Pedersoli Gibbs .451

[Chasseur d'ours]

I've been looking at that Pedersoli Gibbs in .451.

Anyone here with any experiences?

I'm looking for a long-range target gun, that I could also use for spot and stalk deer hunting.

How difficult is it to mound and resize the bullets?

Thanks!

 

[arquebus]

Have not shot one of the Pedersoli Gibbs, but have handled a few. Quite nice quality & good value for the money, especially when you consider the sights are included. Might be a bit heavy for a stalking gun though, you've got quite a lot of weight in that barrel.
Casting the .451 conicals is no harder than any other bullet & sizing is easily done with a simple push-thru sizing die (eg. Lee, etc.).

 

[ResearchPress]

The Ped. Gibbs is a long range target rifle and I have used mine out to 1200 yards. This is a match rifle and equipped with vernier adjustable rearsight for elevation and a foresight with interchangeable elements and spirit level and adjustable for windage. Weight is around 12lbs.

I don't hunt so can't offer any direct experience there, but you may wish to consider the weight (is it suitable for stalking?) and also the sights may be susceptable to damage in woodland or undergrowth if care is not taken.

Bullet casting is not a problem and with a correctly sized mould you shouldn't have to do any resizing. Paper patched bullets are widely used with the Gibbs for long range target shooting, but grease groove will also perform well especially at the short ranges associated with hunting.

Note that a correctly sized bullet should slide down the barrel easily, maybe a thou or so under bore size. It is not a tight fit as a patched ball is. As such if the rifle is carried with powder and bullet loaded whilst stalking care will need to be taken that the bullet does not move away from the powder column.

David

 

[msb]

There is currenty one on a gun auction site. List for 1250

 

[J.D.]

The lock, like most Pedersoli locks is probably sloppy, with screw holes misdrilled and tumbler pivot holes misaligned. Bob Roller typically rebuilds these locks for competititors who buy these guns.

That said, they are accurate.

Pedersoli barrels appear to be as good as they get. IMHO, Their locks are some of the worst.
J.D.

 

[ResearchPress]

You comments re. Pedersoli Gibbs locks appear to be assumptions rather than personal experience with the Gibbs. Not had any problems with my Gibbs lock, nor on that of my wife's Gibbs. Maybe you've had bad luck in the past or I have just had good luck but I am pleased with my Pedersoli rifles.

Although Bob offers a rebuild kit or will do the work few shooters I know in the UK have deemed it necessary. One person I know fitted a kit then removed it, not liking the 9lb trigger pull. Another is still working on Bob's spring to get an improved weight on the trigger.

David

 

[Chasseur d'ours]

Guys,

Thanks a bunch for your replies!

I did not think about the sliding bullet issue...
I'm not too worried about the weight, I used to trek and hunt with a Brown Bess, and I've been using a Pedersoli Kodiak the past couple of years so I'm used to carrying heavy rifles arround!

What do you need to set up for casting and sizing the bullets?

 

[ResearchPress]

Have a look in the Technical Reference section of my Long Range Muzzle Loader web site and you will find a copy of Davide Pedersoli & Co. "instructions and advice for long range shooting" for the Gibbs rifle. There is also much general advice on the management of the small-bore match rifle.

David

 

[arquebus]

What do you need to set up for casting and sizing the bullets?

In addition to a suitable mould (the Lyman 457121PH would be great for mid-range targets & hunting) all you need is some lead & the means to melt it, plus a means of getting the lead into the mould. I use a cast iron pot (small Dutch Oven) on a propane ring with a RCBS ladle. You could also use an electric lead furnace (Lee is the cheapest, but also made by RCBS & Lyman). The electric pots come as either a bottom pour or one that you use a ladle with.....I personally prefer using a ladle.
The lead should ideally be as close to 'pure lead' as possible though, for your purposes, a softer mix of either 1:30 or 1:40 tin/lead would also work. As a rule, if you mark the lead with your thumb nail, your good to go. I generally buy scrap sheet lead, the type used for roofing flashing or lining of x-ray rooms, etc. In my area (Pac. NW) we pay around 35 cents per pound.
As David mentioned above, you most likely will have little to no bullet sizing to do. For my .451 (an older Navy Arms-import 'Rigby') I actually use a .452" Lee bullet sizer which gives me a slip-fit at the muzzle.....you don't need to engrave the bullet at loading, it will bump-up to fill the rifling upon firing. In my experience, I've received best accuracy by using an over-powder wad.....my rifle prefers felt.
A friend of mine has used a muzzleloading .451 rifle to take many head of African Plains Game with great success.

 

[J.D.]

I don't have any personal experience the with Pedersoli Gibbs rifle, I do however, have enough experience with Pedersolis to know that their locks, in general, are not all that great.

Other, more experienced ML gunsmiths have reported similar experiences to mine, in regards to the quality of Pedersoli locks.
J.D.

 

[ss1]

I guess that there a bunch of us that are just lucky. My DP lock and every other person, that I know, would not trade there DP locks for any other. Just lucky I guess. Do those gunsmiths repair DP locks for free? :grin:

 

[Zonie]

The back-action lock on my DP Tryon has easily shot over 400 rounds without any problems at all.

I guess I was another of those lucky ones. :grin:
zonie

 

[mike alexandre]

One thing you may need to pay attention to is the that after you have loaded, if you walk around with the barrel lowered and your bullet is a loose fit its possible for the bullet to slide off the powder which will do nothing for your barrel when you come to fire it.

 

[windwalker_au]

you and me both zonie my tryon has had to of fired 1500 shots that i no of never had any trouble with my lock.
bernie :thumbsup:

 

JD has a "thing" for Pedersoli products. Must have been bitten by one when he was a kid . Lock misaligned, screws out of place -- whatever and all qualified by the word "probably". Do your homework and decide based on facts. The good and bad you here on this topic will be based on personal experiences by folks who feel strongly and want to point you in the right direction.

 

[Joel/Calgary]

Note that a correctly sized bullet should slide down the barrel easily, maybe a thou or so under bore size. It is not a tight fit as a patched ball is. As such if the rifle is carried with powder and bullet loaded whilst stalking care will need to be taken that the bullet does not move away from the powder column.

Has anyone any experience with the use of a thin card or other wad over the bullet to keep it from sliding? I've read of this being done successfully with both minié and maxi type bullets for hunting, but I can recall nothing of the specifics, either of materials or of effects.

Joel

 

[walruskid1]

the card or wad could end up being an obstruction ahead of the bullet. i won't do it based on personally having seen ringed and split barrels. others may have better info, hope they jump in. wk1

 

[mike alexandre]

Yes. It was done successfully at a shoot at Bisley last year. It was raining so hard that the paper was coming off the bullets on the way down the barrel. A card wad was put down on top of the bullet to ensure the paper was pushed down onto the bullet. Accuracy was not affected and there was no leading.

 

[Joel/Calgary]

Cards and other wads get used over unpatched balls in smoothbores all the time, so I suspect the possibility of them acting as a bore obstruction does not prove out in the real world. In smoothbores, the bare-ball loads with wad(s) under and card (or other wadding) over are often reported to give accuracy as good as, or nearly as good as, patched ball loads. As I said, I've read numerous references to wads (or cartridge paper) being used over conicals in hunting, as well as in 19th century military use for the first load in a clean barrel, but I cannot recall anyone providing specifics of how it affected shooting.

Joel

 

[Joel/Calgary]

... A card wad was put down on top of the bullet to ensure the paper was pushed down onto the bullet. Accuracy was not affected and there was no leading.

Cool! Thanks.

Joel