54 Rifled or Smooth Bore?

I'm about to build my first rifle, a Kibler Colonial kit and I've narrowed it down to a 54 caliber. I had previously considered 50 vs. 54.
Now, I'm considering the differences between a rifled bore and a smooth bore.

I'll be using this rifle for deer hunting, possible or occasional groundhogs and some "quail walk" type shoots.
I'd like to hear from those with experiences with both smooth and rifled bores.
Comparable accuracy at reasonable hunting distances are my main concerns/interests.

Rifled, better accuracy at hunting distances. No draw backs that are real.

I don’t know your shooting history or personal desires. So I’ll talk about my personal position.

I’m going to get a smoothbore…I’m very happy with my current stable of rifles. Nice selection and I don’t feel lacking.

The .50 as a smoothbore is simply to small a bore for me to take into the field in pursuit of upland game; Pheasants, Quail, maybe Dove etc. The 1/2” smoothbore would be a good choice for small game such as rabbits, and squirrels; but my hunting forays extend beyond this calibre’s fundamental limitations as a smoothbore.

So I’m looking at the .58/24 gauge or the .54/28 gauge.

The 28 gauge is as small as I’d go when considering a game gun. I’ve shot a .56 calibre smoothbore on the TC Renegade…plenty powerful and useable. I could use it on everything that I currently hunt with a smoothbore, excluding waterfowl. Turkey would be a tough one…I don’t know…

The 24 gauge would do everything that the 28 gauge would, and probably add another 5 yrds to my range limits in the field. It provide a more foregiving firearm when going after Turkey…I would not hesitate to take Turkey with a 24 gauge.

As an added bit, I think that with my current hunting, a smoothbore rifle would see more time in the field, thus avoiding becoming a gun safe Queen.

So there is my choice…smoothbore. I still don’t know which gauge to get…

I debated this when I purchased my .58 Kibler. I hunt more open terrain for whitetail (Kansas) and plan on taking it elk hunting, so I went with the rifled barrel. If you’re hunting more dense country, a smoothie may be more your style to fit versatile use.

Rifle or smooth to me comes down to whether you want to be able to use shot. Otherwise it would be a rifle for me.

To me boils down to how many guns you own, if you are a one-gun man, go with the smooth bore it's more versatile. If you have guns to hunt both types of the game, go with the rifle.

I love double barrel guns so I recently bought a double from another member on this site it is a 19 guage smoothbore and a 62 rifle with shallow rifling so can shoot shot from both barrels or 1 shot and 1 a ball .also have 2 12 gauge doubles and a 410 single cant wait to hunt with the combination gun so get you a double barrel JMHO

As others have said accuracy is the rifles advantage. A .54 rifle effectively doubles your range on deer sized and bigger game. A .54 smoothie takes Rocky and Bulwinkle with the same gun. However it cost you range. It’s a lot easier to get twenty yards from Rocky then less then fifty from Bulwinkle. And fifty is around your top range for an accurate hit with smoothie I pretty much am a smooth shooter tgese past twenty years

Bowhunter57 said:

I'm about to build my first rifle, a Kibler Colonial kit and I've narrowed it down to a 54 caliber. I had previously considered 50 vs. 54.
Now, I'm considering the differences between a rifled bore and a smooth bore.

I'll be using this rifle for deer hunting, possible or occasional groundhogs and some "quail walk" type shoots.
I'd like to hear from those with experiences with both smooth and rifled bores.
Comparable accuracy at reasonable hunting distances are my main concerns/interests.

Click to expand...

A "smooth" rifle can and has been used for hunting, but maybe at less distances. If you're mainly a deer hunter, go with the rifled! Good luck. Those Kibler's are nice!

I say go with the rifle. I'm a rifleman and prefer them over smoothbores; just never had all that much use for them. I've always been more adept with rifles than with with smoothbores, but that may not mean much these days. Even as a kid chasing small game I much preferred rifles. Later get a dedicated smoothbore to go with that .54.

I appreciate the informative replies, gentlemen!

Purchasing a rifled barrel sounds like my best option. I'm not ordering the Kibler kit until later this month, so I still have some time to look around for a different rifle in a smooth bore.

Perhaps I'll pick up a smooth bore later, like a TC Renegade was mentioned as an option...if one can be found or something similar.

Bowhunter57 said:

I appreciate the informative replies, gentlemen!

Purchasing a rifled barrel sounds like my best option. I'm not ordering the Kibler kit until later this month, so I still have some time to look around for a different rifle in a smooth bore.

Perhaps I'll pick up a smooth bore later, like a TC Renegade was mentioned as an option...if one can be found or something similar.

Click to expand...

look on gunbroker they have what your looking for new listing every day

Bowhunter57 said:

I appreciate the informative replies, gentlemen!

Purchasing a rifled barrel sounds like my best option. I'm not ordering the Kibler kit until later this month, so I still have some time to look around for a different rifle in a smooth bore.

Perhaps I'll pick up a smooth bore later, like a TC Renegade was mentioned as an option...if one can be found or something similar.

Click to expand...

Just get a extra barrel
There dun deal

Order the Kibler with the .54 rifled barrel and an EXTRA barrel .58 smooth. Now yer complete and only another $300osh bucks! Just Do It

azmntman said:

Order the Kibler with the .54 rifled barrel and an EXTRA barrel .58 smooth. Now yer complete and only another $300osh bucks! Just Do It

Click to expand...

I like your idea so much, that I sent a message to Jim Kibler and asked him that very same question.
I'll let you know what he says in his reply.

Bowhunter57 said:

I appreciate the informative replies, gentlemen!

Purchasing a rifled barrel sounds like my best option. I'm not ordering the Kibler kit until later this month, so I still have some time to look around for a different rifle in a smooth bore.

Perhaps I'll pick up a smooth bore later, like a TC Renegade was mentioned as an option...if one can be found or something similar.

Click to expand...

Here’s a thought. Get your Kibler with a rifled barrel, then purchase an additional barrel in smooth. You can swap the barrels out. It’s a bit of a nuisance and you have to be careful with removing the pins, but definitely doable.

Or, the underbarrel lugs and pins can be replaced with an under barrel wedge lug and the pins with wedges. It's easy to remove the barrel by pulling the wedges, the tang bolt and possibly the rear lock bolt. Then exchanging barrel is easy.

My Derringer rifle and my 1803 Harper's Ferry rifle have wedges and a tang bolt.

Bowhunter57 said:

I'm about to build my first rifle, a Kibler Colonial kit and I've narrowed it down to a 54 caliber. I had previously considered 50 vs. 54.
Now, I'm considering the differences between a rifled bore and a smooth bore.

I'll be using this rifle for deer hunting, possible or occasional groundhogs and some "quail walk" type shoots.
I'd like to hear from those with experiences with both smooth and rifled bores.
Comparable accuracy at reasonable hunting distances are my main concerns/interests.

Click to expand...

You are going to end up with 2 or 3 muzzleloaders eventually anyway.
Get the rifle first.

Get an extra barrel in 54 smooth
Problem solved!

I think there is definitely an evolution many go through.

My journey went as follows:
Inline rifle - fast twist caplock rifle - slow twist caplock rifle - slow twist flintlock rifle - flintlock smoothbore.

Of my collection I will not part with my fast twist hawken, my 54 flint rifle nor a 62 smooth. I do use them all but smoothies definitely grow on you and the versatility is real.

For me if I plan on hunting to 150y it's my caplock hawken .50
100 yards my .54 flint rifle
And in close a smoothy, I use it in place of my bow now.

So it all depends on what you want it for, and there are no wrong answers. But there is a correct answer, one muzzleloader is never enough!