.50 cal. smoothbore flintlock

[trex]

Any one used a .50 caliber smoothbore? Is this abought a 32-35 gauge?
How much shot would it use?
What size ball would it use?
I am checking my options doing a little research, looking at a .50 Cal. 7/8" x 42"
barrel and having it cut down to 36" or 38'.

Thank you for the impute on all my questions I appreciate it.

 

[Wobblyshot1]

I actually figure it to be more like 37/38 gauge. Gauge is and old term to describe the number of lead balls per pound that would fit the bore of a particular gun. Example there would be 12 lead round balls per pound for a 12 gauge gun. Normally muzzle loader smoothbore shooters use equal volume of powder to shot and actually use the same volumetric measure. If I had a 50 smoothie...I don't...I'd probably use 50 to 60 grains powder and maybe 1/2 to 3/4 oz shot. For a ball .490 and probably less like a .480.
May I ask what you end game is? From you posts its seeming to me you are interested in a smoothbore ML of some sort.

One other thing and I'm not trying to run you off, but TnDeer doesn't show much interest to traditional MLs. There are other sites that deal most exclusively with the traditional stuff. I can send you a few links if you would like.

 

[Smo]

Great info Wobbly! I don't own a smooth bore smaller than a 16 gauge.

But I've got Friends who do, one shoots a .58 smooth bore another has a .54 cal.
Both shoot round balls extremely well, and the .58 does well with shot .
I'm not sure how well the .54 does with shot, but I'd think at reasonable ranges it wood perform well.

 

[trex]

Thanks for the responses, I look at other traditional sights and some times ask questions in them
but sometimes you get different advice/opinions from others, a good thing in my book.
I am just looking at getting a smoothbore of some type in flintlock to play with, hunt small game and maybe deer.
Trying to keep the price, weight down, don't want a lot of kick so I can use it as long as posable, getting old before
my time, arthritis and other things

 

[Wobblyshot1]

If you haven't already found it, The American Long Rifle forum is my go to with lots of extremely knowledgeable folks on there. Their classifieds sometimes will have good deals from hobby gun builders like me. You can also put a WTB ad in it with a price range. You never know what might pop up.

By the way, I have a friend in his late 70s with some arthritis who still hunts and kills rabbits with his 28 gauge flint fowler. I believe a 28 is close to 54 caliber.