Smoothbore Fowler Info needed....

[nightwolf1974]

What ball size would I want to shoot (bare-ball) in a 20 gauge fowler, a 16 gauge fowler, and a 12 gauge fowler? Is it worth it to go to a 12 gauge fowler for hunting?

I want to get into this next year, and I need some info.. Thanks!

 

[Nor'Easter]

I see no one has responded, so I can share my experience. I shoot what I think is suposed to be a composite gun restocked in New England. Stock profile - TG - BP are Fusil de Chase with Early Germanic lock and Enlish trigger and full round tapered barrel. I think it's a Ken Netting barrel, .56 cal smooth. I shoot .562 hand cast round balls. They are a friction fit, having to be seated with the ram rod. But they are loose enough I always put a lubed wad on top of them when I'm hunting so that there is no chance of them walking off the powder. I also put a lubed wad under the ball. I make sure the bore has some lube in it to minimize possible leading, which is why I use the lubed wads. As far as gauge goes, I can only share what I have read on this and other M/L forums. 20 gauge is plenty sufficient for upland birds and small game. A .620 (20ga) round ball weighs 358gr, so with an 80gr charge of ffg it would be pretty serious medicine for NA big game. What I've read is that if you want to hunt waterfowl then stepping up to a 16ga or 12ga is recommended for better range & more consistent kills. I got a good deal on a H&R Huntsman in 12ga, so I picked up for turkey hunting. I bought a bag of 50 round balls to try in 12ga and have never shot them. They just look like they will hurt. .72" in diameter and weigh over 560gr. Hope that helps some.

 

[dave_person]

Hi Nightwolf,
I recommend a 16 gauge. It can handle virtually all kinds of hunting and usually 16 gauge barrels have the same outside dimensions as 20 gauge so they tend to be lighter than the 20 gauge barrels. For ammunition, I would consider 0.626" ball with 0.015-0.018" patches. For charges, 80-90 grains 2F powder would be a start. In my 20 gauge barrels, I shoot 0.595" balls with 0.015" patches and often I use an over powder wad. For charge, I use 80 grains of 2f powder. That gives me good accuracy out to 65-70 yards but that accuracy falls apart rapidly after that distance.

dave

 

[Nobade]

Remember that barrels of a certain gauge are not always exactly the same diameter inside. It is not a bad idea to measure your particular barrel and proceed accordingly. My own 20 ga is dead on .625" and I use .600" patched balls in it. For bare ball loads a .615" would be more appropriate but I don't have a mold for those yet. I have seen 20 ga barrels as small as .610" and as big as .635" in the past. They would be different.

 

[smo]

My 16 gauge measures .653 , I can shoot a .648 bare ball or a .642 ball .
The .642 loads easier after a few shots are fired.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Hi Nightwolf,
I recommend a 16 gauge. It can handle virtually all kinds of hunting and usually 16 gauge barrels have the same outside dimensions as 20 gauge so they tend to be lighter than the 20 gauge barrels.
dave

YES, AGREED...the 16 gauge is a "neglected" gauge (imho) these days, because of it being phased out in a lot of the modern manufacturer's gun lines...( 'cept I own two moderns in 16 Ga and a flint carbine in it.... ) SO..., I think a lot of folks don't look into the 16 gauge much, when it comes to ML's...pity.

BUT back to the point, it was very very popular for two centuries as it was a very good "all around" gauge. I think a lot of guys push their 20 gauge black powder muzzleloaders..., when they'd do better if they also got hold of and used a 16 gauge.

LD

 

[Loja man]

How available are Fowlers with a 16 gauge barrel? I don’t know that any of the better kits come with that option. I’ve been planning on a Fowler as a all around hunting gun. Was planning to go 20 gauge. I would mostly be going after rabbit, squirrel and turkey with shot. PRB for deer. Might try my luck at some ducks or geese.
I agree Loyalist Dave, the 16 gauge is very neglected. I hear it is more popular in Texas? They were very popular in South America when I was growing up.

 

[French Colonial]

I am with nobade, I shoot a .600 ball out of my 20 gauge Caywood with a thin patch and it shoots very accurately.

 

[hanshi]

A 20 ga is the only smoothbore in my stable and it is plenty. The bore is pretty tight, I got somewhere around .612" to .615" when I measured it with a caliper. Accuracy is great with a .600" ball and a thin (under .015") patch. Using WW alloy the mold drops a .606" ball. It's too large to patch with anything other than a piece of cotton t-shirt, and that's still really tough to seat. So the larger ball gets seated on top of a felt or cushion wad and is my bare-ball load. Accuracy is similar to the .600" prb.

 

[Capt. Jas.]

How available are Fowlers with a 16 gauge barrel? I don’t know that any of the better kits come with that option. I’ve been planning on a Fowler as a all around hunting gun. Was planning to go 20 gauge. I would mostly be going after rabbit, squirrel and turkey with shot. PRB for deer. Might try my luck at some ducks or geese.
I agree Loyalist Dave, the 16 gauge is very neglected. I hear it is more popular in Texas? They were very popular in South America when I was growing up.

Dave Keck at Knob Mountian Muzzleloading has many fowling piece patterns in which he can inlet a 16 bore, 42" "Griffin" profile barrel. That's my best recommendation for off the peg barrels and a profiled stock. Mike Brooks used to sell one for the Colerain 44" barrel in 16 or 20 (both with same outside profile) but that's been 12 or more years ago.

 

[Nor'Easter]

Capt. That's good info, thank you.

 

[Loja man]

How many of you who hunt with a 20 guage Fowler go after ducks or geese?

 

[nightwolf1974]

YES, AGREED...the 16 gauge is a "neglected" gauge (imho) these days, because of it being phased out in a lot of the modern manufacturer's gun lines...( 'cept I own two moderns in 16 Ga and a flint carbine in it.... ) SO..., I think a lot of folks don't look into the 16 gauge much, when it comes to ML's...pity.

BUT back to the point, it was very very popular for two centuries as it was a very good "all around" gauge. I think a lot of guys push their 20 gauge black powder muzzleloaders..., when they'd do better if they also got hold of and used a 16 gauge.

LD

When I was 13 and learned that 12ga. wasn't the only gauge out there, I found that I really loved the 16ga. . It's sad that it's largely considered "OBSOLETE". So, now I'm steering my thinking to going with a 16ga. fowler.

 

[Packrat]

They called them Sweet 16 for a reason

 

[nightwolf1974]

They called them Sweet 16 for a reason

I was told they called it "Sweet 16" because at the time it offered more power than a 20ga. and not as harsh as a 12ga., so it was a "sweet" balance of the two.

 

[FiremanBrad]

The only right answer is, get one of each!!!

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I was told they called it "Sweet 16" because at the time it offered more power than a 20ga. and not as harsh as a 12ga., so it was a "sweet" balance of the two.

I was told the term was from a specific modern Browning brand shotgun in sixteen gauge, offered first in 1937.


LD

 

[appalichian hunter]

Correct.

 

[waksupi]

How many of you who hunt with a 20 guage Fowler go after ducks or geese?

I personally don't think they have the reach. I run out of good pattern for turkey at around 30 yards, that being a dense enough pattern to get pellets into the head.
For waterfowl, a 10 bore is the best medicine, although it will knock the snot out of you with round ball on a day at the range. Ditto for a 12 bore, for that matter.

 

[flconch53]

I shoot a 28 gauge .540 ball with a thin patch. I use a 60 gr FF charge with 1 Oz shot when shooting shot. The smaller bore size causes a longer shot string so unlike modern shotguns smaller bore fowler are not adversely affected as far as pattern. All that being said there is no best fowler it all depends on you.