New turkey gun report

[fw707]

I picked up the new 20 ga. English Fowler flinter at Tip's place Wednesday. It was one of his "in the white" guns, and I've got enough brown on it now so it won't shine too bad in the woods.
I tried it out today, and it took me exactly 3 shots to get a good load worked up. :grin:
70 grains of 3F, one thick overpowder card wad, 1 1/4 ounces of #6 shot, and a thin over shot card on top. It put 130 pellets in an 8 1/2" X 11" sheet of paper at a measured 27 yards. It has rifle sights on it, and it put every pattern center left to right, and about 2/3 of the pattern above the point of aim without any adjustment.
It's got a Colerain "turkey choke" barrel on it, and it's .575 at the muzzle according to my calipers. I had to split the overpowder wads and load them 1/2 at a time because the choke is so tight. I've done several searches for "chokes" on here, but it seems like all I can find is info about jug chokes...not much on the Colerain chokes. :hmm:
It's got a Chambers lock, and ole Tip knows right where to set the touch hole cause it is fast! :winking: I noticed a chunk broke out of the flint after the last shot. Are the Chambers locks "rockbashers"??
I hope to get to break it in on a longbeard in FL about this time next week. :grin:

 

[fw707]

Here's a couple of pictures:

 

[BRUN]

NICE :thumbsup:

 

[ffffg]

you can fold thinner wads and stack them so they will go by the choke.. try two or three picture frame matting for over powder wads,cut with custom punch to fit your gun.. slide them down at the same time.. if your busting rocks go to larger flints... you can order square flints from track or have them made if the next size up from what your using wont fit between frizen and hammer jaw screw..... ive had this problem and doing this makes the gun an excellent sparker.. you can also chip or grind a knotch out of the back of the larger flint.. they always break on me when i grind them becouse i let them get too hot being in a hurry,, flint is tuff stuff.. dave

 

[ffffg]

if thats the lock i think it is you will never want anything different once youve gotten any bugs worked out.. it will completely spoil you.. you can call it the mailman... may rain, sleet, snow etc.. mine take between 9 and 10 pounds to cock measured on a fish scale.. the frizzen is set to match that weight of pull.. and with a properly set new flint, when that turkey sticks it head out youll have a shower of sparks and nearly instant ignition, and a dead turkey... i use one for duck hunting in below zero weather with no problems...dont skimp on flints when the chips are down and its an important hunt.. dave.

 

[fw707]

BRUN, thanks for the compliment!!

Dave, I appreciate the info and suggestions. :hatsoff:
Splitting the wads works great, at least for the few shots I've fired so far. And the patterns are better than I expected.
The lock is the Colonial Virginia Flintlock on Jim Chambers' website, and I've never seen a negative comment about it. It has a VERY strong mainspring, and I'd say mine is about the 9-10 lbs. that you mentioned. I was concerned about how flint-friendly it is just because I only have the flint in the gun and 6 spares, and I'm gonna be hunting 4 states before I can get any more flints.
The pan is HUGE compared to the L&R Mantons and small Silers I'm used to. :shocked2: I filled it up about 1/2 full and kept the powder back from the touch hole and it fires really fast. I'm using 4F for priming powder right now. Seems like a lot of folks on here are using 3F for priming powder for hunting because it's a little more moisture resistant and fires just as fast.
What do you think??

Oh yeah, I'm not gonna "skimp" on anything. It's hard to get a longbeard into shooting range, and I want everything to be just right when the time comes.
:winking:

 

[shmrck1]

FW,
Very nice! Looks like it should serve you
well. Good luck on your Florida hunt.
snake-eyes :hatsoff:

 

[MikeC]

Very nice. What is the length of the barrel?

 

[fw707]

MikeC, the barrel is 38" long.
I was really surprised at the pattern it shoots.

 

[ffffg]

i use 4f... different temperatures, humidities, guns, user teckniques etc. make every thing different for different shooters,,.. youl be best off to shoot as much as you can with what you feel you would like.. i do not oil inside the pan or on the frizzen face as it seems to slow ignition...... with that few flints id save and shoot older fints at practice , and when you hunt turkey id want a new flint.. so change them back and fourth.. you should get 30-50 rounds from a flint with that lock.. track of the wolf could have you 25- 50 new black english flints at your door within a week.. 1" x 7/8 inch is supposed to be the size for colonial virginia.. dave.

 

[Hoyt]

Nice looking gun FW. I'm building one now using the same barrel you got only I got Scott at Colerain to build it 34" long.
He told me to call William Slusser at 717-486-4817 and talk to him about all the in's and out's of the Colerain Turkey Choke. Scott said he thinks he's even selling some type of special overshot cards or wads for it.
Anyway I gave his number because Scott said he enjoys talking about the choke and turkey hunting so to give him a call. His number is listed on Colerains site anyway.

 

[KyFlintlock]

That sounds pretty dang good. I am thinking on a colerain barrel for a fowler for next year.

Thanks for the info and good luck on April 14th. I'll be over in Owen county.

Wess