New member here, looking for a lot of help on gun purchase...

[cnorth]

New member here. Just wanted to say hello here from West Tennessee and asking for some help. I am in the market to to get a new muzzle loader for whitetail. A little background about myself . I have been shooting traditional archery now for about 13 years. I currently have a cva Optima 50 cal that I do not hunt with. I have decided that I plan on putting down the longbow during gun season next year and start using a more traditional type muzzleloader. I would preferably like a percussion 50 or 54 cal.
I have looked at the lyman great plain hunters and others and I have no idea what to look for. I do know 25 years ago killing my for two muzzleloader deer with a borrowed Traditions ( I think ) and I have always loved the traditional look and feel. So I wanna get back to it. So I could really use some guidance on which gun brand to get. I want a good quality gun, so any help would be greatly appreciated..I have no idea what to look for. I would like stay around $500-600 range if possible.Thank you for your time and help, sorry for the long read.

 

[Eutycus]

Sorry I can't offer you any advice at the moment but just thought I'd say "Howdy and Welcome from Texas" !

 

[kje54]

New member here. Just wanted to say hello here from West Tennessee and asking for some help. I am in the market to to get a new muzzle loader for whitetail. A little background about myself . I have been shooting traditional archery now for about 13 years. I currently have a cva Optima 50 cal that I do not hunt with. I have decided that I plan on putting down the longbow during gun season next year and start using a more traditional type muzzleloader. I would preferably like a percussion 50 or 54 cal.
I have looked at the lyman great plain hunters and others and I have no idea what to look for. I do know 25 years ago killing my for two muzzleloader deer with a borrowed Traditions ( I think ) and I have always loved the traditional look and feel. So I wanna get back to it. So I could really use some guidance on which gun brand to get. I want a good quality gun, so any help would be greatly appreciated..I have no idea what to look for. I would like stay around $500-600 range if possible.Thank you for your time and help, sorry for the long read.

Traditions, Lyman, Investarms (sold under the Lyman brand nowadays), etc are all excellent rifles in their own right if you're looking for half stock "Hawken" style rifles. Given your price range those should fit the bill. What are you hunting? Just deer? Elk? Bear?

 

[SDSmlf]

I have decided that I plan on putting down the longbow during gun season next year and start using a more traditional type muzzleloader. I would preferably like a percussion 50 or 54 cal.

New, would look at Lyman and Pedersoli. Used, options in addition to Lyman and Pedersoli, include TC and CVA, plus pay attention to custom guns on the market. In my opinion the bore condition is most important with a used gun. Plenty of pretty guns with rough bores out there to avoid. Take your time and ask a lot of questions.

 

[COTNTOP]

A PA Hunter just came up for sale in the classified section. I have a PA and love the feel with the half round and 1/66 twist barrel. They shoot really well and would have already bought this rifle but already have two.

 

[Bassdog1]

Lots of used TCs out there that would fit the bill but you have to ask a lot of questions before you buy. I would ask the guys on here what they have for sale as I have purchased several from members and they have been a great bunch of guys to deal with. I am a TC Nut but if I were buying a new gun right now I would seriously look at the Lyman GPR since it is currently being manufactured and parts if needed will be readily available. Always ask about the bore condition if they know much about these guns they will be able to tell you the condition of it.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Any rifle I would consider for hunting deer sized game would be in 50 caliber with a round ball twist. Round ball twists run from 1 in 48 through 1 in 66. The new rifles by Traditions, Lyman Great Plains Rifle, and the Investarms rifles sold under several different names should fall in your price range and performance needs. I would not rule out a used gun, especially a 50 caliber CVA Mountain Rifle or Pedersoli Frontier.

Any used rifle, ask if Pyrodex or other substitutes have been used. If not cleaned exceptionally well, there can be corrosion and pitting in the barrel. Look at the nipple. Is the tip mushroomed indicating a lot of dry firing? That's not a deal breaker, but means the nipple will have to be replaced or filed back to dimension.

 

[cnorth]

Sorry I can't offer you any advice at the moment but just thought I'd say "Howdy and Welcome from Texas" !

Thank you

 

[Eterry]

I think a new shooter's best option is a percussion ie cap lock. It's easier to learn then you can get a flintlock if you want to try something more primitive and challenging

You might wanna use images on google to comb thru types and styles of muzzleloaders, there's dozens of styles to choose from.

Deals can be had at gun shows and online auctions, but take a bore light or android mounted camera scope to check out the bore. Beware of the words " a little bit of cleaning she'll be good as new ". If they indicate ANY issues with the barrel or bore you should pass.. ask me how I know.

And really good deals can be had on this site, after you decide what you want just post an add on the classifieds.

Welcome to the forum and the Addiction from Texas y'all.

 

[Eric Krewson]

I favor a .54 for deer, the patched round ball weighs around 226 gr depending on if it is a .530 or .535, lots of whomp.

Like was mentioned, you gotta' look at the bore of a used gun, people will say a gun shiny bore in an ad, it can have an oiled up pitted bore and it may look shiny in the pictures they supply.

Here is what pitting looks like, this isn't to bad, I took the picture after hours of scrubbing with a bunch of abrasives. The ring you see is a reflection of the breech plug.

 

[cnorth]

Thank you all for the replies. I am trying to soak in all the info..

 

[Eterry]

Another good site is Track of the wolf, trackofthewolf.com

Go to kits, look at the color images of completed guns. Another way to see completed guns and know what style/period you're looking at.

After pouring over books and articles that's how I decided on what kind of rifle I wanted to build. I'm not suggesting you BUILD one, but after looking at several styles you can make an informed decision of what particular type you like the most.

Enjoy the journey.

 

[edpenny]

I was in your position last year. I ended up with 2 rifles. Bought a Pedersoli Hawken Hunter first and it shoots bullets great but only shoots round balls with light loads. Bought a Lyman Great Plains to shoot round balls and it is very accurate and shoots balls with heavy loads for hunting.

 

[user 48679]

Welcome aboard !

IIRC, the Lyman Hunter is rifled for optimum performance with conicals, and the GPR for PRB's.

While the Hunter is OK, I like the GPR, especially in .54 (YMMV).

Either way, it'd be hard to go wrong with either...….

 

[Dale Lilly]

It is also possible to find a Uberti Hawken in that price range. They were made for Western Arms [Santa Fe Hawken], The Log Cabin Shop and a few others. I have a Log Cabin and a Santa Fe. [both .54] I paid less than $600 for each … in near perfect condition. Check them out along with the other recommendations .. all good advice. Polecat

 

[gabedard]

Look at the Lyman trade rifle
Dixie gun works
Made by Invest Arms
Percussion
Solid rifle to start with .54

 

[markh]

If you can find a Lyman Great Plains rifle in percussion, sounds like that would fit the bill. Seems like there are fewer Lyman GPRs for sale lately, possibly because the new versions will be made by Pedersoli and cost more.

 

[gabedard]

If you can find a Lyman Great Plains rifle in percussion, sounds like that would fit the bill. Seems like there are fewer Lyman GPRs for sale lately, possibly because the new versions will be made by Pedersoli and cost more.

Dixie has the Trade rifle in stock

 

[rodwha]

What are you intending on shooting (ball or conical), and at what kind of game to what kind of ranges?

A ball traveling fast to a short distance is going to expand and do some damage most likely. But if a bit out there is the plan the larger, heavier balls have a better BC so the breeze is less of an issue, and if no expansion is to be had that’s no big deal since its a large hole to begin with.

Ultimately I settled on .50 cal as our deer are small, and if I wanted to hunt something really big like elk I could always use a conical instead, which is a reason why the 1:48” twist made sense to me, though honestly I’m at a loss for why people would want the slower twists when it seems they just demand more powder but provide nothing much in return (ballistically).

I also chose Lyman (Deerstalker) as it’s reasonably priced and doesn’t weigh so much like many others. 7.5 lbs and a 24” barrel. To me handy for all weekend and a couple of extra days too. I don’t care for the fiber optic sights though.

 

[Dibbuk]

Entirely my opinion only:

Go to your closest sporting goods shop that carries muzzleloaders. Pick up and shoulder a few to get an idea of weight and handling (always keeps all firearms safety rules in mind). See if any one type or style "speaks" to you. I agree that .50 caliber should be enough to take down anything you might run across in your area. Check your state Muzzleloading hunting regulations on minimum caliber. Also find the muzzleloading club in your area, and talk with them. They might even have a spare rifle they would part with for a fair price. NMLRA has a listing of clubs by state. See who is nearby.