Fowler for grouse?

[Darkgael]

IF....IF mind you all. If I was to order a fowler (let's say 20 ga.) for upland hunting here in the Pennsylvania huckleberries, what length barrel would be optimal? Or is that really a matter of taste?
The guns that I have seen all wore barrels in excess of three feet. I just can't see myself wading through some of the local terrain with a barrel that long. Then, again, I know next to nothing about what is necessary for good performance from a fowling piece.
Pete

 

[rabjr]

This one I had built for me by Roy, he proclaimed it a hell of a grouse gun. :thumbsup:
[url] http://www.nimrodsplace.com/nefowler23.html[/url]

 

[paulvallandigham]

My fowler has a 30 inch barrel, which I chose for the same reasons you have. Its more than long enough. Now, my fowler is LHed, so it can't be period, or historically correct! That being the case, I didn't have any qualms about ordering a barrel shorter than 44, 42, 38, or 36 inches, Much less the 48, and 60 inch barrels you sometimes see. My 30 inch gun balances well, swings well, and gets me through the thickets. It also seems to shoot round ball well.

I recommend that you order what you want, but try to hold and swing several single barrel guns to find out what balances and handles well for you. Frankly, I would also have been happy with a 36" barrel on my 20 ga. but I got the shorter length after trying out all my shotguns, and a few long guns. I hve 22 inch barrels on a DB shotgun, and another with 30 inch barrels. I have a single barrel shotgun with barrels that range from 20 inches to 30 inches. I took measurements of the entire length of the barrel and tang on the MLers, and then also measured the actions and barrel lengths before deciding on the 30 inch barrel for this gun.

 

[rabjr]

I should have mentioned also, mine was built using the Colerain 32" 12ga barrel.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Swamp Rat: Works for me. :thumbsup:

 

[Ridge]

Mine wears a 46 inch barrel. I wouldn't change it for anything in the world.

The thickets around here are thick but I've never had a problem.

I'd be way more worried about how the gun was balance than what length the barrel was.

 

[tg]

I use a 44" and 42" barrel in the thick Salmon berry and devils clubchoke gullies of the Oregon costal Mts. with no problems as far as handling the gun goes

 

[redwing]

I shoot a 42" .62 flint. The reason that I have a .42" is that I didn't think to order it in 46". I hunt grouse in the open Sage Brush plains. I also just like the looks of the long smooth bores. :thumbsup:

 

[hawk]

I've used a 46" barreled bess for grouse and had no problems with it in the bush .I hunt the thick bush of northern Ontario for moose and once the moose is in the tree it's grouse huntin' time.
plan on using a 46" 20ga smoothrifle this year (it's 4lbs lighter than the bess).
I've also used a wilson trade gun with a 36" 12ga barrel with good success .
what your comfortable carrying all day I would say makes the best gun.

 

[shootemup]

I have fowlers with 26", 36", and 42" barrels. All are fine, pick what you're comfortable with and enjoy it.

Spot

 

Roy made that? That sure is a nice piece a work. Beautiful!

 

[rabjr]

:grin: Yepper he sure did, I documented the build if your interested,[url] http://www.nimrodsplace.com/nefowler1.html[/url]

 

[Darkgael]

Thank you all for your replies. Now I need to find a place that has fowlers so I can check out balance, etc.
Do we know anyone in NE/Ncent. Pa.?
Pete

 

[Iron Jim Rackham]

Oh wow!. Great documentary. Really enjoyed the pictures. Thanks.

 

[yukon jack]

I USE NORTHWEST TRADE GUN WITH THE 41"BARREL 62. CAL/20GA. HI TO HAWK2 IN BRANT COUNTY, I'M IN LONDON, I'VE ALSO DONE A LOT OF HUNTING IN THE NORTH

 

[bpesteve]

This one I had built for me by Roy, he proclaimed it a hell of a grouse gun. :thumbsup:
[url] http://www.nimrodsplace.com/nefowler23.html[/quote][/url]


A real beauty, that; gorgeous wood and wire. :bow:

This fall it will be the flint 44" 14 bore on grouse for me - I think they taste better by the inch...

 

[Slamfire]

Considering the weight and balance of a nice fowler, there's no reason why the barrel couldn't be 8" longer that your favorite pump gun. :thumbsup:

 

[paulvallandigham]

:youcrazy: Yeah, those long barreled guns will allow you to swing on a quail just as fast as those short barrels guns we use today, for sure! :bull: :surrender:

And I bet you can find some rifle shooters that will agree with you. Frankly, I will stick with what I learned from years of shooting shotguns at moving targets. A balanced gun can only give you so much, and then its length becomes a hinderance to catching up with a fleeing bird. If you limit your shots to straight aways, fine. But to get to a crossing target, and get out in front of it with a flintlock fowler, You need to be moving it as fast as can be. Quailk, grouse and dove, among other birds will be gone behind cover before you get those heavy long barreled guns in front of them for a shot. Take your gun to a sporting clays range and shoot a round. You will get a much better idea of your gun's, and your own capabilities.

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

Some of us just enjoy using the old guns in the manner they were used in the old days. That's why we got involved with them to begin with. This does mean using them long barrels and all. For us it is not a competition or a game of "mine's better", but just a great way to go afield in a most authentic fashion. And once one gets used to a long fowler hitting the birds does get easier.
Some prefer to modify the fowlers by bobbing the barrel and that is fine, too. I think if barrel length became a concern for me, I would consider going to a later period gun--say 1800 or so which would have a shorter barrel anyway. Maybe an English style piece from just before the percussion era began. These are easily some of the finest, most elegant birding pieces ever made.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Russ T: I agree. Some shooters just seem to not think about what they intend to use a gun for. For shooting deer, and turkey, I would opt for that 44 inch barreled fowler, too. But around here, I am much more likely to be hunting birds. The shorter barrel works for me, if a 30 inch barrel can be called Short these day! If I were only going to shoot pheasants rising over dogs, I could probably do okay with that longer barreled gun, too. But for grouse, quail, dove, and chukkar, The preference has to go to the "shorter " barrel.

I apologize if my sarcasm has offended anyone. You can find me drooling over long barreled fowlers at the Gunmaker's Hall at Friendship at least once every year.