Please help me with picking a flintlock

[jwargo]

My buddies have been after me for years to try it out. This year a borrowed a Lyman .54 Deerstalker off of one of them. I've been giving myself a crash course and I am very glad I found this forum. Haven't hunted with it yet- not shooting well, but now I'm determined to get into it for next year. Been checking around the web- comparing prices and options. I'm leaning towards TC, but I'm not sure I want something the size of the Hawken. I'm also not sure if I want to go synt. with the firestorm. I hear a lot about the TC PA hunter? Haven't seen one for sale anywhere- did thet quit making them? The best prices I've seen are at Midsouth, but I didn't see much in the way TCs. Anywhere else to look? I trying to stay under $500, but if I fall in love with something- who knows? I definitely want something of quality - can't stand junk equipment.
I read that Thompson Center has been purchased- what will that do to their warranty? Any brands that I also should consider?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.Thanks.

 

[walruskid1]

welcome jwargo, i like my lyman gpr .50 flinter a lot. nice lookin' and a fine shooter. great way to get your feet wet without a huge outlay of cash.

 

[Hobobob74]

I would go with the TC hawken Fliter. Even though S&W bought them out, they will still be TC and will still have there warrenty. Thats what i've heard anyway. It's just that S&W wants the money.

 

[sagebrush2401]

I get a T/C Hawken out of a hock shop for $125. But you have to look close at them.

 

[jwargo]

Thanks for the replies. I know newbies are a pain. Are there any online stores I should be checking out?

 

[mastrsgt]

Try this place for good prices on Lyman GPR's
[url] http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/[/url]

Don R

 

[tjjsidekick]

Hello Jwargo. The folks in this forum are great with newbies like yourself and I.

I just got the .50 cal Deer Stalker about 2 weeks ago myself. With a little experimenting I was able to group pretty nicely at 50 yards from off a rest. I was also trying to hasten my learning curve to try catch at least one hunting day in our late PA flintlock season, but I don't know if I'll be ready either.

The rifle feels nice, shootss great, and it didn't cost me an arm or a leg - I got it brand new for about $250 at a shop her in Allegheny County. If interested, I can give you the names of some places here if you want to see if they have anymore in stock.

Good luck!!

TJJ

 

[jwargo]

Thanks, that would be great. I would like to find a place to check the Thompson Centers as well. I don't mean to sound hung up on them, but that's all I hear people rave about in these parts.

 

[captaincaveman]

Lyman GPR or Cabelas Blue Ridge[url] http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=000156031106[/url]
[url] http://www.cabelas.com/cabela...arentType=index&parentId=cat601141&id=0006565[/url]

Josh

 

[renovato]

Nothing wrong with being hung up on them. I'm a big T/C fan, myself. They always get high marks for being a top notch gun and having customer service second to none. The big surprise here is the quality of the Lyman guns. Considering they're almost a couple hundred bucks cheaper than the T/C in some cases. They shoot fantastic and are very high quality. Same with the Investarms Hawken. It's almost identical to the T/C to the point that most parts are interchangeable. Investarms makes the Lyman guns.

 

[Birddog6]

Actually you need to shoulder the T/C and then the Lyman rifles to see which one fits ya the best. No doubt about the T/C having the best workmanship & warranty, but you are paying over 1/3 more for it also. Either rifle will serve you well.

:thumbsup:

 

[Halftail]

My buddies have been after me for years to try it out. This year a borrowed a Lyman .54 Deerstalker off of one of them.
.

How do you like the Deerstalker?They seem to be a nice little Deer rifle for the $$$

 

[Jeff3374]

jwargo,
I recently was introduced into the sport of muzzleloading and my wife bought me a Lyman 50 cal. deerstalker. I really like it, as other people have mentioned for the price and quality it's hard to beat. It's a great starter rifle. Good Luck!

 

[PvtC]

The RMC Accusporter is a neat gun for hunting and shooting. You get a nice L&R lock, a Green Mountain barrel, and a choice of twists, sights and stock materials. These folks are near State College if ya want to check em out. Good luck with your first firelock whatever you choose:thumbsup:

 

[cowpoke1955]

Welcome jwargo,
I agree with captain. I have both the Lyman GPR and the Pedersoli Blue Ridge from Cabela's. Each is worth looking at are are in your price range. Here is another link for Lyman.[url] http://www.dnrsports.com/acatalog/D___R_Catalog_Lyman_Muzzleloaders_1529.html[/url]
Good luck and good hunting :thumbsup: .

 

[jwargo]

Thanks everybody for the help. Who makes the guns for cabela's? Haven't really looked into them.

 

[Rebel]

The Cabelas Hawken is made by Investarms the same company that makes the Lyman rifles. The Blue Ridge is made by Pedersoli.

 

[Bob J]

welcome jwargo, i like my lyman gpr .50 flinter a lot. nice lookin' and a fine shooter. great way to get your feet wet without a huge outlay of cash.

The Lyman GPR is also available in .54. As walruskid1 said, they are fine shooters.

 

[Toomuch_36]

welcome jwargo, i like my lyman gpr .50 flinter a lot. nice lookin' and a fine shooter. great way to get your feet wet without a huge outlay of cash.

The Lyman GPR is also available in .54. As walruskid1 said, they are fine shooters.

Also JWARGO, if you happen to be like many out here and happen to shoot with the wrong hand :grin: , the Lyman Trade Rifle and Great Plains also come in left handed models.

Toomuch
..........
Shoot Flint

 

[CrackStock]

T/C has the best warranty of any gun company. Whether it stays that way or not is not yet clear. Lyman makes a more cosmetically correct rifle with the GPR. Both can be managed to become accurate. I have 2 Lymans and there are 5 T/Cs in my family at the moment. All have taken game.

You seem to be hunting oriented in your ML interest at the moment, but you do not mention how you intend to use the gun. This drives some of the decision. I have a .50 DeerStalker that was cut down and had a shotgun pad installed for my son to learn with when he was small. It is great in an enclosed deer stand. Short, light and very accurate. For more open shooting situations, I like a long barreled Lancaster flintlock from TVM. The point is that you need to clarify how you want to use the gun a bit in order to make a good decision before spending a lot of money.

You also mention that you are not getting good accuracy from the DeerStalker. What are you shooting out of it; how are you loading and prepping it and what are you using for powder? All big factors. That gun is capable of surprising accuracy from such a short barrel. It just requires a bit of effort and learning. This is the place to get that. 60 to 65 grains of 3F behind .535 ball patched with WalMart ticking should be getting decent accuracy for starters. Move up to stronger loads within the published limits to feel for a good hunting load. The paper will tell you when you are there. If you want a conical, the Hornady Great Plains bullet in .385 grain works well. Start with just a bit higher powder charge. Again -- refer to the max loading charts.

I would look for a good deal on a used gun; consult with people here as to how to spot a good or bad gun and begin to learn with it while regarding it as a cost of learning. I also would seek out a ML shooting club to refine my ML shooting skills and go from there.

CS