One to many times!!!!

[nathanbowenarrow]

I think I visited this forum one to many times. I called my rifle builder who is/was building me a .50 cal Ten. mtn rifle and inquired about an English Fowler .62. He told me he actualy had the parts on hand to build one for himself! They consist of a Gets swamped oct to round, Virginia lock, and Iron furniture with a silver inlay for the wrist and silver plate oposite the lock, with a walnut stock. I love the Idea of being able to do it all with one gun. The gun would weigh about the same as the mtn rifle! Im really thinking of changing my order from the mtn to the English fowler, the only reason I havent already is I fill confident I can shoot the rifle out to one hundred yards and have seen some posts here that some can ownly shoot a smoothbore 30-40 yards? With practice is it possible for a man and his gun to consistantly shoot at least 75 yards? I do not understand some statements that I have read saying that some smoothbores will shoot well and some wont, does'nt the fact that they are smooth bored and not rifled make a.62 a .62 a rid the inconsistant rifleing process? I sure am glad my builder is 4 mos out on my gun since I could be changing my mind!!!!
Thanks
Nathan ::

 

[The Baron]

I bought a .62 fusil and am very pleased. It's still early in the practicing game for me, but I am having no trouble keeping shots inside 6" at 50 yards offhand and about half that from a rest. I haven't done much shooting past 50 yet but I don't think 75 yards would be an unreasonable shot on a standing deer. Certainly, the .62 ball still packs plenty of wallop at that range.

If you want to shoot anything with feathers, or maybe squirrel, I'd go for the smoothie! The "one gun" thing was a huge attraction for me, as I can only afford one gun as a start in my flintlock shooting. I have not regretted my choice one bit!

 

[amccall]

There is only one way to solve this problem, get both and shoot them until you can make your mind up. I know, it will take years of trial and study but sacrifices must be made. I used this reasoning with my wife and she didn't buy it. hey, it was worth the try. :thumbsup:

 

[riarcher]

Just got my Bess, same reason, one gun for everything.
First time out I could do a 4 X 2.5" group, way low and to the right. Next time out, same thing. Worked on getting it to print on the black and succeeded (somewhat). Fun? you bet. I hope to have a 50yd. group by Sept. and to have a "do-able" shot load by then also. I am confident that this objective can be done (by me). Some folks use a rear sight and seem to be good out to the 70 yd. mark and beyond. But I'm sure they'll tell you about it.
I'm hooked! Even if I don't meat( : my goals I'll still be using it. Just may have to cut my range a bit, but, I don't think I will.
Smoothies ARE #1. :imo: :hatsoff:

 

Nathan, you are going to get mostly positive :bull: answers here because this is where the smoothie shooters hang out.

It's like going to the uniersity math department and asking if anyone has a calculator!

You will think you can shoot down satilites and keep your shots on a postage stamp at half a mile if you listen long enough.

Rifling was invented and is used due to it's intrensic accuracy potential. Otherwise all of those young men in Iraq and Afganistan would be armed with Brown Besses.

While rifles and smoothbores will shoot equilally up to a point, that point is reached at about 25 yards. From that point a good group with a smoothie would have been a better group with a rifle.

The next post will probably show you a group of .75 cal holes that are touching each other and are claimed shot from 6 miles across the horizon with adjustments called in by a spotter! Believe it if you want too!

I have seen shooters go to the olympics and win medals, who can't shoot as well as most of the forum members can type!

There is no perfect all purpose gun. There are just people that have only one gun and try to force it to do everything! You will always need a bigger/smaller caliber, finer/courser sights, lighter/heavier construction and better accuracy. Always better accuracy.

This is one of the only places I know where people will sit around and say,

"I want a gun that's not as accurate as the average rifle!"

:crackup: :crackup: :crackup:

I love my snoothies, but if I absolutely positively have to hit a target the size of a deer's kill zone, 75 yards away, I take one of the rifles.

:front:

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

I agree wholeheartedly. I have a .62 caliber longrifle and a 20 bore fowler. In terms of quality, weight and balance, there is nothing to choose between them. Both are to my eye, handsome pieces. The fowler is more versatile, because technically it can do it all. But for hunting larger game, the rifle's extra velocity and gilt edged accuracy make it far and away the best choice for ranges of over 50 yards. And it is truly more accurate at shorter ranges. I've used both alot. I can hit a pie tin at 70-80 yards most always and I have hit them at 100 yards on occasion. With the rifle, I always hit, even at 100 yards, AND there is a discernible group.
I think it is simply a question of using the right gun for the task at hand. If you can only get one gun for now, perhaps the smoothbore makes sense--if you are going to hunt a lot of smallgame and birds. Otherwise, you might want to get the rifle first. I believe use is the most important criteria in choosing a firearm.

 

[No Deer]

Good advise from all who have posted. For me the smoothie is the way to go. I have a French Fusil 20 ga. that I have been offered $1000 for and I did not even have to think about it before saying no. Accuracy, as has been stated, is definitly inferior to a rifle. I think it is all about your expectations. To me, and many others, a 100 yard shot at a deer is not necessary. Getting close is part of the fun, regardless of which firearm you are using. If you want cloverleaf patterns at 100 yards, a smoothie is not for you. If you are looking for a gun that you will love to shoot, and can use it for any game, then you will be happy with a smoothie. I have taken deer, squerls and turkeys with smoothbore guns. None were beyond 30 yards, and the smoothie was up to the challenge. :m2c:

 

[Rebel]

I think you will like the smoothbore. I am trying to make up my mind one which one i want right now too.

 

[nathanbowenarrow]

Any one have any pics of their English Fowler? :thanks:

 

[Rat]

I believe that a smoothie is a 50 yard gun without rifle sights, and a 70 yard gun with them. That is how it has worked out with my Bess, which has rifle sights.

I would also say that the 70-75 yard shot requires a rest, or being able to "go prone", and the animal needs to be standing and not highly alerted to your presence...otherwise you are back to 50 yards again. As my smoothie groups at 3" at 50, I'd take any shot at that range as a rifle.

Of course I agree with the other poster who suggests getting both! That's why I got a Jaeger to go with my Bess. "Brown Rosie", and Brown Bess...the Brown sisters!

But seriously, there are times when a smoothie will reach out far enough with the ball, depending on the terrain, but other times when you might want to stretch your range a bit with a rifle.

I don't envy your decision. My Bess and the Jaeger are both the same weight, and same length within an inch. It would be pretty cool to have a pair of .62's in both smooth and rifled, that were close in weight and length.

rat

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

When Leonard and I were gathering information before he built my rifle, weight was a small concern, as I wanted a near copy of an historical gun--one made in the Connecticut River Valley at the earliest date. The .62 is a favorite bore size and, luckily this original was around a .62. Probably freshed out a time or two, though. That it weighed in the same as my fowler, and has nearly the same balance was a pleasant surprise.

By the way, what caliber is your Jaeger? The new one we're working on now is also a .62, but will be much heavier than my other two guns. All I'll need then is a flinter in .54 and I'll be all set.

 

[jim gray]

Rebel,

I am considering an Early Rustic Arms smoothie, but it'll be a while for me. I would really like to get some feedback from the members here before I commit, but it looks like a relatively good deal. I just can't decide which of their smoothies I would like best. I read your ad in the classifieds and I think that you might want to check out this company.

I can't contribute much on the subject of hunting with a PRB from a smoothie, but from the limited shooting that I have done with PRBs from my double barrel. I have considered hunting deer with it, but I would have to limit myself to ranges that would be more suited to archery hunting than ML rifles. I don't think that I would be comfortable shooting over 35 yards at a deer.

 

[Rebel]

Flash, i have checked them out, and they have some good prices. But for not a lot more than on of their in the whites, you can get a completed Folwer from Jack Garner at
http://www.tennesseevalleymanufacturing.com/ Check it out.

 

[jim gray]

Thanks for the info, Rebel. I'll do that.

 

[Rebel]

No problem. I am still trying to talk myself into, or out of, buying one from him. At this time, i just can't justify that much money for a gun that won't get used that often. At least not until we can get some property of our own where i can shoot when i feel like it. Seems most all the land around here where we moved is Private Property.

 

[mark starr]

Nathan. I might of cheated but I had Caywoods build me aWilson Trade gun with a rifled barrel and a smoothbarrel. Hopefully it will be a do all gun. I thought I needed the rifled barrel for elk hunting.It will give me a little more range.Good Luck :front: