How do I find a builder?
 

Hello all, I am new to the forum and have been hunting with a muzzleloader for many years. I have now decided to get something a little better than the Lyman gpr flinter I have been using but I am having trouble finding info and a builder for my new gun. I am thinking I want a poor boy fowler of some sort...20 ga I think. I just want a really good gun to hunt deer (with round ball), turkey and squirrel with and maybe have something kinda like they wood have carried in my area (southwest virginia/ northeast tennessee). Can you guys give me some recommendations on lock, barrel length etc...and who I can contact to build it? I would like to stay under about 2 grand if thats possible. Thanks for your feedback!!

well first off welcome to the site,
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I honestly think you'd be better off with two guns, a shotgun and rifle for deer hunting

or that would be my way to go here!

as far as builders go, there are TONS of them out there and the sky is about the limit on what they an build you if you know what you want

prices, again can be from below your 2 grand for sure ansd WAY over it, all depends on how and what all you want in things

your best plan here IMO< will be really think about what all you want and then start talking to some builders
if you DON"T know of any, do a simple internet search, you should have NO problem finding a TON of them, as there are a lot out there


plain guns are under 2k and go as high as your wallet can go and then some

http://www.flaminharry.com/amprices.html

but again you need to know what all you want and then search for builders there out there if you make the effort!

Thanks MRBB, I am definately planning on a rifle later on but for now just looking for a fowler. I actually know pretty much what I want just dont know who builds them. I actually have been looking for a few weeks online and have put in quite a bit of effort.The only builders that come up when I search are Chambers, Miller, Davis and Brooks...not many others. A couple of them I have heard were out of my price range and on one website they are not taking orders until further notice. I have heard that builders tend to lean towards a specific style in their work and try as I may I can not find enough info to point me in the right direction. Some of the websites are not easy to navigate, especially for an ol hillbilly like me. This is why I came here to hopefully get a nod in tbe right direction!

well I gave a quick look and searched for custom flint lock rifle builders and I came up with dozens and dozens of builders
maybe your not searching things as well as you can

but you are right most builder, get into what they like and tend to stick mostly with THERE type or ideal set up

but about any good builder can MAKE you what you want, if you know the exact details in the build you want!

when you find builders online, its a game of sending them emails, on your basic;'s and getting a feel what there interest level is, and from there making phone calls and talking to them

its not as hard as many think it is
but it can be very time consuming, but when you want a custom gun, your entering a game of making the TIME to get what you want right, failure ion your part will NOT be the builders fault
and trust me I know of many people that had custom guns build that were not happy, and it boiled down to they didn;t be specific enough when having the gun built, they left a LOT of options and build parts up to the smith building hings, and then AFTER they get it, they say, I should have done this or that!

and one of the very BEST ways to NOT have that happen is spending TIME learning what YOU want, expressing things with the builder to make SURE your both on the same page

costs can get carried away when doing this, as the more specific you are, it normally ends up costing more

but in the end, you have what you want which in itself has values many guys don;t see up front, but pays off when its done and you have exactly what you want over CLOSE to it!
I am NOT a big flint loc person
there are a few guys on this site that are way deeper involved in with them and I would gather a few might add better specif info on builders for you, better than what I can help you with!

but if I was you, I'd be searching the web better, as I seem to have found WAY more builders it seems than you did in one search

from there again, its spending emails, making phone calls and talking to each and all you find till you find the one you want to do your work/build!

if not that, Maybe try and find a more dedicated Muzzleloader/flintlock forum, have to think there are some out there over a more general hunting forum like this(not bashing this suite either just saying a more specific site might have decades more help for you)
as there are some very intense highly invested and involved muzzleloaders out there and if you look at prices on some of them custom build one's you will see it reflects that there is a strong following in them to support there builds!

best of luck to you, and please post back what you end up with and share some pic's of your build when done, more than me here I am sure would like to see things!

here is a 20 ga for sale just under your budget

https://logcabinshop.com/catalog.php...oduct_id=85135

Dixons Muzzleloading in Pa.has an excellent reputation and can give you loads of info.

Check out the "Contemporary Gun Builders Association" website.

from internet lol

https://kashtukbowandgun.com/
I'm looking to get one of his smoothbores, but in a percussion lock.