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I just purchased a Pedersoli shotgun in 12ga. Both barrels measure .714” at the muzzle, they are stamped 18.3. I was wondering if anyone had tried Lee drive key slugs in these with a lubed patch. I also intend to try .69 round ball patched with a .010” lubed patch. If anyone’s been down this road your help would be greatly appreciated
By your numbers given, your gun should be skeet choke verging on the edge of being improved cylinder.
I agree, I can’t wait for things to warm up, it’s my first go at black powder and muzzleloading. I’m pretty exited. Any advice that anyone would surely be appreciate
Someone else who has a Pedersoli double barrel found star markings underneath the barrel that indicates the factory fixed choke designation.
He found the choke markings *** and ** at the breech end, bottom of the barrels facing the stock.
The stars were right next to the bottom rib. They were stars not "*".
Another Dixie Pedersoli double barrel made in 1978 did not have the star markings, but the bores measured almost exactly the same as the OP's, stamped 18.3 and .714 at the muzzle.
Lee makes 2 different key drive slug molds, a 7/8 oz. and a 1 oz.
This video strongly suggests that the 7/8 oz. slug is more accurate, especially from a smooth bore barrel. --->>> https://youtu.be/ku91XAyyN6c
Have you considered trying out the slugs loaded inside of a plastic shotgun wad as well as patched?
FWIW, Ballistics Products also sells a variety of different slugs and wad products, both modern and traditional.--->>> https://www.ballisticproducts.com/default.asp
I might try a plastic wad, I get reasonable accuracy to 50 yards with the 7/8 oz Lee in my 870’s in a plastic wad. I would prefer to try a patch first, I’d like to keep it old school as much as possible. I’ve read that a lube patch also reduces fouling, I don’t know that first hand though, just what I’ve read.
Just pulled mine out of the back of the safe and pulled the barrels. No stars, but both barrels are stamped 18.3 and measure .709 Left and .718 Right. I don't intend to use slugs though - it was last used to hunt pheasant, and did a great job.
Glad you posted this up and got my attention - when I pulled the barrels I found rust starting to form on the lugs, so I got it taken care of before it got out of control.
I just put a Pedersoli SXS together last spring, and have only loaded shot. I am interested in your project, but have nothing to add at this point regarding slugs. (I plan on using mine this spring for turkeys.) I do have a 12ga T/C Renegade that I've tried slugs and round ball, but could not get it to consistently shoot POA and went back to using my MZ rifles instead. In addition to finding a load that will shoot in your SXS, you will also find that the barrels normally "cross" each other with their loads at some particular yardage (eg. 30 or 35 yards), which "plays havoc" with your "aiming point" beyond that yardage. Good luck!
You will need a fairly thick patch for the Lee slugs to get a tight fit but no reason it shouldn't work. You might be better off to go with the Lyman Foster slug which casts at about 0.705" (mine does anyway). and use a lubed felt wad behind it with a nitro card wad or two directly under the slug to keep the wad out. If cast from soft lead it should obturate to fill the bore and the lubed felt wad will take care of lube/fouling.
I suppose a soft cast Lee slug would do the same but there again, you'd better use nitro card wads behind the slug or your patch will be forced into the split cavity. If the patch doesn't release accuracy will be poor.
I'm thinking the 0.690" RB patched would be a better choice.
I used to shoot naked 0.690" RB's out of my now gone Pedersoli 12 ga. that was I/C and modified IIRC. Due to chokes I never tried patching. Accuracy was poor with a naked ball bouncing down the bore.
Donut wads are another route to use for choked guns too. Undersize ball sitting on a donut wad to center it.
Then of course there is the Lyman 0.715" RB which should push through the choke easily then slide down the rest of the bore. With a lubed hard card wad column under that should do well too. Of course these Lyman moulds cost about $75 if you don't have one where Lee slug and RB moulds only run about $25 if that is a consideration.
Just some thoughts.
Longbow
I have shot .662 round balls in my Navy Arms 12 Gauge SXS using plastic shot sleeves cut from AA wad columns. They were as accurate or better than patched .690 RBs. I could never get anything approaching their accuracy with Lee or Lyman hollow-base slugs. 75 grains FFg Goex, two .125" card wads, one 3/8" fiber wad, plastic shot sleeve, one 20 gauge .125" OP wad (inside the shot sleeve), .662 RB and 11 gauge cork over-shot wad. Sounds complicated but shoots great out to about 75 yards.