Lyman vs. Traditions .

[JoeC]

I need to pick up a left hand flinter for my son. I don't want to spend any great amounts of money on one, as he in not what you would call a
"die hard " hunter. He is not really interested in anything that is PC either. IN fact he seems to be interested in one of the short barreled guns.
I am pretty much left with two choices , the
Lyman Deerstalker , or the Traditions Deerhunter. both 24" bbls. 1/48 twist .
The Lyman is about $250 compared to the Traditions being about $180 . However if the Traditions doesn't work very well . such as not a good sparking lock , then i would rather buy the Lyman , nothing discourages some one more than a gun that is not reliable . (This is one of those ,"dad trying to get his kid t o go hunting more with him kind of things" )
Oh yeah , we are in Pa. so it is flint only season.
Thanks
Joe

 

[papellet]

Buy the deerstalker. I have had both and still have the deerstalker. It seems Lyman is one of the few companies that offer their line in left handed versions. I own two gprs, the trade rifle and the deerstalker, all left handed.

 

[papellet]

midsouthshooterssupply.com has very good prices and they are top good to deal with.

 

[Runner]

I have the Deerhunter. It fires just fine and is very accurate. The sights are plastic and held on with screws. The Lyman is the better choice for anywhere near the same money. I bought mine when Randy Wakeman scared the owner of Sports Authority into closing out the line. I bought two of them for 50$ each and then sold one for 80$ Mine is one heck of a 20$ gun!

 

[chickenlittle]

I have a Trad Deerhunter and got my Dad a left-hand .54 Lyman Deerstalker for x-mas last year.

Flintlocks work fine on either one. Still tinkering with the touch-hole liner on Dad's Lyman to get consitent igntion but 3F Swiss seemed to work real well.

I personally don't like the sights on either. The Deerhunter has really crappy plastic sights. The Deerstalker sights are metal but I found them hard to shoot accurately. A big white circle on the front sight and some white on the rear sight under it. For either gun, I'd upgrade to RMC Sports V-Peep sight.

Ramrod on the Deerstalker is a bit more functional.

The Deerstalker is beefy with a great looking walnut stock. Deerhunter wood stock is plain and slender.

I think the Deerstalker can use quick disconnect sling attach but not the Deerhunter.

For the price differential, I'd recommend the Deerstalker and get it in .54.

 

[papellet]

have you tried the touch hole liner that rmc sells for the deerstalker. its coned and makes all the difference. I second that on the vpeep, have put them on all my lymans.

 

[chickenlittle]

Phil, we're planning to try the RMC liner this weekend.

 

[papellet]

Let me know how it works for you. Thats all I use now, and I also main charge and prime with fffg.

 

[410-er]

A Lyman will be easier to resell and hold its value better.