New shotgun....would like some advice

[16gauge]

Hello;
I went to pick up my 44 magnum from the gunsmith yesterday (took it in for repair), and saw a muzzleloading shotgun in the rack. On closer inspection I saw it was a Pedersoli 12 gauge SxS caplock that looked like it's never been fired...the price was right, so it came home with me! :grin: (early Christmas present!)

I have a 20 bore trade musket, so I know the basics for loading shot, ect., but I have a few specific questions about this gun that I'm hoping folks here can answer.

1.) The gun came with choke tubes; there is a "nick" or mark on one, and three marks on the other. I was told by the gunsmith that these are full and modified, respectively. Can anyone confirm this (or repute it)?

2.) If this is true, I'd like to get some more tubes (more open choke) to use in the uplands....does anyone know which manufacturer makes the tubes for the Pedersolis?

3.) from a practical stand point, how difficult is it to load wads through the tubes (as opposed to taking them out, then loading the barrels, and the putting the chokes back in)? Approximately how many shots can you get from a barrel before it becomes next to impossible to load (due to fouling) and has to be cleaned?

4.) Heaviest charges? I'd like to use this gun for everything.....waterfowl, small game, upland, and turkeys. Would it be possible to load this gun with 1 1/2 oz of shot? If so, what charge of FFg would you recommend to go with it (I'm looking for a tight pattern more so than high velocity).

5.)As I said, I plan on using the gun for waterfowl....I have both bismuth and Nice shot available. I understand about loading muzzle loaders using volume instead of weight, which is what I plan on doing with lead and the Nice shot. However, the bismuth, being lighter, I think should be loaded by weight. My concern is that if I load by volume (with bismuth), the number of pellets will be fewer and the charge will open the pattern more, potentially producing holes and opening patterns, which I don't want for ducks. I'm thinking about pre weighing charges for bismuth, to get a more "realistic" powder/shot ratio. I'm curious to folks thoughts on this issue.
I do intend to contact Pedersoli and see if I can get some printed information for this gun, but I would just like to get a leg up on the subject.

I'm really excited to get this gun out and shoot some clays and pattern test it.....I think it will be a blast! (no pun intended!)

 

[Britsmoothy]

Pedersoli make good guns, you will have hours of fun with this gun :hatsoff:

Consider just using OS cards for wads between the powder and shot, these curl past the tight chokes and turn flat with the rammer on the way down, five should be plenty. A blob of home made lube or vasalene between some cards now and then will keep the fouling soft (never had a problem).

Do try the gun for fit and shooting the pattern where your looking.

Do make a specific measure for your bismuth.

As a general rule; equal measures are a max loading and usually best results come from slightly less powder. With your chokes, equals make work very well!

Pedersoli recomend no more than 1&1/4oz and 90grns of powder. I have loaded mine with 1 &1/2oz before now and survived :thumbsup:

Stick to vegtable and animal fats/oils after cleaning with hot water, boiling even, and it will last for a long long time, can't wait to get out with mine again this Saturday :hatsoff:

Brits.

 

[Golfswithwolves]

5) Equal volumes of lead and bismuth shot should have about equal numbers of pellets. The bismuth however will weigh less than the lead but not by too much. 1 ounce of bismuth shot seems to be about the same number of pellets (or volume) as about 1 1/16 or 1 1/8 ounces of lead.

 

[Moose_Owner]

1.) The gun came with choke tubes; there is a "nick" or mark on one, and three marks on the other. I was told by the gunsmith that these are full and modified, respectively. Can anyone confirm this (or repute it)?

The number of notches indicates the amount of constriction. One notch indicates a full choke. The most open chokes have five notches.

2.) If this is true, I'd like to get some more tubes (more open choke) to use in the uplands....does anyone know which manufacturer makes the tubes for the Pedersolis?

I have never found a source of choke tubes made by Pedersoli. However, standard browning invector tubes work fine.

3.) from a practical stand point, how difficult is it to load wads through the tubes (as opposed to taking them out, then loading the barrels, and the putting the chokes back in)? Approximately how many shots can you get from a barrel before it becomes next to impossible to load (due to fouling) and has to be cleaned?

Lots of trap shooters load nitro cards through a full choke with out a problem. Some will fold the card in a v shape and then flatten it out once is it is past the choke. Others just force the card through the constriction on its edge and then turn the card flat.

If you use a lubricant/cleaner when loading, you can shoot hundreds of rounds without cleaning the bores. There are two methods which are generally used. First, you can spray a little water/soap down the bore after the nitro cards are rammed home and before the shot is added. I have shot several hundred rounds over a couple of days without having to clean the bore. (When hunting VR Star recommended spiting down the bore.)

The other alternative is to use cushion wads soaked in oil. The cushion wad is really just a delivery system for the oil -- which serves the same function as the water/soap mix.

There is no "right" way to load the gun. That is what makes muzzleloaders so much fun. You can try different things and see what works for you.

 

[Moose_Owner]

You should also consider going to a shotgun shoot with the MICHIGAN STATE MUZZLELOADING ASSOCIATION. They have a number of shotgun shoots through out the year. Everyone is friendly and would be more than happy to help you out.

Their website is www.gvcnb.org/

 

[andles]

On the choke tubes; 1 mark is full up to 5 marks is cylinder. They are supposed to be the same as Browning Invector/Winchester. I just got my extras from the Pedersoli parts supplier listed on their web page. Think they were in Missouri somewhere. I have a 12 and a 10 ga and they are a real blast to shoot. Have fun.

 

[newtewsmoke]

does anyone know which manufacturer makes the tubes for the Pedersolis?

check this out :v http://www.muzzleloadingshotguns.c...ketubes--interchangewithbrowninginvectortubes
...and this :thumbsup: http://news.oldva.org/?page_id=3508
enjoy that Pedersoli!! I have one in 12 ga & love it!! i cut my own wads from a variety of stuff: stiff cardboard, cork, gasket material, leather. TOTW sell wonder wads that load easily thru the chokes also.
killum!

 

[lizz]

Like other have said, the Browning Invector/Winchester/Mossberg 500 tubes work.
I use the carlson tubes.

 

[hornetk4]

you just got yourself a great new toy I hope ya got it for a good price.You can Email pedersoli and give them thr serial number an they can tell you anything you want to know about it. I got mine years ago it was only 250 bucks and it's a keeper,both barrels on mine are cylinder bored with hard chromed barrels. I really like them, hope you enjoy your's have fun an be carefull.

 

[Billnpatti]

Not too much to tell that you haven't already learned from your 20 ga. Same rule of thumb for loadng with powder and shot, same volume of each and adjust from there to get your best pattern. I made paper shot cups similar to the way you make paper cartridges. I used printer paper and rolled it around a dowell so that the finished size would fit smoothly into the bore. Be sure to tear off the tip to expose the shot or the shot will act like a ball for the first 15 to 20 yards. Really tight pattern. I made my own wads using a hollow punch and Duro-Felt. I made my overshot cards from posterboard. I would use two OS cards on each charge to make sure the shot didn't move forward from the recoil of the previous barrel. Punch an offset hole of about 1/16 inch or so in diameter and turn the two cards so the holes don't line up. The holes will let the cards fall away and not blow through your pattern. When using either of the chokes, and especially the full choke, you will have to start your wads and cards by turning them sideways and starting them down the bore with your thumb. Once they are passed the choke, it is an easy matter to turn them with your ramrod so they will sit flat when you seat them. My Pedersoli had the recommended charge stamped on the underside of the barrels. I think it was 88 grains of 2f with an equal volume of shot, but that is just their recommendation and you will have to play with it to find what works best in your gun. I have forgotten what the marks mean on the chokes but they identify which choke each one is. You can use an inside micrometer to measure the inside of each choke and then refer to a chart to see what the marks mean. Never shoot the gun without chokes in it or you can ruin the threads. If you want a smoothbore to shoot round balls, you will need to get an appropriate set of cylinder chokes to make it a smoothbore. The only place I could find chokes was from the Pedersoli importer and they are pricy. It seems to me that they were in the range of $100 each. I don't think any other manufacturer's chokes will fit (Good ploanning on their part, huh?) I used to use my Pedersoli shotgun for squirrel hunting and target shooting and never had to swab the bore until I was ready to quit for the day. I used a little bit of Ballistol on my OP wads so each time I loaded and each time I fired, the Ballistol wad would wipe my bore for me. I never used dry wads nor wads with heavy grease on them so I don't know how that would work.

 

[Billnpatti]

Disregard teh way I said to make the shot cups. that is the wrong way to do it. it was a method I tried but it was a miserable failure and I changed how I did it. It has been a while. The better method was to make paper crosses of printer paper such that the intersection fo the legs of the cross was the same size as the bore of the shotgun and each leg was long enough to enclose the amount of shot you were using. In use, seat your OP wad an inch or so down the bore. This will support your shot cup and not let it slide down the bore prematurely as you fill it with shot. Lay the intersection of the paper cross over the muzzle and prress it into the bore using a dowell of the proper size. With the tips of the legs of the cross sticking just above the muzzle, fill the cup with shot and seat on top of the powder. Top with your OS cards.

 

[Spikebuck]

The cabela's version comes with three chokes. An extra-full choke with one notch; a modified with three notches; an improved with four. So if your gun was originally the Pedersoli Cabela's sells, the one-notch choke might be x-full.

Carlson's actually lists the Pedersoli in their cross-reference table. As other's said, the Browning Invector is the compatible one and Carlsons has them available from Turkey to Cylinder.