Navy Arms Pietta SxS Shotgun

[Patrick Henry Brown]

I've wanted a muzzleloading sxs since the early 70's. At that time I was in college and could not afford one. Bought one off Gunbroker that was made in 1993 and looks to be in very good condition. What I need is some load information. Maximum loads specificly, so I don't exceed the capabilities of the gun. Is steel shot ok? I plan to shoot this sxs in NCOWS Pistoleer and to hunt with it. 12 Guage, of course! 

[Doc O]

Hello
As far as a load you can play with that. You can start out with 60-65 gr 2f and work up from there.
Same with shot, 7/8-1 1/4, just depends on what you want to us it for.
If the sxs has cylinder bore. For wads there again play around. I have found with my cylinder bore
I'll use powder charge
         3 over shot cards
         1- 1/8" lubed felt wad
         1 over shot card
         my shot charge
         1- over shot card  
Many like 1/2'' fiber wads but I found they would blow the pattern.
Others will have other ideas, evreyone does it a little different.
Have fun with it.
Doc

BTW ;You should be getting something in the mail from me if you haven't already.

[Patrick Henry Brown]

Hello
As far as a load you can play with that. You can start out with 60-65 gr 2f and work up from there.
Same with shot, 7/8-1 1/4, just depends on what you want to us it for.
If the sxs has cylinder bore. For wads there again play around. I have found with my cylinder bore
I'll use powder charge
         3 over shot cards
         1- 1/8" lubed felt wad
         1 over shot card
         my shot charge
         1- over shot card  
Many like 1/2'' fiber wads but I found they would blow the pattern.
Others will have other ideas, evreyone does it a little different.


Got it yesterday as well. Will ship your item on Monday.

Clint
Have fun with it.
Doc

BTW ;You should be getting something in the mail from me if you haven't already.

[Doc O]

One other thing for max load.
If I remember right the navy arms where fairly light.
The max loads I have used were 80 grs. but your gun will let you know
what it likes. I have found a little less powder and a little more shot work well.
Doc

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Howdy!

I'd check with more knowledgeable shotgunners than me, but I'd say NO to steel shot.

As to a max load, are you talking Black Powder?  As a practical matter, you probably couldn't put enough powder IN it to hurt.

As far as smokeyless powder rounds, any published safe, commercial load would be fine.  These guns are fine with modern loads found in any ammunition sales outlet.

If you're "rolling your own" using smokeyless powder, again; use published loads.  That gun may have "short" forcing cones, so you'll probably have better luck (patterns) with card, cork, or felt wads, rather than plastic shot cups/wads.

I load BP rounds and use 1 oz. (by volume, NOT weight) of 2f or 3f BP pushing 1 1/8 oz. (by weight) of lead #7.5 or #8 shot.  If my terms "Volume" and "weight" seem odd, I have an adjustable shot/powder dipper for loading.  I fill it up with BP to the 1 oz. setting, move it to the 1 1/8 oz. setting and fill with shot.  (Technically, BOTH are volumetric loadings doing it with a scoop, but you'd see the difference easily if you weighed each charge.  The shot would be approx. 1 1/8 ounces, but the powder {@ 1 oz setting} is about 73-76 grs. of weight.)

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

SHB;  Your advice is great for a cartridge shotgun, but I think Preacher is talking about a muzzle loader.  I have a Navy 12 ga. ML and I usually load it with 80 grains of FFg Goex.  Having said that, I think the idea of starting lower is a good one.  As long as the load is skookum enough for what you are doing, there is no reason to waste powder or lead by exceeding what you determine is "enough".

No experience with steel shot though.  I don't see a serious problem, but I'd use a plastic or paper shot cup.  My gun has no discernible choke to interfere with the shot column.

[hellgate]

For steel shot you are going to need a steel shot cup to prevent scoring of the barrel. The problem with the plastic wads is after a few shots the bore gets fouled and it gets harder to load the wads. You might have to put a lube wad right over the powder and a shot cup on top of that to keep the barrel swabbed out each time. The thick steel shot cups do give a tighter pattern than standard target plastic wads. My LBC-30 (Ballistics Products) steel shot wads that are slit twice give me modified choke patterns in my cartridge SXSs that have cylinder bores. You might be able to put lube into the cushion part of a plastic wad to keep fouling soft.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

SHB;  Your advice is great for a cartridge shotgun, but I think Preacher is talking about a muzzle loader.  I have a Navy 12 ga. ML and I usually load it with 80 grains of FFg Goex.  Having said that, I think the idea of starting lower is a good one.  As long as the load is skookum enough for what you are doing, there is no reason to waste powder or lead by exceeding what you determine is "enough".

No experience with steel shot though.  I don't see a serious problem, but I'd use a plastic or paper shot cup.  My gun has no discernible choke to interfere with the shot column.

Duh!  (note to self: read first sentence again of the Preacher's post.)
Thanks for leading me down the right path, Sir Chas.!






   

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

No Probs SHB.  Any time an Insructor in Gunnery can correct a Master Gunner is precious!

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Indeed!

Just proves the well-known point: No one's  perfect!  (read: Me)

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Indeed!

Just proves the well-known point: No one's  perfect!  (read: Me)

Nor I!  That's why I have to get my licks in where I can.

[newtire]

For steel shot you are going to need a steel shot cup to prevent scoring of the barrel. The problem with the plastic wads is after a few shots the bore gets fouled and it gets harder to load the wads. You might have to put a lube wad right over the powder and a shot cup on top of that to keep the barrel swabbed out each time. The thick steel shot cups do give a tighter pattern than standard target plastic wads. My LBC-30 (Ballistics Products) steel shot wads that are slit twice give me modified choke patterns in my cartridge SXSs that have cylinder bores. You might be able to put lube into the cushion part of a plastic wad to keep fouling soft.

I have been using Black MZ and haven't run into fouling problems.  Load a kind of modified V. M. Star load.  First the powder, then a .135 Nitro card and then a cut-off shot cup, the shot and then a .025 overshot card.  Have used a cut-in-half nitro card over the shot & haven't killed the patterns either. 
I used 1-1/8 oz. shot and the same measure of Black MZ.
I haven't tried any steel yet but want to give some hevi-shot a try.  I have a Pietta and a Pedersoli as well as a couple of N.R. Davis originals.  The originals handle the Black MZ just fine but don't think I'd want to subject them to any of the 777 stuff.  The newer guns might be worth a try but the Black MZ is only 9.99 a pound at our local Sportsman's Warehouse stores here in the Boise area.  3-times that much at other lgs..!

My first postings here.  Seems like a good site.  Hope to learn a lot.

[Pettifogger]

Do you realize this thread is over six years old? 

[Flatbush]

Wow, 6 years old! Then it's time for an update!

I just shot the same gun, (Navy Arms / Pietta 12 ga. muzzleloader) at the NCOWS Regionals in Wisconsin using 90 grains of 2F under 1 1/4 oz. of shot.  YEE HAA!