12 guage loads

[Chocktaw Brave]

I just purchased a Pedersoli double barrel percussion shotgun. It recommends an ounce and a quarter of shot with 89 g of black powder. My question is what type of wad does everybody use for over powder and overshot.
A long time ago I had a 69 caliber(16ga) smooth bore pistol and I used to use the plastic wads for modern 16 ga shotguns in it.
I do have some 12 gauge plastic wads, but not sure how they will perform in this shotgun.
Any recommendations?
Oh and it’s missing the nipples, I have to purchase those before I can shoot it.

[steven baker]

Howdy, I have the same model as yours. I find that a basic load of powder , card disc wad , fiber or felt wad , shot and then a card disc wad to hold the shot .I am not a fan of plastic wads ,just don't like them. Also I put a small hole in the card disc wads to allow air to escape while ramming home. Hope this helps, have fun ,take care Steven.

[Lucky R A]

          I shoot a very light weight (6-1/2 Lb. ) English fowler with a 38" light weight Getz barrel.   When phesant hunting over pointers i use 100gr. 2f Goex, card wad cushion, wad (lubed) 1-1/4 oz. #5 and a over shot wad.   It seems to be very effective, making clean kills out to 30 yds. or more if I do my part.  You can just nick the edge of the card wads with your thumbnail to allow air to escape as you seat them in the bore.   Good luck!
Ron

[Mike Brooks]

NO PLASTIC

[Chocktaw Brave]

Ok, anyone tried 00 buckshot loads in one of these?
I have that and #9 shot right now.
Also which powder is best?
I have
FFFg
Fg
Pyrodex RS
Hogden777

[snapper]

I have shot 1F, 1.5F, 2F and 3F in a BP shotgun.   For me the 1F and 1.5F I had more miss fires.   The finer powder of 3 F is more reliable for ignition.

I have never used plastic in my shotguns as I am afraid of the plastic residue building up on the barrels.

Fleener

[Roger B]

Residue from plastic wads does build up in the bore & its a pain to remove.
Roger B.

[Hungry Horse]

Pyrodex, and 777, will pit your barrel. 3F is too quick burning and will blow a hole in your pattern. So 2F and skip the nitro card, then a lubed minimum cushion wad ( about a 1/4” thick ) then shot #5 or bigger, then a overshot card notched to release trapped air. Good luck!

Hungry Horse

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

My favourite 12 gauge load:  63 gr. Fg GOEX, 3/8" fibre wad, 1 oz. shot, thin card over-shot wad.

[Chocktaw Brave]

Well that’s good, looks like I’ll be able to use the Fg powder I have. I’ve seen some people using 3F on YouTube. But everything I read said it’s not recommended. And since black powder has completely dried up where I’m at, I have to use what I have.

[Daryl]

In my current 12 bore loads, I am using a standard wad column, with 75gr. 1F and 1 1/4oz  7 1/2 shot on clay birds. My shooting with those, is very close, I try to make my shots inside 30yards.
These loads won the trap shoot at our rendezvous with no misses in 20 shots.  It works for me. Cylinder bores. From a choked set of barrels as on your double, Chocktaw Brave, it would be even  better and add some range as well.

[Chocktaw Brave]

Thanks for all the suggestions, I’ll have to take it out and try them when I find some nipples.
Oh and on the subject of the missing nipples, nearest I can tell they are 1/4x28 thread. Is that correct?

[Daryl]

You should be able to check with Pedersoli via. e-mail on their site.

https://www.davide-pedersoli.com/en/contacts

[Hungry Horse]

If you have 1F on hand by all means work up a load for it. It will be gentler on your shoulder, and more consistent tighter patterns. You may have to increase the amount of powder you use to get good velocity, but even then its more of a gentle push for the load and you. The patterns just seem to be better with 1F.

 Hungry Horse

[wattlebuster]

I have 2 12 ga smoothbores an another that will be made when Joe gets to it. I have tried it all in them over the yrs an have found out that FFg shoots really good in them but Fg shoots better. It tightens patterns up with shot an groups best with ball. I shoot patched ball out of both mine as bare ball didnt group as tight.

[Prairie dog shooter]

My Navy Arms is choked IC/Mod.  I did a lot of pattern testing with it.  It's best patterns are: 90 grains 2-f, nitro card, 1/2 a lubed cushion wad, thin overshot card, 1-1/4 ounce #6 shot, overshot card punched from sheet cork from the hobby store.
The same wad combination with 70 grains of 2-f and 1-1/8 ounce of #8 shot patterns just as well and breaks clays.  All the wads and cards are circle fly but for the cork.  The thin over shot card on the cushion wad was necessary to eliminate the occasional doughnut hole pattern I was getting without it.  I tried plastic shot cups of several brands and sizes but none of those patterned as well. 
You may find as I did, that your guns best patterns will not be with the same loads everyone else likes.  I enjoyed shooting on the pattern board and tried every load and wad combination I could find. 

BTW- I squirt a spritz of moose milk down the bore on top of the load and never need to wipe the bore during a hunt or shoot.  Good luck and good hunting. 

[Chocktaw Brave]

Nice batch of pheasants! I really miss pheasant hunting, I only got to do it once or twice but it was so much fun.
I do however plan to shoot some grouse this fall.

[Sparkitoff]

Any square load should be fine. Use the same scoop for powder as shot. I shout a lot of 7/8-oz loads and have no problem killing my birds. Save a lot of powder and shot too. I do hunt waterfowl and cranes and load 90 grains powder which is around 1 1/4-oz but varies slightly because the shot is large for these birds. You are correct about the nipples. Consider musket caps….easier to find and handle than #11s.