In my lusting for a new gun, Ive come across a bunch of questions and a lot of confusion, with a few opposing views. While searching for info on Stopping rifles (especially from the BP age), Im seeing quite a few smoothbore guns in the BIG guns (4 and 8 Bore). I suppose (guessing) there were also smoothbore smaller guns but theyve been confused as shotguns. What Im hearing is since Stopping Guns were/are used at short ranges, then rifling isnt necessary and rifling adds to fowling, making re-loading more difficult for follow up shots.

The "fowling" makes sense, except Im not sure how many fast follow up shots would be necessary or possible in a Stopping Rifle. As cartridges replaced muzzleloaders Im trying to imagine how much fowling really mattered for repeated shots.

All of this is making me wonder how "wrong" Id be building a "gun" with smoothbores. Picture a 10ga SxS with a fixed or folding leaf rear and a large ivory bead. Of course everything is determined by how well it "patterens" with soild balls. On first sight it would appear to be a shotgun or at least shotgun-ish; but if solids print both barrels inside say 5 inches???

Is rifling necessary inside 40 yards?