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Pedersoli 10 gauge a turkey gun?

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Is Pedersoli 10 ga. cyl and imp cyl good for turkey hunting? All modern guns seem to be full or extra full. If so at what distance and what recommended loads. All guns a little different but looking for starting point. If not good for turkeys with the present chokes, would installing choke tubes be a good idea and if so by whom? Thanks everyone.
 
Is Pedersoli 10 ga. cyl and imp cyl good for turkey hunting? All modern guns seem to be full or extra full. If so at what distance and what recommended loads. All guns a little different but looking for starting point. If not good for turkeys with the present chokes, would installing choke tubes be a good idea and if so by whom? Thanks everyone.

Cyl bore is no choke. You would need at least mod or tighter for turkey. There has to be enough muzzle wall thickness to put in choke tubes.
 
Play with the loads and you'll get a load that should do for gobblers out to 25 yds. SEARCH the Skychief Special (basically loading backwards and using a soaking wet wad). Works?

I had a pedersoli 10GA and took several gobblers, mine had choke tubes, I hear some do not. I wouldn't alter the barrel myself, theres a load out there that will do for you, just gotta shoot enough and take notes and study posts here and you'll be golden:thumb:
 
The modern hype about the "need" for full chokes, and gigantic shot-shells are just that. Hype. I've taken three turks with my Bess, no choke. The modern turkey guns are also all repeaters, but I've never had to shoot a turk twice. I hesitate to say this, but I've even had good results with a 2&3/4" black powder shotshell gun, which I mention only as a comparison. A black-powder flint or percussion gun can throw way more shot than one of those. Your double will work just fine, or in fact perfectly. Don't bugger up the gun with choke tubes. Like Smokey sez, people been knocking turkeys over without choked magnum nuclear shotguns for hundreds of years.
 
I have taken many turkeys with my 20 ga. cylinder bore trade gun. Just be patient and let them get in close. All of mine were taken at about 20 yards, +/- a bit. I used 75 gr. 3f, and 1 1/4 oz. #5 shot. If a 20 ga. cyl bore can take them, your 10 ga. will do just fine.
 
Brit said it all, but I've got to flap my jaws anyhow. Yes let them come in close. They will. When they are in their "peak" of gobbling and rutting (?) and mating, they will almost run over you. They will certainly come right up to the decoy. Later in the season, then they may be more sneaky and careful coming in, but they will. Having to make that 60 yard shot is an idea made to sell modern shotguns.

Another thing is that a cylinder bore does not make a 20 foot spread at ten feet. You can get very good patterns out of a cylinder bore. With some choke on one of your barrels, you are good to go. In fact, that gives you a choice of using the cylinder bore at very close range, as on the last turk I shot. I wasn't thinking, pulled the trigger on my choke barrel, (yes, I left Bessie home that day!) he was VERY close, and I tore him up a bit, aimed a bit low. Wish I had used the open choke barrel...what was I thinking?

Having said all that, the first turk I ever shot was with my Bess, and I started to pass on the shot as he was out a ways. I wasn't calling, just stumbled into a flock while looking for a place to make a stand. Said what the heck and took the shot, and he dropped like a rock. I didn't pace it off, but it was long enough that I had my doubts, and beyond what anyone would call cylinder bore range. But Bessie had NO doubts, and got the job done. !!! So yeah, we don't need no stinking chokes. Some people like them, and that's fine, but it's not required.
 
Is Pedersoli 10 ga. cyl and imp cyl good for turkey hunting? All modern guns seem to be full or extra full. If so at what distance and what recommended loads. All guns a little different but looking for starting point. If not good for turkeys with the present chokes, would installing choke tubes be a good idea and if so by whom?

It's a fair set of questions.

Answering in reverse, you might be able to install choke tubes, but they tend to be a pain to work with for some folks with ML shotguns. I've known people who shortened fixed choke shotgun barrels, to where the walls were thick enough for the installation of choke tubes, but again, if you're just getting into ML shotguns, best leave that for later, if at all.

10 gauge will give you plenty of turkey slaying pellets, and in fact, one might say the fellers who shoot turkeys with 20 gauge no-choked barrels [cylinder bore] are the ones that should worry..., not you if you're toting a 10 gauge. YES, you will likely need to explore a lot of loads. "Packets" of shot wrapped in a thick wall of paper that just fits within your bore, may give you a good pattern. Adding melted beeswax to that same packet, allowing it to harden, and creating a "wax load", may be what you find you need to do. OR maybe you find 2½ ounces of #5 shot, launched with 80 grains of 2Fg, with a ½", lubed fiber wad between the powder and shot, is just the thing.

You're not going to necessarily equal the range of the modern, expensive, 12 gauge, 3½ inch, ultra-magnum, turkey annihilator, shotgun shell...., but as was pointed out above, a lot of turkeys get slain every year by guns that don't use that load, and a bunch of those are shot with cylinder bore muzzle loaders. IN FACT..., the guy who was the first documented person to take a turkey with cylinder bore flintlock in the 20th century in my state of Maryland, is a friend of mine. ;)

LD
 
I've always said that lack of calling ability makes for magnum loads and super tight chokes. Can't call them in then let the magnum take over.

If you can call pretty decent then any shotgun combination will work.
 
These might help, https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/premade-shot-cups-cartridges-how-to.113216/

Cylinder bore is plenty usable, if not ideal.
Yes, "the pilgrims," took a bunch of turkeys. But not on overhunted, heavily pressured public land. Those before us also took vast quantities of waterfowl with large gauge cylinder bore guns,,,,,,, flock shooting them on the water.
Again, not saying it can't be done. But, of someone wants a tighter pattern, I can't fault them for that.
What about jug choking?
 
These might help, https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/premade-shot-cups-cartridges-how-to.113216/

Cylinder bore is plenty usable, if not ideal.
Yes, "the pilgrims," took a bunch of turkeys. But not on overhunted, heavily pressured public land. Those before us also took vast quantities of waterfowl with large gauge cylinder bore guns,,,,,,, flock shooting them on the water.
Again, not saying it can't be done. But, of someone wants a tighter pattern, I can't fault them for that.
What about jug choking?
I wonder about that as well. Is there a smith out there who can jug choke a gun?
 
Make some shot cups out of a brown paper bags, they will give you one hell of a tight pattern. Then experiment.
Nit Wit
 
The only reason I don’t have one of them Pedersoli 10s is I am no fan of the chromed out bling bling locks on them. Love the browned barrels, but those chromy silver locks are not historically correct and even if they are it’s just too hoity toity.
 
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