Thoughts on Barrel Length

[Capt. Jas.]

Gus, my son has the 12 bore version that is jugged. It mics at .729. He shoots .690 prb in it fine and also shoots them wadded. That's thr biggest mold we have.
The Griffin 16 would be fine for bore sized balls.
I have a 16 Griffin here that has had the muzzle relieved but have not built it as of yet.
James

 

[Artificer]

Very interesting and Thank You!!

Gus

 

[Stumpkiller]

I have used patched round balls 0.014" under bore size (0.729") in a jug choked barrel. They shoot the same as they did before I had it choked.

I have a 16 bore Colerain Griffin on my Brooks fowler (below in my signature bar). Love the 16 gauge size.

 

[Ketchakah]

I use a 20 bore almost exclusively.
Balance can be a thought, but alot of balance issues can be adjusted and some are just part of how your fowler is made. If you are getting a new FL then you may want to try a few to see what you like. but understand that the entire build will affect balance.
As far as barrel length, When i bought mine, it had a 48" barrel. Where this was pretty kewl, It was hard to actually deal with. I would have to throw the butt behind me to load, and i always worried i would break the thin wrist. I ended up professionally shortening it to 42 " and could not be happier. I can load it from an upright position and see the opening on the barrel as i do it. I have seen no difference in any aspect of its performance.
So barrel length for a using piece may be dependent on your height. Just a thought. SM