Lyman GPR: which one?

[Timo]

I'd like to buy a Lyman Great Plains Rifle, percussion in .54 cal. Which version would you recommend for accuracy: the 1 in 60" twist or the faster 1 in 32" Hunter twist?
This would be my designated deer hunting rife but I think I would be shooting patched round balls in my hunting loads. I don't need the extra weight of the Maxi in .54 caliber for deer hunting...or do I?

What are your thoughts?

Also, I may build this from a kit. How much work is it; how difficult is it and what kind of tools do you need (I don't have many...yet)?

 

[Zonie]

If you plan on shooting round ball in it you just about have to go to a 1:48 or slower twist. For heavy loads (read hunting) the 1:60 or slower will give the best accuracy.
Anything faster than the 1:48 is really made for shooting sabots with undersize bullets which need the fast twist to stabilize the bullets.

As for how hard is it to build a GPR, use the search engine and put "Spot" into it. You should set the Search for ALL Forums although most of Spots posts were in the Builders Bench Forum. You should get SpotShooters posts listed.

He build a GPR and posted questions and recieved answers to them covering just about everything you need to know except how to open the box.
He even posted pictures of the Box and rifle taken on the day it arrived.
His rifle turned out very well and he is about as happy with it as a person could be.

If you have questions about anything that was or wasn't covered in SporShooters posts let us know.

PS: The .54 cal roundball can take a moose. IMO Deer are no problem to beyond 130 yards.

 

[nvbirdman]

I built a .54 GPR caplock two years ago. Since I was only going to shoot RB in it, I chose the 1in66 twist. I couldn't be happier with the rifle, and it was even easy for me to build. One thing I thought of, and I wish I had done was to take the toeplate down and have it engraved with my name and maybe the year. I will do that when I build a GPR flintlock next year.

 

[lonewolf5347]

I myself like conials over round ball @ patch that was the reason I bought the 1 in 32 twist hunter barrel.
Check out MIDSOUTH they have the best prices on the lyman GPR

 

[cayugad]

As they said, if your distances are 100 yards and under, the Great Plains Rifle which has the 1-60 twist in .54 caliber is all you would ever need. If you want to shoot conicals then the Great Plains Hunter with 1:32 twist. There is the option of getting a Lyman Trade Rifle. They have 1:48 twist and will or at least should shoot round ball and conical.

Personally I would get the Great Plains Rifle with the round ball twist. It should shoot a 90 grain Pyrodex RS charge and a .015 patch with a .530 round ball excellent. I took three deer this year shooting round ball out of a .54 caliber. One managed to get 45 yards before dropping the other two fell where they stood. It is a great projectile and a good rifle there.

 

[Ohio Joe]

I would get the .54 GPR with 1 in 60 twist, and .010 depth rifling. These two features alone, along with it's thirty two inch barrel makes it good choice not only for hunting, but target shooting as well. I'm not to sure about their 1 in 32 twist, with .007 depth rifling "plains hunter"... I believe the depth of rifling is too great (should of been .003 to .004) and the twist faster than 1 in 32,,, say maybe 1 in 28... I also think this is where T/C missed the boat with their 1 in 48 twist and .005 depth rifling they use, though I understand they are making one now (don't know which) that has a 1 in 66 twist with .010 depth rifling? The 1 in 48 twist is very tempermental, and I believe the 1 in 32 would be also... I just don't think you can go wrong with the 1 in 60 twist, GPR,,, if your a round ball shooter... :winking: