Pedersoli Jaeger

[vulture]

Ok, so I posted about this rifle that I had been looking at and wanted to purchase for some time, and I finally got one, I'll have to see if I can get my camera working and take some pics of it and some of my other builds, this was not a build, it was a Pedersoli American Jaeger flintlock. It is not a true Jaeger I know but as I posted before it was just what I was looking for, right caliber, .54, flintlock, and short barrel. Once I got it I posted about the problem I was having with the lock not producing much spark, got that worked out and had a chance to take it out shooting a week ago, not such a good experience. The ignition time is a bit slow in my opinion, but I can work on that, the main problems are it shoots way low, and the bore is a real odd size. I knew my .530's and .535's wouldn't fit, the .535,s I could almost shoot without any patching at all, so I got some .526 cast ball from TOTW, they worked ok, but now the patching I have used for years with all my other .54's is too thick,it is .015 - .020 think cotton pillow ticking, not sure exactly, but it is thick. I have one .54 that I built using a Green River Rifle Works barrel and it is on the small size, .530's will work, but it really likes the .527,s I used to be able to purchase. This is the only real complaint that I have against this nice little rifle is that Pedersoli didn't make it a true .54, but is more like a .53, which in this day and age makes it difficult to find round ball for it. I am going to try some Lee R.E.A.L. slugs in it, it appears to have shallow rifling from what I can tell, but not sure if they will actually go down this bore. Not sure if I want to start filing on the front sight to bring it down, or look for a replacement rear sight that is taller, guess I could just make me a rear sight, wouldn't be as pretty as this one, but it would be taller and bring my point of impact up.

 

[Farren55]

Question did you get the Hunter, or the Target version of the rifle? Hunter has a 1:23 twist which Pedersoli recommends only conicals with while the Target has a much more gradual 1:65

 

[simonbeans]

I purchased a Pedersoli Jaeger a short time ago on the Classified Section of this website from a man in Oregon. It shoots extremely well with a .530 (actual .532) ball cast from Lee mold, 70 grains of fffg, and a .014 cotton pillow ticking patch. I can get consistent 2" or less groups at 50 yards. I opened the pan wider, and replaced the front sight with a brass blade. Ignition is fast and reliable. I am not sure but I believe it is the Hunter model.

 

[Farren55]

From the looks of it actually you have the more expensive Target rifle (the Hunter models have iron furniture and no checkering on the waist of the stock).

 

[smoothshooter]

Hornady makes .520 swaged balls. Buy a box and see if you like them. If so, get a mold of that size. I don't know who makes one that size since it is not common, but I would check out Lee first. If it is not a catalog item call them. They may have a few around the warehouse as leftovers from a special run.

 

[Alden]

Cabela's "special"? Target version with standard sights!?

 

[hpbear101]

I have the faster twist Jaeger and it shoots .530 round ball just fine. I found that the DGW vent liner has way too small of a hole and drilled that out to 5/64 (I believe). I put just enough powder to cover the bottom of the pan, drilled out vent hole, and ignition is great.

 

[valen]

I just got a hunter model with iron furniture too in the beginning of the year used. It fires .53 round balls with a 0.10 pre-greased patches just fine and is accurate at the 50 yard targets I've been shooting at. Its my favorite gun.

 

[wahkahchimaol.com]

I have been taking the hunter fast-twist flint version of the Pedersoli Jaeger into the field for the past several years. I bought it here. It's reliable with 90 grains of FFFG and a .53 ball with a .01 Ox lubed patch. It shoots great at 50 yards and I can carry it for the long hunts. Also it fits in a hard-sided gun case for taking on flights as stowed baggage. No pig with it yet, but works. I filed the front sight down to raise the point of impact. Of all the flintlock rifles I've fired, it's my #1 choice.

 

[thecapgunkid]

Try to work on one thing at a time. When I got mine, I had to work the springs a little because the cockpiece fall was very heavy and the sparks were not going into the pan. I filed the outside edges of both main and frizzen springs and got it working well and fast. I flipped it on Gunbroker because I needed gelt for a kit so I could build, but first I ran a .53 ball with a piece of old denim and it fit nice and tight.

I guess the production guns have tolerances which don't make it to the buyer and barrels are probably shipped in lots.

NO, it ain't a Jaeger, but the lines on it are pleasing. I refinished it with some incise, a better stain and some Permalyn and it looked nice.

I think this is a good gun and would have kept it were I not salivating for the kit experience.

 

[sharpshooter1949]

Vulture,

Deer Creek Products, Waldron, Indiana has .520 balls for .53 cal. guns. Phone number is 1-765-525-6181. Sometimes they're a little slow answering but they're good people.

sharpshooter 1949