Bruce H

I decided to try deer hunting with a muzzle loader this coming fall, so I just bought a Frontier S267 (Davide Pedersoli) from Cabella's. It's a percussion replica of a Long Rifle. Everything I read about muzzle loaders said you get what you pay for; I hope so, it cost a small fortune

I've never shot a muzzle loader in my life. Anyone have or used this model? I have several questions:

1. Do you remove the barrel for cleaning?
2. The rear sight is not adjustable in elevation. I saw a web site that talked about filing the sight; is this feasible?
3. The folks at Cabellas sold me the sabots with a plastic ring at the bottom (not at home & can't remember what they're called), 290 gr I believe, hollow point. What powder load would you recommend starting at?

I'm sure I'll have more questions as I get into this, but this is a good start.

Bruce

Charley

Before you can decide what to shoot thru your rifle, check the instructions for the rifling twist. If it is 1 in 60, you are going to need to use patched round ball. A 1 in 48 twist will handle either round ball or conical bullets fairly well.
Cleaning? No , you don't have to remove the barrel. There are suppliers who sell fixtures that screw into the nipple hole that have a rubber hose extending from the fitting. Simply put the hose in a container of soapy water, and use a patch on a cleaning jag to pump water up into and out of the bore. This will clean it up fine. Be sure to dry it completely, and oil or grease it afterwards.
Fixed sight rifles are adjusted for elevation by filing the front sight. Usually it is left high on purpose, and sighted in by filing after the proper load is found. Filing the front sight RAISES the bullet impact on the target. Windage is adjusted by drifting the rear sight in its dovetail.

Underclocked

Davide Pedersoli S247

Appears to be roughly a 1:48 twist model. Should do well with shorter conicals such as Lee REAL or TC Maxi-Balls. Might do okay with sabots or the PowerBelt bullets they sold you, but that is not what it was designed to use. Round ball is also iffy with that twist.

This page has links to some information you should read, especially the first two. You should also have an owner's manual for your rifle. Be sure to study it.

Not to scold you at all as that is a nice looking traditional-type rifle, but you should have done some research before laying down the money. Next time, eh?

You should perhaps read the info you can find HERE and HERE.

cayugad

What a beautiful rifle. If it shoots as good as it looks you have it made. Why they suggested the 295 grain powerbelts I would not know. It might shoot them all right. I would not use too much powder at first.

With the 1-48 twist it will shoot round ball real well. In fact with that long barrel you should be able to stabalize a lot of projectiles well. These rifles were not high powder charge rifles. They usually did their best with moderate load ranges. I would think the 70 grain area would do the best but you will find that out when you shoot it.. I would suggest the following loads;

.490 round ball, a .015 patch and 70 grains of Pyrodex RS

Shooting the powerbelts, I would start out at 70 grains and see what kind of three shot group you get. If they are spread out a lot, then increase the powder charge 5 grains. Keep doing that until you get a nice tight group. A word of caution do not charge that rifle more then 100 grains. A friend of mine had one similar to yours and when he started shooting 110 grains, he cracked the stock near the breech. Also if you do not get any good group with the powerbelts do not be surprised, although I think you will.

If shooting conicals, then shoot some of the smaller weight ones. If they do not work for you then try some other ones. Try them at 70 grains. When sighting in anything, be sure you swab the barrel with some T/C #13 bore cleaner then some dry patches between shots. People also use spit, denatured alcohol and windex mix 50/50. The important thing is be sure and swab, then make sure you dry the barrel good before loading it again.

Sabots will shoot out of the twist you have. Make them small. 240 grain range or smaller would be my guess. It will be interesting to see how well that rifle does shoot. Keep us updated....

Bruce H

Thanks for the replies!
Research? What's that? Actually, I did look at Gander Mountain and Cabella's; Gander Mountain had very little in reproductions (which is what I wanted), so I went with the rifle at Cabella's. Guess I've never been very good at researching; I usually go on price and reputation of store selling what I want (thus, Cabella's). I have always been a firm believer in "you get what you pay for".

I read everything on Pedersoli's site and their "Owners Manual" left a lot to the imagination; just very general information. It appears it is intended to cover every rifle they make, in 4 languages. I sent them an e-mail several days ago, but have not heard anything back.

Now I have some homework, reading the sites from Underclocked. One of the reasons I bought the rifle so early is that it gives me plenty of time to get familiar with it.

Fawn??? After 38 deer seaons (39, if you count the year Minnesota closed the season and I sat on my stand with a camera), that really hurts (just kidding)

Bruce

45Hawken

If I read the info correctly that was linked to this rifle it is 45cal. If that is the case I would guess that the 290gr bullets are a little longer than your rifle will like. From my experience, when you get over 275gr the bullets will start to keyhole. The rifle should shoot round balls or something like T/Cmaxi fairly well. Only change I would make in the suggestions you have recieved is start with around 60gr powder. When I shoot patched round balls, my load is best at 60gr, is ok at 70 and goes bad really fast after that. If I read the info correctly it is also made in 32cal. If so, I assume your barrel is 7/8 across the flats. 7/8 barrels usually are not ment for heavy powder charges. Beautiful rifle.

cyclone

Bruce,

Great rifle, as a matter of fact I have two of them! My first was the .36 caliber for squirrels. I wanted the .32 but they were sold out of them. I shoot 15 grn of pyrodex and a patched round ball. Squirrels are not safe out to 50 yds.

I also have the .50cal. It will shoot conicals as well as round balls. 1in 48 twist. 70gn of pyrodex is a good starting point but, be warned, it kicks like a rented mule! With the long barrel and pushing a conical it builds a lot of umph! Better to start with 60gn and work from there. I prefer to shoot patched round balls, Hornady, and I can hit a clay pidgeon sized target out to 100yds! It's a shooter for sure!

You are correct about the filing of the sight. File the front blade only. They give you plenty of blade to work with so it will shoot very low without filing. Take a decent three corner file to the range with you as you'll be filing quite a bit. Better yet if you have a cordless dremel and sanding drums and coarse stones use them. I wrap masking tape around the bbl in front of and behind the blade so as not to mar the browning finish with the files.

I do take the bbl off for cleaning but be aware that the screws that hold the thimbles to the bbl are small, difficult to work with and delicate. I use the tube and bucket method as well but I still tear her apart at the end of the season for a thourough cleaning.

I then pour boiling water into the barrel, let it take the heat for a few minutes and then dump it out. Run a number of clean patches through it, with a jag, until they come out dry. It only takes three or four. This will dry her out faster than anything. The bbl will then be hot enough to take the lube quite well. I use strictly crisco, but Bore Butter is one of the best. Stay away from oils and petroleum products as that will foul the powder.

I've taken quite a number of squirrelys with the 36 and in the two seasons that I've had the 50 I've taken 4 deer with it..

Need more info...just ask...

Bruce H

Actually, it is a 50 caliber; I'll have to check the dimension across the flats tonite when I get home.

If I recall correctly, the manufacturer's literature says max powder load of 100, but based on what I'm hearing here, I'll start a lot lighter. I was hoping the weight of the gun (it's a heavy bugger!) would dampen the recoil a bit, we'll see.

This really is a great forum; keep those comments coming. Us fawns need all the help we can get!!!

Bruce

45Hawken

Since it is a 50, the advice I gave you about bullet weight will only aply if you try shooting sabots with 45cal pistol bullets. Recoil will vary with your charge and bullet weight. Round balls won't kick much, put in a heavy conical and your max charge you will tend to feel it. Traditional styled rifles stocks have quite a bit of drop to them. This can make recoil forces lift the barrel up instead of staight back. This can make the stock slap your head. Been there, done that.

Underclocked

Hope it proves to be a tack-driver. I would love to have one of those Mortimer-Whitworths that Pedersoli makes.