Author Topic: Short Barrel for Hunting  (Read 687 times)

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Offline El Lobo

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Short Barrel for Hunting
« on: December 20, 2006, 02:16:06 PM »
Hey Guys,

If you were deer hunting with a 50 cal round ball, what would the shortest barrel be
that you could use and still get the job done reliably?   I hunt in the rhododendron and
laurel thickets here in northeast West Virginia where a shot could easily be 25 feet but
seldom more than 75 yards.

Yes, well,  I'm thinking 'canoe gun'!!

Lobo in West Virginia
Lobo in West Virginia

Offline flathead

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Re: Short Barrel for Hunting
« Reply #1 on: December 20, 2006, 04:12:00 PM »
Hello,

My Lyman Deerstalker in .54 does great in stuff like that. It has a 24" barrel. Very high quality rifle by the way. The long dead TC White Mtn. carbines were great little guns and I think they were slightly shorter yet. Still perfectly adequate. Why do the good ones get discontinued? The drawback I see(no pun intended) is one of short sight radius, and not firepower. My slightly older eyes can't line up those sights.

Offline El Lobo

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Re: Short Barrel for Hunting
« Reply #2 on: December 24, 2006, 10:43:58 AM »
Hey Guys,


So,  twenty four inches is as short as I should go?


Lobo in West Virginia
Lobo in West Virginia

Offline Palmer

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Re: Short Barrel for Hunting
« Reply #3 on: December 25, 2006, 06:09:34 AM »
Hey Lobo,
I wouldn't worry about losing much by going shorter than 24 inches, in fact I am looking at shortening one of my ML for treestand/thicket hunting. In Sam Fadalas' Black Powder Loading manual, he found such little difference in the knight MK 85 w/ 20 inch barrel and MK 85 w/ 26 inch barrel, he did a lot of his testing and load development with the 20 inch one only. I 'll probably have my LK 93 cut down to 18" and have a 5.5 lb carry all day rifle.
Good Luck,
Palmer

Offline coon-hunter1

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Re: Short Barrel for Hunting
« Reply #4 on: December 25, 2006, 03:49:40 PM »
I had the bbl on my sons gun cut down to 20 inches because he is so small that the gun was to front heavy for him.  He won his 4H division with it this summer, and killed his deer with it at 75 yards this last week.

Offline El Lobo

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Re: Short Barrel for Hunting
« Reply #5 on: December 26, 2006, 03:32:59 AM »
Coon Hunter,

Looks like your boy gets a brass tack for his stock on the deer!!  Anyone who can take a deer with black powder has a bright future ahead as a hunter.  Also, you get a pat-on-the-back for enabling his hunt!  Kudo's to the both of you!!

Palmer,

Looks like I'll have to pick up a copy of  Sam Fadalas' "Black Powder Loading manual".  My wife's getting ready for a trip to the mall  (after Christmas sales!!) right now. 

Enjoy your Christmas holiday!

Lobo in West Virginia
Lobo in West Virginia