Recommended First front stuffer cap fired rifle?

[Muddy Creek Sam]

Howdy all,

Gat a hankerin to try a front stuffer rifle, What do you reccommend for a newbee?

Sam

[docone31]

Cabelas Traditional Hawken rifle. I have had several.
If I were to get another one, instead of .50, I would get .54.
I made a toe plate for mine from brass stock. Came out rather well. I did one in Iron Furniture also. That one was a beauty. Track of the Wolf has the Iron kit.
A worthwhile ambition.
That one, or Lyman Great Plains Rifle.
both are good.

[45-70 Chevroner]

It all depends on what you think of as a front stuffer. I personally prefer traditional. That being early american in my way of thinking. I like the nostalgia of cap locks and flint locks, but I lean toward the cap locks. Like docone31 suggested a good Hawken rifle is hard to beat. I have one in a Thompson Center 54 cal. round ball shooter and I also have a 50 cal slug barrel for it. I really like that gun. It will shoot 2 and 3 inch groups all day long with the 54 cal round ball barrel. I had a CVA 54 Hawkin and it shot almost as well but I gave it to one of my grand sons. I think 50 cal or 54 cal round ball shooters are great for Deer and Elk. If you like Inlines I can't help you much, because I don't like the looks of them. If I'm going to shoot a modern rifle I just as well stick with my cartaridge rifles.

[mooman76]

What are you wanting it for? Just plinking , hunting or more serious shooting. If it's a just see if I like it kind of deal, I'd pick up a cheap used one. You can get them pretty cheap. And then after you get hooked, cause more than likely you will, you will have a better idea of what you want and can get a better one. They are like Lays tader chips, can't have just one.

[Muddy Creek Sam]

moonman,

Only ever shot one once, Deer hunting with a friend in Vermont. Didn't hit a thing. Do a lot of BP shooting in SASS and though it would be fun to try again. Don't hunt anymore so just plinking.

Sam

[mooman76]

If you can find someone close to you that shoots an ML see if they will take you out. Usually pawn shops are littered with them from people who loose interest. So don't like it when they find out it takes a little work to have fun. Or better yet see if you can find a local club. They are usually more than happy to let you shoot with them. Tat's where there's lots of fun. Telling old war stories as they load and someone always forgets the powder when they load and talk at the same thing. Might even find someone wanting to upgrade their ML and sell the old one. A 45 or 50 would work great for plinking or you ould even go smaller if you want.

[45-70 Chevroner]

One more thing, like moonman76 said you'l probably get hooked. I am what you might call hooked. I have 4 ML rifles, a Triditions 32 cal, a CVA 36 cal, a Custom 32" barreled Kentucky Rifle 50 cal, a 54/50 cal Thompson Center Kentucky Rifle, 2 cap and ball pistols and 3 cap lock single shot pistols.

[docone31]

Thats for sure!
I am an old hand at this, and one day at the range, showing my wife how to do it, I didn't powder several times in one day!
It happens.
She was terrified of her rifle at first, then with the unload fires, and removing the nipple, packing poweder, setting the primer, touching it off, doing it a second time with a little more powder. She quieted down.
You do gain a serious respect for the back whens with a front stuffer.
I like them. I like the smell, the lines, the process. The whole bit. Quite comfortable to fire also. A 70gn load with a .50 is not bad at all. A 40gn load is easy firing. Pistols are a ball also.
I want a Dragoon second model. That will be next for me.

[Boz330]

For plinking and target I would stay with 40 or less. Easy on powder and ball and no recoil to speak of. Just fun.

Bob

[10 ga]

Dittos for dcone31 " " . I have 3 Cabelas traditional guns and one was me 1st BP gun. Also have a Lyman which is nice. My oldest Cabelas is an early model 50 cal that has 1/60 twist and is very accurate roundball gun. I see some pretty decent ML rifles at the gun shows and the prices are pretty good. Usually in the $1C to 2C range. $.02 10 ga

[Hanshi]

A Cabelas cap lock is an excellent choice for a first muzzleloader. You may even find it a favorite years from now when you have several other guns. I'd suggest a .45 or .50.

[Ajax]

Another great starter rifle is the Lyman Great Plains rifle. They have great quality and are pretty affordable to boot.
I kno wit has been reccomended to stay with a small caliber rifle, but in my opinion i have been ledt wanting for
bigger but rarely wanting for smaller. Plus whats not to love about a big ole ball putting holes in the target that
are easy to see.


Andy

[mooman76]

Cabelas BP rifles are or at least were at one time made by Lyman. I have one I bought used years ago. It's a Hawkins with 50 & 58 barrels and I jumped all over it when I saw it at a gunshow.

[ktw]

Cabelas BP rifles are or at least were at one time made by Lyman.

The Lyman and Cabelas branded muzzeloaders are manufactured by Investarms of Italy.

I think the Lyman Great Plains Rifle is the best of the value priced, factory muzzleloaders. If you are willing to spend more money for something better than factory I would consider one of the small, semi-custom makers in the US.

-ktw

[Ajax]

Buy a kit and have someone build it like i am doing.


Andy

[Flinchrock]

If you want to start out with a rifle that is not "custom",,,there are three that I can reccomend,,,

Lyman Great Plains, pick your caliber,,,54-50

TC "Hawken",,,readily availiable in .50, littlt harder to find in .54

Early TC Renegade in .54 (my personal favorite)

All of these rifles have a different stock, the GPR has more drop than the "Hawken". The Renegade has a "shotgun" style stock, all of these are high quality rifles and will probably make that learning curve a little less steep.

It would be hard to go wrong with any of these,,,the Thompsons are usually 1-48 and the Lyman is usually 1-66,,,all of them will shoot round ball just fine, the TC's make a better "slug" gun.

Some folks like the Cabellas,,,me, I think that they are ok, and often have great wood,,,but I like the GPR's and TC's better.

[philthephlier]

Another great starter rifle is the Lyman Great Plains rifle. They have great quality and are pretty affordable to boot.
I kno wit has been reccomended to stay with a small caliber rifle, but in my opinion i have been ledt wanting for
bigger but rarely wanting for smaller. Plus whats not to love about a big ole ball putting holes in the target that
are easy to see.

Ditto, great rifle for the money.

[Longwood]

I had a CVA mountain rifle that would outshoot any Thompson Hawken I owned (2) or shot against. I don't thinl CVA makes them any more so you have to look for a used one. If you find one with authentic brown metal and a blond maple stock, it may be the one that was stolen from me. It was a shooter, so grab it if you see it.
A couple of friends had Lymans Great plains rifles and they could often outshoot me with them.
When you get your rifle, work up a load for it.
Take the time to look for different patch material until you find the correct thickness. The blue striped mattress ticking worked best for me. I never found any pre-made (AKA too expensive) patches that were the correct thickness, plus,,,, the ticking looks period authentic.
Make up some packets of weighed charges in 1/2 grain increments to take to the range with you. I usually made enough for two five round strings of each amount of powder.
Just like any other hand load, powder amounts can and will make a big difference in group size.
Expect to be impressed (along with your friends) with how accurate a muzzle loader can be. Cheap to shoot is another big plus for muzzle loaders.
Plastic milk jugs full of water with some food color or fabric dye, make real fun targets. The more color the better.
The packets I mentioned I made with about 4" square paper bag pieces folded into a funnel shape that I taped or glued shut. I tore the small end off of at the range. The sure make experimenting with different charges simple at the range.

[1Shirt]

Back when I was shooting front stuffers, seemed like I owned one of every thing for awhile. Took the best deer I have ever shot with anything with a CVA Mountain Rifle 58 cal that I put together w/round ball at a measured 110 yds. Wish I had kept it. Really enjoyed and still have a 50 TC Renegade, and took a nice muley do with in in the sandhills at a bit beyond 100, with REAL projectile. Also took a nice javalina with the Renegade north of Roosevelt Dam, in AZ, with round ball at about 75 yd. If I was to recommend any as a starter, think I would recommend a CVA kit so you can learn from the bottom up, and would probably recommend either a 45-or 50. Good luck!
1Shirt!

[Ajax]

CVA doesn't make traditional kits any more. You can get Traditions and Lyman caplocks as kits.


Andy