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72 cal Pedersoli Double rifle - new purchase and testing - custom bullet

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Stantheman86 said:
I love it :)

Actually a Pedersoli Gibbs .72 rifle is on my "rifles I have made a life goal to own" list.
Click to expand...
Hello Stantheman86,
Thanks for the reply.
I actually believe 2 barrels are better than one. Much more of a challenge than a single barrel.

As a follow-up to my shooting, it took me 1-1/2 hours to clean this thing. This was purchased used, and the former owner must not have done a good job of cleaning because there were traces of surface rust in various places. I removed and stabilized the surface rust and I've made a point of doing a better job of cleaning than the last guy. Cleaning a black powder rifle is a hassle over cleaning a rifle that uses cartridges.

I also had to slender the nipples a bit because the #11 caps were not being fully seated and I had a couple of miss-fires. Past experience has taught me that the caps must go "almost" all the way on, so that when the hammers are firmly rested on them, the caps will seat all-the-way-down. This makes them tight on the nipples, and they will stay put when the hammers are fully cocked.
 
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The double barrel is a really nice , classic looking rifle.

I assume that patch / ball or bullet fit would have to be tight to not shift forward when the first barrel goes off.

Also I wouldn't be able to resist touching off both at the same time but probably something you wouldn't want to do a lot.
 
Stantheman86 said:
The double barrel is a really nice , classic looking rifle.

I assume that patch / ball or bullet fit would have to be tight to not shift forward when the first barrel goes off.

Also I wouldn't be able to resist touching off both at the same time but probably something you wouldn't want to do a lot.
Click to expand...

Only once.
 
Stantheman86 said:
The double barrel is a really nice , classic looking rifle.

I assume that patch / ball or bullet fit would have to be tight to not shift forward when the first barrel goes off.

Also I wouldn't be able to resist touching off both at the same time but probably something you wouldn't want to do a lot.
Click to expand...
I love the look and feel of SXS shotguns, have never handled a rifle. Have two SXS 12 bores, (unmentionable early hammer cartridge guns) and other types just do not compare.

I would say that Stixs Special Bullet (the "SSB") sits tight in the bore, with it's large forward bands/bearing surfaces. (I really want a Stix's Special in .580" and 500 grains)

Touching off both barrels of a double kind of over-stresses the gun. Not a good idea. Doing that on the old cartridge hammer shotguns usually resulted in the action breaking open, or the stock cracking or breaking. That Pedersoli is much more beefy, but I wouldn't do it. On the other hand, I guess it could safely be done with some powder-puff loads. Sure wouldn't do it with hunting loads, that would be touching off 240 grains or more at once. !!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm glad the rifle is being well cared for. Many people don't understand the fin art of caring for a muzzle loading arm. The original owner might not have been a black powder guy, and got tired of it fast.

My dream double would be that same gun, but with the right hand barrel bored out to 10 gauge smooth. On days I wanted some camp meat I'd load the smooth barrel with some shot, and on days I ventured into the dark and thick forest and blow downs, I'd stuff a big old 75 inch ball down it over 150 grains. !! :)
 
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Stantheman86 said:
The double barrel is a really nice , classic looking rifle.

I assume that patch / ball or bullet fit would have to be tight to not shift forward when the first barrel goes off.

Also I wouldn't be able to resist touching off both at the same time but probably something you wouldn't want to do a lot.
Click to expand...
Hello Stantheman86,
Thanks for the reply.
That wouldn't be very smart. Recoil energy of my bullet and load is 63 ft/lbs of energy. Pulling both triggers at one would equal 260.7 ft/lbs of energy. That's 4-times the recoil. That's hospital recoil.
 
Were you really using 150grains of 3F?

"I also had to slender the nipples a bit because the #11 caps were not being fully seated and I had a couple of miss-fires." - Track sells nipples that fit caps perfectly. Only ones I ever found that did.
 
Not to speak for Stix, but I think he really was. My Bess shoots most accurately with loads in the 140-150 grain range, using fg, although of course a smoothbore is a whole other animal. But, for bores that large, smooth or rifled, 150 grains is not excessive. Healthy and powerful yes.
 
AlanG said:
Were you really using 150grains of 3F?

"I also had to slender the nipples a bit because the #11 caps were not being fully seated and I had a couple of miss-fires." - Track sells nipples that fit caps perfectly. Only ones I ever found that did.
Click to expand...
Hello AlanG.
Thanks for the reply.
Yes, I actually went as high as 160g 3Fg with the 535g hollow base bullet, but there was no increase in velocity so I went back to 150g. For the 695g solid base bullet, I went up to 130g 3Fg, but again no increase in velocity over 120g 3Fg, so that's what I settled on. What surprised me the most was the very consistent velocities of the 695g bullet load. High to low spread for the last 8 shots was only 11 fps with 1191 fps as the low, and 1202 fps as the high. Average was 1199 fps (1225 fps corrected to muzzle) with a standard deviation of only 3 fps. I can't get anything even close to that loading fixed ammunition.
 
I was curious because the max load I see "suggested", by Pedersoli is 120 3f Swiss for the .72
I do know they are conservative though. I have a Trail Guns Armory in a .58 which came with literature from T.G.A. putting the Max load at 150 grains vs Pedersoli putting 110 max on the Kodiak.

Fun rifles to shoot- looks like you got a steal.
 
Good morning guys,
Many people often suggest firing both barrels at once, unless your hunt is only four feet away, and is about to eat you, there is not much purpose in touching off both barrels at the same time.
Most double barreled guns the wrist is very fragile, with all the wood removed to allow both locks to be installed, does not leave much room for foolishness. Most often you will be gifted with a cracked or broken stock.
Then all you have, is a silly looking hand gun with barrels way too long.
There are several videos on You Tube of unsuspecting victims shooting both barrels at once, getting injured and drooping the gun.
To the original poster, I envy you your find. A Pedersoli .72 cal. has been on my wish list for many years.
Years ago, (late 70's or 1980's I think )I had a Pedersoli double .58, a really handsome gun, which I enjoyed, but foolishly traded away.
It shot round ball very well, mine balls were a waste of time, powder, and lead.
 
F.G. Ford said:
Good morning guys,
Many people often suggest firing both barrels at once, unless your hunt is only four feet away, and is about to eat you, there is not much purpose in touching off both barrels at the same time.
Most double barreled guns the wrist is very fragile, with all the wood removed to allow both locks to be installed, does not leave much room for foolishness. Most often you will be gifted with a cracked or broken stock.
Then all you have, is a silly looking hand gun with barrels way too long.
There are several videos on You Tube of unsuspecting victims shooting both barrels at once, getting injured and drooping the gun.
To the original poster, I envy you your find. A Pedersoli .72 cal. has been on my wish list for many years.
Years ago, (late 70's or 1980's I think )I had a Pedersoli double .58, a really handsome gun, which I enjoyed, but foolishly traded away.
It shot round ball very well, mine balls were a waste of time, powder, and lead.
Click to expand...
I nearly bought a rare .58 smoothbore of that pedersoli you refer too. The weight put me off!
 
If you remove the butt plate, there is about a one pound weight in the stock that can be removed which helps with the weight of the rifle.
 
F.G. Ford said:
Good morning guys,
Many people often suggest firing both barrels at once, unless your hunt is only four feet away, and is about to eat you, there is not much purpose in touching off both barrels at the same time.
Most double barreled guns the wrist is very fragile, with all the wood removed to allow both locks to be installed, does not leave much room for foolishness. Most often you will be gifted with a cracked or broken stock.
Then all you have, is a silly looking hand gun with barrels way too long.
There are several videos on You Tube of unsuspecting victims shooting both barrels at once, getting injured and drooping the gun.
To the original poster, I envy you your find. A Pedersoli .72 cal. has been on my wish list for many years.
Years ago, (late 70's or 1980's I think )I had a Pedersoli double .58, a really handsome gun, which I enjoyed, but foolishly traded away.
It shot round ball very well, mine balls were a waste of time, powder, and lead.
Click to expand...
A mistake people often make with a double, is putting a finger on each trigger/two fingers in the trigger guard when they fire the gun. They wind up unknowingly squeezing both triggers, especially if they are flinchers/inexperienced/unsuspecting victims and tend to jerk the trigger.
 
AlanG said:
I was curious because the max load I see "suggested", by Pedersoli is 120 3f Swiss for the .72
I do know they are conservative though. I have a Trail Guns Armory in a .58 which came with literature from T.G.A. putting the Max load at 150 grains vs Pedersoli putting 110 max on the Kodiak.

Fun rifles to shoot- looks like you got a steal.
Click to expand...
Keep in mind that a manufacturer's suggested max load is not going to be within five or ten grains of an over-pressure load. There's going to be a good fudge-factor or wide margin of error. With pistols, it will be more about cracked stocks and barrels whacking people between the eyes, or flying out of one's hands and landing on top of someone's head, or smacking them bewteen the eyes.
 
Good shooting.
The EEDRC moves to the NMLRA (Friendship) about a decade ago to continue shooting and promoting Double Rifles - you’d fit right in.
 
I got one of these fine rifles for my 50th birthday ( a while back) but have only shot roundball. Charge of 90 grs. Goex 2f and a .015" patch. The left barrel produced a 3 shot 2" group at 100 yards, the right barrel was 3" to 3 1/2". While both barrels regulate spot on for windage at that distance, elevation is off by 4"-6", for that reason I have dedicated each of the rear sights to its own barrel. At 50 yards they regulate close enough it doesn't matter which sight I use.

What are shooter's thoughts on how much the type of projectile affects barrel regulation?
 

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