MY holy grail

[54bore]

I just found MY personal holy grail and bought it! A Green Mountain LRH .54 Cal drop in barrel. This is the first one i have seen in nearly 2 years of looking, calling, etc. Some questioned if these had even been made or not? In all of my searching I couldn't even turn up a picture of one, i have checked ebay, and the gun sites nearly everyday, i feel like i hit the LOTTO tonight! This barrel has truly been like a Ghost hunt


198167

[Good Cheer]

Oh wow. You snagged a cannon for sure.
How heavy are you thinking on going?

[54bore]

Good Cheer, this will be the bullet i likely stick with for it, if i can get it to shoot good, I have a several other stones to throw in .54, but this is the one i want to use. My Lyman Great Plains Hunter shoots this bullet REALLY good! We shall soon see. I am not sure the Twist rate of the GM LRH 54 Cal? The .50 is 1:28, and the .45 is 1:30, I am almost positive it's 1:28, i will call or email GM and find out for sure

198180 198181
198182

[bubba.50]

50 & 54 caliber LRH barrels are 1 in 28 but for some obscure reason 45 caliber LRH barrels are 1 in 30 twist.

[54bore]

50 & 54 caliber LRH barrels are 1 in 28 but for some obscure reason 45 caliber LRH barrels are 1 in 30 twist.


Thank you bubba, i was pretty sure it was 1:28 Twist. I am looking forward to getting this one! It says previously owned, new never fired. Pictures are hard to tell much about a gun/barrel but From these pictures it appears to be brand new. This thing being so tough to find, the only thing i can think is Green Mountain must not of made many of the .54 LRH barrels? The .50 being way more popular, they likely didn't build a mountain of the 54s? I can say in nearly 2 years this is the only glimpse i have seen of one, with all of my RELENTLESS searching, had they made very many of them i think i would have seen or heard of a few by now, but NOTHING, until last night. All it took was 1 :razz:

[koger]

Now you can scratch that itch!

[rfd]

Good Cheer, this will be the bullet i likely stick with for it, if i can get it to shoot good, I have a several other stones to throw in .54, but this is the one i want to use. My Lyman Great Plains Hunter shoots this bullet REALLY good! We shall soon see. I am not sure the Twist rate of the GM LRH 54 Cal? The .50 is 1:28, and the .45 is 1:30, I am almost positive it's 1:28, i will call or email GM and find out for sure

198180 198181
198182

that bad boy has a heckuva FAT meplat! i'd assume for hunting the bigger game. but for long range distance, i dunno .... ?

[Saxtonyoung]

I'm glad you were finally able to track one down, as things usually work ,since you found one another will probably just show up without you even looking for it.

I don't think the 54 was as popular because many people are shooting Sabots and for the most part the selections are the same as in the 50. Those that want to shoot bore size or paper patch are dealing with some pretty heavy chunks of lead. The average hunter just doesn't need that much lead to shoot a deer, in fact the 50 can probably take any animal we have in North America as can the 45 where it is legal to use. The buffalo hunter certainly didn't have a problem with 45 caliber bullets, some even used 40 cal.

[taco650]

Forgive the noob question but what does LRH stand for?

[bubba.50]

LRH=Long Range Hunter

[54bore]

that bad boy has a heckuva FAT meplat! i'd assume for hunting the bigger game. but for long range distance, i dunno .... ?

No ultra long range with these rfd, Big Game Hammer, i am hoping for good accuracy to 200 yards. Neither of my Fast twist .54s will likely get any farther than 300 yards. The 500 yard and possibly beyond will be done with my .45 and .50 with the streamlined BACO PP bullets.

[54bore]

Now you can scratch that itch!


Koger, This is an itch that feels REALLY REALLY good to scratch!! I pretty much gave up on finding one of these awhile back and ended up buying a Lyman Great Plains Hunter in .54 Cal, it has the 1:32 Twist, it has taken a little time but that rifle has finally grown on me, at first I didn't like it, If it hadn't of shot great I could have easily done away with it, but MAN does that rifle shoot good! And its not finicky, i have tried a few different bullet, and powder combos, it seems to shoot anything I've thrown down it REALLY well. I sure hope this Green Mountain LRH .54 does as well as the Lyman, i prefer the feel of a Renegade or a TC Hawken

[taco650]

LRH=Long Range Hunter


Thanks!

[DakotaElkSlayer]

Congratulations!!!! Now the question is, when do we get the range report?

Jim

[54bore]

Congratulations!!!! Now the question is, when do we get the range report?

Jim

Quick as i get it! I have a few different bullets sized, patched and ready to go when it gets here. I will do my usual full on scrub down cleaning of the bore, then install a Lyman 17AHB Globe front sight and replace the stock insert with a Lee Shavers, then fit it to a Renegade stock. It is suppose to ship out tomorrow, i should have it by the end of next week. I have really High hopes for this one!! This was definitely my White Whale

[OverMax]

Crescent stock on the upper arm. Uff!!
Your next purchase will likely be a 4-wrap of Ace Bandage for the bicep.

One reason for my purchasing of a factory round ball only barrel for my 54 was so to >not< shoot bullets.

I've shot more than a couple deer with my 54 and I never encountered one able to go beyond 50-ft hit with a Ball. Can't imagine the damage a 500 gr plus bullet will do to flesh & bone.

[bubba.50]

Renegade stocks don't have crescent buttplates.

[54bore]

The only Crescent butt plate that I REALLY didn't like was my Lyman Great Plains Hunter, the top of that thing was knife sharp! Needless to say it's NOT anymore, and it has a lace up pad on it. This new Green Mountain LRH 54 will be in a Renegade Stock, ive done made my mind up. I will put the old Pre Warning Renegade barrel in it now to bed, maybe drag it out someday and try Patched Round ball in it? I am pretty much done with stock 1:48 Twist guns

[OverMax]

Renegade stocks don't have crescent buttplates.

I stand corrected. There was mention of a renegade stock fitting just prior to my comment. {As I now have re-read Five-Four bore's complete thread for a second time.} I guess I miss understood his intentions thinking a Hawken stock use.

Just expressing my views:
The only achilles heel five four bore and many others wanting such hybrid shooters have not yet addressed is the so so T/C stocks design and strength to absorb ultra heavy recoil/ shock. Surely a steady diet of heavy bullets and near Max powder charges fired through a fast twist barrel develop much more recoil /shock than anticipated in a renegades original engineered stock design. Without a doubt such additional stress will have effect on the weakest area of such rifles stock (wrist at tang and along wrist.)

To date one is still free to do what they please to their own stuff thank Goodness. On the other hand such enhancing {or not} changes to a beloved side-lock make for good subject matter open to both like & dislike opinions IMHO.

[54bore]

I stand corrected. There was mention of a renegade stock fitting just prior to my comment. {As I now have re-read Five-Four bore's complete thread for a second time.} I guess I miss understood his intentions thinking a Hawken stock use.

Just expressing my views:
The only achilles heel five four bore and many others wanting such hybrid shooters have not yet addressed is the so so T/C stocks design and strength to absorb ultra heavy recoil/ shock. Surely a steady diet of heavy bullets and near Max powder charges fired through a fast twist barrel develop much more recoil /shock than anticipated in a renegades original engineered stock design. Without a doubt such additional stress will have effect on the weakest area of such rifles stock (wrist at tang and along wrist.)

To date one is still free to do what they please to their own stuff thank Goodness. On the other hand such enhancing {or not} changes to a beloved side-lock make for good subject matter open to both like & dislike opinions IMHO.

I fully agree about the Stocks not being the most durable, BUT Knock on wood (knock knock) i have yet to crack/break a stock. Things to consider are the sidelock screw being Over tightened, i NEVER over tighten this screw, just snug it up so it wont come loose. As far as powder charges go i rarely get above 90 Grains of 2F powder, i have found that 70-80 grains of Swiss 3F works perfectly in my rifles, i do not feel i am pushing the envelope by any means here. Now if one were to push 100 plus Grains of Hotter 2F powder such as Swiss and Olde E, and 500 plus Grain bullets on a steady basis you might run in to problems? I see no need to push this hard

[bubba.50]

Far, far more T/C stocks have been cracked due to ham-handed knuckle-draggers and their screwdriver than have ever been due to recoil. and the few that cracked from recoil IMHO was due to the fact the macho-man shooter was usin' a "Lead Sled" because they were afraid of a bit of recoil and didn't have sense to just load it down. my very first muzzler was a 54cal Renegade kit I finished myself. I put thousands of 430gr maxi-balls down it's gullet settin' on top of 90 to 120 grain equivalent loads of Pyrodex with no damage to the stock or any other parts of the gun. and you could tell it needed a new nipple when it started puttin' itself on 1/2 cock.

[54bore]

Far, far more T/C stocks have been cracked due to ham-handed knuckle-draggers and their screwdriver than have ever been due to recoil. and the few that cracked from recoil IMHO was due to the fact the macho-man shooter was usin' a "Lead Sled" because they were afraid of a bit of recoil and didn't have sense to just load it down. my very first muzzler was a 54cal Renegade kit I finished myself. I put thousands of 430gr maxi-balls down it's gullet settin' on top of 90 to 120 grain equivalent loads of Pyrodex with no damage to the stock or any other parts of the gun. and you could tell it needed a new nipple when it started puttin' itself on 1/2 cock.


I fully agree bubba! They are plenty tough, and a little common sense goes a LOOOOOONG way!

[RBak]

I agree with Bubba, My personal opinion on the Renegade is that it's just about the finest platform any Muzzleloader junkie should to start with for making a "race gun" or just plain comfortable hunting rifle.
The other stocks forT/C products, excepting the NEW Englander, leave a lot to be desired with those dadblasted stocks.

Just my opinion and YMMV considerably.

Russ...

[waarp8nt]

54bore,

Congrats on your find. When I seen the subject title My Holy Grail...I didn't really need to read the thread...I knew you found the ever elusive GM 54 LRH barrel. Be sure to post your progress and load development!

~ waarp8nt

[Harleysboss]

I received a text from 54bore today. He regrets to inform that he was removed from the forum. Not my business. I will report that his holy grail barrel did not disappoint. He shot her today 85grn Swiss FFG, .060 veggie wad and his own design 535grn hammer, pp of course. Results were very typical for the LRH GM Barrel. Under an inch for three shots. He is very pleased to say the least. I will not be a go between (I like it here) So that's the report. She shoots!

[DakotaElkSlayer]

Sorry to hear he is gone, but so happy it is a SHOOTER!!!!

Jim

[Geezer in NH]

It was made for sabots by the way.

[Good Cheer]

Over tightening the lock holding screw isn't what you need to worry about in cracking a TC opposite the lock. The weakest point gets stressed perpendicular to the grain by the tolerances adding up against the rifle. It's the tang, the hook and the barrel. Found that out by observing an already cracked Renegade. When the barrel was seated into the channel it opened the crack wider. When the manufacturing tolerances add up wrong you pull the grain apart.
Part of a repair needs to be bedding the tang instead of just screwing its tail down into the slot on top of the wrist. Bedding it into the position required by the other parts removes the strain and prevents your repair from getting pulled.

[waarp8nt]

I received a text from 54bore today. He regrets to inform that he was removed from the forum. Not my business. I will report that his holy grail barrel did not disappoint. He shot her today 85grn Swiss FFG, .060 veggie wad and his own design 535grn hammer, pp of course. Results were very typical for the LRH GM Barrel. Under an inch for three shots. He is very pleased to say the least. I will not be a go between (I like it here) So that's the report. She shoots!

Glad to hear it shoots! Sorry he is no longer a part of this forum, I have always enjoyed reading his post. Sent him a PM too, he is a great guy and will be missed.

[bubba.50]

he hangs out at modern muzzleloading a lot now.

[bubba.50]

forgot to mention, he goes by Id*****wis there as his username was 'sposedly already taken.

[rfd]

Over tightening the lock holding screw isn't what you need to worry about in cracking a TC opposite the lock. The weakest point gets stressed perpendicular to the grain by the tolerances adding up against the rifle. It's the tang, the hook and the barrel. Found that out by observing an already cracked Renegade. When the barrel was seated into the channel it opened the crack wider. When the manufacturing tolerances add up wrong you pull the grain apart.
Part of a repair needs to be bedding the tang instead of just screwing its tail down into the slot on top of the wrist. Bedding it into the position required by the other parts removes the strain and prevents your repair from getting pulled.

what can help heaps is to strengthen and seal the wood at the tang, entire lock mortise and entire barrel channel. all it takes is wicking quality (hobby shop grade) water thin CYA (CYAnoacrylate aka "super glue") into the wood grain (via capillary action). it really does help. in fact, CYA is an excellent crack/split wood mending glue. care does need to be taken about breathing in CYA fumes, but outdoors in a slight breeze or indoors with a low fan setting are the ticket.