear as shot seems to be these days, I would rather not waste charges.
How do you smoothbore folks load your guns?
I only have one smoothbore barrel, though contemplating getting another one or two. I shoot mostly very light loads because my gun's barrel is only 12" long. A typical load is 30 grains of whatever suitable powder I have on hand, a 1/8" Circle Fly Wads Nitro Card, a CFW Fiber Wad, a 1.2 or so shot charge capped by a CFW over shot card.
This generally produces acceptable patterns with moderate recoil that are suitable for rabbit-sized targets out to twenty to twenty-five yards or so... possibly a little longer as I have not done any serious patterning with it yet. I've heard of folks putting the shot charge into a paper sack of sorts with fins on the front that cause the bag to rip open a few yards down range, which makes for a tighter pattern. As there are now unmentionables out there that do the same thing with different shot cups, this idea would seem to ring true. I have a few of these charges in my possession that were made by the now-deceased former owner, retired DePere Police Officer Dave Younkle, who swore by them.
My question is perhaps a little silly, but, I normally carry that gun on a sling muzzle-down. Nothing has happened yet, but that over-shot card seems awfully thin and I wondered if anyone has experienced a failure of the overshot wad? As dear as shot seems to be these days, I would rather not waste charges.
Putting this here for my own reference later,
.58 smoothbore
.58 smoothbore
When I got my TFC I was a dedicated rifle shooter. I wasn’t real sure I wanted to shoot ball at all. It wasn’t long till smoothies were my favorite gun
They get under your skin
Your trapped now
They get under your skin
Your trapped now
I can think of worse things to get trapped into. My main reason for initially digging all my stuff out was I can make or source all my own stuff for them. Then I had the thought about a flint and not needing caps anymore. Then I got to reading about you all and your universally adaptable smoothbores. I don't get excited about anything anymore bit this endeavor actually has me daydreaming about it and that Kibler rifle handles like a dream despite being 25ft long.
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LOL ! That a what happened to me too
Ballshooter
50 Cal.
Ballshooter
50 Cal.
So what does the corn meal actually do?
Make the smoke smell like grits or taco shells
