Need Advice on a Flinter for Turkeys

[The Baron]

Hello All!

I'm looking for advice on a flintlock specifically for turkey hunting (and perhaps a little 'fowling). I currently have an 11ga. (give or take) percussion and want to make a switch to a flintlock smoothbore. Of course, there are plenty of 20ga. models to choose from. But, I'm hung up on a larger gauge. I like the idea of a Bess type gun, but I don't want to lug a 10lb gun through the woods. I have considered a 12ga. English fowler from Caywood, but of course that is a big investment.

What does everyone else use for turkeys? Is a 20ga. enough gun to be a consistent killer? Any/all opinions are welcome. Thanks!

 

I like my english in 20 . work up a load and you will do fine

 

[No Deer]

I used my 20 ga. fusil this year, unfortunately did not have opportunity to actually test it A couple of years ago I did get a nice tom with my pedersoli mortimer 12 ga. flint.
No Deer

 

[Rebel]

Check out Early Rustic Arms. They have a variety of styles and they offer them with a .75 cal. barrel option. The Colonial Smoothbore looks nice.

 

[musketman]

I'm looking for advice on a flintlock specifically for turkey hunting

Something without a lot of brass...

How about a North West Trade Gun? :winking:

 

[Hoyt]

I went through the same decisions..etc. 12ga. 16 or 20ga. I hunted with a T/C 12ga. percussion last season and got a good gobbler..but the gun had screw in chokes and I was not satisfied and knew I wanted to go real traditional all the way. That meant 20ga. flintlock to me..because I knew if I went with a bigger bore and was successful I'd want to move to the next challenge and that would be a 20ga. So I saved myself some time and money and just went straight to the 20.
I knew what I wanted but couldn't find it so..I checked with all the custom kit people and Pecatonic gave me the best deal with the options I ask for. Early Virginia 20ga. grade 1 maple, 36" octagon to round barrel..with front and rear sight. Chambers large siler lock. I'm just about ready to stain it now.. it's my first build and hope it will shoot.

 

[roundball]

FWIW, I decided to try a .62cal(.20ga) flintlock set up for turkeys...it was a relatively inexpensive investment just to try turkeys a couple Saturdays a year...GM drop-in flint barrel for a TC Hawken Flintlock.

Developed a solid turkey load with it that kills coke cans at 40yds, now I just need to get a Tom to step up to the plate in front of me...going after them again this spring.

70grs Goex FFFg (or 80grns Goex FFg)
Three Oxyoke wonderwads
Paper shot cup
1+5/8 ozs #6's
OS card

 

[KyFlintlock]

Have killed 3 turkeys with the Mortimer 12ga flinter, although if I had to do it over again I'd get something AMERICAN MADE! I didn't have any guidance and saw it on Dixie....

Good luck and it is a BALL!
Wess

 

[The Baron]

Rebel - I checked out Early Rustic Arms. Thanks! I am pretty excited about what I see there, so I'm planning to call him up. A long wait might kill me, but at least what I want will be in motion (finding flinters here in Canada is like finding an honest politician). I'm seriously thinking .75 becasue I will do some goose hunting with it, but I'm not really a deer hunter, at present.

Hoyt - looks like a really nice project you're on. i'd love to see finished pictures too!

Thanks everyone for the help! So much to learn.

 

[Rebel]

Baron, your are welcome. And if you buy one of them from here in the States, we will send you absolutely FREE with your purchase, a Left Wing Liberal Politician of your choice. :crackup: :crackup: :thumbsup:

 

[The Baron]

Rebel... Wow - your generosity is admirable. But... I'd have to pay taxes and duty on that "free" gift, so I'd better pass. :crackup:

 

[Rebel]

Heck, if you'll take a few of them i'm sure some of us would chip in and pay the taxes and duties for you. :crackup:

 

[Keith]

We're having a sale right now! Two for the price of one. You get Bill and Hillary Clinton! Please take them!

Seriously, back to the topic. TOTW sells, or used to, a barrel that was mde for turkey hunting and choked full anyone have any experience with one?

 

[Stumpkiller]

Keith,

Have I got a Turkey spot for you. Within a couple hours of sunrise I had two turkeys run directly AT me (hens on seperate occasions), passing within 20 yards, and one glide down and then akwardly fly over within 20 feet. And I was in head-to-toe blaze orange Ten-Mile cloth! No deer, but I couldn't have heard one for all the clucking and gobbling going on around me all morning.

I'm thinking if you're wanting an extra-full choke on a M/L that you should get any choke and have it counter-bored and threaded for a Rem-choke (Briley), then get an extra-full screw in tube for it. You can get a IC or Mod tube for normal use. That will cost $50 to $70 plus the tubes ($25 to $30/ea +/-, $60 for the extended kind) and shipping.

That's a basic gunsmith job. Even Gander Mountain will do this for you.

 

Track of the Wolf has a Tulle that offers a choked "turkey barrel". It's a 20 gauge that is jug-choked at the muzzle down to .580

Check it out. You can probably get it done by Spring gobbler season

however, I have several friends that have taken nice toms with 20 gauge trade guns, no choke. But, even with that in mind, I am currently building a 16 gauge Tulle witha 44" Colerain barrel with the idea of shooting bigger birds like turkeys and geese.

 

[Rat]

My Brown Bess carbine weighs 8.25 pounds, feels like about a 7 pound gun and handles great. It shoots Turk-killing patterns out to 35 yards easy. No choke. Don't need no choke. Just learn how to load the gun.

And it's an 11 gauge.

BIG musket lock = fast reliable ignition.

Problem solved!!!!!

Rat

 

[Bob J]

Rat-
What kind of load do you use in the flinter?

 

[The Baron]

I am not concerned about choke. The old percussion fowler I have is a straight tube. In fact, that's its name... "The Tube". One of my friends named it. Since I hung up my 870 and went blackpowder for turkeys, most of them think I've lost it :youcrazy: Anyway, when I get my hands on a flint for turkeys, I actually don't want a choke. They didn't have them in the 18th C (I'm sure someone might correct me on that) and a big part of the enjoyment I get from toting The Tube is having to do it up close and personal. :winking: Being limited to 20-25 yards means you get to enjoy a lot more turkey watching action and really hone the huntin' skills, which is why I'm out there.

I actually got lucky last night and found a T/C New Englander with both .50 and 12ga barrels, for sale in a Canadian Gun paper (look for a million new questions, coming soon to a forum near you!) I snapped it up and am excited to receive it! (As much as I love The Tube, it's an original and it probably shouldn't be shot too much more).

 

[Rat]

Well for Turk I use about 620 grains of shot, by weight, 110 grains of ffg Swiss, and a wonder-wad.

I make paper shot "cartridges" out of post-it-note, all self contained. Also keep my main-charges in paper cartridges.

So......break open a powder cartridge, pour it in, place the wonder wad in the muzzle, then ram the shot cartridge down on top of it. Prime the pan and ready to go.

I use mixed shot, mostly hard #4 shot, but then some #6 on top. If I had any I'd put a small layer of #2's on the very bottom. And of course a wonder-wad. I get Turk-Killing patterns beyond 25 yards, using one of those Turkey targets. There are always multiple hits in the head and neck.

For grouse I use #6 shot, drop the shot down to 500 grains by weight, and drop the main charge down to 90 grains of fg Goex. Actually my supply of #6 shot is a can of misc shot that's all #6 or smaller, so there's #7 and #8 in there too.

Rat

 

My Brown Bess carbine weighs 8.25 pounds, feels like about a 7 pound gun and handles great. It shoots Turk-killing patterns out to 35 yards easy. No choke. Don't need no choke. Just learn how to load the gun.

And it's an 11 gauge.

BIG musket lock = fast reliable ignition.

Problem solved!!!!!

Rat

I know of what you speak. I think that chokes in front loaders are too much trouble and I hold some nice patterns with my 20 gauge...besides, if you choke it, round balling kinda goes out the window, and you're left with just a shotgun! For me, I shoot a smoothie so that I don't need more than one gun...

Note that I said "need"...

PS: I got my wife a Sea Service Bess, but am still having trouble with the frizzen...but she can't wait to go out and bust some birds with it!!! It's kind of embarassing, you know...my wife has a 10 gauge, and I shoot a 20, and am just now building a 16!!! Sheesh!

Then again, she's a MUCH better trap shooter than me...

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