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
Who is using smoothbores?
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hpbear101
32 Cal.
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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
All my muzzleloaders are smoothbore and I hunt with all of them.
user 49399
54 Cal.
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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
Cannon
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.
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.
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.
Why limit myself when I don't have to. I'm an equal employment shooter.
Robby
Robby
hanshi
Cannon
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
50 Cal.
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."
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Bob Osceola
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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.
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.
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.
20 ga TVM Fowler kit build is all I hunt with.
TC Hawken with a 32" GM 62cal SB. Deer and small game.
Daryl Crawford
50 Cal.
Nice gun! Real functionality, solid barrels. They are short enough to be handy.
Also have a 26" TC barrel that's a 56SB. I believe that equals a 28ga. That's six inches shorter.
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.
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.
Where did you find these barrels? I looked on the Green Mountain website with no luck.
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.62 cal smoothbore for all my hunting, deer squirrel and someday maybe a turkey.
