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Small caliber smoothbores?

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Nuthatch

45 Cal.
Joined
Feb 19, 2019
Messages
616
Reaction score
798
Location
CA
Through a quirk in our game regs, I can hunt turkey with any smoothbore muzzleloader I want & load it however I want. So that has me thinking about a small caliber smoothbore -- something in the .30-.40 range. Do these exist as factory guns? Or would this only be something I can do as a custom thing -- order the rifle I want in .32 and then have it bored out smooth?
 
Yes it would be a custom job to get that small of a smoothbore barrel. Also I think you're on to something interesting. Our brother "Britsmoothy" uses a .45 smoothbore to great effect. He may have a suggestion about a smooth small caliber barrel.
 
I have shot a few small bore smooth rifles with shot. I have found anything smaller than 28/54 is pretty useless. As far as shot loads. Yes it can maybe sort of kinda work. But why. A 58/24. Or 62/20. Can be load down as small as or large as you care for. And in shot loads, I am a believer in no shot smaller than # 5. 4s being my choice. I can’t see a stack of 4s in a smoothbore 40 Working out Just my thoughts
 
I have shot a few small bore smooth rifles with shot. I have found anything smaller than 28/54 is pretty useless. As far as shot loads. Yes it can maybe sort of kinda work. But why. A 58/24. Or 62/20. Can be load down as small as or large as you care for. And in shot loads, I am a believer in no shot smaller than # 5. 4s being my choice. I can’t see a stack of 4s in a smoothbore 40 Working out Just my thoughts
Your right. They are bloody useless things!

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Rarely use anything larger than #6 shot.
Oh and that square load mumbo jumbo....forget it. Unless for rats or sparrows I guess.
 
I can for sure see 6s working on doves and rabbit. pretty ease to penetrate The skin on rabbit. I tried multiple times 6s on squirrel. Had to have a clear open lane to deliver plenty of 6s. Or they would be crippled and had to get another shot on them. With 4s it would penetrate their though skin only takes a couple pellets. Same on turkey for me , to bust that neck bone. You done good on that fox if using 6s. What kinda load are you using in the 45?
 
I think the idea is a single projectile in a small caliber smoothbore...which would be fine on a turkey. But even #4 in a 36 or 40 might be a bit light outside of a clear head-neck shot under 25 yards. Interesting idea but would seem to be a gun made for a specific purpose.
 
I think the idea is a single projectile in a small caliber smoothbore...which would be fine on a turkey. But even #4 in a 36 or 40 might be a bit light outside of a clear head-neck shot under 25 yards. Interesting idea but would seem to be a gun made for a specific purpose.
A single .36 or .40 caliber roundball would be fine for turkeys,,, and I could see a load of #6 shot being worked up for use on squirrels, rabbits, and small game birds, in a bore that small.
 
I could see a load of #6 shot being worked up for use on squirrels, rabbits, and small game birds, in a bore that small.
I've heard tell that 45-50 smooth is a good bunny gun. They're actually pretty easy -took one that did not get hit by a single pellet...ran into a low spot as I fired, but there it was in the bottom of a little depression -heart attack I guess :dunno:
 
I once shot an adult jack rabbit through the ear with a .177 pellet gun. It did not hit any other part of the rabbit but it was laying on the ground kicking. It doesn't take much if you are lucky I guess. Nuthatch is talking about a .410 equivalent and those do kill ok within their limits.
 
In loading however I want, I mean, yes, rb for turkey. CA regs say no rifles but any smoothbore is a shotgun. And a muzzleloading shotgun has no restrictions on shot size — anything goes. I already have a .50 smoothbore. But .50 is a big hole on a turkey. Not too big, I don’t think. But .36 - .40 would be better.
 
I can for sure see 6s working on doves and rabbit. pretty ease to penetrate The skin on rabbit. I tried multiple times 6s on squirrel. Had to have a clear open lane to deliver plenty of 6s. Or they would be crippled and had to get another shot on them. With 4s it would penetrate their though skin only takes a couple pellets. Same on turkey for me , to bust that neck bone. You done good on that fox if using 6s. What kinda load are you using in the 45?
Different countries have different shot sizes , A British 6 is the same size as an American 7 , an American 6 is the same size as a British 5 etc .
These shot sizes can vary from country to country , why they cant get together and make the number / size the same all over the World I do not know .
I shoot 0.95" or 2.41mm 7½'s for trap , this is also the US 7½ , but it is the English 6½ and the Australian 7 , unless I buy Australian ammo and the 7½ becomes a US 8 an English 7 and a European 8 .
 
In loading however I want, I mean, yes, rb for turkey. CA regs say no rifles but any smoothbore is a shotgun. And a muzzleloading shotgun has no restrictions on shot size — anything goes. I already have a .50 smoothbore. But .50 is a big hole on a turkey. Not too big, I don’t think. But .36 - .40 would be better.
I would tread carefully in this area. They, meaning the law, try to push the ‘rifle’ concept into a ‘single projectile’ filing. Most game wardens are forgiving, or at least the ones I know are. May be a question to ask directly before obtaining a gun for gobblers that can’t be used on thunder chickens
 
I can for sure see 6s working on doves and rabbit. pretty ease to penetrate The skin on rabbit. I tried multiple times 6s on squirrel. Had to have a clear open lane to deliver plenty of 6s. Or they would be crippled and had to get another shot on them. With 4s it would penetrate their though skin only takes a couple pellets. Same on turkey for me , to bust that neck bone. You done good on that fox if using 6s. What kinda load are you using in the 45?
I shoot squirrels with whatever is in the flask. I just keep the ranges down on the small tough hombres.
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Ps...that's weird...I shoot right handed!!
 
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