Design/layout question

[James]

I have a Rice 10 gauge 46" oct/round barrel I got from Chambers a number of years ago. It is 1 1/4" across at the breech. I don't know if it was choked or not.  I have a Black Cherry plank 2"X10"X12' that was from a tree cut down on the farm I grew up on and we had it sawed in 1982, so I think it might be dry enough.  My question is this. is the plank thick enough to make a smoothbore/fowling piece of some type using the aforementioned barrel?  I would like to use it for turkey and coyote. Let me know what you think.   Thank you.

[Joe Schell]

A little thicker would be better but it'll work. I built this gun with a 2" piece of cherry, it has a 1 1/8" breech but 1 1/4 would have fit.

[David Rase]

Since it will be a fowler you should be fine.  Start your layout from the buttplate.  If you need some cast off, add that to the left side of buttplate centerline and then draw your centerlines for the barrel.  If your centerline is too close to the sideplate side, skew the muzzle of the barrel to the right until you get a good breech dimension.  I use this layout procedure all the time.  Works great for narrow stocks and warped ones as well.
David 

[Mark Elliott]

The best thing to do is lay out all your parts on a piece of craft paper.   Use one long edge as the edge of the stock blank.  Put the outside edge of your butt piece along this edge and then mark the center of the butt piece on the paper.   Run a line from this mark parallel to the edge of the paper at least a couple feet.    This is the center line of your barrel WITHOUT CAST OFF.    Next mark a line 1/4" to the left (looking from the butt to the muzzle - cast off) and draw another parallel line a couple of feet.   This is the center line of your barrel WITH CAST OFF.    Now using the center line with cast off, draw in the outline of the barrel placing the breech where it would go with the desired trigger pull.    Draw another line 1/4" to the left of the barrel at the breech and parallel to the outside line of the barrel.    This line is the line of your side plate side of the lock panel.   Find the point of the line that is rear most point of the side plate panel.    Measure between this point and the edge of the paper nearest that point.   That is the minimum thickness of your stock blank.    

[James]

Joe, that's a nice looking gun.

David, I think I follow and that makes sense, thanks.

Mark, luckily I just got 2 rolls of drawing paper yesterday so I think we're in business.

[smart dog]

Hi James,
I am a pretty good shot with a smoothbore.  When I shoot a fowler (without a rear sight and not a smooth rifle), I look over the plane of the barrel, not along it.  If you do the latter, the heat waves will ruin your sight picture very quickly.  I look over the plane of the barrel and use the front sight much the same way that I use the tip of an arrow when shooting instinctively.  My rear sight is the comb of the stock just like the position of my fingers on my face is essentially the rear sight for shooting instinctively.  On a fowler, I want that comb to be just right so it guides the natural position of my face to the correct and consistent position, which is my rear sight.  I apologize for this long digression but the point I want to make is that a good fowler needs to be fitted to you with more care than a rifle.   Your stock blank is a little thin but it should work if you consider angling the bore of the barrel so you can achieve sufficient cast-off, if you need it, to fit the stock correctly to your build.  Like a dueling pistol, a fowler should be the natural extension of your physique whether you shoot shot at birds or patched ball at deer.

dave  

[James]

Hi James,
I am a pretty good shot with a smoothbore.  When I shoot a fowler (without a rear sight and not a smooth rifle), I look over the plane of the barrel, not along it.  If you do the latter, the heat waves will ruin your sight picture very quickly.  I look over the plane of the barrel and use the front sight much the same way that I use the tip of an arrow when shooting instinctively.  My rear sight is the comb of the stock just like the position of my fingers on my face is essentially the rear sight for shooting instinctively.  On a fowler, I want that comb to be just right so it guides the natural position of my face to the correct and consistent position, which is my rear sight.  I apologize for this long digression but the point I want to make is that a good fowler needs to be fitted to you with more care than a rifle.   Your stock blank is a little thin but it should work if you consider angling the bore of the barrel so you can achieve sufficient cast-off, if you need it, to fit the stock correctly to your build.  Like a dueling pistol, a fowler should be the natural extension of your physique whether you shoot shot at birds or patched ball at deer.

dave 

Thanks for the input Dave, it is appreciated.  I haven't decided on a style and have the 'limitation' of, as Don Getz put it, having had an orangutan in my family tree. Long arms, long  neck.  I want to get this right so that I can enjoy the gun. 

[pushboater]

As an alternative you could always steam and bend at the wrist for your cast off. Don't need much. 1/4" or so is usually sufficient.