1970’s era 12 sxs muzzle loading shotgun

[08Desert Trapper]

Hello fellas and ladies, my name is Duck I have a 12 gauge Pedersoli side-by-side muzzleloading shotgun when I looked up the serial number it put me in the 1970s era bracket

shooting bird shot and even some buckshot out of it does very well just wondering what everyone’s opinion is of me shooting solid round ball out of it it is in good condition I bought on this site from a fella out in the Dakotas.

 

[Feltwad]

Shooting round ball from a early Pedersoli sxs shotgun depends on the weight of the gun which if light may kick like a mule
Feltwad

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Take pictures and let us know how it goes.

Take notes, so as to jog your memory later…such as the response time for the ambulance, how many stitches, length of time in surgery.

You know…the important stuff.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Hello fellas and ladies, my name is Duck I have a 12 gauge Pedersoli side-by-side muzzleloading shotgun when I looked up the serial number it put me in the 1970s era bracket

shooting bird shot and even some buckshot out of it does very well just wondering what everyone’s opinion is of me shooting solid round ball out of it it is in good condition I bought on this site from a fella out in the Dakotas.

Hey Duck!

The vast majority of 12 gauge SxS from Pedersoli have no choke on the right hand barrel. SO..., if you shoot a ball, that's the barrel to use for such. SOME of them have both barrels with no choke, SO without measuring the bore at the muzzle, when in doubt, only use the right hand barrel for ball.

LD

 

[Grenadier1758]

You can also consider that a 12 gauge ball (0.690) is about 1 1/8 ounces. So the round ball will weigh less than most of the shot loads fired. Your sxs should be able to handle a round ball out of the cylinder bored barrel. Do measure the bores to verify which barrel is cylinder bored.

 

[stank]

I shoot a.690 patched round ball out of my cva double

 

[08Desert Trapper]

Shooting round ball from a early Pedersoli sxs shotgun depends on the weight of the gun which if light may kick like a mule
Feltwad

Thank you sir I was just curious you guys have several different species of rabbit or hairs on the grand island that everyone calls England

 

[Bigpete]

Only 2 i believe.

 

[SmokepoleSam]

If you look on the underside of the barrels there is a date code, I just picked up the same gun, the code is Roman numerals until 1974 then 2 capital letters in a box, mine is AD=1978 if you tell us the code we can tell you the date. Or you can look up Italian date codes on the web. My ser# is 12xxx. What is the weight of your gun mine is 6#? TIA

 

[THBailey]

Do a search of this forum for "Pedersoli sxs" and find lots of info on the care and feeding of your gun. You can also email Pedersoli with your guns serial number and your questions. Here is what I did when I bought a used 20ga: Another Pedersoli SxS

 

[Willy]

I shoot a Navy Arms (Pietta) double 12 that I've owned since the early '80s. Mine shoots round ball pretty well at my usual hunting ranges. I got mine after I noticed that if I was carrying my .54 rifle, I'd see nothing but squirrels. Carry my squirrel rifle and I'd run into all kinds of deer. The 12 gauge solved that problem.

 

[Woody Morgan]

Finally got to the range with the Pedersoli 20 SxS with the intent of wringing it out. Loaded up with 60 grains of Swiss 3f and an ounce of reclaimed shot. At 25 yards left barrel consistently put the majority of the shot on a 12x12 steel plate. Then I decided to load the right barrel with a .60 round ball, same charge. By the way, my stack is powder, 1/2 of a 1/2" fiber wad soaked in olive oil, shot or ball then the other half of the wad. Unbelieveably, I hit the 50 yard 12x16 plate offhand four out of four times! I'm pretty stoked and trying to figure out why on earth the previous owner sold it but....who's complaining?

wm

 

[Lorne Johnson]

Hello fellas and ladies, my name is Duck I have a 12 gauge Pedersoli side-by-side muzzleloading shotgun when I looked up the serial number it put me in the 1970s era bracket

shooting bird shot and even some buckshot out of it does very well just wondering what everyone’s opinion is of me shooting solid round ball out of it it is in good condition I bought on this site from a fella out in the Dakotas.

1970's era Pedersoli's are typicaly very light about 6 pounds or a little less in 12 gauge, typically unchoked, and measure at roughly 13 gauge (about .710 diameter). I suggest measuring your gun before assuming any of this to be correct for your specific gun. You can get a pretty good idea if your barrels have choke by impaling an overshot or overpowder card onto the ramrod and inserting it into the bore. If there is choke, you will feel the difference in resistance a couple of inches into the bore. If it maintains resistance right down the bore, it is cylinder. You really need to measure the bore before shooting round ball to fit ball to your bore.

The old Pedersolis are really nice upland game guns, light to carry, handle nicely, and quick to point (obviously, I love mine). On the other hand, if you try to up the velocity with a heavy charge and/or use a heavy load of shot they kick pretty hard. I've dropped pheasant very handly at 25-30 yards with 1 ounce of shot and at 25 yards with 7/8 ounce of 7.5 shot. I can't get anything (notably 1 1/4 ounce) to work reliably at 40 yards. So you don't need heavy loads. Turkey and waterfowl are different of course.

 

[Bigpete]

Finally got to the range with the Pedersoli 20 SxS with the intent of wringing it out. Loaded up with 60 grains of Swiss 3f and an ounce of reclaimed shot. At 25 yards left barrel consistently put the majority of the shot on a 12x12 steel plate. Then I decided to load the right barrel with a .60 round ball, same charge. By the way, my stack is powder, 1/2 of a 1/2" fiber wad soaked in olive oil, shot or ball then the other half of the wad. Unbelieveably, I hit the 50 yard 12x16 plate offhand four out of four times! I'm pretty stoked and trying to figure out why on earth the previous owner sold it but....who's complaining?

wm

That sounds like an absolute winner !

 

[Woody Morgan]

That sounds like an absolute winner !

I call 'em "magic guns".
You know. The ones that have that weird quality of making anyone that shoots it look good?
Over a lifetime I've collected a number of them of all types and calibers and now a percussion
side by side shotgun.
They're fun to share.

wm