Lyman Great Plains question

[Junior1942]

Will a .54 caliber 1 - 60 barrel fit on my .50 caliber 1 - 32 Great Plains Hunter rifle? I've been thinking of adding a 22" round ball barrel to my 32" 50 caliber GPH rifle. The plan is to buy a 32" 54 caliber 1 - 60 barrel and chop it to 22" or so. A 32" barrel is un-handy to the max in a thicket.

With a maximum shot distance of 50 yards with a usual shot distance of point blank to 25 yards, it seems to me a .54 ball would have more knock down power than a .50 ball.

[Fly]

Yes!
Fly

[Junior1942]

50 ball @ 1600 = TKO = ~20 (Taylor Knock Out)
54 ball @ 1600 = TKO = ~28

That's 40% more knock out/down power for the 54 ball.

[DIRT Farmer]

A 50 has always did everything I needed. That is why I am building a 58.

[waksupi]

A 50 has always did everything I needed. That is why I am building a 58.

Ya know, a real man would be building a .62..... [smilie=1:

[KCSO]

Heck at that range you can't beat a good trade gun! The barrels will fit although I don't care for less than 1 inch across the flats in a 54.

[OverMax]

Fly gave you a straight up answer to your question. I on the other hand can't. I have T/C models. But I can offer a little advice: Before cutting that new barrel. I would seek someone out who has the appropriate skills and knowledge in your wanting a answer to whether its advisable or not to do. Knowing before hand is indeed most important. After-all Cuz. Barrels are not cheap.

O/M

[Junior1942]

Heck at that range you can't beat a good trade gun! The barrels will fit although I don't care for less than 1 inch across the flats in a 54.I planned on filing a new front sight dovetail as per your great instructions in a sticky. Are you saying a 54 barrel might not have enough meat for a newbie to file a dovetail?

PS to OverMax. I've hacksawed off several barrels and have a 100% success rate.

[DIRT Farmer]

waksupi, I already have a 54, 62, 72, and a 75, There just seems to be a gap in the run.

Actualy the 54, 62, are trade guns and the 75 is a Brown Bess, the 72 is a double rifle. My problem is getting to fat and old to carry a long rifle in the thickets, so a 58 with a 34 inch barrel solves two problems, a short gun and not a lot of steel in the barrel so a lighter gun.

[Good Cheer]

Will a .54 caliber 1 - 60 barrel fit on my .50 caliber 1 - 32 Great Plains Hunter rifle? I've been thinking of adding a 22" round ball barrel to my 32" 50 caliber GPH rifle. The plan is to buy a 32" 54 caliber 1 - 60 barrel and chop it to 22" or so. A 32" barrel is un-handy to the max in a thicket.

With a maximum shot distance of 50 yards with a usual shot distance of point blank to 25 yards, it seems to me a .54 ball would have more knock down power than a .50 ball.

Oh wow.
When getting the .54 GPR got the .50 barrel too just because well you know, what if I wanted one. And started thinking real soon about trimming it back. Haven't done it but it makes a lot of sense to me.

[Junior1942]

Will a .54 caliber 1 - 60 barrel fit on my .50 caliber 1 - 32 Great Plains Hunter rifle? I've been thinking of adding a 22" round ball barrel to my 32" 50 caliber GPH rifle. The plan is to buy a 32" 54 caliber 1 - 60 barrel and chop it to 22" or so. A 32" barrel is un-handy to the max in a thicket.

With a maximum shot distance of 50 yards with a usual shot distance of point blank to 25 yards, it seems to me a .54 ball would have more knock down power than a .50 ball.I have killed this project. I decided to go with my Traditions "Buckskinner" 50 caliber with a 22" 1-20 twist barrel and the Lee 320 gr REAL bullet.

[Good Cheer]

Junior, you got me to wondering about the GPR fifty.
If a fifty is double ball loaded with stiff cards over a hot load of powder do the balls expand into the rifling like a bullet does?
What if paper patching the two balls together over the cards was used instead of cloth?

Now, people might initially think something along the lines of "you're gonna put your eye out!" but if both balls would shoot to minute of beast it would be a double tap that could go beyond a .54 round ball in flat out killing power. That might be a fun project to explore some day on paper rather than on something good to eat.
Let's see...
Lymans says 100 FFg with a 420 bullet bullet is their maximum load. A .495 round ball weighs 183 grains. Twice that is 366 grains. So, maybe two balls with a 100 grains? Might be useful info if I get my .50 smoothbore project together.

[Junior1942]

Junior, you got me to wondering about the GPR fifty.
If a fifty is double ball loaded with stiff cards over a hot load of powder do the balls expand into the rifling like a bullet does?
What if paper patching the two balls together over the cards was used instead of cloth?

Now, people might initially think something along the lines of "you're gonna put your eye out!" but if both balls would shoot to minute of beast it would be a double tap that could go beyond a .54 round ball in flat out killing power. That might be a fun project to explore some day on paper rather than on something good to eat.
Let's see...
Lymans says 100 FFg with a 420 bullet bullet is their maximum load. A .495 round ball weighs 183 grains. Twice that is 366 grains. So, maybe two balls with a 100 grains? Might be useful info if I get my .50 smoothbore project together.If you do that, PLEASE post the results!

[bigted]

hmmm...double balls...sounds like an experiment coming on