Smooth rifle

[ridjrunr]

I am off work for a couple weeks due to another hernia surgery so have alot of book time and screen time. Well I got to thinking I really should get off my arse and due a buildafter recovery), wether from scratch or a kit. What I am interested in is a smooth rifle.
My question is to those who have experiance owning and shooting one. Briefly, do you like patching or wadding for round ball and part two of the question, is it typically a ball more undersize of bore size than for a rifle?
Ridjrunr

[Eric Krewson]

I a 20 and a 12 that both like patched balls instead of bare balls. I shoot a .590 in the 20 and a .690 in the 12. I use .025 denim for patching. I like 1F for my smoothies.
 
Every smoothie is different, you will have to experiment around to see what your gun likes.

[ridjrunr]

Thanks Eric, do you know any other companies that sell a smooth rifle in kit form other than chambers?

[Roaddog]

I think TVM has them.

[Eric Krewson]

I guess it depends on what style you are looking for, all the kit makers offer a fowler of some kind. You could a smooth barrel on any of the kits.

What style and caliber are you thinking about?

[ridjrunr]

Thanks for replying, My first choice would be an early VA and if not a huge extra expense, .53 bore as I have a Hawken that bore size and a mold to accommodate (.520) most barrels listed are .50 or .54 in a c wght. I would lika an oct to round.

[Eric Krewson]

Colerain will make a smoothbore out of any of their barrels.

If you have a .53 made you are talking serious money, $250 or more.

It would be cheaper to buy a .54 and spent $25 on a mold.

Track has this one in 24 and 28 gage, most of the octagon to round are 20ga and up.

https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/655/1/BBL-24-42

[PetahW]

.

One of the local funshops had two .56cal T/C Renegade Model 56SB's (smoothbore's) in VG condition, F/S @ $199 - IMO cheap at twice the price, and very accurate (as mine is) with a .535" PRB.

That'd be about the least expensive smoothie option - but they're not a build, of course.


.

[Buzzard]

I bought both of smooth rifle kit from Larry Zorn, Jackson, Ohio. He's the guy who builds Davis locks and triggers.