Who is using smoothbores?

[Magungo1066]

Who hunts with a smoothbore exclusively? What gun do you hunt with, and what do you hunt for? Hoping to bloody my 24 gauge NE fowler this morning

 

[hpbear101]

While I cant say I hunt exclusively with a smoothbore, I did get my first smoothbore this year and got in a little grouse hunting. Will be ready for turkey this spring (first time for that as well). I've always hunted grouse with a BP revolver, had a blast with the 20 gauge this year and will definitely be my favorite grouse gun.

Good luck on your hunt!

Tom

 

[Britsmoothy]

All my muzzleloaders are smoothbore and I hunt with all of them.

 

[user 49399]

I hunt squirrel, turkey and occasionally ground hog with my 62 caliber Fusil de Chasse (Big Berthy). There's a picture of it in Squirrel Hunting 2020 on this site. I use my black powder rifles and pistols for target shooting.

 

[Brokennock]

Right now just smoothbores. Mostly been hunting with my TVM "Early Virginia" smooth rifle the past few years as my Centermark F.d.C. has been awaiting repair. I got the repairs complete the other day. Once a rear sight is installed it will probably become my "go to" gun. And the TVM may even go up for trade at some point.
I use them to hunt; squirrels, deer, turkeys, pheasants (though not often for pheasant), occasionally coyote. If we had enough partridge left I'd use the Fusil des Chase for those too. If I had an opportunity to go for bear or moose I wouldn't hesitate to use either one, but would probably lean toward the heavier TVM for the bigger tougher animals.

 

[Sparkitoff]

Do you mean use a smoothbore muzzleloader exclusively (no modern smoothbores) or do you mean hunt with a smoothbore and no rifled longarms? When using a shotgun with either shot or ball I use a muzzleloader. Any birds in season flying, turkeys and chachalaca (shot on foot or wing) and rabbits and squirrels. Depending on the circumstances I use the same smoothbore for deer or other big game. For flying birds I use a "square load" of an equivalent cup of 7/8 ounce shot or 1 ounce shot and same cup full of powder. With turkeys, squirrels and sometimes rabbits I use a 7/8 ounce cup shot cup full of powder with 1 ounce of shot. Ball is similar, one of the cups is about 82 grains of powder and I put a wad, unpatched ball and over-shot card on it.

 

[Robby]

Why limit myself when I don't have to. I'm an equal employment shooter.
Robby

 

[hanshi]

Exclusively? No. Mostly? Yes. I don't wing shoot and prefer a rifle for small game and varmints. But for deer and turkey I use the 20ga with ball (deer) and shot (for turkey).

 

[Daryl Crawford]

I've considered doing that for a season. Maybe next year only use my fowling piece for all gun hunting. I've gone turkey, squirrel and pheasant hunting with it. I do enjoy the gun as I find it unpretentious, easy to use, and accurate enough...though I'm still working out "perfect loads."

 

[Bob Osceola]

Who hunts with a smoothbore exclusively? What gun do you hunt with, and what do you hunt for? Hoping to bloody my 24 gauge NE fowler this morning

I hunt deer, hogs, squirrel, turkey and rabbits. Use a .62 bore ( 20 gauge ). Smoothbore is accurate out to + 100 yes once you figure out loads.

 

[bud in pa]

I use a smoothebore because that is what I have. Here in NE PA 50 yards is about the farthest you can see, in the thick brush.

 

[tenngun]

I’ve a .45 rifle gun, but I’ve not hunted a deer with a rifle this century. I almost took my rifle this year but grabbed my smooth rifle instead.

 

[Rató:rats]

20 ga TVM Fowler kit build is all I hunt with.

 

[TC Tommy]

TC Hawken with a 32" GM 62cal SB. Deer and small game.

 

[Daryl Crawford]

TC Hawken with a 32" GM 62cal SB. Deer and small game.

Nice gun! Real functionality, solid barrels. They are short enough to be handy.

 

[TC Tommy]

Also have a 26" TC barrel that's a 56SB. I believe that equals a 28ga. That's six inches shorter.

 

[No Deer]

Used my 20 gage trade gun exclusively for years. I have taken bear, deer, turkey, duck, quail, chukar, squirrel, rabbit, and woodchuck. It has been my go to gun for a long time.
Takes a bit more patience to use a smoothbore because you have to wait for the game to come into your comfort range (the range that you feel able to make a humane kill shot). With turkeys I wait until they are within about 20 yards, deer within about 50 yards.

 

[pilot]

Also have a 26" TC barrel that's a 56SB. I believe that equals a 28ga. That's six inches shorter.

Where did you find these barrels? I looked on the Green Mountain website with no luck.

 

[Kev308]

.62 cal smoothbore for all my hunting, deer squirrel and someday maybe a turkey.

 

[GaryED50]

View attachment 57939

While I cant say I hunt exclusively with a smoothbore, I did get my first smoothbore this year and got in a little grouse hunting. Will be ready for turkey this spring (first time for that as well). I've always hunted grouse with a BP revolver, had a blast with the 20 gauge this year and will definitely be my favorite grouse gun.

Good luck on your hunt!

Tom

Beautiful piece! Their known as Fowlers correct?

Gary