shotgun considered a smoothbore?

[azmntman]

So is a 28 GA "shotgun" considered a "smoothbore"? If so what size round ball would work? Looking into a 28 GA.

Anybody hunt big game with round ball outta one?

 

[zimmerstutzen]

28 ga is an orphan size. Depending on maker it could be .55 or .56. Using a .535 round ball with a very thick patch is an easy but usually less than optimum solution.

avoid the belgian made guns with the scallop sea shell shaped cap box.

My advice would be to look for a 24 ga. 570 round balls work great. It is just as easy to find shot wads..

 

[Lonegun1894]

Lots of .54 caliber smoothbores out there, which are close enough for me to a .55, which is a true 28ga to qualify as one. Mine is a .54 bore, and I use either a .515" RB or a .527" RB, and they work great on deer and hogs. I haven't had a chance to take anything larger than a 275# hog, but hoping to beat that someday. I also use shot loads for small game and birds out of it, so it does qualify as a shotgun for my purposes, and works well--much better than I expected after having grown up using a modern 12ga for everything that needed a shotgun to get done.

 

[gunmaker43]

28 bore bout same as a .54 rifle. With a .530 or .535 PRB over 40-80 gr 3f will give minute of deer out to 50 yd. Great grouse caliber. a good one in say 36" barrel go 5 or 6 lb. Light & handy in the woods. In the day tho 24 bore was the most common in trade guns.....Tom

 

[rich pierce]

Smoothbores are guns without rifled barrels, period. Could be .25 caliber and if not rifled, it would be a smoothbore.

 

[Rifleman1776]

So is a 28 GA "shotgun" considered a "smoothbore"? If so what size round ball would work? Looking into a 28 GA.

Anybody hunt big game with round ball outta one?

Those are pretty much the definitions of each other.

 

[Billnpatti]

I suppose it all depends on who is doing the defining. If it is someone who is putting on a smoothbore match, they may not consider it a qualified smoothbore for the purposes of their match. The same is true for some reenactments. Also, for hunting purposes, the definition would be up to your state. However, if you were to ask me, I'd say that a 28 ga. shotgun would be a smoothbore and would shoot a .54 caliber ball. But, that is just me. The final definition is left up the person who is making and enforcing the rules wherever you are planning to use your shotgun as a smoothbore.

 

[AllenHawken]

I have a 12-guage Pedersoli black powder shotgun. So far, the smoothbore forum is the only place I can find that talks about black powder muzzleloader shotguns. Therefore, as far as I can tell, this is the place to talk about shotguns. Any different suggestions?

 

[Zonie]

As far as I'm concerned if the bore doesn't have rifling in it, it is a smoothbore.

Now, I've seen some pretty poorly made smoothbores who's bore(s) were far from smooth but they didn't have any rifling so I call them smooth bores.

Besides, that keeps people from wanting to make knots on my head.

Some folks get pretty upset when you call their prized possession a "Rough bore." :grin:

 

[Wes/Tex]

Rough bores for Rough Riders!

Har-de-har-har!
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