If I build a flintlock smoothbore

[Waterloomike]

I think that if you use a heavy charge of shot in a smaller guage than it was intended for you will either get a pattern that is narrow side to side and tall on the vertical plane or have a gun that kicks like a mule depending on powder charge. Unless I am mistaken 20 guage guns tend to use around 60 - 70 grains of powder and 3/4 oz of shot. You would be wiser, I think, to go to a copy of a bess which is 10 or 12 guage and use 80 gr of 2F plus 1 1/8 oz of shot. The heavier weight of the bess will soak up the increased recoil of the larger charge.
You need to distinguish between people using modern 20 guage guns with choked barrels and people using open bored muzzle loaders. The modern choked gun will obviously shoot a tighter pattern

cheers mooncoon

That does make sense.

I'm a greenhorn with the blackpowder all together.

But I love it!

 

[stevejones]

Kits

A local (this side of the border...) supplier you might want to try is Loyalist Arms

http://www.loyalistarms.freeservers.com/mainpage.html


They sell assembled guns (they do the assembley) from components made in India. I had a Charleville (69 caliber) musket for years that was very reliable. Prices seem reasonable. There are a few carbine models of various muskets that would be more suitable for hunting (try packing a full size musket all day in thick bush) but would have ample bore for what you are doing.

Cheers. Steve.