I know the Pedersoli Kodiak muzzleloading double rifle isn't remotely close to being in the same class as the doubles we all own and love. Nor am I recommending one because of all the bad press I've read about them. However...in spite of the bad press I bought a slightly used one a week or so ago in 50 cal. The previous owner had bought it new and fired 11 rounds down each barrel. After conversing with him it was very evident he knew precious little about muzzleloaders and even less about doubles.

I finally got to work with it this weekend and to my surprise and delight the rifle is going to regulate and shoot quite well from one rear sight. I won't have to use the two sight system Pedersoli has on the rifle, something I was loathe to do. Once regulated I'll switch to a more correct express sight if I can find one. I don't have the final load yet but I'm within spitting distance of it. I won't know for a while how well it's going to hold its regulation beyond 75 or 100 yards but all indications are it very well might.

I have been wanting a "knock around" double for some time and I've been shooting muzzleloaders for something close to 40 years so for the price this one seemed like a rifle to take a chance on. Granted, it's clubby, a mite heavy for the caliber, the checkering and wood suck, it handles like a worn out, 1954 Ford, 2 ton farm truck and it isn't all that elegant to look at....(wonder why I kinda like the darn thing...lol). But I won't have to concern myself with beating up a $6000.00 rifle either. If I drop the thing down a bluff....God forbid that for any rifle...I'll only be out 5 C notes!!

Has anyone else worked with the Kodiak and if so, your opinion and results?

Got my old camera working. Here's a picture of the beast.

What are you shooting? I have one in .50 also. It's 1:48 twist. Not quite slow enough for a PRB but not quite fast enough for a conical.

I haven't been able to work on a regulation load yet but will one day.

My first load was a PRB and out to 50 yards the accuracy was quite good with 90 grs. of Ffg. but it crossed a lot, 3 1/2-4 in. at 50 yards. I'm now working with a 380 gr. Lyman Maxi-Ball type conical but it seems just a bit too slow although accuracy from the individual barrels is more than adequate, a little less or a little more than 2 in. at 50 yards...depending on how well I'm seeing that day. I'm thinking something around 300 grs. might do the trick.

I'm just about certain a PRB load could be found but I'm afraid that for what I want it would be too light a charge. 'Course, the rifle may eventually force me to do what it wants anyway...lol!

Sharps - Go to the Pedersoli website. Among the accessories they sell is a single sight system. It's less than a hundred bucks and is the way to go.

I got the big one, .72 calibre. I've only shot it a few times, but damn! it's a fun gun! Don't have a regulated load yet but have absolutely no fear that I'll be able to load a good one once I put my mind down to it.

Have fun, and GET THAT SIGHT! You'll really love it. - Marc

Thanks Marc!! I was completely unaware Pedersoli offered a replacement sight. I'll do that once I finish load development.

I wanted a 58, would have preferred the 72 over the 50 but for the money I'll take this 50. Once I get it runnin' the way I want I may have to be in the market for a 72 just cuz!!!

Vic

I didn't know they offered one either. Thanks

I was looking for a .72 when I found mine also. But I got mine for a good enough price that I went ahead with it. Eventually I'm going to build a 12 Bore double rifle. I've been on the look out for barrels for a long time. Finally came up with a pair a month or so ago.


I agree about the PRB maybe not using enough charge when regulated. I have 4 boxes of the Hornady Great Plains I hope I can get it regulated with.

I'm sure that with enough work it could be made to work acceptably with most anything. I just don't know if I have that much free time to invest. lol

Shane, what's the weight on that Hornady? After the couple of sessions I've had with my rifle I'm pretty confident in being able to find a good load.

The 12 bore, are you going with full rifled barrels or a Paradox or Explora?

The barrels I found were full rifled. 1:68 IIRC. I had been on the look out for a pair for a very long time. SO when I saw a pair of brand new, unprofiled blanks come up I had to go ahead and snap them up. If I'm honest with myself probably won't even be able to start on this gun til middle of next year. However, I am REALLY looking fwd to using it!


The ball is a .45. I LOVE IT. hahaha

Hi, I am shooting a modified Kodiak since 1987 and have killed 2 Black Bears, many hogs and some roe deer with it. The Standard Kodiak Express comes in the following calibers: .50; .54; .58. No matter what caliber you choose, the outside dimensions of the barrels will be the same as Pedersoli usese the same stock for all rhee calibers. This means that the .58 cal. has less weight than the .50. Actually it should be the other way round. When I bought this double rifle I decided to take the .54 which is my favourite caliber. At that time Pedersoli produced all three versions with a twist of 1:48. In my rifle I´m shooting the 460 grain Buffalo Bullet Conical with 100gr. Swiss ffg. Accuracy up to 75 yards is top and the muzzle velocity is 1558fps. This is enough for big game like moose, bears and most of the African antelops if I limit my shooting distance to 75 yards,maximum. Today the .50 and .54 cal. barrels of the Kodiak Express come with a 1:24 twist. This is much better for longer conicals and I would now recommend the .50 cal. as there is a huge assortment as far as bullets are concerned. And the .50 cal. weighs a little more which is good for to reduce the recoil. I would only recommend pure lead conicals such as those from Parker. The .58 caliber still has the 1:48 twist which is to fast for round balls and to slow for conicals. Pedersoli should give the .58 barrels a twist of 90-100" which would be ideal for round balls. The Kodik Africa Express in cal. .72 (12 Bore)is a faulty design, too. The twist is 1:72". This is by far to slow for the lead sphere. 104" or even slower would be ideal to be able to shoot heavy loads and to reach high muzzle velocities to make the round ball a potent game killer. As for the replacement sight, this is one from Truglo. I tested it in the field during driven hunts. For short distance or quick shots or hunting when it is almost dark this sight is OK. However, the front sight is very sensitive and my fibre broke on the first day when I was hunting. I prefer my express sight which is tough, allows precise shooting and has survived 4 wilderness hunts in the boreal forests of Canada.

Gerry, do you know when Pedersoli changed the twist from 1-48 to 1-24 on the 50 cal.?

No, I´m afraid not. It must have been 7 to 10 years ago, I suppose. But you could ask Pedersoli. On their website www.davide-pedersoli.com you can get in contact with them. If you would like to find out the twist of your rifle it is not a big thing by using a cleaning rod with a strong fitting patch. Let me know should you have more questions.

Sorry. Should have been more specific.

Mine is actually a Trail Guns Armory" Which were made by Perdersoli. So it is slightly different.

Thank you Gerry. So mine may be 1-24 at 8-10 yrs. old. Thanks also for mentioning calculating your twist. I've done it for myself and friends but admit to being lazy and just not doing it yet. (shame on me!!).

Gerry - My Kodiak .72 is NOT of the newer Africa Express series. It is strictly old school. They don't make it anymore; the left sideplate shows a bear (kodiak?) in a woodland settingand the right sideplate shows a buffalo in its plains environment. Strictly North American ambience evoked, many many miles from Africa.

Accuracy with prb's is very good. I also have a mould for an 835 grain conical made by NEI down a Texico way. Haven't cast any of these yet, but I'm told by another shooter that he got very goodd results with conicals cast from the same mould.

I can't make out whether you're sayinig your sight is the same one marketed by Pedersoli or an entirely different one, but The one I got from Pedersoli, fiber optic green and red, seems to be the cat's meow. I did keep the original gold front sight and didn't bnother replacing it with the red fiber optic (which yours of the same broke).

The "Express sight" you mention as giving you great satisfaction; Are you refering to the original "dual"sight or did you find a replacement sight from another source that is superior?

I wrung out the rifle pretty good yesterday and it's coming along. The barrels are still crossing at 50 yards but I have that down to a little more than an inch. Need a heavier bullet still but I don't know if that's going to work. I measured the twist, finally, and it's 1-48. I was using a Lyman 380 grain Maxi-type from a mold I borrowed from a friend at church. I'm thinking I'm going to need 100 grains heavier.

I had ordered a new mold from Accurate Molds of Salt Lake. A tapered, 450 grain bullet with 3 lube grooves and a 40 cal. meplat. I will be ordering other molds from Accurate as I need them. Tom was great to work with and the mold is top notch. And, it arrived a week earlier than projected. The mold arrived Monday the 14th and I cast up a bunch of bullets, keeping 30 that were within 1 grain. The mold likes the lead HOT. My ancient Lee lead furnace was maxed out before I started getting full, wrinkle free bullets.

The first 8 R/L combos were not very good with the rifle acting like it wanted to shoot one time and not the next. I examined the target and it appeared to me the bullets were tipping ever so slightly. I believed I wasn't driving them fast enough to stabilize so I increased my powder charge from 70 grs. Ffg to 80 grs. Ffg, Scheutzen. Things then started happening in a good way!!!!

Below, encircled, are my last 3 R/L combos, numbered 9, 10 and 11. The light on my range here at my house is terrible in the afternoons with shadows coming and going on the target and on my bench. I would like to blame the last shot, 11R, that opened an otherwise good group on that but it would be a poor excuse for poor shooting. Besides, I have natures best excuse of old eyes....lol! Obviously I need to adjust the sights and I am going to tweak the load a little, hopefully. But as it is I'm pleased and have a load I can hunt and plink with. I just may be in the market for a bigger bore double muzzleloader, this has been a hoot!

I believe there is evidence of some bullets tipping in the shot at 11:00 o'clock on the line between the 5 and 6 ring and in the shot in the 6 ring at about 7:30 o'clock. There is the smear of either lead or lube and the holes are ever so slightly oblong. not visible in the picture but perceptible on the target. 2nd opinions?