Is longer better

[stone knife]

I'm getting ready to order a TVM Fowler .62 cal, at first I thought about a 38" barrel but now I'm thinking 42". What say ye.

 

[rabjr]

I have a 32" and a 41" smoothbore and I like them both. The 41" is light enough for me to handle the length and I've really come to enjoy using it. So I say go long!

 

[paulvallandigham]

For what purpose(s)?

Shooting moving game is all about balance- not length--so you can swing smoothly on the game.

Shooting at standing game( Deer, Turkey) IS ABOUT ACCURATE PLACEMENT. A longer barrel- giving you a longer sight plane from your eye and the comb of the stock to your front sight- on a smooth bore can be of aid. But, I don't see much advantage of a 42" over a 38", IMHO.

My fowling piece has a 30 inch barrel, with a rear sight- is plenty long for the 50 yd. and under shots I need to take at turkey or deer. My .50 cal. rifle has a 39" barrel, and that was everything to do about balance, rather than sight radius, as I did and do a lot of off-hand shooting with that gun. Balance allows me to hold the sights on target without wearing myself out.

Did you pick the 38" length arbitrarily, or is it based on someone's gun you have tried and like?

When my brother had his .45 flintlock made, he made a couple of trips up from Florida to test the balance of the gun, and finally settled on 37" rather than 38" after holding the gun to his shoulder. :hmm:

 

[missionary5155]

Greetings
Have a .62 smoothie and am very happy with it. Also have longer smoothies up to 46" which also are not hard to get used to. It comes down to (for me) which ever I am using the most for those months. But I will write that 38" is a bit easier to manage about the swamp thickets I get down into. With a smoothie I figure I have 50 yards well covered with PRB as I have not thumped a corn cruncher past 35 yards in the areas I hunt.
Hunting crows from a blind the barrel length does not much matter as I try to not shoot past 25 yards as I only get the one shot and I like to hear that flight ending thwap. But even at 25 yards I still have to chase some down.. I am not the greatest wing shot.
Mike in Peru

 

[stone knife]

Did you pick the 38" length arbitrarily, or is it based on someone's gun you have tried and like?

My .45 rifle has a 42" barrel and I like that but I was thinking about maybe a little more forgiveness in the brush while running rabbits with the hounds, otherwise the gun would be for turkey squirrel and possibly deer if my .45 would forgive me for leaving it home :grin:

 

[stone knife]

I have a 32" and a 41" smoothbore and I like them both. The 41" is light enough for me to handle the length and I've really come to enjoy using it. So I say go long!

Do they pattern comparably? I'm going to go with a cylinder bore and rely on fabric shot cups to hold my pattern together for a 25-30 shot.

 

[roundball]

I have 38"x.62cal and 42"x.54cal smoothbores and love them equally for hunting reasonably stationary game like deer, squirrels, turkey in field edges and oak woods.

But of the two, if I was going to pick a barrel length that would be heavily used in tighter quarters for moving targets, I'd opt for the slightly shorter 38" barrel myself

 

[rabjr]

I have a 32" and a 41" smoothbore and I like them both. The 41" is light enough for me to handle the length and I've really come to enjoy using it. So I say go long!

Do they pattern comparably? I'm going to go with a cylinder bore and rely on fabric shot cups to hold my pattern together for a 25-30 shot.

No, the 32" is cylinder bore and the limited time I tried shot out of it, it wasn't very good pattern at 25 yards. But that gun (.12ga) was built mainly to throw balls for deer hunting. The 41" .20ga was jug choked for turkeys and used for deer hunting. It patterns like I want at 25 yards. :thumbsup:

 

[smoothy]

Why are you considering such short lengths? Just kidding. But I would go for the longer length. I have a fowler with a 42" barrel and it looks rather short to me as compared to some of the long, slender ones I'm beginning to like more. But it has to fit you and you are the one that has to be happy with it.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I'm getting ready to order a TVM Fowler .62 cal, at first I thought about a 38" barrel but now I'm thinking 42". What say ye.

My fowler is a 31" barrel and it handles beautifully. However, even at 36" I don't think I would notice any difference. My Brown Bess is much longer and handles differently. I enjoy shooting it but have to use differently.
Really, choice is yours. I would try to handle several of friends before making the decision. Only you can decide.

 

[hanshi]

Over the years I've found 38" to be just right for my use. That's pretty long but still short enough that the length doesn't get in the way. Truthfully, anything much longer is just too hard to get in and out of my truck.

 

[Mike Brooks]

Really depends on your barrel weight. A light (6 lbs) fowling gun with a 48" barrel handles quite well.

 

[paulvallandigham]

I agree- If the weight is distributed correctly. Its called " Balance". :hmm: :thumbsup:

I don't know anyone who can pick- or choose-- the right balance of a gun for another shooter. That is why I asked if he had tried various length of barrels on other guns to come up with the 38" length he first ordered.

Altho my brother and I are identical twins- alike in almost everything we do, are, feel, and think--- He chose a 37" BARREL for his .45 cal. Flintock, compared to the 39" barrel on my .50 cal. rifle. Yes, he had a chance to handle and shoot4 my rifle before he ordered his own gun.

They are close in balance, but not the same. :shocked2: :surrender: :hatsoff:

 

I've got 2 twenty gauge guns, one with a 38" barrel and one with a 72" barrel. The 72" barrel is more than a little hard to handle in the field but holds a good pattern but the 38" works real well.
Mark

 

[Stumpkiller]

I wanted a short fowler and opted for the 42" barrel length; swamped. Ought to help me with my follow-through. ;-)

I deer hunt in brushy woodlots with a 44" bbl rifle. Actually, it is not much of a hinderence. You're not going to get game with a tree between you even if the barrel doesn't hit it. Think about that for a second.

 

[stone knife]

I just got off the phone with TVM, 42" barrel is how I'm going. I was told 9-12 month wait :cursing: But good things come to those who wait.

 

[jlatz]

I've been using a 28 ga. TVM flint fowler for several years. It has a 36" barrel and does well with shot and round ball.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

I've got 2 twenty gauge guns, one with a 38" barrel and one with a 72" barrel. The 72" barrel is more than a little hard to handle in the field ...

Mark - OMG sir, I would LOVE to see pictures of that!!!!

 

[troutabout]

The Grinslade book "Flintlock Fowlers" has many fowlers with six and seven foot long barrels. That book is pure eye candy....... :thumbsup:

 

[dyemaker]

I think maybe how tall or short the shooter is and how long his or her arms are matters a bit. A taller person can handle a longer barrel more easily it seems. I like the thought of a 37" barrel as long as it balances well. I seems just the right length for handling while loading (for me) standing arms to the side bent at the elbow 90 degrees hands not covering the sights. Measured as if the gun was a cane but my thoughts may be totally off again. I admit I often have to rethink... I'm not the one to ask, just typing out loud. Ive never really paid attention to ergonomics whislt loading my rifle come to think of it. :redface: