New Rifle

[vthompson]

I got my Lyman GPR 50cal. flintlock the other day and I can't wait for the weather to break so that I can take it out and shoot it for a while. Here lately, all that we get is snow and they are predicting more for tonite into tomorrow.
I chose the 50cal. because it is big enough for whitetails but still small enough for other game. I am hoping to bag a turkey this coming spring with it also.

[Uncle Russ]

Vern, You're going to love that Lyman flinter!

My experience with that particular rifle, and even the ones I've only "known of", says they are one of the best for out of the box accuracy for anything short of a custom built....and, it seems they only get better with age.

Besides that, they look good, and that has to count for something.

Going to go well with that new bag ya got coming from the Beaverthing....all the makings, that has got to make a man feel pretty good.

Congratulations.

Uncle Russ...

[BEAVERMAN]

Vern, You're going to love that Lyman flinter!

My experience with that particular rifle, and even the ones I've only "known of", says they are one of the best for out of the box accuracy for anything short of a custom built....and, it seems they only get better with age.

Besides that, they look good, and that has to count for something.

Going to go well with that new bag ya got coming from the Beaverthing....all the makings, that has got to make a man feel pretty good.

Congratulations.

Uncle Russ...

Yep, that 54 flinter I got from uncle Russ is a tack driver!, now Vern has to get busy and make a new horn for the kit!

[Uncle Russ]

Here is a old picture of one particular group I shot with the Lyman Beaverman now owns....it is an old picture, but it tells the story of what these rifles are capable of.
(Due to computer problems, I have lost a lot of my more recent pictures.)
I have another picture "somewhere" of a 10 shot group that is one ragged hole at 50yds, and another that is just about 1 inch at 80 yards....with shots measured center to center. (Typically, they are measure outside to outside with the diameter of the ball subtracted from the total).

The low shot at 7 o'clock, I called as I "touched" the set trigger a wee bit too much....Beavermans gun has a very positive set trigger that will pass the weight bump test very easily, every time. It is a really nice gun.

In this picture there is a total of 12 rounds at 50 yards.... 9 of them practically in one hole, 2 within 1/4"... and, the one that is a 1 inch out at 7 o'clock is one I called before the hit was even discovered, since it was pretty much on the line and hard to see through the spotting scope....

Did I mention these guns will shoot pretty good?

[Bigsmoke]

Russ,
Looks to me like half of those shots are way low and left, and the other half are way low and right. :lol:
Amazing on how you got them all to congregate around the big bull.  That is, of course, I am thinking you were shooting at the smaller two targets.  What was it - a wind shift or something?
John

[Uncle Russ]

There are times when I flinch, or yank the trigger just right...it's the timing of those two things that's the tough part!
 

Uncle Russ...

[Roaddog]

Vern your going to love that GPR. Like Russ just showed ya they are good shooters. I have a 54 flinter that is my dear gun and o'l Thunder will get the job done every time. Now ya want to use them snowbanks for your backstop when ya shoot. That way come spring ya can go out and pick up the round balls off the ground all in a neet little pile. Have fun with it my friend and good luck huntn.

[Pete_Sheeran]

Roaddog,
A couple of years ago, a friend showed me his new GPR in .50 cal and asked me about the gap between the barrel and lock!  There was a gap of about 1/32 inch between the pan and barrel. Hope yours does not have this problem.  It has to be tight, or you can get priming powder in the lock mortice.  This friend was able to deepen the inlet job of the lock to make it safe to shoot.  It shoots very well.  

Pete

[Roaddog]

No gap on ol' Thunder pete but I have see one that had that. The guy sent it back to Lyman's and they sent him a new one.

[Pete_Sheeran]

Roaddog,
I am glad to hear that!  My friend got his new GPR for a very good price from a company in Kentocky.  He really liked the wood, it was an exceptional piece of walnut.  He lucked out there, especially since this was not only his first flintlock but also his first muzzle loader!  It was a simple fix for a anyone with above beginer wood working skills.  I was more than surprized  when he first showed it to me, it looked like it had more than passed the quality control, until you came to the lock/barrel fit.  

Hope your new Great Plains Rifle shoots as well as RussB/Beaverman's old GPR!

Pete

[Voyageur]

You know all of this talk about GPR's has my mouth watering---I now have a big urge to get one of mine out and go to the range. Only problem is I will need snowshoes at the range---Long Island is experiencing a Minnesota type of winter with 6 big snow occurrences thus far. Big for here to be sure---we will break a record and receive over 6 foot of snow totals.. But when I hear stories about the GPR I get the urge. I have a .54 (just converted from a .50) capper and .50 Flinter all waiting in the safe. No matter how many other firearms I own those two are still my premier goto guns. "Doc"  

[Pete_Sheeran]

WOW, who would have thought,  a Voyager with an attitude!  Get out those snowshoes, Doc!  From the sounds of it, spring may be a long time off where your at.  

I personally don't practice much but I do shoot every month with a blackpowder-muzzle loading club.  It is a 45 min. drive.  Even if you are not in the top 3 places for any matches, it's good to hang out with friends,  breath some sulpherous fumes and get a beer at a local pizza joint before heading back home again (sometimes a piece of pizza too).  There may be a active ML club in Long Island!  If you are not familuar with such clubs...  there will be period correct types, nearly professional ML shooters, guys who were born with a badge (when it coms to safety) etc.  What I have found, is that everyone of them would give you the shirt off their back (even if it seems like they are jerks).  And sometimes a friendly difference of opinion about history, construction of firearms, shooting styles, etc.  Kinda like the TMA, only you get to shoot instead of hammering the keyboard.  

That reminds me, I got a sample of potassium permangananate stain that I am trying on a scrap of curly maple in the shop calling to me.  Interesting ( in a nice way) brown color, simular to straight aqua fortice, with out iron.

Pete

[Uncle Russ]

I just saw on TV where the good Doc may well get another record snowfall, on top of  the current record snowfall!!!!
Those folks in that neck of the woods have had a terrible go of things this year.....my heart goes out to 'em, as I am sick of the winter weather here in the Basin with all its "record breaking" snow also.

I haven't seen anything posted yet from Vern....c'mon, chime in here and tell us what you think about that new riflegun.

Uncle Russ...

[shootrj2003]

yeah, we've had our share of snow here this year,but luckily I'm in a narrow belt that seems to dodge the worst of it ny farther north and you get the lake effect from Ontario and any farther south you get hit from the other way, but still ,I'm looking a over a foot outside and haven't seen the grass between storms this year. but If It wasn't for the cost of my driveway being plowed I wouldn't mind a bit ,I'll eevenn get to use my snowshoes this year.

[Firewalker]

That reminds me, I got a sample of potassium permangananate stain that I am trying on a scrap of curly maple in the shop calling to me.  Interesting ( in a nice way) brown color, simular to straight aqua fortice, with out iron.

Pete

Hey Pete, FWIW, be careful with that stuff. Many years ago I stained a real nice long rifle with the stuff. It was all the rage in the early 80's. "Everybody" was using it. Got a beautiful finish and color. About a year later the stock was blond. Same happened to a couple of friends stocks. Maybe there was something we were doing wrong, but everyone I knew who used it found that it faded with time.