Zoli 12g

[mickwin]

Hi Guys,
I have just acquired my first BP gun, a Zoli 12g muzzle loader and am having trouble finding any info on it. Have tried their web site, no joy. Just wondered if any of you have or had one ?

It is a single barrel percussion gun made around 1975, with a 33" barrel. I have looked at some pictures of them on Google, all have a long fore end with a ramrod held in it, mine however has a short fore end with no ramrod ? maybe a former owner cut it down for some reason ?

I will use Pyrodex to start with whilst I apply for a explosives licence then BP.

Any info on loads ( will be shooting No 5 shot and ball ) and the gun itself would be very helpful.

I have bought a Lyman black powder handbook and loading manual, and already reload .308 / .223 and 12g slugs.
All the best,
Mick.

[Jamie]

Quite a few zolis seem to be smoothbore copies of rifles -I've got a harpers ferry 1803 which were originally rifled but mine's a smoothy.

Never used pyrodex so can't help on loads, mine shoots better with wads and a bare ball rather than patches and most smoothbores seem to like a fairly stout charge. You really do just have to see what works for you!

[mickwin]

Cheers for your reply Jamie,
There are loads for shot and ball in the manual I have so at least I will have some idea of charges etc. all for 28" barrel, so I should be able to up the charge a bit as mine is 33" long and will run through what I want to do with a club member who shoots smoothbore guns.
Steve at Portsmouth gun center will measure the bore this Sat. and sort me out with the correct ball mould and all the kit I need so should be good to go in a couple of weeks. Will post how I got on and the loads I used that were best and worst after my hols.
All the best,
Mick.

[enfield2band]

The older muzzleloading shotguns used 1-1/4oz of shot and about 3 drams of powder. This is blackpowder NOT pyrodex.

This chart might help.

http://home.clara.net/brianp/weights.html

A dram is 27.34 grains.

[mickwin]

Thanks for the reply enfield2band.
I will be using BP in the near future so will check it out, also for the link bud.

[TA6319]

try for info

http://www.black-powder.co.uk/bp.htm

http://www.black-powder.co.uk/swiss/...percussion.htm