Turkey Flinter

[ruddyduck]

Hi Folks,
I'm interested in hunting spring turkey this year with a flinter. What is a good gun to purchase. I'm looking for something that is going to throw a lot of lead in a very tight pattern.
Thanks for your help, Ryan

 

[No Deer]

See the turkey gun post below.

 

[Greenmtnboy]

Go to trackofthewolf they have tons of great smoothbores for sale,
I bought a TVM american fowler from them last winter and love it. Kilt me a big ol tom last april plan on doin' the same this spring, but you had better hurry cuz turkey season is just around the corner, yeehaa
:hatsoff:

 

[Hoyt]

Hi Folks,
I'm interested in hunting spring turkey this year with a flinter. What is a good gun to purchase. I'm looking for something that is going to throw a lot of lead in a very tight pattern.
Thanks for your help, Ryan

Just to save you some time and grief..I wouldn't get my hopes up on finding a traditional flintlock that shoots a very tight pattern. To get that you either going to have to get the barrel worked on or do real close in shoot'n.
All the one's I'm familiar with have a cylinder bore barrel..no choke..as in wide open. To get a decent pattern for turkey you have to find what powder/shot/wads,etc. will work best for what you want. I don't know of any combo that is real tight out past 20yds or so. To get those type patterns you will have to jug choke the barrel or have a choke built into the barrel when it's made.
You can buy a Colerain Turkey Barrel with a choke made into it. If I'm wrong on any of this I'm sure I'll be corrected. But that's what I think the deal is anyway.

I went with the regular cylinder bore, no choke in my first flinter and killed two gobblers using it. However, I rolled one over that I didn't get and my finagled shot cup didn't open on another and missed him. So..I decided I had done what I set out to..killed a couple with a traditional flinter with cylinder bore..I just had to call them in close enough. However..birds are too scarce and far between on the open public land I hunt so I'm building one with a choke in it now to reach out farther with a good tight pattern.

 

[ruddyduck]

yeah, i'm starting to come to the realization that the perfect BP turkey gun will take a good deal of cash and forethought. I had always thought it was a no-brainer as far as being able to shoot more lead as long as the choke was decent.

 

[cptleo1]

If you want to go Turkey hunting with a flinter

Go and buy a gun you can afford and go hunting.

Part of the fun of the flinter thing is you admire their functionality and realize their
Limitations.

The fun part is hunting the bird !

Folks been killin turkeys for over 250 years with flintlocks most of em cylinder bore.

The turkey is going to win his share

but

you will win a few too.

Go hunting !

Good luck

 

[jdixon]

[/quote]

I went with the regular cylinder bore, no choke in my first flinter and killed two gobblers using it. However, I rolled one over that I didn't get and my finagled shot cup didn't open on another and missed him. So..I decided I had done what I set out to..killed a couple with a traditional flinter with cylinder bore..I just had to call them in close enough. However..birds are too scarce and far between on the open public land I hunt so I'm building one with a choke in it now to reach out farther with a good tight pattern.

[/quote]

 

[jdixon]

Hi Folks,
I'm interested in hunting spring turkey this year with a flinter. What is a good gun to purchase. I'm looking for something that is going to throw a lot of lead in a very tight pattern.
Thanks for your help, Ryan

I went with the regular cylinder bore, no choke in my first flinter and killed two gobblers using it. However, I rolled one over that I didn't get and my finagled shot cup didn't open on another and missed him. So..I decided I had done what I set out to..killed a couple with a traditional flinter with cylinder bore..I just had to call them in close enough. However..birds are too scarce and far between on the open public land I hunt so I'm building one with a choke in it now to reach out farther with a good tight pattern.

I'll second this advice. I'll hunt deer all day long with nothing but a flinter, but turkey hunting is literally a different animal. Just too tough getting birds in front of your gun. I gave up on the cylinder bore guns and went to a screw-in choke double barrel 10 ga. front stuffer cap lock gun. I can get 35 yrds out of that on a good day, that is 15 yrds more than the cylinder bore guns, but a whole lot less than a modern shotgun. That is a enough of a handicap for me when hunting turkeys.

 

[Hoyt]

Bout 30 to 35yds....that is the magic number for me. I don't give a flip about shooting a turkey at 40yds or more..never have even with my 3-1/2mags. However, as I've posted before these hard pressured gobblers I hunt just want to hang up at 30 to 35yds. If I was hunting birds that weren't pressured hard, where opportunities came frequent..I wouldn't even think about nothing but a 20, 25yds shot and a cylinder bore would be all I wanted..but that just ain't the case with me.
The way it looks I'm going to be using my open bore again this yr anyway..haven't got my barrel and wood yet and season opens in about 3wks.

I just got through mounting the biggest bird I got with my old Virginia last yr..

 

[nchawkeye]

Beautiful bird..Congrats...

I have the perfect flintlock for turkeys....Killed my first bird with, back in '79...Called in with a wingbone call that I made...Its a .40 caliber custon rifle...Legal in VA when I killed him, unfortunately its not legal in NC....I guess the Wildlife folks think I'd shoot somebody with a rifle, but I sure would love to see the rules changed to make it legal.

 

[Hoyt]

Thanks NCHawkey...I made a couple of them wingbone calls last yr. and still can't get the knack of using them.
You can use rifles here in fl. for turkey. One day I might build a 36 or 40cal. and use it on spring gobblers. I've killed them with .22 rimfire..so know either one will do the job if I shoot the turkeys in the wingbutt.

 

[The Baron]

I switched to a flinter last spring. When I was deciding what to buy, I was very hung up on needing a 12ga. or larger. But, after months of deliberation and not seeing any flinters larger than 20ga. for sale (got mine used from TOTW) I bought a Caywood 20ga. fusil-de-chasse. The fusil is a delight to carry and I have felt no handicap at all with 20ga. Two shots, two Toms. One at 19 steps, the other at 23 steps. Based on patterning on paper, I have set my limit at 25 yards with 90gr. 3F, 2 overpowder cards and 1 pre-lubed wad, then a duplex load of 1 oz. #6 and 1/4oz. #4 on top.

Here's #1 from last year.