Barrel length

[Thing]

I am wanting a smooth bore flintlock in 20 gauge. I have located a Bucks County smoothbore with a turkey choke barrel by colrain. However it has a 38 inch barrel. Is there much difference between this and a 42 inch barrel. First smoothbore I will own. Do not want to make a mistake.. Will use it for hunting turkey, crows, ducks etc. If there is a difference what would it be,

 

[George]

There won't be any difference you can tell. I have one of the 38" Colerain turkey barrels, and it's a good one. You should know that it is a very tight choke, so much so that I've not found it very useful for anything but turkeys. Much tighter than a regular full choke.

Spence

 

[hanshi]

Mine is a .62 x 38" cylinder bore and it does just fine.

 

[Elnathan]

I am wanting a smooth bore flintlock in 20 gauge.... Will use it for hunting turkey, crows, ducks etc. If there is a difference what would it be,

Something else to consider:

20 gauge for waterfowl might be a bit small. The only person I have run across that has taken ducks or geese with a muzzleloader is William Hovey Smith, and he apparently prefers a 12 gauge. Other advice regarding the selection of modern shotguns also indicates a 12 gauge as the best selection...of course, the written advice for selecting a modern turkey gun is unanimous in recommending a 12 gauge, yet people take turkeys all the time with 20 gauge muzzleloaders, so...

 

[Bear64]

However it has a 38 inch barrel. Is there much difference between this and a 42 inch barrel.

One is 6" longer than the other.

 

[Elnathan]

However it has a 38 inch barrel. Is there much difference between this and a 42 inch barrel.

One is 6" longer than the other.

Very counterintuitive. You'd think that the difference would be 4"!

 

[Homesteader]

My smoothbore fire lock has a tapered (not choked) 14 bore 48" barrel. I've had others, but this is the one for me. I like the long sight radius. You've got a couple of decades on me (exactly) so you might like that too.

I'm also of the opinion, based on my own subjective empirical observations :wink: that it throws a tighter shot charge a bit farther. Could be wrong, but it's worked for me.

 

[Ike Skidmore]

In my experience the barrel length is not as important as load development. It is important to spend time developing a load that shoots well in the gun you choose. Black Powder shot loads in true cylinder bore guns is time consuming. It takes a lot of trips down range with big paper targets and several charge/wad combinations.

 

[Bear64]

However it has a 38 inch barrel. Is there much difference between this and a 42 inch barrel.

One is 6" longer than the other.

Very counterintuitive. You'd think that the difference would be 4"!

well dog-gone the angle of the dangle is wrong, thank you for pointing that out. :rotf: