I've Never Wanted A Smoothie, but...

[Critter Getter]

Iowa doesn't allow turkey hunting with a BP rifle and I have been wanting to take one with a muzzleloader for quite a long time so my question here is............ Which would you buy, a smooth long gun from say Tip Curtis or have a smooth barrel made for one of my many half stock guns like a GPR or TC Hawken? Also, IF I wanted to get a barrel made for a half stock, where do you suggest I go to have it made? Greg. :/

 

[Britsmoothy]

It's your choice but don't leave it much longer. :hatsoff:

 

[sb 54 cal.]

Had a .54 smooth bore made from rice Barrel co. .540 bore but it will kill turkey. Put it on a lyman deerstalker stock.

 

[Patocazador]

If you have a rusty or shot-out barrel, you could have it re-bored to a smoothy without a lot of expense.

 

[Lonegun1894]

My favorite (out of two options) is a GM .54 smoothbore barrel mounted in a GPR stock. Unfortunately, the barrel is out of production, so this may have limited use to you. It is 32" long, and straight octagon 15/16", just like the stock Lyman GPR barrel, just smooth. It makes a great "smooth rifle", and I love it for hog, deer, turkey, etc, basically anything where I am shooting at a stationary target. But for times when I am going after dove or anything that will be on the move or in flight, I take my 13ga SxS.

 

[Black Hand]

I'd suggest a 20 gauge Fowler or Trade gun.

 

[coloradoclyde]

There's a third option....

Double barrel shotgun.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Well the best option (imho) for a turkey gun (and the most expensive) would be the semi-custom long gun, and have the barrel jug-choked to give you a tight pattern.

The next best, and perhaps equally as expensive, would be (as previously suggested) a SxS shotgun (caplock would be my personal choice) from Pedersoli. The problem would be though, that the barrels would be modern choked (unless they had screw-in chokes) and might not do well with round ball if you wanted to also do deer.

The third option would be, as also suggested, you find another barrel for one of your hook-breech, half-stocked rifles, and have the barrel reamed-out to 28 gauge. It could also be jug-choked, AND would fit a rifle that you already are familiar, AND would cost the least of the options.

LD

 

[azmntman]

Dbl 12 in classifieds now. Pedersoli with chrome lined barrels (the EASIEST to clean). I asked about chokes so that should pop up rite quick.

I would get a 20 myself. Single shot.

 

[robinsroost]

:hmm: Indiana also does not allow the use of rifles for turkeys, so I chosen an Pedersoli SBS 20ga. It is light and handy, bored IC/Mod. Keep yer powder dry........robin :wink:

 

[nwtradegun]

do they prohibit black powder guns or justones with a rifled bore. here in is the problem. it must be 20 gauge or larger. you will need a barrel at least 1 inch. check with bobby hoyt on recommendations.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Can you legally use a smooth rifle?

B.

 

[Skychief]

Sent you a PM Greg.

 

[tenngun]

I'd suggest a 20 gauge Fowler or Trade gun.

A NWG is easy to handle in the woods, a comfort to shoot. While its not H,C some companies offer the early nineteenth cent style in precusion. I think Track of the wolf has one on its web page right now. Sitting fox offers it as a kit or made.

 

[Critter Getter]

Thank you to Skychief and everyone else for your help and opinions. I'm going to show my stupidity here to you Brit and tell you that I don't know the difference between a smooth rifle and a longrifle that has a smoothbore for a barrel. Guessing a smooth rifle is a smoothbore that has a rear sight? If so, then yes I do believe that would be a legal weapon. Greg

 

[Critter Getter]

So could a 20 gauge barrel be fitted to a GPR .54 caliber stock or would a 28 guage be the biggest that would work on that stock? Greg. :/

 

[azmntman]

do they prohibit black powder guns or justones with a rifled bore. here in is the problem. it must be 20 gauge or larger. you will need a barrel at least 1 inch. check with bobby hoyt on recommendations.

AZ used to allow .22 mag, now shotgun only UP TO 10 GA, nothing bigger but no restriction on smaller. BUT Must shoot "shot" I guess a dbl roundball load in a smoothie would make em scratch ther arse and think a bit (I dont believe there is a size limit on "shot"?)

 

[tenngun]

A smooth rifle or rifle mounted fusil looks just like any other ml rifle of its class. It just happens to have a smooth barrel. So you can have a southern smooth rifle or a Virginia or Lancaster with a smooth bore. It can have just a front sight, most will have a rear.
Putting a rear sight on a fusil give you a fusil with a rear sight, not a smooth rifle.
It's all a ship boat thing or a fiddle violins thing, it's kinda Like calling a shooting bag a possibles bag... it's still a bag.

 

[Lonegun1894]

do they prohibit black powder guns or justones with a rifled bore. here in is the problem. it must be 20 gauge or larger. you will need a barrel at least 1 inch. check with bobby hoyt on recommendations.

AZ used to allow .22 mag, now shotgun only UP TO 10 GA, nothing bigger but no restriction on smaller. BUT Must shoot "shot" I guess a dbl roundball load in a smoothie would make em scratch ther arse and think a bit (I dont believe there is a size limit on "shot"?)

Also check to make sure if there is a limitation on the number of "shot". You could email your Wildlife department and ask for advice since you are working up turkey loads, and if there is anything in place to limit the size or number of shot in a shotgun load. I mean, if I was using my SxS, I'd be tempted to use one .690" "shot" in each barrel, and go find dinner.

 

[Black Hand]

BUT Must shoot "shot" I guess a dbl roundball load in a smoothie would make em scratch ther arse and think a bit (I dont believe there is a size limit on "shot"?)

After all, Game Wardens are known for their sense of humor and cavalier interpretation of regulations... :wink: :wink: :wink: