Pedersolli 58 cal double percussion rifle

[DUGABOY1]

Anyone here shoot a 58 cal Pedersoli double rifle? If so what do you shoot in it Round ball or minibullets? Here in Texas we have a public land license that allows residents to hunt the little state land we have here. 98% of Texas is privately owned. I traded for the Pedersoli because I like to hunt with a double rifle, and I didn't have a muzzloader double rifle, and a lot of the public land is muzzleloader, or bow only! I really need to get out to the range and shoot this thing to get a workable load for it! Any info anyone has will be very useful! :idea: :confused1:

I have one that I have had fro some time and have never shot it. It is a used one that I traded for from a guy who hadn't shot it either. I also have a brand new in the box TC 50 cal Hawken that I won in a football pool. An old Wesson 45 cal caplock, and a 36 cal target pistol. I don't shoot any of them any more.

[Twanger]

I do not own one, but looked into it a bit.
So first thing... 58-cal round balls are pretty heavy, and more than enough for deer.
You probably do not need to consider the extra pounding you'd get from a huge conical.
Second thing, regulation is always a tough nut. These are not 5-figure expensive doubles. If I remember right they have two rear sights and you can use one per barrel.
Lastly, I have heard that you should always check the seating on the second charge before lighting it off. The first shot can sometimes cause the load in the second barrel to jump up a little. Shooting an unseated charge can be dangerous.
Sounds like a fun gun, and I wish I had one!
Let us know how it works for you!

[GF.]

I think if I ever needed that second round in a hurry, I'd be willing to take my chances!

Yes, start with RB - cheaper and great fun to shoot; in my .54, I shoot everything from 30-40 grain squibs to 110-115 grains on a hunt. Probably overkill. Either way, though, the only thing that changes in POI is the height above/below the bead. If Twang is right about having a dedicated rear blade for each barrel, you'll probably have a degree of flexibility in loading that you just don't get with a proper double.

In a perfect world, my 40-grain squibbers would be dead-on at 50 yards, I'd know where they hit from 25 yards to as far as I can see to shoot with a hunting load, and that'd be the end of it. :cool:

[DUGABOY1]

Thanks guys! The regulation is no problem, I can re-regulate the barrels if they are way off. The main thing I need is a load the will print a good group in both barrels, then I can re-regulate the barrels to that load. I think I'll start with a 100 gr load, and work up or down to get the best grouping load that will shoot good in each barrel . You would not believe the good double rifles I have bought over the years because the guys who owned them didn't know how to work up a regulating load, and thought they were ridding themselves of a lemon, on an unsuspecting dupe.