Lyman GPH wads

[Kapow]

Been getting into this black powder thing in a big way. Have been breaking in a new Lyman GPH in .54 cal. Already have one notch in the stock on deer but am keen to get it dialled in to maximise my confidence with it. So far at the range I have tried buffalo ballets in 338gn, buffalo bullets in 425gn, Hornady great plains bullets in 425gn and hornady .530 balls with 0.18 ticking patch. All projectiles are on the money at 75m.

I am getting pretty good accuracy with the hornady GPB and 100gn FFg but the buffalo bullets
are no where near as accurate (about 3 shots in 6inches at 75m). I am wondering whether some sort of wad between the powder and bullet might improve them if the base is protected. Does anyone have a suggestion about what I can use for a wad. Have looked at TOTW but can't find any in .54cal.

I have just bought a Green Mt barrel to try roundball as well.

 

[necchi]

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/categ...Id=2&subId=37&styleId=124&partNum=OX-WAD-54-W

Wasp/Hornet/Bees nest.
Just pinch off a bit tween yer fingers and use as an over powder wad. Experiment with thickness or amount needed.

Same with common newspaper, just tear a chunk oversize for the bore, an stuff it down there.

 

[BrownBear]

I've been really happy with results using the same felt wads Necchi linked, preferring the prelubed version to lubing my own for simplicity. Some guys punch their own from felt sheets and do their own lubing, but I just don't shoot them enough to justify the extra effort to save a few pennies.

 

[majg1234]

I tend to get better accuracy with a felt wad on bullets and PRB too,by using it with PRB I'm able to use a thinner patch which equates to easier loading without burned through patches,I have noted that some bullets shoot better in one rifle so the inconsistancy from bullet to bullet may not be solved with a felt patch or other stuff

 

[Maven]

Kapow, When I use solid base conical bullets, specifically home cast T/C .50cal Maxi-Balls, I always add a disk/wad which I cut from ordinary tablet backing, shirt cardboard, or cereal boxes. Accuracy seems a bit better with the disks than without them. Btw, you can cut the wads with an arch punch: 14mm seems about right for .54cal.

 

[Jim Fitzgibbon]

I have used just a bit of bee's wax.

Fly

 

[nkbj]

9/16" arc punch and molded paper egg cartons. Soaking them in melted lube seems to work better sometimes and it lets you swab the barrel really, really clean before seating the bullet. Depending on how things are going I sometimes lube the barrel first also.

Before I had the arc punch it was just a circle template and a pair of scissors.

 

[Horizontal Hunter]

I tend to get better accuracy with a felt wad on bullets and PRB too,by using it with PRB I'm able to use a thinner patch which equates to easier loading without burned through patches,I have noted that some bullets shoot better in one rifle so the inconsistancy from bullet to bullet may not be solved with a felt patch or other stuff

I also get better accuracy out of my CVA .50 with a felt wad (button) between the powder charge and a Maxi ball. But, for what I do a PRB is just as accurate and is more than enough to put down a deer.

Bob

 

[Kapow]

Thanks for all the great advice. Thanks for the link Nechi, don't know how I missed them...

Am determined to get a solid nosed conical such as the round nose buffalo bullet shooting straight. The last time I shot a Hornady great plains hollow point I got less than spectacular penetration.

Plus, it's a great time for us to stock up. For the first time in thirty odd years our dollar is above the greenback.

 

[Stubert]

What are you doing? Hunting or target shooting, and what type of game? A .54 roundball is pretty formidable, and cheap to shoot.

 

[Kapow]

I have just ordered a roundball barrel for the rifle so i have nothing against the roundball but would like to hunt some of the bigger deer species with it up to the size of elk, also maybe buffalo & bear. What I really need is a new .58 or .62 cal hawken with a roundball barrel, but there's only so much money to throw into the blackpowder hole and the Lyman are I believe outstanding value for money.

 

[mtmshieldshotmail.com]

I am wondering whether some sort of wad between the powder and bullet might improve them if the base is protected. Does anyone have a suggestion about what I can use for a wad. Have looked at TOTW but can't find any in .54cal.

I've used Hornady GPB in a fast twist barrel with good success. Hornady states in the instruction leaflet that comes in every box that a wad is recommended. I used felt, but I'm sure most of the commonly used materials would work too.

Regards,
Mike

 

[rawhide]

I'm shooting a cast real bullet 380 grain out of my .54 cva hawken with a 1:48 twist. I'm using 90 grains of 777. it shoots spot on at 80 yards. I have taken elk with this load works very well. I think it would also work on red stags and most of the african plains game.

 

[BrownBear]

If you're looking for a solid nose "version" of the Hornady, take a gander at the Lyman plains bullet. Essentially the same thing. If I was shooting conicals regularly in a 54 or 50, it would be my first choice.

 

[William O.]

My GPH is a .50 and the addition of a lubed wad does seem to tighten up the groups. The Lee REAL bullets lubed with beeswax and olive oil shoot the best, followed by the Maxi Hunter in second place.

 

[Kapow]

Seriously Mike, who reads the instructions... that's crazy talk! I had a very interesting day at the range today.

I started to apply a lot of what I have learned from this site and the results were very pleasing.

Firstly, I switched from FFg to FFFg powder. Not one misfire in either my Lyman GPH or my CVA mountain rifle (.54) over thirty rounds. I cleaned the barrel on the CVA at one stage but deliberately left the nipple and drum area wet. Fired first time with FFF. Very happy. Might have to change my site name from Kapow to Kpow.


Secondly I shot the Buffalo bullets out of my Lyman with 80gn FFFg. Three shots in 2 inches at 50metres (55yds). i didn't have any wads but just pushhed a small square of cleaning flannel down before the bullet. Obviously having a buffer between powder and bullet made a huge difference. I can't wait to get the wads I ordered.

I did a comparison with the hornady great plains bullet over 100gn FFg alternating with 80gn FFFg every second shot and put five shots into two inches at 75m (82yds). With a 75m zero it drops about 2inches at 100m.

I then mucked around with .535 and.530 roundballs and various patch sizes and materials. With 65gns of FFg and .535 cast ball with 0.018 pillow ticking I got 3 shots into 2 inches at 75m. Not bad fo the fast twist barrel.

It seems the more I shoot this gun the more accurate it gets. Best of all its heaps of fun. I am incredibly lucky that the public gun club/rifle range is right in the heart of town and just around the corner from my house. Thanks again to all who share their hard earned knowledge on this site. :haha: :haha:

 

[Kapow]

In relation to the Lyman bullet, I read a few posts saying they were terribly inaccurate, so never really considered them. Hornady just needs to scrap its hollow point.

I have some T/C maxis on order to try also.

 

[William O.]

The maxi-hunter isn't quite as accurate as the Lee REAL in my GPH barrel, but reasonably so. You do have to factor in more drop compared to shooting round ball with any conical but each rifle barrel is unique and what works for me might not be the same for you. Testing things out is half the fun IMO, so try a bunch of different designs and weights and see what you come up with.