Buying a GPR .54, What else is needed?

[MFP308]

Ok the purchase is funded. She said OK! I have been reading here for a while so I know a few things that I need but probably not all.
Here is my list, can you help make it more specific?

Great Plains Rifle .54 percusion from Sportsmans Warehouse, good figure on the stock $369.00
.350 round balls
.010 lubbed patch
Short starter
Pyrodex RS on hand at Sportsmans but will get an order of Goex.
Cleaning jag
Bore Butter
Powder flask, I would like some sugestions please, lots to choose from on line.
Nipple whench
Extra nipple
Pipe cleaners
Cleaning patchs
Plastic bristle brush
Tooth brush
Solvent
Any others or any sugestions on this list?

I plan to break the gun in with the first 100 shots and then start working up a more accurate load.
Should I wait and get the Goex to break in the rifle?

Thanks for the hep!

Mike

 

[captaincaveman]

.10 patches might be a little thin. You might want to get some .15 and .18 too. Try them all and see what she likes. You'll also need a nipple pick, Patch worm and ball puller. Goex is cheaper than Pyrodex anyways so why wait?

Josh

 

[pab1]

Didn't see caps on there. I'm sure it was a mistake, but you want .530 round balls.

 

[bramble]

Mike,
I'm happy for you.
I second that the .10 patch is likely to be a bit thin. I expect the .350 was just a transposition of .530. You would need a real thick patch with the .350 :rotf:

Powder measure, preferably adjustable. Needed for working up your load and makes sure you don't try to load directly from a flask/horn.

Until you get a better feel for your likes & dislikes, (especially since you are doing range work initially) I'd suggest getting a cheap plastic pour spout for the powder can.

A break in with pyrodex should not be a problem, but you'll have to repeat the process for working up the best load when you switch to Goex.

I'd suggest lubeing your own patches. It will allow you to experiment with different lubes. Many on the forum (myself included) use Walmart pillow ticking.

Keep it safe, make some smoke, keep us posted.

bramble

 

[BrownBear]

Clean the heck out of that bore before you start and often after that for the first 100 rounds. Whatver lube Lyman uses for shipping is darn tough to get out and your best accuracy isn't going to develop till it's gone.

My 54 started out liking .530 w/ commercial prelubed .015 patches. But as it "shot in" it started liking .018 patches better. When everything finally settled down after a couple hundred rounds, it preferred .0535 balls with .015 patches.

To your list, if you plan to hunt with this, I'd sure add a loading block. One of the handiest things going in the field, or even on cold days on the range. Lets you get the patch and ball oriented beforehand, not when you are rattled after missing the first shot at game or while your hands are frosted. Handy.

 

[FTW]

777 not pyrodex.Get hoppe's #9 plus,and there is no need for bore butter.Buy dry patches use hoppe's for patch lube.Get .020 patches for 777, thinner ones burn up.70 grs. of 2f 777,.530 roundballs,.020 eastren maine dry patches lubed with hoppe's gives me a clover leaf at 50 and about 3 or 4 inches at 100yds.Probably would be better if I had young eye's.I use the same stuff with real black powder in my flintlocks.Started shooting these things in 1958 or so,used all kinds of stuff for patch lube and this is the path of least resistance.No need to wipe the bore between shots.After 20 shots or so it will start to group and only get better after that.

 

[MFP308]

Yep I goofed it is a .530 not .350! I guess that .350 would roll around like a marble in a barrel....

I did forget caps as well. #11 but what type?

The patch I will increase to the .015 to start. I'll buy prelubed patchs until I now better.

I have heard about the goop that Lyman ships in their barrels so cleaning will be high on the list.

I should go with Goex but I have to order it from someplace. I don't know where to get it here in Tucson. Any ideas on where to order the powder on line?

So much to learn! So much fun!
Thank you all for taking the time.

Mike

 

[Rebel]

I would get a Hot Shot nipple and replace the factory one and i always use CCI magnum caps, especially with sub powders.

 

[cowpoke1955]

Go ahead and get a simple powder horn. You can find a very simple and basic one online for about $20. You'll need one sooner or later anyway. Like Rebel said, replace the factory nipple with a Hot Shot. Avoid the headaches later. You can find them at Dixie and Track of the Wolf. As for Goex, try[url] http://www.powderinc.com/index.html[/url] .

 

[DanChamberlain]

Mike,

One thought. I use .010 patches with my Lyman GPR in .54 caliber and they perform well. I use pure lead swaged balls. They seem to obturate and my accuracy is fine. My thoughts have always been that for a field gun, you don't want to have to pound the balls down the barrel to load. Each bore is a little different, but I will always prefer easy loading.

Having said that, many here and on other forums prefer a very tight patch/ball fit. It depends on your personal preference, so at some point, you might want to try .010 patches just for the heck of it. I have found that .010 will not allow me to thumb start the ball as I am a wus, but it doesn't take a huge amount of pressure to start it without a short starter. Seating is a snap.

When it is all said and done, if the difference between .010 and .018 means two additional inches at 100 yards, I'll take that. But for serious target work, I might accept a little more difficulty in loading. With open sights, my ball/patch combination will give me an average of 5" at 100 yards, or about the size of a deer's heart, and the balls load very easily. At 50 yards, the combination will normally result in 5 shots going into a five leaf clover!

A man who is significantly smarter and entirely more experienced than I wrote a lot about this subject some years back and I found his results to be true. So, as you begin your adventure with the GPR, try patches of different thicknesses and examine what you achieve, what you can accept, and what you desire. Good luck.

Dan

 

[AeroncaTAL]

Good choice on the GPR. I love my Lyman, it is a great rifle and good shooter. I didn't see a capper on your list, so add that. There are a few different styles, some will load 15 or so caps and others will hold 100. Everybody has their pet lube/cleaner, so experiment and find out what works best for you. I use Stumpy's Moose Juice for a lube. For cleaning, soapy water, alcohol and swab with Ballistol. The Ballistol seems to be working well for keeping the rust at bay. Again, every one has their theory on this and I think enviroment figures into this. I'd go with a horn, definately make a ball board (they are easy) and have fun!
Scott

 

[boydusmx]

I would also pick up a good range rod. It makes long shooting sessions at the range so much easier. I like my GPR so much I'm going to get a matching flintlock soon. You can even swap .50 and .54 cal barrels if you want or add another twist rate. Midsouth sells extra barrels for about $133. Oh the possibilities.....

 

[Catof9tails]

Looks like the Muzzleloader folks have you covered for supplies and options. IMO it sounds like you have done your homework and have a good foundation for starting muzzleloading. Once the fever sets in, you'll pick up more stuff that meets you liking or preference.

If you have additional funding (with wife approval) I would suggest picking up a brass ram rod from RMC Sports. If my memory serves me right, I think "Rebel" recomended I purchase these for my muzzleloaders. I did so and the purchase(s) worked for me. Down the line, you might consider a brass ram rod.

Maybe Rebel will chime in and add his two cents worth on brass ram rods.

Just the Cat

PS: Does the wife have any clue that once you obtain one muzzleloader, that you pick up another, and another, and another.....? Hee Hee!

 

[Rebel]

Yep, it were me. They work great although i don't know how one would look under the barrel of a GPR. :grin: But for a range rod either brass or stainless steel works great. And i get mine from RMC Sports but October Country carries them too.

 

[captaincaveman]

OK, stupid question time :grin:. What is the purpose of a range rod? I have been shooting front stuffers for about 12 years(just found this forum though), and I have shot many times at a range, out behind the house, or just walking through the woods shooting at rocks, leaves, etc.. My regular rod has always put the ball down the barrel. Would a range rod make my life easier? :hmm:

Josh

 

[paulvallandigham]

probably not, Josh. A range rod is used by shooters for different purposes, and not all agree.

I like to use a range rod, because I can feel the condition of the barrel better when I run the ball down using my stainless steel Range Rod. I shoot a flintlock, so I want to feel the ball just begin to crunch powder when I stop, because I don't want a compacted powder charge, as I would if I were shooitng my percussion guns. If I have to put a ball, I want to use that range rod, that has a good handle on it, to do the job, rather than try to use that ramrod under my barrel. The barrel rod is too short to allow me a good grip, its made of wood, which bends, somewhat, but more than my steel RR, and I can't feel the condition of the barrel as I load the PRB down the barrel as well as I can with the steel RR. Keeping the RR clean is much easier in a lengthy range session, than the wooden rod, and on rainy days, I don't expose the wood rod to the moisture by removing it and replacing it in my stock all the time.

When I am working up loads, I can mark my Range Rod temporarily to reflect the position of the loaded ball, using tape, while I determine what the best load will be for shooting groups. Only when I finally have a load for that particular gun do I mark the ramrod that goes under the barrel with a knife cut, and or heavy pencil line, so I can load to the mark, and have that extra insurance that I have positioned the ball over the powder consistently for my next shot in the field.

For you, after 12 years of using just the one rod, I suspect you are now in the habit of being consistent in loading your one gun, and there would be very little benefit to you to have a range rod. If all your shooting is Off-hand, I doubt that you have to pay much attention to cleaning the barrel between shots, to squeak out the last bit of accuracy from that rifle. " Minute of Deer " is all the accuracy you need. So, don't waste your money buying a range rod. If you haven't needed one yet, you probably will never need one.

Good hunting.

 

[DanChamberlain]

I wanted to add, my use of .010 patches works for me, and probably because I shoot normally heavier charges and seldom load purely for target work. My heavy charges may cause more rapid obturation of the ball. Were I to reduce the charges to 50 grains for serious target work, I might experience too much blow-by with .010 patches.

Also, I love to use a range rod when I'm sitting at the bench for an hour or two. Mine is a heavy brass rod picked up at a rendevous in Prairie Du Rocher. Makes loading long strings a lot easier as it's a heavy bugger and nearly seats the ball by its weight alone.

Dan

 

[cowpoke1955]

Josh,
I have not seen it, but heard a lot about it. Sometimes a ram rod will have grains that don't run from end to end completely. This is your ram rod's weak spot. If and when these rods break it will be under pressure of ramming a ball. This leaves a sharp wooden spear pointed up to meet your hand that is in a downward motion. Blood on your barrel and stock makes a real mess, not to mention what it does to your hand and wrist. I use my range rods at the range and in camp. I save wooden ram rod to reload out in the field. If you have a hickory rod, their grains normally runs end to end and are pretty safe. The ones that come with store bought rifles are questionable. I have read that in the old days they carried a long hickory rod, in addition to their standard rod. They called it a whipping stick. This was their range rod. Just my two cents :v .

 

[DanChamberlain]

Another plus for the range rod is in the event a catastrophy happens and you somehow experience a powder charge ignition while reloading, the large handle will probably blow your hand away from the exiting rod and projectile. It's been known to happen.

Dan

 

[barebackjack]

If the bore on yours is as tight as mine is a rangerod is a must! I know I would have broken the wood ramrod on the range had I not got a rangerod.

I cant even get a .530 ball and .010 patch down (even on a fresh clean bore) without whacking the manure out of the shortstarter and laying every ounce of my 145 pounds on the ramrod. But it has gotten a little better.