Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders Getting the itch for another smoothbore

Thinking I have an itch that needs to be scratched...
Something along the lines of a .62 smoothbore / 20 gauge fowler. Maybe a Tulle or something similar with a 41 or 42" barrel. There is just something about flintlocks and strolling through the woods in the fall...

I've read articles where they report pretty good PRB accuracy with some of those. The guys who make those slow-twist underhammer big bores also say they make fair shotguns as well due to the shallow rifling I believe.

Neat stuff.

For the last 7-8 years I shot muzzleloaders, I shot Smoothbore French style fusils. What one would call a Fusil fin and a Fusil de Chasse.
The Fusil de Chasse shot very well. I still have it. It would shoot round ball loads either patched or loaded with wasp nest equally well. I sold of the Fusil fin as it never fit right. Least it never felt as good and the other Fusil.

I retrofitted a brass rear sight on my keeper close tom the same style that was found on a Fusil in a native burial ( see Haynes Bluff site, Tunica Archaeology, Peabody museum).

Since I have acquired two other fusils as gifts I should post photos. One is a rather elegant gun. A lefty hand flint. And the other an original conversion to percussion.

I much prefered the smoothies!

On an added note I was able to examine the fusils that came off La Belle. At least the stocks as the ferrous metal portions had long deteriorated. But there was enough coral and other material encasements to get a good idea of what the original metal looked like! The stocks were very close to what some collectors refer to as a style "D" Fusil.

Left hand gun



Sure appears to be a "Bedford" style patch ox to me.




Gun is a 20 bore.

Fusil on top I no longer own.



A late pig. 70 grains fffg and 595 R. B.

Fusils with some trade trinkets.

You do have the outfits, my friend!

Any idea who makes a decent shooter at a decent price?

I've been out of touch for a while. I know Track Of The Wolf usually keeps a supply of pricey ones available. Just havta keep a clear eye!

That would depend on your definition of decent price!

My current set of toys...
Fusil fin, 1770 - 1780 knife and belt axe, bag made by yours truly.

Thanks. That'll give me a ballpark figure. Not in a hurry. Got a few birthdays to cover in the next month and Christmas is comin'.

Everybody needs something to ponder on in their spare time!

Cool looking stuff fellas,

Kaywoodie, I love the "huntin hat".

Thanks,

Geno

LOL! That was prolly the last porker I shot with a muzzleloader. Justgot the desire to try different toys. Slaughtered several truckloads of the things with a lead round ball! I've got an old GRRW perc Leman rifle that I've kilt more deer and hogs with than any other rifle I own.

There was a group of us that started a hog camp on one of the groupmembers family ranch up in Llano county about 1982 meet every spring break. . Strictly muzzleloaders. Well all the hogs I see now when we meet are around the campfire! LOL! It's become a real shoot fest now. No hogs shot but everybody brings out their new toys and shoots them. We have a good time! Lots of food too!

KW, that sure is a purdy lefty you have there! Was that so you could charge a group of hogs with a Fusil in each hand "Last of the Mohican" style?

Compadre! My runnin' days are long over!!!!

Funny thing about that Fusil! A very old and dear friend who began collecting muzzleloaders in the Red River valley when he was a kid back in the 30's gave me that Fusil as well as the other I mentioned which is a nice old flint conversion "buck and ball" gun, as he affectionately called it! I need to get some good photos of it and post them.

Along with a first edition of Gerard's (sic) "Watoyah And the Taos Trail". He was quite a guy and had some exceptional old pieces.

KW, you're a rich man to have friends like that! None of mine have much more than a Mossyberg shotgun!

I have a Chief's grade trade gun from North Star West I like very much. It and the English fowlers just fit me better than the fusils.

Very nice PDS!!! They build great guns!!!I have a North Star West Brit Light Infantry (officers) Fusil. I built it from one of their kits. Used it on the set of "The Patriot".

One of my friends just received his Officers musket from NSW. It's a well made piece, bayonet and all!

Nice gobbler PDS! Last one I shot was with a 20 bore Northwest gun that my youngest son now has! That way years ago!

I think if I ever got another muzzleloader I'd get a 40 caliber flint rifle. Nice and light. Something like a southern mtn rifle. Something extremely simple. I killed a lot of critters with a 40 caliber round ball. Turkey, deer, hogs. Had a real nice Bedford style cap lock years ago. I like the 40! Made several great shots withthat old piece.

I'm just not really in a position to acquire more guns. I can't get the time now to attend to all the ones I have!!!