Information on Flintlock Lyman Deerstalker please.

[Peter A Meyer]

I am investigating a flintlock Lyman Deerstalker rifle in .54 cal. I am a right-handed shooter but due to some loss of acuity after a corneal transplant can only use my right eye with a scope, so with open sights need a left-handed rifle. Because of budget restraints it has to be a production rifle which in Australia limits me in .54 cal. as far as I can tell to a Lyman GPR or Deerstalker. The GPR may be a bit heavy and awkward for me to lug around, so . . .

What I would like please is informed opinion from experienced shooters on the Lyman Deerstalker rifles purely in regard to their quality and function as a hunting flintlock rifle. (I am fully aware you only get what you pay for!) Don't worry about their aesthetics, and I am not interested in reenactments or being PC in any shape or form, so please leave this aspect out of any replies. All I'm after is a reliable working flintlock rifle capable of knocking down large deer such as Sambar or Red.

I am not particularly computer literate, and don't seem to be able to find any information using the search facility on this forum, so please forgive me if this has been covered on other threads!

Many thanks,

Pete.

 

[2172]

Peter, I've been shooting a Lyman Deerstalker, .50 cal. in lefthand flint for about 2 years now. I like it a good deal. It is accurate, and well made. The wood on my rifle looks like it belongs on a much more expensive gun. The style is pretty modern looking, but it is a pleasure...I have a Lyman GPR .50 left hand flint as well, and it shoot well, but is a bit heavy to carry in the woods compared to the Deerstalker...Hank

 

[Peter A Meyer]

Hank, thanks. Just the sort of info I'm after. Thought I might start out with a LH flintlock Deerstalker in .54 to hunt with and later, when finances permit, a LH GPR flinter in .50 for fun/target/plinking type shooting or lighter game like 'roos.

Do your .50s handle white tail-sized deer OK?

Pete.

 

[Rebel]

The .50 cal is plenty for white tails, and i have taken a few larger Mule deer with a .50 cal also. Should be plenty for most game in Australia.

 

[gordy]

Peter!I can olnly say that anyone that owns/has owned any of the Lyman line of weapons seem to like them a great deal.Very little negative feedback.I have not owned a Lyman,but have owned several .50 cal. rifles of different Mfgs. I feel the .50 to be a very efective weapon on Whitetails with patched round ball.Being that You arn't worried about being PC,You can load with conicals and take game effectivly,as large a Moose."But"be prepared for the recoil.Also,if PC is not a concern,a recoil pad can be installed.(there are a few that lace up or stretch over the butt) so the stock can remain with the original butt plate intact. :front:

 

[Gil Martin]

I agree with these good folks. I have a Lyman Deerstalker .54 flintlock along with .50 and .54 Lyman Great Plains and Trade Rifles. All of them are very fine flintlock rifles. I shoot off the left shoulder and all of these muzzleloaders are right-hand models and I have not had any problems. All the best...
Gil

 

[Peter A Meyer]

Thanks guys, much appreciated. For the price, the Lymans are obviously a good deal.

Gordy, I load for and occasionally shoot .55 Boys anti-tank rifles (805 gr. projectile in front of 220 gr AR2213 powder), so should not be overly concerned with anything in the way of recoil that black powder can dish out!

Rebel, I wouldn't like to try a .50 flinter on a water buffalo, but a Boys ATR should do the trick!

Pete.

 

[Rebel]

Peter, are those water buffalos as mean as the African Cape buffalos? If so, i wouldn't want to try them with much of any MLer without a backup. :front:

 

[Peter A Meyer]

Don't think they are quite as mean. Many years ago I hit a big bull right on the end of the snout with a hand-thrown rock! (Please don't ask me WHY I chucked a rock at a water buffalo, I still don't know to this day.) Great shot, but quite non-fatal, although he got a little peeved - in fact we felt it necessary to jump in the 4WD and clear off promptly. We were on a collecting trip for live primitive wallabies to establish a breeding colony for research, and had nothing bigger than a .357 Magnum.

Maybe I should have used a bigger caliber rock?

Pete.

 

[Rebel]

So, why did you feel the need to throw a rock at a buffalo? :: And what is the difference between a live PRIMITVIE wallabie and your average run of the mill wallabie?

 

[echo89]

I have a 50 flint that I picked up in a box, taken down to the smallest pieces. Of course I haven't shot it yet, but I can say that it is almost falling back together, obviously well made and fitted.

 

[Peter A Meyer]

Rebel,

Thought I made it clear I didn't want to be asked why - reasons for that are that I'm embarrassed about being under-gunned (sorry, under-rocked!) for the job, and I still don't know why myself! Only stopped to photograph the thing, but the trophy buffalo was there, the rock was there, the arm was there (I once was a baseball player!) but a suitable firearm and my brain were not. Wouldn't anyone have taken that shot? (On refection, probably not.) I'll tell you one thing though, one of my companions was NOT amused and I thought he may have had a change of undies coming up!

The wallabies we were after (genus Peradorcus) were primitive in the sense of being low down on the Macropod "evolutionary tree", being close to the ancestral type of kangaroo. And under threat of extinction in their native habitat. Any clearer now?

Cheers,

Pete.

 

[Rebel]

Pete, didn't mean to upset you 'ol boy, just joking when i asked. :: Must of been one of those, "Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time" things, huh? Thanks for the info on the wallabies. Take care.

 

[Peter A Meyer]

Rebel,

Upset me? You must be joking - you haven't got within a bull's (or buffalo's???) roar of doing that yet my friend!

Cheers,

Pete.

PS I'd put one of those "We're Getting Off Topic!" graemlins here if I could work out how! That's before Stumpkiller does. Always room for a bit of humour though isn't there Stumpy?

PPS Anybody, how DO you put those graemlins in your posts?

 

[Rebel]

Just click on the one you want and make sure it goes where you want it by making sure your cursor line is in the spot you want it to go. :: :: Like that.

 

[Stumpkiller]

ff: ff:

Here's two so you can use one later.

(Click in the "Post" bow where you want it during your reply and then scroll down to the pile of Instant Graemilns below the box and right click on the one you like).

:front:

 

[Rebel]

Right click on it? I always just left click and it works for me.

 

[Curly James]

I'll second or third or whatever the vote on the Lyman guns. I have found them to be some of the most user friendly hunting rifles around and the price is right. .50 cal is fine for the deer in my area. I don't know what a sambar weighs but a .54 cal should handle the larger game. By the way, I wouldn't worry about the rock throwing incident. It sounds like something that someone (namely me)from my area (the deep south) would do. Shortly after saying, "Hold my beer and ya'll watch this" :grey:. Take care and when you take game with your new gun tell us the story. CJ