pedersoli sxs 12 ga questions

[7tharkinf]

I am thinking of purchasing a 12 ga. sxs muzzleloader For hunting rabbit and birds and such. I like the pdersoli because of the screw in choke options has anyone ever used one? Are they good shotguns for this application and where could I find a good used one for decent price all info would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. moderators I hope this is in the right location please feel free to move if not.

 

[azmntman]

Had a 10 ga ss with choke tubes, worked good but barrels not aligned. Check gun broker and gunsinternational and guns america as well as classified here. One will pop up

 

[Rifleman1776]

My feelings about choked bores in an ml shotgun are not fit to be put into words here. :cursing:
Getting proper fitting wads past the choke is near impossible. A cylinder bore works just fine within the ranges of a traditional ml shotgun/fowler. I also do not like double ml shotguns because the load can shift in the unfired barrel making a difficult and dangerous condition. Get a single barrel cylinder bore and shoot happily.

 

[ZUG]

I have a Navy Arms 12 SXS & a Pedersoli 10 SXS both are not choked and easy to load. I'm not a fan of the screw-in chokes - too much of a PITA for me.

 

[teakmtn]

I have a Pedersoli 12 SxS. Choked full and modified, not screw in. I love this gun. Fun to shoot, easy to clean, and with all the information available here (check the smoothbore section) easy to figure out how to get the most out of it. Search for "Pedersoli" and read up on the opinions on different choke options before you make a purchase.
I bought mine here in the Classifieds. Good luck.

 

[Rifleman1776]

not choked and easy to load

Sez it all.
BTW, I don't understand why this thread is in a rifle forum???

 

[azmntman]

double smooth rifle that shoots shot I suppose? :grin:

 

[Bear Rider]

I've had two shotguns -- and O/U Beretta and and older Pedersoli. The Beretta was evidently cylinder bore. The Pedersoli is choked & the left barrel is a PITA to load, and the right not much better.

 

[Britsmoothy]

I had a choked one but prefer my cylinder ones.
If ever you want to shoot ball the chokes will be a pain.
Chokes limit wad choices!
Thin cards are the only way I found satifactory in my choked gun.
Some pedersolis suffer bad barrel alignment, an easy fix on regular barrels, not so the screw ins!
Please don't get over anxious about obtaining chokes. A bit of a red herring in front stuffers!

B.

 

[Flintlock58]

I had one of this model until I changed over to flinters. Shot pheasants, ducks and turkey with it. You will find a way to load that isnt a pain. I used only 2 thin cards over powder and one over the shot. Make sure to check the second barrel if you fire the first to be sure the second load didnt move. Have fun!

 

[satx78247]

Personally, I would look for & find a period double-barrel rather than any of the so-called "modern" ML shotguns, as I've never seen one that loads/shoots as well as the quality English/Irish/central European shotguns that were made in the 19th Century.

YES, it will take a little "looking" to find such an original/quality shotgun but, imVho, that "looking" is worth the effort.
(It took me about 60 days of "looking" to find my Birmingham-made & rather "plain vanilla" 14-bore DB for 250.oo but it was well worth the search. = My English DB shoots everything from #8 shot to 000 buckshot quite well. - Incidentally, I have NOT fired PRB in it & likely will not.)

Note: should you want/need a weapon that shoots shot/slugs/Minies well for everything from quail to big bears, look for a European Cape-gun & expect to pay 1,000.oo or so for a "plain vanilla" example in good shape.
(Btw, I'm currently "looking at" a circa 1850s SxS Irish-made 11-bore by .60 caliber rifled barrel.= Should I buy it, it will go to the RSA in 2016 for taking a variety of game.)

just my OPINIONS, satx

 

[THBailey]

I've hunted with my Pedersoli 12ga SxS "Multichokes" for many years and I enjoy it very much. It is a pita to load through any of the choke tubes, and near impossible through the full choke tubes. As a result I usually use IC tubes when hunting waterfowl or upland. For turkey I load with the tubes out and then reinstall the full chokes afterwords.

However, if I was to do it again I would go with one having a plain cylinder bore. In fact, I did just that. I picked up an older Pedersoli 10ga SxS. It is much easier to load and a little easier to clean up afterwords. For other reasons I didn't use it for waterfowl this last season, but last spring the turkey's saw no difference in the non-choked shot string.

 

[Fowler 24]

They use win chokes. I use improved and modified in mine. (12ga) Fiber wads crush easily enough and card wads start sideways and straighten out with rod tip pressure. I don't use it much as I much prefer carrying and shooting a fowler. I'd trade mine for flintlock rifle or smooth bore.

 

[satx78247]

IF I had a "choked" modern replica of a ML double, I would "take a hacksaw to it". = As you've doubtless guessed, I don't like/want any choked ML.

"Sawed off doubles" were very common "out West", especially among horsemen. = For example, CSA cavalry troopers were famous (or from the DY point of view, notorious) for their "sawed-off shotguns, loaded with buckshot".
(Fwiw, the Confederate Museum in NOLA has at least 2 shotguns that have been cut-down into shot pistols.)

just my OPINION, satx

 

[THBailey]

They use win chokes. I use improved and modified in mine. (12ga) Fiber wads crush easily enough and card wads start sideways and straighten out with rod tip pressure. I don't use it much as I much prefer carrying and shooting a fowler. I'd trade mine for flintlock rifle or smooth bore.

They do indeed, and a few more. From Carlson's interchange page:

"Pedersoli
Interchanges with Carlson's Winchester, Browning Invector & Mossberg 500 style threads"


I have been meaning to get a couple of those Mossberg full chokes that extend beyond the muzzle and use an exterior spanner wrench, and have my friend with a lathe cone them at the mouth 30 or 40 degrees perhaps 1/8 or 1/4 inch in to see if that helps with wad insertion.

And while I am confessing to my foolish ideas, I just bought a couple of rifled choke tubes cheap on an online auction. Don't have them in hand yet, but I always wondered what I might be able to do with PRB out of them. A total waste of time and money no doubt!!

 

[THBailey]

IF I had a "choked" modern replica of a ML double, I would "take a hacksaw to it". = As you've doubtless guessed, I don't like/want any choked ML.

"Sawed off doubles" were very common "out West", especially among horsemen. = For example, CSA cavalry troopers were famous (or from the DY point of view, notorious) for their "sawed-off shotguns, loaded with buckshot".
(Fwiw, the Confederate Museum in NOLA has at least 2 shotguns that have been cut-down into shot pistols.)

just my OPINION, satx

After comparing the multichokes with the new to me 10ga I absolutely have no critique of your position.

 

[okawbow]

I hunted with a 10 ga. Pedersoli with choke tubes for several years. Took many turkeys with it out to 40 yards. My gun would pattern very well at 40 yards with a stout hunting load.

I used 1 over powder wad, that I greased and pushed through the choke sideways, 2 1/4" wool wads, same measure of shot as powder, and 1 over shot wad, again pushed through the choke sideways. Never had that much trouble loading through the full and med. chokes. However, I rarely had to load fast. I did use it a few times for trap shooting, and was able to keep up ok.

I eventually sold the gun, as it really didn't seem like It was much different than using a modern shotgun. I now use a flintlock fowler, and have taken turkeys with it also. I just let them get a little closer.

 

[No Deer]

I have a Navy Arms (Pietta) sxs 12 ga. that I got converted to flintlock. I got the barrels jug choked, mod and improved. Patterns very well out to about 40 yards with 80 gr. 3f or 2f, don't really see a big difference between the two. With the jug choke there is no problem loading wads at all.

 

[FiremanBrad]

I love my Pedersoli 2 row 12, and turkeys hate it!!!

It's killed upwards of a dozen turkeys, the farthest was 33 paces.

 

[teakmtn]

Brad, What chokes does your sxs have and what load do you use for those turkeys?
Thanks for your reply,
Doug