New England Fowler

[Reactor]

I just pulled the trigger and ordered a New England fowler in10 gauge, xtra fancy walnut from Jim Chambers. This will be my new turkey gun.
It may be a wait before I can get the kit, 3-6 months.
I'm thinking of getting the barrel choked to full. Anyone know who can perform this service?
Pretty cool to me since I live in N.E. and have history all around me. Heck two of my neighbors houses were built in the 1700s.
Flintlocks are addicting; or is it the added challenge they bring to the hunt.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

It will come with a Rice barrel. I talked to Rice yesterday and they do jug chokes. I'd call Chambers and let them know they want it jugged.

 

[Sidney Smith]

I've got a TVM poor boy .62 caliber (20 gauge) that I built for use as a small game and turkey gun. Mine is cylinder bored and it throws decent patterns out to 25 yards (furthest I've patterned it to). I've used it to hunt turkeys although I have not pulled the trigger on one with it yet. Don't discount cylinder bored guns. Its all in the type of load /wadding etc you use. All I ever use for wadding is paper from old phone books and Hemmings motor news(I'm too cheap to buy fiber wads etc). Still, it works well enough.

 

[Darkgael]

I've got a TVM poor boy .62 caliber (20 gauge) that I built for use as a small game and turkey gun. Mine is cylinder bored and it throws decent patterns out to 25 yards (furthest I've patterned it to). I've used it to hunt turkeys although I have not pulled the trigger on one with it yet. Don't discount cylinder bored guns. Its all in the type of load /wadding etc you use. All I ever use for wadding is paper from old phone books and Hemmings motor news(I'm too cheap to buy fiber wads etc). Still, it works well enough.

 

[Darkgael]

10 gauge is a lot of Fowler. I have a 16 ga NE Fowler made for me by Mike Brooks after a picture in Grinslade’s “Flintlock Fowler’s”.
Page 41, NE #9 1769.

 

[dave_person]

I just pulled the trigger and ordered a New England fowler in10 gauge, xtra fancy walnut from Jim Chambers. This will be my new turkey gun.
It may be a wait before I can get the kit, 3-6 months.
I'm thinking of getting the barrel choked to full. Anyone know who can perform this service?
Pretty cool to me since I live in N.E. and have history all around me. Heck two of my neighbors houses were built in the 1700s.
Flintlocks are addicting; or is it the added challenge they bring to the hunt.

Hi,
Here is one I built a few years ago for an early Rev War re-enactor. It is 20 gauge and I built the lock using castings from E. J. Blackley. The stock is cherry. Cherry and maple were the most common woods used on 18th century NE guns. The hardware represents a mix of recycled French and English trade gun stuff and what a local rural gunsmith might make attempting to copy French designs.

dave

 

[F.G. Ford]

Hi,
Here is one I built a few years ago for an early Rev War re-enactor. It is 20 gauge and I built the lock using castings from E. J. Blackley. The stock is cherry. Cherry and maple were the most common woods used on 18th century NE guns. The hardware represents a mix of recycled French and English trade gun stuff and what a local rural gunsmith might make attempting to copy French designs.

dave

Dave,
That is a very fine looking fowler!
It is unlimited the amount of fun that you would have with that gun.
I especially like the fine photos that you took. Especially nice back ground with your fowler on that tree stump.
Puts you right back in time.
Back to the original poster's request, jug choking a fowler, will extend it's lethal killing range to fifty yards. And yet will not limit the use of round ball for deer.
To get the most out of any fowler ( shot gun ) you have to study the use of wads, over powder wads, and over shot wads, also the effective use of shot cups. Just stuffing some shot over the powder will do nothing for effective shotgunning.
What ever range you intend to hunt, your pellets must have sufficient energy to penetrate, and be lethal.
That takes practice and experimenting.

 

[BillinOregon]

Dave, another breathtaking example of your fine work. Wow!
Reactor, do also look into the performance-enhancing "Skychief load" much discussed here. You may not need a jug choke.

 

[Juice Jaws]

Very nice, you guys that can work with wood and metal always amaze me. A build to be proud of. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Sidney Smith]

I only wish I can achieve such beautifully crafted guns. The few I've put together and am putting together look OK when completed, but anyone with a good eye can pick out my mistakes easily.....

 

[bigted]

Dave, that is a very sexy looking weapon. Really nice job on it.

 

[Tommy Bruce]

love those New England fowling pieces. Here's mine, built by Ken Netting.

 

[Darkgael]

16 gauge by Mike Brooks

 

[Eric Krewson]

I made one to turkey hunt with, only my second gun (plank build) so it isn't perfect, it handles and shoots very well with shot or ball, it is jug choked full.

 

[Flintandsteel]

Get that baby jug choked......you won't be sorry!

 

[Stumpkiller]

I have a 16 bore from Mike Brooks as well, and agree that 10 bore is a lot of Fowler. Mine is straight cylinder (42") in an English (walnut) style and with load development I would turkey to 40 yards; but I'm pretty much a 20 to 30 yard ruffed grouse annoyer.

I also have a short barrel 12 bore that has a jug choke. Did make a difference. Mine was cylinder but a now-retired smith (Coyote Joe) put a Skeet 2, or "SO" - skeet out, that's equivalent to a light modified, or about 55% pattern. Perfect for upland game. It was my observation that the 12" additional barrel, though cylinder vs cylinder and in a small bore, threw better patterns just by nature of the length, I am guessing. I haven't felt the need to change the cylinder bore of the Brooks Fowler. Though I did come up with a paper "cup" to improve pattern density.

If L.C. Rice says he can get a jug choke to "full" I'd believe him. I have one of his swamped rifle barrels and he does better than good work.

 

[Eterry]

I have an underhammer 10 bore made from a modern full choked barrel. I loaded 120 grains squared and ruined a target at 40 paces. Also rattled the fillings in my head!!!

 

[loud-n-boomer]

Reviving an old thread because I also just ordered a Jim Chambers New England Fowler in 10-bore, but with a cherry wood stock.