Thoughts on the smoothrifle

Howdy folks,
I have returned to charcoal burning after a hiatus of action shooting. I'm just getting to old for that manure so looking forward to the slower tempo & sweet aromas of the Holy Black. While I still have all my guns & gear I cant help but want to get a new gun.

Recently on TOTW I spotted a "Smoothrifle". While I have no interest in that particular rifle it got me thinking. I truly enjoyed getting my Fusil de Chase to shoot well & thought I might get similar satisfaction from say a well adorned 54cal smoothrifle.

I need y'alls help, someone please tell me why this is a bad idea & talk me out of ordering a rifle being made.

I don't think I have ever talked someone out of buying a quality firearm.

I have completed my smoothbore 20 ga and am loving it.

Headhunter

Getting everything together for a .32 caliber smooth bore rifle to play with around home. Want a small flintlock, have a .32 percussion rifle that shoots great with patched round ball. Know the smooth bore will probably not be as accurate but want it anyway.

I would not get a smooth rifle unless I was going to shoot shot in it often. It’s just not easy to get good, 50 yard accuracy with a round ball in a smoothbore and it’s not as easy to shoot 20 round balls accurately without cleaning in a smoothbore in my experience.

In a small caliber smooth rifle with round ball, who is confident of head shots on squirrels at 35 yards?

I’m saving to buy the parts for a smooth rifle, expect to buy in December. .54,15/16 44 inch barrel with Virgina styling. Will it do any thing my FDC won’t, no will it shoot as well as my rifle gun, no, do I want it? Yup.

You may find this thread interesting: http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/308414/post/new/#NEW

Wonderful accuracy can be achieved with a smoothrifle. While I'm not one who resides to shooting paper from a bench, I hunt. I have four smoothrifles and absolutely love them.

My recent addition is a nearly complete Jim Kibler Colonial smoothrifle in .54.

Very versatile rifle and will do everything you ask from it, from shot to ball your basis are covered.

You certainly can expect good accuracy all day if you KNOW your rifle and you do your part. However I wouldn't go anything under .54 for a smoothbore. Best of luck! :thumbsup:

Rich Pierce said:

I would not get a smooth rifle unless I was going to shoot shot in it often. It’s just not easy to get good, 50 yard accuracy with a round ball in a smoothbore and it’s not as easy to shoot 20 round balls accurately without cleaning in a smoothbore in my experience.

In a small caliber smooth rifle with round ball, who is confident of head shots on squirrels at 35 yards?

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I err well, I don't restrict myself to 50yds for squirrel shooting.
I usually get much closer.
Now rabbits sure.
Sure a rabbit to 36yds and beyond with my smooth rifle is in danger of losing its head.
So,what problems did you have?

B.

Thank You Sir, as stated it is to play with around home. Have a rifle in 32 if greater accuracy is desired. Reading about you shooting smooth bores hunting was part of why I want to build one. Have larger rifles and smooth bores, want a small caliber smooth bore rifle, something to play with just to see what I can do with it.

I was a rifle man for years, heck decades. I recently bought a flint smoothbore. I now see what the attraction is! I say if a smoothbore is what you desire, then by all means buy one. Life is too darn short to say 'I wish I shoulda, coulda' on your deathbed.

edit- that should of been in response to Boomer not TheOldRedneck.

I want one of them all, but if I could only have one gun it would be a smooth rifle.

brian98 said:

I want one of them all, but if I could only have one gun it would be a smooth rifle.

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I'm with you, but playing the one gun game mine would have to be a fowler. I do enough wing shooting, I found the rear sight on a smooth rifle to be a huge problem. Took it right off.

For me, I have little doubt I could learn to shoot ball from a fowler lots sooner than I could learn to wing shoot with shot using a smooth rifle. Fluffing ground targets with shot from a smooth rifle is dead easy, but let that winged wonder get into the air and it's mostly safe from me. :rotf:

Fowler for me as well. I like the option or grouse and rabbits or deer.

While I've never owned a smoothrifle, my opinion based on plenty of rifles and one smoothbore trade musket, if I was stuck with one firearm only it would be a trade/fusil/fowler type firearm. Not a rifle (smooth or rifled bore). I also base this opinion on having owned (and still do) a whole slew of modern rifles and shotguns and my hunting experiences with them.

I am confused here. What is a Smoothrifle. A smooth barrel is one that has no rifling in it.
A rifle barrel should have no smooth sections in its bore..
A 6 foot dwarf riding an black horse that was white from head to tail.

A smoothrifleis a contradiction in terms all in one word

Would someone please exlain?

Dutch Schoultz

Dutch Schoultz said:

I am confused here. What is a Smoothrifle.
Would someone please exlain?

Dutch Schoultz

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A smooth rifle has the attributes of a rifle- cheekpiece, patchbox, tigger guard and sights those of a rifle, but the barrel will have thick walls and no rifling, octagon or octagon-round.

While it is a contradiction in terms, calling the particular firearm a smooth rifle is really quite descriptive.

The firearm is built in the pattern of a rifle. The stock architecture may have a cheekpiece, double set triggers, will have front and rear sights and full octagon barrel. It does have a smooth bore. No rifling. The firearm will have the handling characteristics of a rifle with advantages of sights for shots at small game and turkeys. It wouldn't be too handy for pointing or wing shooting, but would be very effective with shot on squirrels, rabbits or turkeys. With ball, the smooth rifle is effective for 50 to 70 yard shots on deer in the eastern forests.

Perhaps it could be called a smooth bored firearm of rifle configuration. Oh well, let's just call it a smooth rifle.

Thank you for all of your thoughts. My reasons for wanting a smoothrifle are for no better reason than I dont have one. I have or have had rifles from 32 to 75cal & a couple of fowlers but never a smoothrifle so I was of a mind to try something different.

I agree with nearly all the sentiments put forth here. If given a choice of owning only one rifle I would probably part with all but my TULLE.

No comes the fun part, planning one out & finding a builder that can get it done before I retire :thumbsup:

Dutch Schoultz said:

I am confused here. What is a Smoothrifle. A smooth barrel is one that has no rifling in it.
A rifle barrel should have no smooth sections in its bore..
A 6 foot dwarf riding an black horse that was white from head to tail.

A smoothrifleis a contradiction in terms all in one word

Would someone please exlain?

Dutch Schoultz

Click to expand...

Had the same question a short while ago on this oxymoron.
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/308388/post/1704372/hl//fromsearch/1/

Boomer said:

I need y'alls help, someone please tell me why this is a bad idea & talk me out of ordering a rifle being made.

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Sorry Boomer; you've come to the wrong forum. We're here to enable, aid, and abet all who are so afflicted. Buddy, you've gone 'round the bend, and there's no returning. Get the gun, son. :grin: