Tennessee Valley Muzzleloaders

[Jaeger777]

Isn’t that just crazy…My first gun took 6 months, no big deal. My last gun was the French Fusil…1 year before I saw that gun. My dad and I placed our order within moments of each other…ordered the same gun, same stock quality. Side by side they are twins. But yeah, a year was nuts…

I will say that my .45 calibre was not accurate for several years, pie plate sized groups at 25 yrds. I spent days at the range trying to develope a load that was even remotely accurate. No such luck. I sent it back to TVM twice, with them assuring me both times that everything was good.

One day at the club, I was talking about my terrible TVM long rifle. One of the guys was a gun builder, said to bring it by his shop. He looked the gun over very carefully. Finally got out a magnifying glass and went over the muzzle. Recrowned the barrel and she’s shot lights out ever since.

I gotta admit accuracy was disappointing with both the .36 and .50 calibers until I dropped patch thickness to .010 and the same .350 and .490 balls. Random flyers went away and groups actually became groups. They only thing I can guess is that it is a preference of the round bottom rifling. My Pedersoli's Rocky Moutain Rifle and Dixie TN Mountain rifle with the square rifling like the thicker patches--but they shot great from day one.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I gotta admit accuracy was disappointing with both the .36 and .50 calibers until I dropped patch thickness to .010 and the same .350 and .490 balls. Random flyers went away and groups actually became groups. They only thing I can guess is that it is a preference of the round bottom rifling. My Pedersoli's Rocky Moutain Rifle and Dixie TN Mountain rifle with the square rifling like the thicker patches--but they shot great from day one.

After I retired my CVA Mountain Rifle, I picked up a Pedersoli Alamo Rifle, percussion, in .50 calibre.

The Pedersoli shot Okay, but what I really liked was that the rifle was very light and nimble. But the accuracy was just lacking.

My boss at the time was big into going to rondys and shooting his blackpowder. We went out and shot the Alamo Rifle at the range, collected patches…looked them over closely…then he had me take valve grinding compound and swabb the bore for 20 strokes, clean it, shoot it…groups got a little better. Repeated the process 3 times, and at the end that gun was shots touching at 100 yrds, and patches were pristine.

That’s when I retired my CVA. That Alamo Rifle killed more elk than any rifle I own. Just a few more than my CVA Mountain Rifle, way more than my modern smokeless. From 10 yrds to 75 yrds…I learned to hunt elk with that rifle.

Until I got my first .54 calibre rifle…that changed everything. Never would’ve guessed that that tiny change in diameter would make such an impact and improvement on performance…wow, .54 calibre is my favorite ultimate blackpowder big game calibre to this day, bar none.

 

[Jaeger777]

After I retired my CVA Mountain Rifle, I picked up a Pedersoli Alamo Rifle, percussion, in .50 calibre.

The Pedersoli shot Okay, but what I really liked was that the rifle was very light and nimble. But the accuracy was just lacking.

My boss at the time was big into going to rondys and shooting his blackpowder. We went out and shot the Alamo Rifle at the range, collected patches…looked them over closely…then he had me take valve grinding compound and swabb the bore for 20 strokes, clean it, shoot it…groups got a little better. Repeated the process 3 times, and at the end that gun was shots touching at 100 yrds, and patches were pristine.

That’s when I retired my CVA. That Alamo Rifle killed more elk than any rifle I own. Just a few more than my CVA Mountain Rifle, way more than my modern smokeless. From 10 yrds to 75 yrds…I learned to hunt elk with that rifle.

Until I got my first .54 calibre rifle…that changed everything. Never would’ve guessed that that tiny change in diameter would make such an impact and improvement on performance…wow, .54 calibre is my favorite ultimate blackpowder big game calibre to this day, bar none.

I never had any issues with either my Pedersoli or Dixie with regard to bore smoothness. Patches come out looking like they should and both are very accurate. My Pedersoli is a .54 also, caplock, and fast becoming my favorite caliber. I don't have as much experience with caplocks as I do with flinters and find a learning curve I'm still working on with them. But the fact is I just love making black powder smoke. Never got a deer yet with one but that's mostly due to me just being a lousy hunter!

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I never had any issues with either my Pedersoli or Dixie with regard to bore smoothness. Patches come out looking like they should and both are very accurate. My Pedersoli is a .54 also, caplock, and fast becoming my favorite caliber. I don't have as much experience with caplocks as I do with flinters and find a learning curve I'm still working on with them. But the fact is I just love making black powder smoke. Never got a deer yet with one but that's mostly due to me just being a lousy hunter!

That Alamo Rifle must’ve been made back in the mid-70’s. It’s a .50 calibre with a 13/16’s barrel, so yeah…they don’t make them like that anymore.

Pedersoli’s quality control has gotten considerably better over the years.

 

[Jaeger777]

That Alamo Rifle must’ve been made back in the mid-70’s. It’s a .50 calibre with a 13/16’s barrel, so yeah…they don’t make them like that anymore.

Pedersoli’s quality control has gotten considerably better over the years.

I have 4 Pedersoli's now: a Brown Bess, 1863 Remington Zouave, my Rocky Mountain Hawken and a Whitworth. All are top notch in my opinion. My Dixie, made by Miruko, is 40+ years old and I replaced the rather soft lock with an L&R RPL lock. Now it's very fast and reliable as well.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I have always wanted the Pedersoli Brown Bess…I built a carbine from a kit. But the full musket…yeah that’s the one.

 

[Jaeger777]

I have always wanted the Pedersoli Brown Bess…I built a carbine from a kit. But the full musket…yeah that’s the one.

I'm not into reenacting I just really like that particular firearm for some reason. I've fired it less than 100 times with both round ball and shot and it's been 100% reliable. Only on the 2nd flint too--course they're as big as a brick.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I’ve taken many geese and a ton of rabbits with my carbine…Pedersoli makes a mighty fine Bess

 

[Jaeger777]

I’ve taken many geese and a ton of rabbits with my carbine…Pedersoli makes a mighty fine Bess

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That's great. I like seeing them put to work putting food on the table. Do you have a favorite load?

 

[Rock Home Isle]

For rabbits a 1 oz square load

Geese 95grs ffg, 96 “T” shot