Smoothbore for all seasons

[Russ T Frizzen]

yup. It took me a lot more years* than I care to admit and a ton of lead to reach that conclusion. But that's the answer I came up with in the end.


*50+ :rotf:

 

[rich pierce]

For now a 20 gauge/62 flinter is what I have and as stated else where on this forum, I dislike very much the trigger pull on it. Since I have all the shot, round ball, wads and over cards this is the caliber for me.

Hope you got help with the trigger pull. It's hard to shoot well if you have to evenb think about the pull. There's always a way to fix a bad trigger pull.

 

[Tinker2]

I think after this season I intend to do a lessons learned and perhaps go with a double or single fowler in a large gauge as some have pointed out you shoot shot more then PRB.

For now a 20 gauge/62 flinter is what I have

PGTMG

I have hunted squirrel, rabbit, upland, waterfowl, and deer. with a Flintlock 20 gage/.62 caliber, Not any turkey yet.

It will work fine and yes I have bigger smoothbores. The 20 gage makes
me work a little harder and pay more attention to what I am doing.

Of course that is what draws me to the flintlocks also.



Tinker2

 

[hawk]

I like my 12 bores full choke for turkeys and open for phesants and jack rabits ,and my 28 and 20 for grouse and bunnys they all do the job for deer, bear,moose and hogs...I guess if i had only one,one of the 12's would do but I like them all

I sold alot of my centerfire stuff and bought flintlocks ,the modern stuff was just gettin'dusty

then there's my bess she's not built for speed nor comfort but she has never let me down ,at 10lbs she's a heavy shot gun but the weight is nice for the round ball.

a tight pattern at any ga is more important IMHO than the ga it'self
for rd ball anything over 28 ga should do for any large game around here

bigger ball bigger hole like mike said you will only need to shoot it a few times a year.

in the end it's all about what works for you

 

[Deadeye]

Skychief, here's a pic. doesn't tell you much but I have 20 long guns and this is my favorite for everything that I hunt. We've pretty much cleaned out the Elephants in my neck of the woods.
H08

 

[Homesteader]

I'm a late-comer to this topic (eyes have been uncooperative lately), but I'd like to put in my two cents worth...

My favorite gun, bar none, is my 14 bore custom English trade gun / fowler. Roy Stroh made it for me with a 48" Custom Flintlock Inc. tapered barrel, and I swear it shoots like it's choked! So far I feel very confident putting a killing amount of different sized shot into the kill zone of most critters at longer distances than I would've thought. (I can kill cans with #4 or #6 at 50 yards, but then they don't move too fast...)

With .660 round ball I can confidently kill a pie plate at the same distance or a little farther. And please bear in mind that I am no Arnie Oakly by any means. Decent shot, I guess, but not a great one.

For my money, I've got one of the best all around bore and barrel lengths. I can load it up or down, send a lot or little lead, swing it easily, and the four foot tapered barrel gives me the sight radius and slight choke effect that I really like.

I like my other smokepoles too, but if I were to keep only one, this would be it.

Best of luck with your choice.

 

[Ron LaClair]

I've got four smooth bore flinters, a 12, two 20's and a .28, I've used all of them with sucess but one of my 20's has been a real killer. I had a local builder make it for me late last fall. It's nothin fancy with it's iron furniture, large Siler lock, 39" Colrain barrel and a dark stained ash stock. ...But this gun is a shootin Jessie. It throws a good dense pattern of shot and shoots a patched .600gr RB in front of 80gr of 2FF like a dang rifle... :shocked2:

So far everything I shot at with it has died. I started out with it on rabbits and it proved to be deadly with #6 shot. Then in the late Muzzleloading season I lined her up on a nice doe at about 35yds. When the smoke cleared I had TWO deer down. The ball went through the one I shot at and into another doe that I hadn't seen. She got a new name after that...."Two-fer"

I went for Buffalo in January last year and I took my .62 Jager rifle, "Ole Bull Knocker" that has accounted for many deer and a bull moose. I also took "Two-fer" along as a backup. When I finely got a chance at a nice cow at 70yd's, I put a ball through her backed with 115gr of 2FF. She just flinched a little and kept goin. I unslung the smoothbore off my back and at 80yds I hit her with another ball pushed by 80gr's. She when a short ways and was down for the count. Both balls went clean through the rib cage inches apart and through the lungs and out the other side.

When you've got a good smooth bore, you don't need a rifle gun... :wink:

 

[torn moc]

NWTF..Thats Right!
and I hear those Michigan Buffaloes are real tough critters. :rotf: Just kiddin my friend.
I was just watchin you tube tonite where a gent was eating Buff tongue....said it is the Best meat on the buffler cept for the Gonads....
...the gonads are the "oysters" on a Bull..if ya git my drift...dont think I'd even be trying them. they was as Big as Goose eggs!!!

 

[Ron LaClair]

and I hear those Michigan Buffaloes are real tough critters.

You heard right friend, specially then big ole bulls :dead:...but I'll take fat cow when it comes to eatin. I pickled the tongue....mighty tasty..Being a cow it didn't have no gonads so I couldn't try that delicacy.. Fresh warm raw liver??? now that's another matter... :barf:

 

[DrLaw]

What do you tell the game warden/DNR on how you got two-for-one?

The Doc is out now. :v

 

[torn moc]

The Truth.

...nuff said

 

[Ron LaClair]

What do you tell the game warden/DNR on how you got two-for-one?

Didn't have to explain nothin to the CO...I had an extra antlerless tag.. :wink:

 

[PGTMG]

A double on deer and a Buffalo you certainly set the bar high!:bow: :applause: :bow:

 

[shootemup]

A double on deer and a Buffalo you certainly set the bar high!:bow: :applause: :bow:

But a double on buffalo and you win the argument. :haha:

My position is that "all seasons" applied, means "all seasons for me." Sorta.

It's like my rationale for driving a pick up truck - I don't have to haul anything. But I might.

My two 20-gauge fowlers are up to the task for anything I am likely to do, from squirrel to elk or even a moose. I'd have to drive a ways for the moose. My twenty's do everything I am likely to need, since my seasons don't include migratory waterfowl.

Still, if I was hung up on a real-to-world ALL SEASON smoothbore, I suppose I would go with a ten gauge, or at least a twelve.

I don't hunt waterfowl. But I might. :grin:

:hatsoff:
Spot

 

[PGTMG]

I am surprised by all those who mention waterfowl as the one to be careful on. I was most concerned about Turkeys (limited range and the birds are tough).
When I hunt ducks successfully most times I got passing ones when they where close. I would say most downed inside of 25 yards. The geese if they come in to the decoys they are closer. If either just passes over then the power of the 12 or 10 gauge (single or double) will be missed (but I have never been too successful on high passing birds with a modern 12 or 10).

On the plus note I am adding coyotes and foxes to my smoothbores menu. I can not decide if I should use shot or ball on them. Any thoughts experiences on this?

thank
Paul

 

[Skychief]

PGTMG, we kill a lot of coyotes here in the Indiana thickets with smoothbores. Realize that when toting a smoothie, you WILL see the coyotes sitting about 150 yards away in the open shaking their heads at ya. Conversely when taking a rifle out, they have a nasty habit of charging within a few yards of you and NEVER holding still! :surrender:

Glad to bump this thread back to the top as it is very interesting.....the idea of an all-the-time gun. :thumbsup:

 

[PGTMG]

PGTMG, we kill a lot of coyotes here in the Indiana thickets with smoothbores. Realize that when toting a smoothie, you WILL see the coyotes sitting about 150 yards away in the open shaking their heads at ya. Conversely when taking a rifle out, they have a nasty habit of charging within a few yards of you and NEVER holding still! :surrender:

Glad to bump this thread back to the top as it is very interesting.....the idea of an all-the-time gun. :thumbsup:

two quick questions

What typ of smoothie do you use on them?

Have you tried Buck and ball?

 

[Skychief]

PGTMG, we kill a lot of coyotes here in the Indiana thickets with smoothbores. Realize that when toting a smoothie, you WILL see the coyotes sitting about 150 yards away in the open shaking their heads at ya. Conversely when taking a rifle out, they have a nasty habit of charging within a few yards of you and NEVER holding still! :surrender:

Glad to bump this thread back to the top as it is very interesting.....the idea of an all-the-time gun. :thumbsup:

two quick questions

What typ of smoothie do you use on them?

Have you tried Buck and ball?

We have only used 20 gauge fowlers.

Shotloads only, no buck and ball. Buck and ball is an interesting option though :hmm: .

 

[PGTMG]

What is your load that you use on coyotes in your 20?

 

[Skychief]

I just wrote the "war and peace" version of a reply and it didnt post for some reason! The cliff note version follows: 80 grains 2f and ~ 1 1/2 oz. of 4's. The yotes we took were within 25 yards in thickets and cutovers.