Lyman Great Plains rifle

[NF Hunter]

I hate to hijack this thread but, the Lyman GPR is the next muzzelloader I will purchase. I don't cast my own Boolits but I have helped do it. I do reload my Highwall and rolling block rifle. I'm kinda leaning towards the GPR 1-60 in .50 cal only because of the availability of the .50 cal accessories in my area. I'm thinking of purchasing the kit and building it myself.

[Lonegun1894]

NF Hunter,
If you're going to cast, then you're not dependent on what's available on the store shelf, so get what you prefer instead of worrying about your local shop. For what it's worth, Track of the Wolf lists the weight of a .50 as being 9.2#, while a .54 is listed as weighing 9# even. I have both, and the .54 is noticeably lighter overall, but it is very noticeable that it balances differently and isn't as nose heavy as the .50. If at all possible, shoulder both and see if the difference is something you should be taking into consideration. Both are great calibers in this gun, but the .54 is my personal preference. Yeah, I am prejudiced!

[rfd]

i totally agree on going with the .54 if yer gonna hunt. and if yer casting bullets, as ya should be, running balls is too easy to do on the cheap if need be.

[Rifle 57]

Great set up and nice photos of the rifle and buck Huntsman.

[kcajeel]

I've got a couple of Hawkens. Pretty much one for shootin and one for lookin good. The shooter is a Thompson 40 cal with a 32" Green Mountain barrel, 57 SML rear sights and Lyman 20 front. That one has won the club grand champion yearly aggregate for the last five years. My Lyman is set up the same and all it does is sit in the safe. It comes out occasionally to get rubbed and petted. Boy is sure is pretty.

[charlie b]

Well, after looking around for a while now I stumbled on a GPR at the local gun shop. Just kinda glanced at it and the $500 price tag.

Few months go by. Marked down to under $400. Then I notice it is a GPHunter in .50 with the lyman receiver sight. So, a little negotiating and I go back and look closer. Surface rust on edges of barrel near the stock, on the tang, screws, etc. The muzzle looked really good so I asked the shop for a bore light. The bore looked factory fresh! Needless to say I now have a nice muzzle loader. The rust was all on the surface, none in the lock or trigger. Cleaned it up and it is nearly pristine. Not even any scratches on the stock. And when I went to clean the bore the first patch came back clean as a whistle! As in NO residue of any type. Even the ante chamber was spotless.

Now have to wait a couple weeks to try it out!

charlie

[aephilli822]

[charlie b]

Well, I did get out to shoot today. Low wind and in the 40's. I was using 777 3f just because the LGS only had that and Pyrodex P. I'll get some Blackhorn or real black as soon as I find some.

.490RB did better than I expected (remember this is the GPH with fast twist and shallow rifling). I had one 3rd group that was one ragged hole at 50yd. Later I could not do better than about 3" group so I think my technique needs work or something. I was using spit patches and I swabbed once between shots. Pleasant to shoot.

I had some Hornady 240gn .429 XTP with sabots so tried them (the gun is designed for sabots). Those did better. 90gn got around 4" at 100yd. I had one group of three that was 2". I also suspect this gun might do better with a longer bullet, like a 350gn .429

I also found out the flourescent red front sight is too low for the Lyman 57 rear sight. I'll have to spring for a 17 front here pretty soon. I don't plan on hunting with it so the red dot won't be important.

All around a very nice day to shoot and I do like the gun. I'll work on some better loads and will try some paper patched bullets in the future.

[54bore]

That was back before I knew better that Lead Sleds break guns (they also ensure your gun won't be sighted in for hunting)

I fully agree!! I used a lead sled a couple of years ago with a 25# bag of shot in it to sight in a 7Mag before hunting season, i held right behind the front shoulder of a nice buck and let him have it, he disappeared over a steep bank, i headed down in after him and he was on his belly stil alive i had to shoot again, upon skinning him i found my shot was really high, above the lungs and under the back bone (some call this the void) i was darn lucky i didnt lose that buck! I headed straight out to a local sandpit and shot my rifle using nothing more than sand bags, the rifle was dead on horizontal but shooting REALLY high, like 8" or so. Using A lead sled to sight in is a REALLY bad idea, the rifle will shoot high in the field when allowed to recoil naturally. I gave my lead sled away with the warning of my experience. I now use sand bags

[Good Cheer]

Has anyone heard of a Lyman stock breaking through the lock screw like the TC's do?

Yo Ron.
No, not me. Thinking about it the geometry is different and isn't prone to having the barrel jack open the wood grain like on the TC's.

Thinking GPR's, I might have my forty bore GPR recut to about a .415 bore and slow down the twist a tad to paper patch with.
Oh well, another topic for another time.

[snoopy]

I have the 54 rifle and love it! Pawn shop find, very beautiful and shoots great!

[44man]

I have shot many Lyman rifles and built up kits for friends. But ALL were RB twists and All were one hole groupers at 50 yards.
The Lyman was the best bang for the buck over all others.