Does any one have experience with the Pedersoli Kodiak double rifle muzzel loader. Im thinking about buying one, and Im leaning towards the .72 caliber. Ive spent a fair amount of time behind a Brown Bess; but only a limited amout of BP hunting.

I really like the double rifle. I havent completly decided on the 72 caliber. I keep seeing the 50 and 58's on auction sites for less than $500.

I dont have an African trip scheduled yet; but I am thinking about Black Bear and Wild Boar.

I have looked at the 50 and 54/58 I can't remember the other caliber at Cabelas in Kansas City. They are quite heavy you might want to feel one for weight even if it is not in the right caliber.

I think they are a very neat rifle and would be fun to own in a larger caliber than 50 especially if it made it lighter. I do not know if they would be legal for Deer in Muzzle loading season here in Kansas. I have read here on the forum that some people have had trouble with the locks not standing up.

The Kodiak has gone through a range of changes through the years so be careful what you get. The newer 50 and 54 doubles are 24" fast twist for conical bullets where the older ones had 48" or even slower for round balls. The new .72 caliber I think is rifled at 75" twist which is strictly a round ball gun. Nothing wrong with that at all as I suppose 80 to 100 grains of 2ffg will shoot through both doors on a 58 Edsel. I think a good compromise is the .58 caliber which again is yet another twist, this time is around 48". With that you can tinker around enough to find an accurate load in both round ball as well as some conicals like the old TC MaxiBall. The only complaint I've got about them is the horrendous trigger pull and very stiff hammer cock. That can be worked over but very carefully by someone who knows how. You wouldn't want both barrels going off at the same time especially the 12 bore. Dual sights are well regulated for about 75 yards. Again, that's enough distance for a muzzleloader shot.

I believe that Jeffeosso (moderator in the Gunsmithing forum) has or had a Pedersoli .58 double. You might PM him for more info.

Do you like the double rear sights? I know that makes it cheaper to produce by liminting the amount of regulating; but that seems ruin the classic lines. I had actually hoped to switch to a single express type sight for a 50 yard "minute of a brisket" group.

For me hunting is a total experience, the planning and expectation as much as the shot. The double rifle is just another part of that so the weight's not a negative factor, it's just another part of the day.

Any thoughts

For me the dual sight was very easy to get use to. It also has a folding leaf per barrel. The rifles are indeed another way to broaden the total experience of hunting and the Kodiak is suitable for any "minute of varmint" that you would want to hunt in North America. It can and probably has taken its namesake, the kodiak bear. For really dangerous game, this rifle would have to be be charged with massive amounts of blackpowder and an extremely slow twist Forsythe rifling at 104" or so. African critters with attitude is not what the Kodiak was designed to do, but you're going to have a lot of fun with one. I'd definitely buy one of the later models marketed by Pedersoli and NOT the older ones that came through Navy Arms. Weight of the rifle in terms of tiring me out is not as big a factor in humping these Montana mountains as is the weight of yours truly hanging over my belt.

I KNOW A HUNTER WHO COMPLETED A PLAINS GAME SAFARI WITH A PEDERSOLI IF YOU WANT ILL TRY TO PUT IN CONTACT WITH HIM HES AN ARGENTINE HUNTER MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL MUZZLOADERS ASSOCIATION