Shot vs PRB and barrel lenghts

[Maurice]

I would like to build a .62 cal smoothbore that can be used for both shot and patched round ball. Any comments/suggestions/advice on how barrel length may affect the handling/accuracy of the gun in each situation (shot vis-a-vie PRB) and what might be a good compromise length? 

[Mike Brooks]

In my shot gunning career, I have found that longer barrels shoot tighter patterns if they have standard flint breeching. If you have a chambered breech, you can get good patterns out of much shorter barrels. Of course, a good jug choke will solve all of your pattern problems no matter what length your barrel.

[Dphariss]

I would like to build a .62 cal smoothbore that can be used for both shot and patched round ball. Any comments/suggestions/advice on how barrel length may affect the handling/accuracy of the gun in each situation (shot vis-a-vie PRB) and what might be a good compromise length?

What time frame will the gun be? Early means longer later, 19th c especially,  means shorter.
Improvements in powder, breaching and shot making in the mid-late 18th c all had an effect on barrel length I think.
A RB does not need a particularly long barrel and short barreled rifles were in use in Europe and England long before the fowling piece barrels shortened.
If you really want to confuse yourself look up “The Gun” By W Greener (not his son W.W.), 1835 and look at the things the British makers did trying to get better patterns and longer range kills.

Then we have George in “English Guns and Rifles”

[Daryl]

Taylor had built 3 (I think) Pennsylvania Fowlers by Jim Chambers. All 3 of these guns shoot amazingly well with ball and very well with shot as well & I( think they have 42" bls.).
Mike is spot-on concerning choking if you are looking at turkey, for instance and shooting a ball for deer, pigs, moose or whatever.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Chambers' Penn Fowlers have 46" bbls with no choke.  I agree with Daryl...they lend themselves very well to shooting patched round ball.  On many of the smoothbore trails in which I compete, there are a couple of shots at clays on the wing...I use a square load and rarely miss.  Get on the bird as quickly as you can and slap the trigger.