I just picked up a 20ga Howdah with .625 barrels, my research has shown to use 19ga wads. Would like to know the correct punch size to make my own? Tried what I have on hand 11/16 too big and 5/8 too small. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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Pedersoli 20 gauge Howdah wad punch size
- Thread starter nunz
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I doubt you'll have much of a problem with thin card stamped from the 11/16". .625" comes out at 5/8" so the extra 1/16" should be about right.
Good evening, Nunz.
I own a Howdah, I ordered it from one place and the OS cards and Felt wads from another. I ordered .20 and were to small in diameter. I was frustrated and wanted to shot it. I took some of my .12 wads and cards and used a .58 ram tulip tip ram rod from my Harpers Ferry Pistol. I centered them up on muzzle and they fit tight. They worked good. Since then I picked up some 19 gauge wads and cards they work good also. I feel Britsmooty is correct about the 11/16th punch. Mine shot #1 buck shot well, Real good pattern. Plus the .610 and .614 ball very accurate..
You'll like it alot.
Good luck.
Take Care Stay Safe.
T
Thank you, Gum Slough. Happy Thanksgiving!
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I’m mostly being goofy, but if 5/8 is too small and 11/16 is too big, I’m going to go out on a limb and say you need 21/32.
Kidding aside the little bit of extra will crush in the barrel to make a tight fit on the 11/16. Make sure you use plenty of lube so on subsequent shots the fouling will stay soft and reloading will remain possible. I put the lube on my wax impregnated paper fiber wads.
Kidding aside the little bit of extra will crush in the barrel to make a tight fit on the 11/16. Make sure you use plenty of lube so on subsequent shots the fouling will stay soft and reloading will remain possible. I put the lube on my wax impregnated paper fiber wads.
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I use real thick vegetable-tanned saddle leather and a 5/8" punch for my Pedersoli Howdah with fine results.... loose birdshot seems to pattern better out of the Howdah if I use a small ball of real sheeps wool over the powder and then a wad over the shot...also use the same 5/8 leather wads in my 58 Kolonial rifle sometimes.
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Go metric. I use a 16 mm on all my Pedersoli 20's. You want it a little oversized. Mine come out 0.63 cal and shoot great. Great seal and good velocity. I punch out leather to use as overpower wads and use the same punch on wool felt. OP wad the 1 wool felt lubed then shot or ball then use another lubed wool felt was to seal the bore
Six months later, I am curious about what Nunz and Historian and Freedom and Gum Slough Muzzleloader have learned with their Pedersoli 20 Ga. howdah pistols. Charge, ball or buck or both, wad size and material....I am excited to learn mine and take it hunting
Pamtnman, saw your post, I'm busy right now. Later this evening I'll share what I've learned so far.
I'll be honest I've been focusing on sighting in load developments on a couple other guns. I have shot her very much
Take Care Stay Safe
Fred
I'll be honest I've been focusing on sighting in load developments on a couple other guns. I have shot her very much
Take Care Stay Safe
Fred
Thanks, Fred. I bought both the 20 gauge and the 58 to hunt with, and I am looking forward to getting educated about what other owners have done
I use a #11 Osbourne punch for my 20 bore cards.
I think the #11 is 3/8” = .375”, and I will be aiming for just a hair over .625” , which is probably best served by the 11/16” punch
Ok it's been awhile since I last shoot the Ol Howdah.
For #4 buckshot. I had some laying around so that's why I used it.
As far as cards and wads I ordered 20ga from TOTW, they were to small. I picked up some 19ga and they fit really well. Iwanted yo shoot it so I used 12ga O/S cards and 12ga wool wonder wads. I use a .58 ramrod from my Harper's Ferry Pistol.
35 grains FF Schuetzen.
1- O/S card
2- Wool Wonder Wads
1oz #4 buckshot (21 pellets)
1-Wool Wonder Wad
1-O/S card.
I shot with this method several times each barrel. Target was a little over 10 yards. I was standing holding the Howdah out in front myself both hands.
I would shoot both barrels,every time I had 42 holes. I like that load, but I will try others just for the heck of it.
As far as PRBs I used
35 to 40 grains FF Schuetzen
35 grains seem to work well, plus a little this recoil.
.610 ball
.010 patch
A little over 10 yards to target.
Standing using both hands shot it 10 times = 20 times. All balls hit target + - on elevation by 2 inches. + - 3 to 4 inches on windage. The target was plumb full of holes all within 8" or so. Right barrel hit the right side of center, left barrel hit left side of center. It was point of aim dead center of target. Hold the best I could.
Next time out I will shoot at 20, 25, and 30 yards. I'd like to see if that would bring the balls closer to center. Not sure if these guns are regulated to a certain distance like an Expres rifle. I will also try some #4 and #6 shot. I'll probably carry with me this muzzleloading hunting season a few times just in case I need back up shot or maybe a deer or pig comes from behind me on my right side. Or possibly that prefect shot arises.
On a couple shots I tried an O/S card and or a Wool Wonder Wad on top of powder then patched ball, just to see the out come. Not really sure it helped or not, seemed like it sealed it better because it had a bit more recoil to it.
I'll post more as experiment and learn different combinations.
Hope this helped.
Please post your different combos.
Let us know.
I would like to get a .58 caliber one also.
Take Care Stay Safe
Fred
For #4 buckshot. I had some laying around so that's why I used it.
As far as cards and wads I ordered 20ga from TOTW, they were to small. I picked up some 19ga and they fit really well. Iwanted yo shoot it so I used 12ga O/S cards and 12ga wool wonder wads. I use a .58 ramrod from my Harper's Ferry Pistol.
35 grains FF Schuetzen.
1- O/S card
2- Wool Wonder Wads
1oz #4 buckshot (21 pellets)
1-Wool Wonder Wad
1-O/S card.
I shot with this method several times each barrel. Target was a little over 10 yards. I was standing holding the Howdah out in front myself both hands.
I would shoot both barrels,every time I had 42 holes. I like that load, but I will try others just for the heck of it.
As far as PRBs I used
35 to 40 grains FF Schuetzen
35 grains seem to work well, plus a little this recoil.
.610 ball
.010 patch
A little over 10 yards to target.
Standing using both hands shot it 10 times = 20 times. All balls hit target + - on elevation by 2 inches. + - 3 to 4 inches on windage. The target was plumb full of holes all within 8" or so. Right barrel hit the right side of center, left barrel hit left side of center. It was point of aim dead center of target. Hold the best I could.
Next time out I will shoot at 20, 25, and 30 yards. I'd like to see if that would bring the balls closer to center. Not sure if these guns are regulated to a certain distance like an Expres rifle. I will also try some #4 and #6 shot. I'll probably carry with me this muzzleloading hunting season a few times just in case I need back up shot or maybe a deer or pig comes from behind me on my right side. Or possibly that prefect shot arises.
On a couple shots I tried an O/S card and or a Wool Wonder Wad on top of powder then patched ball, just to see the out come. Not really sure it helped or not, seemed like it sealed it better because it had a bit more recoil to it.
I'll post more as experiment and learn different combinations.
Hope this helped.
Please post your different combos.
Let us know.
I would like to get a .58 caliber one also.
Take Care Stay Safe
Fred
Very helpful, thank you so much. I also really want to hunt with these
I need to go upstairs to check. I must have the wrong number there. The one I use gives a very good fit on a 20 bore.
You need a 16 mm wad punch. I have 3 Pedersoli 20 gauges. They are 19 gauge shotguns. .625 and the 16 mm is close to .63 which is perfect in fit in all my guns.
So I got an Osborne 5/8" punch that produces .625" wads, and they are too small in the 20 Ga. Howdah BUT a perfect fit in the Howdah .58 rifled pistol. So a 16mm punch is going to have to suffice. Good advice, Historian, thanks.
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