New Rifle

[aquamanlr]

I made the jump.

I tried a Lyman Great Plains on for size, and it fits. Now I have a new smoke pile, and empty pockets...

I hear everyone talking about ticking for shooting patches, is there different thickness?

I will be casting round ball this weekend, and will be trying it out next week.

Wish me luck.

If anyone has any tricks for this rifle let me know.

Any help will be most welcome.

LeeRoy

 

[Tony Logan]

congrats, I know you are going to enjoy it. I dont have that particular rifle, but several on here do. I have shouldered a one and I liked the fit too. you should get plenty of advice. Most of the blue strip pillow ticking I have bought (Hancock fabrics) and put in calipers is around .018 thick but I am sure you will get all the info you need and more on here.

 

[VEARL]

I've had my 50 cal GPR for several years.
I use .015 pillow ticking with a .530 Round Ball over 80 Gr. of 3F Black Powder.
I also use an over powder wad. It can be cut from 1/4 inch felt or it can be a dry patch run down and seated on powder before you load your patched RB.
Get you best groups from your various powder loads before you start filing away on that front sight, and adjust for windage.
Have fun learning what your rifle likes and enjoy the fun of sighting in and figuring it all out.
You will love the GPR. It is a fine gun and a great shooter.

 

[Otter]

Good goin', man. What caliber? Details, need details before being able to give you any tips . . .

Hey, Vearl - what size hammer do ya need to get an .015 patched .530 RB down yer .50 cal GPR barrel??? :idunno:

 

[aquamanlr]

Thanks for the replies

Well that is what I get for not proof reading twice. Kick me in the shin.

My new toy is a off the shelf .54 cal. Great plains, no frills or whitles.

LeeRoy

 

[Otter]

You'll like that rifle. My .54 GPR likes .015 spit patch and .530 RB over 50 gr 3f for 25 yd targets, 55 gr 3f for 50 yd targets and 75 gr 3f for hunting and targets out to 100 yds. First GPR I got was a .50 then acquired a .54 - I haven't shot the .50 since I got the .54.

 

[Adui]

~snip~ First GPR I got was a .50 then acquired a .54 - I haven't shot the .50 since I got the .54.

you's guys keep talking so fondly of your .54's Im wishing I'd bought a 54 when I bought my 50! guess that will go on my B'day / Christmas list for this year..

 

[jethro224]

My percussion GPR started as a .50 but got a .54 barrel shortly before the price went way up. Haven't shot my .50 barrel since either...
The .50 barrel required some break-in. The .54 was good to go right out of the box.

The .54 barrel likes 82gr 3F Goex, a .020 Ox-yoke greased patch, and a .530 ball. Remington #11 caps on Ampco bronze nipple.

I really like the rifle. Even more so since I installed a Davis trigger. :thumbsup:

 

[BrownBear]

I'd clean that bore good with brake pad cleaner or carburetor cleaner on patches. They have some kind of grease in there that really interferes with accuracy, but is tough to get out with anything else.

If you're shooting CCI caps, you need to swap out the nopple or at least chuck it in a drill and use 400 grit wet-or dry to reduce the diameter very slightly. The CCI's are small compared to anyone else's caps. No prob with the stock Lyman nipple and Remington caps, for example.

My 54 is really fond of .530 balls, .018 ticking patches and 90 grains of Goex 3f. The bore was a little rough at first and required a .015 patch, but with 100+ shots it smoothed out and I moved up in patch thickness, at which point accuracy really improved. Some guys polish their bores to avoid that break-in period, but I prefer shooting.

I also use the heck out of mine with 30-35 grains of 3f for head shooting snowshoe hares and general plinking. It's accurate as a snake bite.

I sight mine in dead on at 75 yards, which puts it around an inch high at 50 and something like 3 low at 100. Sighted in that way, those 35 grain loads are right on the money at 25 yards for small game with no sight change. Neat.

 

[barnettshale]

My Lyman Plains Rifle .54 in the hands of my wife's uncle and the boar he killed with it a few years back. .530 ball, .015 patch, 90 grains Goex 2F. He went about 5 steps and fell over. Weighed 230#. Got some pretty good cutters in his mouth.

Good eating

 

[aquamanlr]

Thanks for the replies everyone..

barnettshale
That looks to be some fine eatting.
Some day I wish to partake in a hog hunt, not any in my neck of the woods. No trees eather.

LeeRoy

 

[barnettshale]

You are better off with no feral hogs in your neighborhood. They have just about taken over the state of Texas. Two types of landowners in Texas, those with hogs and those who are going to have hogs probably sooner than later.

 

[sutherland]

Somebody will be enjoying pork roast, sausage and pulled pork barbecue! :grin:

 

[cchipmunk]

LeeRoy... I have a .50 cal Lyman GPR named "Miss Smokin" that I do love, but wish it was a little lighter on the long shoots.

I use .490 RB with .15 spit pillow ticking and 3F Goex powder. I also prefer the Remington #11 caps to the CCI... perhaps it was the batch, but I have noticed fewer issues with the Remington caps when used with "Miss Smokin".

Overall it is a great rifle and I am sure glad I started out with it.

Do hope to get a custom rifle in the next year or so, but never plan to part with "Miss Smokin".

Suzy

 

[Swede50]

Congrats on your GPR I built one in 54cal from a kit it is one of the most accurate BP Precussion rifles I own.
I put 5 shots in one hole at 25yrds off a benchrest.
The folks standing beside me at the range thought I was missing untill I told them to look at the white foam coming out the back of the target.
Only wish I could shoot that good freehand.

 

[VEARL]

Whoops....Just call that remark a Senior Moment. Meant to type .490 RB.
Guess it is from just wanting a 54Cal barrel for my GPR.

 

[aquamanlr]

Thanks for the replies !!

Vearl
I have them moments, the grandkids call the old coots moments.
Thanks for the tip, to not begin filing on the sites untill I have a good load worked up.

I would like to find out if everyone has a hard time finding loading supplies as I do.

I bought the last can of CCI #11 caps and the last box of .36 cal roundball that BassPro had and the clerk said that they was not going to order any more in at this store.

Is this happening every where?

Keep your powder dry.
LeeRoy

 

[uncmrkhd]

I got the last 2 tins of CCI #11 at my local Bass Pro and asked if they reorder them selves or does the corp do the restocking, told me the corp does it and not to expect any more till next hunting season. The kicker is they had 2 full boxes of CCI #10 on the shelf. They had a lot of the Remingtons but they are $2 more per tin

 

[Otter]

Vearl - Yeah, I figgered as much . . . I have them CRS moments my ownself . . . a lot more often than I'd like to admit, too :grin:.

 

[Adui]

Thanks for the replies !!

Vearl
I have them moments, the grandkids call the old coots moments.
Thanks for the tip, to not begin filing on the sites untill I have a good load worked up.

I would like to find out if everyone has a hard time finding loading supplies as I do.

I bought the last can of CCI #11 caps and the last box of .36 cal roundball that BassPro had and the clerk said that they was not going to order any more in at this store.

Is this happening every where?

Keep your powder dry.
LeeRoy

I know its happening around here. The locals tell me everyone is going mail order. Heck, I learned here you can even mail order BP! However, the caps and the powder can be had locally, ish, its the RB you gonna have trouble finding. at least thats been my experience.