Author Topic: Building another Turkey gun (Read 3179 times)

577SXS · « **on:** January 16, 2021, 04:41:26 PM »

I have come to love the Isaac Haines style guns. I have built 6 flintlocks so far and the last two were Haines kinda style with my own wants added. I had built a Edward Marshall 20 gauge to turkey hunt with and love it but I just like the Haines feel better so I started ordering parts for a new build. First I emailed Allen Martin who I have gotten wood from in the past and told him I wanted a really pretty piece of highly figured maple. He sent photos of several blank and I picked one I liked. Next I ordered a Rice 38 inch Isaac Haines style swamped 20 jug or 62 caliber barrel with a Full Jug choke. I got the barrel yesterday which was much sooner than Jason at Rice thought he would have it done. I'll have to give a huge thanks to Rice barrels and Jason for such a nicely finished barrel. It's obvious that they are doing something a little different now. I'm sure it's due to good CNC equipment. The finish on this barrel was beautiful, yes it had milled marks in it but it was VERY smooth. I have used Rice and other barrels in the past and Rice always had a better finish than others but still took a lot of draw filing to get barrel smooth. A couple of barrels I had gotten from other barrel makers were horrible and one of them by the time I got it draw file smooth I was ready to throw it in the river or make a property corner out of it. Back to my new barrel. I'm sending it to Allen so he can get barrel channel cut for me by his friend Fred who has done the last couple blanks I got from Allen. Fred does a great job of inletting and ramrod hole drilling. I have in the past just sent unfinished barrels to him to save time. Well this new barrel I decided to draw file it before I sent it so barrel channel would be even better fit. I had barrel draw filed to a nice finish in 45 minutes. This was the easiest fastest barrel file job I have ever done. There aren't any drips and wobbles or crooked flats. Everything sharp edged and even looking down the flats the length of the barrel it's about as good as I have ever gotten a barrel to look. Also I always finish all the flats on a barrel not just the top 5.
Photos of barrel as I got it from Rice and photo of barrel after 10 draw file strokes.

Rawhide Rick · « **Reply #1 on:** January 17, 2021, 05:21:23 PM »

I have to say, I’m impressed with anyone who hunts turkeys with a flintlock. I can’t get close enough to take one with an unmentionable. A buddy of mine uses a club but Fowler that is longer than I am tall, but he kills birds with it. Post pics of the completed gun, and dead bird.

Darkhorse · « **Reply #2 on:** January 19, 2021, 09:40:22 PM »

The Isacc Haines is my favorite also. They just fit me well and transmit little recoil to my shoulder. Plus I like the look of the straight stock.
It is legal in my state of Georgia to hunt turkeys with a muzzleloading rifle and I'm a rifleman at heart so I built a turkey rifle. This rifle was built 15 to 20 years ago now and has taken it's share of gobblers. It has a Rice 38", "B" profile swamped .40 caliber barrel. A large LH Siler flintlock from Jim Chambers and Davis set triggers. The fittings are browned iron except for the poured pewter nosecap.
For a number of years now all my birds have been taken at shotgun range, I like to work a bird and get him in close.
This is last years bird. He weighed 22 pounds with a 9.75" beard, taken under 25 yards but I can't remember the exact distance. I have considered building a smoothbore and if I did it would be as close to my other Isacc Haine's as I could get it. Keep posting as you go on. I look forward to following your progress.

577SXS · « **Reply #3 on:** January 19, 2021, 11:46:48 PM »

My 20 gauge Edward Marshall jug choked barrel will easily kill a turkey at 30 yards but I rarely shoot one over 20 yards. Now shooting one in the head with a Flintlock rifle is a real feat. I can't use a rifle for turkey in NC. No problem because I probably couldn't hit the head anyway.

taco650 · « **Reply #4 on:** January 21, 2021, 02:29:09 PM »

Quote from: Darkhorse on January 19, 2021, 09:40:22 PM

The Isacc Haines is my favorite also. They just fit me well and transmit little recoil to my shoulder. Plus I like the look of the straight stock.
It is legal in my state of Georgia to hunt turkeys with a muzzleloading rifle and I'm a rifleman at heart so I built a turkey rifle. This rifle was built 15 to 20 years ago now and has taken it's share of gobblers. It has a Rice 38", "B" profile swamped .40 caliber barrel. A large LH Siler flintlock from Jim Chambers and Davis set triggers. The fittings are browned iron except for the poured pewter nosecap.
For a number of years now all my birds have been taken at shotgun range, I like to work a bird and get him in close.
This is last years bird. He weighed 22 pounds with a 9.75" beard, taken under 25 yards but I can't remember the exact distance. I have considered building a smoothbore and if I did it would be as close to my other Isacc Haine's as I could get it. Keep posting as you go on. I look forward to following your progress.

Darkhorse,

That's a really nice bird! What is your aiming point on turkeys?

Darkhorse · « **Reply #5 on:** January 22, 2021, 04:33:39 AM »

Taco, My main aiming point with a rifle is mostly the wing butt. The round ball damages less meat than most realize so a shot through this area is good for the meat hunter.
Depending on the attitude and movements of the bird I might make a head shot from 30 yards in. I've practiced a good bit at 50 yards and feel confident on head shots if I wanted to take one and had a good rest but I like the flavor of wild turkey so if I can't call him closer he gets a shot through the wing butt every time.
My load is a .395 round ball, 60 grains of 3fg, .0175 pillow ticking patch, I get complete pass throughs everytime.
I've been hunting these birds for a long time and they still teach me things every season. The weapon is not the important thing with wild turkey gobblers, it's your woodsmanship that gets the bird.
But it sure is fun hunting them with a flintlock rifle!
Darkhorse

AsMs · « **Reply #6 on:** January 22, 2021, 05:01:53 AM »

Dark horse,

Putting a ball thru the wing butt how far do they run. How is the tracking.

AsMs

Daryl · « **Reply #7 on:** January 22, 2021, 05:44:48 AM »

I'd assume, DRT with a wing-butt hit, passthrough. Nice bird. I see you have a low rear sight. Nice rifle!

Darkhorse · « **Reply #8 on:** January 22, 2021, 09:51:54 AM »

They react a lot like a deer. Some drop on the spot. Some do a lot of flapping and manage to travel a few yards. But I've never had one go out of sight.
This rifle has one of my low rear peep sights. I can no longer shoot with any degree of accuracy with regular iron sights but the peep really sharpens things up.

577SXS · « **Reply #9 on:** January 22, 2021, 03:39:08 PM »

Darkhorse,

I'm in the same boat. I can't shoot normal irons anymore. I've gone to peep sights on everything I shoot. I wish I would have gone to peep sights a lot sooner. They are faster and more accurate. With the long barrels on longrifles your field of view is incredible. For targets I use a .100 diameter aperture and when hunting I mostly pull the aperture out and use the ghost ring.

Darkhorse · « **Reply #10 on:** January 22, 2021, 08:31:07 PM »

This is the peep sight I use. I have one on each of my rifles. Simple and works real good.

577SXS · « **Reply #11 on:** February 12, 2021, 03:40:18 PM »

I got my stock back and I'm getting ready to start cutting wood. The blank I got from Allen Martin here and he picked out a really beautiful piece of wood. It has really bold tight figure throughout the length of the blank. Allen took it to his friend Fred to get barrel channel and ramrod hole drilled. I also got Fred to rough shape the butt. Fred does a beautiful job of inletting. The barrel fit is about as good as you could ask for. I'm actually going to have to open the barrel channel up some because the barrel is so tight in stock. I have all the parts now I think so it's going to give me something to do on all these rainy days.

BOB HILL · « **Reply #12 on:** February 12, 2021, 09:52:19 PM »

Looks like you're all set to go, Sam. It looks like the weather will cooperate.
Bob

flatsguide · « **Reply #13 on:** February 13, 2021, 07:53:51 PM »

577sxs, I’ll second what you said about the Rice barrel. I had Jason make a custom .62 cal barrel for another English Sporting Rifle. The milled finish was about as good as it gets and I think I may be able to forgo the draw filing and go directly to 360 grit paper or cloth. The photo/photos of your peepsight did not show up for some reason, could you repost a few pictures of the sight? I’m looking forward to following your build.
Cheers Richard

577SXS · « **Reply #14 on:** February 13, 2021, 08:40:14 PM »

Here are a few photos of the peep sights I make for my guns.

flatsguide · « **Reply #15 on:** February 14, 2021, 08:29:15 AM »

Thanks for the photos, well done and I can see pulling out the small aperture to have a ghost ring. I’m tossed between a ghost ring or a fixed +folding leaf rear sight on my English gun.
Cheers Richard

577SXS · « **Reply #16 on:** February 26, 2021, 03:30:58 PM »

Finally got some time to work on my gun a little. Got the lock inlet done except for a little cleanup in a few spots. I also sketched out a patchbox lid I'm thinking of doing.

GANGGREEN · « **Reply #17 on:** February 26, 2021, 03:51:47 PM »

That will be a cool patchbox lid. Well done.

gusd · « **Reply #18 on:** February 26, 2021, 05:45:53 PM »

Nice patch box!

577SXS · « **Reply #19 on:** February 26, 2021, 06:49:57 PM »

Thanks, I guess for the first patchbox I'm doing it will be a challenge making it from scratch. Got some brass sheet on the way.

577SXS · « **Reply #20 on:** March 01, 2021, 02:56:18 PM »

Got my trigger plate and trigger guard inlet done this weekend. I thought I really screwed up when I started to think about the trigger guard. I had used a Bivins style trigger and didn't think about how long the plate was ahead on the trigger. When I put the trigger guard up to stock I realized the forward lug would be into the ramrod hole. With trigger plate already inlet I starting thinking how bad it would be to have to cut trigger plate and glue a patch into the stock. After walking away from to project for a while I had a thought. I ended up slotting the trigger plate for the front trigger guard lug. This worked out great. What started out as a screw up ended up looking like I planned it all along. Whew that was a relief.

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Author Topic: Building another Turkey gun (Read 3179 times)