For my first Smoothbore ????

What and why do you think for my first go at a smoothbore. I like my flintlock rifles more than my cap guns but not aposed , gun also does not have to be PC or HC but it can be. My thing is hunting I hunt anything and everything from squirrel to elk and bear , and from dove to turkey ( I love to wing shoot ) I have a little walk through clay range with several throwers in my back yard ( kind of a sporting clays deal ). We also hunt dove about everyday of the season , and put a lot of time in a duck blind. Not sure but am thinking will probably end up with a gun for wing shooting ( double barrel ???? )and one for a woods walking gun for doing it all. I like big bore guns my wing shooting shotguns are side-x-side 12ga with changeable choke tubes so I can go from a skeet range to the duck blind with the change of tubes. Several places I hunt in a day's time of walking you could have the opportunity at a squirrel then around the next ravine a 300lb boar could be rooting around , or any number of exotic critters for that matter. In the part of Texas I hunt exotic animals free range ( no high fence ) heck I saw a bull elk once. Like I say my think is hunting to put meat on our table and the fun of being in the woods. I have read a lot of the old posts , just looking for input about what would work for what I do.....

,,,,,Sam,,,,

I"d recommend a double 10 or 12 bore...unless you're going to go flint. Same recommendation, but good luck finding one. Still looking myself. Little work will give you the best bore for patched ball, other side(pray God) is the shot bore. Lot'sa toys to consider! Good luck and have fun!

I agree with the SxS 10 or 12 ga. but, perhaps, you would do better with a Cape-type gun. One barrel rifled and the other smooth. That way you could select which one to fire depending on what you encountered. Of course, you could still load a patched ball in one side and shot in the other with a 12 ga. Range might be the only problem with the smoothbore..

20 ga. or 12 ga tradegun. can do all u listed. use shot for bird and small game round baal for big game. nothing u hunt will walk away with a 62 or 72 rb in em.

Sam,

I have a Pedersoli 12 gauge side by side and a Northstar West trade gun.

I don't hate the double, but i certainly don't like it. Clumsy to carry all day long. I do carry it occasionally if I want two separate loads.

I do love my trade gun. Light and a real pleasure to carry all day long. Shot, buckshot, ball.

Your choice.

Warmest Regards,
Robert

Yup,

Trade Gun in .62 is an all around ideal firearm.

I have a Pedersoli Baker 12ga double shotgun,love the backaction locks and the single trigger makes it easier to use when wearing gloves.

+1 On the trade gun either 12 or 20 gauge.

Just thinking out loud here, but, what about one of those "swivel breach" guns. At least I think that's what they're called. I don't see them mentioned much anymore. As I recall they had two barrels o/u set up so the one under was upside down and they were on some sort of axel so when the upper had been fired, or the load of the lower was what was needed, one "swiveled" the top to the bottom and fired the now on top barrel. One could load shot in one and ball in the other, theoretically one barrel could be smooth and the other rifled.
Sorry if I did a poor job of a description, someone else here can probably describe it better and/or show pics. Probably chime in with why I don't hear much about them anymore.

Just did a quick google search, thinking something like this http://www.davidpriceflintlocks.com/id23.html

I have a pedersoli 12x.50 double. It is very heavy and I have taken several turkey with it.
NW

Nit Wit said:

I have a pedersoli 12x.50 double. It is very heavy
NW

Click to expand...

This is the problem with most all double barrel muzzle loaders, they are not user friendly for spending the day afield walking.

My Navy Arms Pietta SxS is balanced well and carries easily. It's about 7 lbs.
My CVA SxS is front end heavy and weighs a bit more .. = not so easy to carry. :haha:

The best thing would be to get your hands on your final candidates and see which one you fall in love with.

+5 on trade gun 20 or 12 gauge

Trade Gun or Fusil in 16 or 20 gauge.

2nd post on it. I have shot deer, hog and small game with tradeguns in the 28 to 12 ga . none more versitle and none weight over 7 lbs. current one is a 12 ga. dixie trade musket. its a reworked brown bess carbine.

if your in the market I just recieved my mike lange built New England Fowler. You wont find a better deal on the planet

Looks like I might get a Fowler first then go from there , will look into them....

,,,,Sam,,,,

ImVho, it's hard to beat an original European CAPE-GUN in .54 or .58 x 16gauge or larger bore in percussion, by any of the quality houses.
(Most any really large gun-show will yield at least 2 suitable firearms for your consideration & at a reasonable price. Then you will be set for anything less than Cape Buffalo, worldwide.)

Fyi, as I'm going to southern Africa to hunt in the fall of 2015 & am currently looking for a large bore rifle x 10gauge.

yours, satx