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BTW - we are regulating these guns, we are finding a load that will regulate in them. Regulating is what the manufacturer is supposed to do, but doesn't. They align the tubes in a jig and braze them together in an oven - done. No regulation is done - hense the slightly less than $50,000.00 price. With luck, we can usually get round balls to shoot fairly well in them. The 4 Pedersoli double rifles I know of that spread impacts of 12" to 18" at 100 yards, the owners demaned to shoot slugs - mostly minies, but one shot Lee REAL bullets.

I do have years of experience in shooting black powder firearms - most of which was not just plinking, but serious load development in a variety of rifles and smoothbores, from .32 to .75 cal.
For a hunting load - pigs, deer & black bear, per se' for the .50, I'd not shoot les than 90gr. 2F - 80gr. of 3F. 2 F will allow heavier charges giving higher velocities than 3F will, due to 2f's lower pressure development at equal velocity.
The muzzles MUST be re-crowned - as received, they are not suitable for loading a patched round ball. I shoot nothing but round balls as they actually regulate easier than slugs, penetrate quite well enough for killing anything on this continent, shoot flatter and are generally more accurate as well.
Bare or plastic jacketed slugs are not good for double guns. Upon firing the first barrel, the slug in the other barrel is jarred forward by the recoil, and then could become an obstruction in the second barrel, not a projectile.
Use only cloth patched projectiles.
I would use a .490" or .495" ball and a .025" or .020" denim or ticking patch. Do not use store bought patches - they are not the thickness shown on the package- usually they are up to .003" thinner than indicated.

Do not use bore butter as lube. It is wintegreen flavoured chap stick.
Use Neetsfoot oil (not compound), Mink Oil as sold by trackofthewolf, or other vegetable or animal oil(bear or marmot grease).

1st a all, I'd remove one rear sight. I would chamfer and polish the crown using my thumb and a piece of 320 emery cloth.

I personally would start with 90gr. 2f, or 80gr. 3F a .020" or .022" patch and a .495" ball, lubed with neetsfoot oil or mink oil. I would shoot at 30 yards - only the right barrel at first to establish a point of impact, then move back to 50 yards, repeating shooting the right barrel. I'd increase the charge 5 gr. each 5 shot test - still right barrel.
Make certain the gun is level - not canted. That will really throw elevation into the groups.
After testing for group size at 50 yards, right up to 120gr. of 2F in the right barrel, I'd repeat the testing, only shoot the left barrel.

You can superpose the left targets with the right targets to see shot orientation and how they regulate with sucessive loadings.

I do not consider having 2 separate charges as being useable. I want the barrels to shoot well enough for consistant hits at 100 to 125 yards using one set of sights. Some guns just won't do this. Some will. The whole Idea of this sort of testing is to see if the gun will work. If it doesn't, I'd sell it.

Slugs are for slug guns - the muzzleloading double rifle is not a slug gun - it is a round ball gun.

We found out many years ago, that a .50 round ball killed moose well and quickly, whereas slugs from the same slow 48" twist guns did not kill well at all and could not even be trusted to travel in a straight line after impact.

48" is a round ball twist, not a slug twist, nor a combination twist. Calling it either slug or combination twist is merely typical lying advertizing.

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Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

Edited by Daryl_S (10/04/10 01:14 AM)