Thanks Waksupi for the Great Shotgun Book!

[PatMarlin]

I just gotta make time to finish reading it!..

[waksupi]

Here's some more neat info on early American artifact firearms and cast shot.

http://www.ibiblio.org/rla/dig/html/...eport154b.html

[PatMarlin]

Whoa, that is awesome. I wonder what they're gonna find when they dig us up?..

I'ts interesting how the guys laid in the fetal position, hugging his rifle.

That one rifle is all they needed. Get any kind of game where ever you go. That's why I always wanted a smooth bore, even if it's not traditional.

Didn't they have Hawken smooth bores?

[waksupi]

I can't think of any Hawken smoothbore right off hand, but they may have made some.
As far as smoothbores being traditional, they most certainly are. They pre-dated rifled barrels by a considerable time period, and were the standard arm of the colonists and all armed forces in the world until the early 1700's. Rifled barrels were still in thier infancy, and didn't reach full development until the German gunsmiths came to this country. They continued through the Revolution, as the Brown Bess, and were followed by the trade gun, which were at times simply redone Bess'. I imagine the smoothbore is the longest used barrel type.

[PatMarlin]

I had meant my Hawken smooth bore possibly not being traditional, not smooth bores in general.

I shot the round ball out of the smooth bore at 50, and was dead on. I had only a few of them so I don't know how consistant it will be, but all indcations are it's prolly going to be accurate.

That's a big ball, and definitely minute of deer.

To me the concept is exciting, because as a hunter needs to feed his family, he has the means to harvest food all through the day, or days with one rifle, no matter what he finds. That's versatility, and progress!!