My New Double .72

[user 7142]

Pretty nice weapon. The only thing is, is the right hammer supposed to be offset from the left?

 

[Wes/Tex]

As long as the hammers contact the nipples squarely and there is no shake in the right hammer, I'd say shoot it and enjoy it. Ought to be just dandy for Limb-Chickens! :thumbsup:

 

[BillinOregon]

Dude, I am ill with envy. You will have so much fun.

 

[MercerLake]

As long as the hammers strike square enough to fire the caps reliably, and the hammers don't shake it's okay. If there is an issue with misfires due to the hammer not striking square this can be corrected by filing the end of the nipple cone to make it square to the hammer face.
Some real fun starts with regulating the barrels to the sights. (1).If both barrels fire to the same plane vertically with the same load, you are way ahead as you may then use only one sight. Some guns will not print to the same vertical plane and then require the use of two separate rear sights.
(2). If you start with PRB this process will be simplified.
(3). This rifle will fire dependably with Bp, Pyrodex, or 777 as the flash path is straight into the powder charge.
(4). Getting the right and left barrel to shoot to the same point horizontally is done by varying the load variables, patch thickness and ball diameter. With any combo of the above there is a powder charge that will cause the rifle to place the right & left POIs to the same area.
I used to have a .54 cal Kodiak and the left and right barrels would not strike within a foot of each other vertically at 100 yards. The .72 cal Kodiak that I have now hits within an inch or so vertically at 100 yards, I'm very happy with it! I have changed the front sight to a much lower height, and use a lower rear fixed sight. This simplifies everything when hunting as there is no problem remembering which rear sight to use with which barrel. These guns are terribly strong and will shoot any reasonable powder charge, the main pressure limit is how much recoil can you stand? With a .715 ball, .010" patch, .030"card wad, and 140 grains of FFg, I measure about 1400fps at 10 feet on my chronograph.
Feel free to contact me if you need more info, misery loves company!!!

 

[user 7142]

WOW, that is some great info there! Thanks! I could tell its a pretty stout gun. When you loaded 140 grains, did you ever glass bed the tang area or is the stock strong enough to withstand? Does the hammers on yours look offset as well?

 

[user 7142]

Bill, you shouldnt be, your one of the top reasons I got this gun! I also noticed that we both visit accuratereloading! I think it was there from your post that I first got wind of this thing.

 

[BillinOregon]

MercerLake: Hello from down in the Rogue Valley.I agree the .72 Kodiak is wonderfully stout. Glad to hear someone in Oregon is playing with one.
Long Trang: I probably didn't need to do it, but I got a set of musket cap nipples from Blomquist Percussion for my Kodiak. I liked the size and power of the bigger caps when dealing with the powder charges the .72 can handle. But they may not be necessary as the flash hole communicates directly with the powder, as MercerLake points out.

 

[MercerLake]

The musket caps are indeed much handier to handle while hunting besides having a hotter flash. I use nipples for both the #11s and TopHats. The only problem that I've ever had with TopHats is that due to their larger size the hammer to nipple alignment is more critical, so I've ground the face of the hammers to remove the forward portion of the ring around the hammer face. This also seems to direct the flash leakage away from my face.
The only problem that I have with the Kodiak is they are excessively heavy. Barrel steel being as it is I can't imagine why modern guns need to have such heavy barrel walls. Could it be "afraid of lawyer syndrome"?
Someone asked if I'd tried glass bedding,as I've not had a problem with splitting. The hooked breech on these rifles has a very large area for contact to the stock, and the wood grain follows the grip so they are strong. The recoil thrust is not excessive as the gun is very heavy.

 

[BillinOregon]

Mercer: I found the Kodiak .72 weight just about right when shooting the 835-grain conical and close to 6 drams. :grin:

 

[RickD]

Looks to be a very well made rifle

 

[MercerLake]

:bow: That would be a very serious load!! Where did you get ahold of some 835gr conicals? I have a rB mold but sure would like some conicals or better yet get a mold. NEI used to list one but I wasn't sure if it would fit and they moved from Scappoose Or when Walt died a few years ago. Any information would be much appreciated.

 

[BillinOregon]

MercerLake:Yep, NEI still lives after Walt passed. Go here:[url] www.neihandtools.com[/url]/

 

[MercerLake]

Thanks for the info about NEI, I knew that they had moved but hadn't thought about the big conical as I wasn't sure it would fit. But from your answer to someone elsewhere I see that it does if you smack it to get it's attention. With that tight a fit, it should help keep the slug against the powder in the 2nd barrel when the 1st is fired. I'll give it a try, thanks!

 

[jeff rodgers]

Howdy guys! A great guy on another forum refered me here cause I couldn't get any help on a .72 cal. Yes, I suffered temporary insanity and traded for a Kodiac in .72 cal. The info on it says to load 80 gr of FF but that seemed kinda weak to me so I was looking for some loads.
I went to NEI looking for the above mentioned conicals but seems they only sell molds. I don't cast my own and was wondering if there was a place to buy some.
Anyway I appreciate the info on this gun I have already read here and it is nice to know that I'm not the only person around that has a self destructive streak! Thanks! Jeff :hatsoff:

 

[Dave H]

I have one also, and I am looking for some load info. So far I have only shot a few round balls and a couple of conicals from Dixie Slugs. The conicals from Dixie are only a few grains heavier than a round ball. Both are shooting well but I have only tried a 100 grain charge of Pyrodex. If anyone has some load info., I would sure like to ab hear about it
Thanks, Dave H.

 

[windwalker_au]

welcome jeff look through this post and you will find some good load info dixie gun works sell slugs for the .72
bernie :thumbsup:

 

[BillinOregon]

Jeff: The NEI conicals I shot that came with my used Kodiak were cast by Wayne Doudna. Do a Google search for his name and you will find his Web site, then shoot him an e-mail and tell him what you've got. He'll fix you up.

 

[jeff rodgers]

Bernie! Fancy meetin you here! Thanks again for the tip!

Bill I'll give him a try for the conicals and what does 6 drams convert to in grains? Should I start lower for 777? And thanks to all for the info!
Jeff

 

[paulvallandigham]

A dram weighs 27.4 grains, or w drams = 55 grains. 6 drams is 165 grains. A lot of powder.

 

[BillinOregon]

Jeff: I would start at 4 drams (110 grains or so) with round balls and work up to 6 if you wish, but only with black powder. 777 will work, but I don't fool with it because it can give considerably higher pressures. In my Kodiak, I shot a few of the 835-grain conicals with 150 grains FFg, but with a double rifle, it's not so much how much powder you can use, but how much powder you must use to get the barrels to shoot together. That was closer to 120 grains or so in my rifle with the conicals.