Can U decide on only one gun?

[mamero]

I hate to see the day we would have to choose only one gun but a 20ga smooth makes sense in North East. It could harvest any game at the distances we hunt up here.

 

[Vaino]

The "one gun" issue has a simple answer.....a drilling {3 bbls} or better yet, a vierling {4 bbls}

W/ either of the above 2 guns, many options of bbls....smoothbores of different gages, rifled bbls of different calibers and many drillings and vierlings have combos of both......Fred

 

[BrownBear]

Based on actual shots at game over the years, it would have to be my 12 gauge SxS. Never tried it on deer, but it's taken a mountain of waterfowl, ptarmigan and snowshoe hare.... Certainly more pounds of game meat than the sum total of large game meat harvested with my rifles over the years. With a 3-month deer season, I'd even have the time and opportunity to wait for a close op on a deer if I had to use it for that.

So no question about it in my mind.

 

[Stumpkiller]

If my house was on fire and I could grab only one it would be my Mike Brooks 16 bore English fowling flintlock.

Throws a ball well enough for my deer hunting and is good with shot for small moving critters.

 

[bob308]

a h&a underhammer. with a ,45 and ,36 barrel along with a 20 ga. smooth. they interchange very easy.

 

[Kansas Jake]

Just a little different twist on the question for me. I would take my TC 50 caliber Hawken. I built it from a kit over 40 years ago and would be the hardest of my muzzleloaders to let go. And since I rarely shoot a shotgun any more it would fill both my hunting and target needs. Granted it is a little large for small game, but still usable.

 

[Elnathan]

There is ample evidence for frontier folk in the Virginia/Carolina's was their main gun was a rifle and the secondary arm was a musket or smoothbore. So keeping in that tradition, my .45 cal. hand built flintlock rifle and Brown Bess would fill the bill then as now.

Gus

Gus,
I'd be interested in seeing sources for that. IIRC, Arnow says something like that in Seedtime on the Cumberland but if you have other sources I'd be interested in reading them.

 

[RedFeather]

Probably my Zouave. First gun I bought, back in 1973. Not my best but, heck, I can replace the others but not my first.

 

[wattlebuster]

For me it would be a 12 ga smooth rifle. A big 690 ball for anything on 4 legs an a good size load of shot for mr gobbler an his tree rat friends

 

[Don Steele]

The question is: "Can U decide on only one gun"..
My first response was...NO, I can't decide.
Reading other responses however...got me to thinking a bit more and I just might be able to make that decision one day.
I have commissioned a John Brooks Late Lancaster lefthand flintlock to be built for me. 38" barrel, 50 caliber. That rifle mightjust turn out to be the "one gun" for me to do about everything I want to do.
Time will tell and I'll let ya'll know in about a year. :wink:

 

[Loyalist Dave]

20 gauge, flintlock, trade gun.

She's not my favorite for deer and for targets..., I favor my Cabin Creek PA Mountain Rifle for deer and it's very accurate. She's not my favorite for Upland Birds, and for that I favor my Pedersoli, caplock, 20 gauge SxS with choked barrels. She's not my favorite for living history, and for that I favor a LLP pattern Bess.

She IS my favorite for squirrels, and rabbits, and I could still hunt all of the above game, and still participate in Living History using her, so that's why she tops my list of There Can Be Only One.

LD

 

[Cowboy]

Can I decide on only one gun?

Nope!

That’s like telling an alcoholic to decide on taking one drink!!

😂
Respectfully, Cowboy

 

[azmntman]

I have become very interedted in Stumpkillers 16GA. It would be that for m. I dont have one yet. Of those I do have would be Hawkins .58

Like what Stumpkiller said, "in a fire". Some of us would Make news in an only one gun situation. We run out of the flames with the 20GA and in a few seconds decide "NO I NEED MY .54"....run past the firemen with the 20GA and back out all smoking and black with the .54. "NO I REALLY NEED MY SMOOTHIE"....back towards the fire with the .54 and tackled by two cops and a fireman and placed securely in the back of the squad car and driven oh so slowly for our mental exam. :rotf:

 

[1100 Remington Man]

Well I was slow to this Muzzleloading. I researched it because I wanted just one for hunting Big Game.
I bought a TC Rengade .54 and I'm hooked on hunting with it I like how it feels in my hand when carried.
It is not perfect but is close enough for me.

 

[George C]

Thompson Center Hawkens 45 caliber. Thought about a CVA Kentucky but decided against that idea because the TC is all I need.

 

[Ranger1759]

.58 Smooth rifle....enough for big game with a PRB and plenty for anything hunted with shot....love mine!

 

[roadgrader]

Doubl barrel 50x12 gauge Stacey

 

[Walks with fire]

Not yet but I have been working on it for about 50 years now. Every time I am thinking about selling some and choosing one rifle I just put them back and say to myself it's paid for and it's not eating much.

 

[Cruzatte]

Only one gun, eh? Well then, does that mean one gun currently in one's possession, or could it be one that's in pieces awaiting assembly, and currently lying on the work bench? If the former, I'll take my Caywood trade gun. If the latter, it might be the FDC awaiting assembly lying on my work bench. Both of 'em are flint, both are 20 ga.

 

[Patocazador]

If I only had one gun, I could decide to use it. I continually ask myself, "which gun should I take hunting tomorrow?" It usually boils down to one of three because there are peeps on those. My eyes can't see the sights/target good enough with the others.