Which caliber .50 or .54 percussion

I perfer both calibers. Go handle both the 50 and 54 caliber lyman GPR. The fact is they both balance and hold differently. While for me the 54 cal is lighter and balances a tad bit better, for targets I perfer the 50 caliber since its a bit heavier, and front heavy making it a better off hand rifle (for me), and most sil-o-ette shoots and woods walks are off hand events.

Thanks Zonie. I'll add those items to my must have list. Thanks too on the .530 round ball mould size. I've been thinking about getting the casting equipment all evening. I'll sleep on things tonight and then charge the vault in the morning.

interesting about the balance between the .50 and .54 GPRs. Thinking about it the .54's larger bore would drop some forward weight I guess which would change the balance between the two. I haven't been able to handle either one but there was one at the match and I remember thinking what a good looking ML it was. Don't know the caliber but the young fellow using it was shooting a good score.

Your on the right track, read all you can, it will help you ask the right questions. Watch the folks at the match and pick the brains of the consistant shooters. I never met a ML shooter that was not willing the help another learn. Some of the free advise will be worth the cost but you will still have learned something by it. I have a .50 flint and a .54 percussion and I'm sure the .54 is lighter on the scales but I can't see the difference in the hold. Make smoke!!

Well for I one can see just one mistake you made. Ya should have got a rock lock. Them percussion guns are just a passing fad. Now time to hide behind a rock.

Hello Jerolmon,
Your are spot on as that was one of if not the friendliest group of folks at a shoot of any kind I have ever met. I hadn't been there more than 15 minutes when I was thinking what a grand bunch and the fun they were having.

When I got home and was telling my wife all about it she smiled and said "Are you going to get involved?".

Well, here I am trying not to let any grass grow under my feet.

Hi Kenny,
Interesting what you say. After shopping around yesterday trying to locate components, especially percussion caps, I started wondering if I had made a mistake not placing my order for a flint lock. I was a bit discouraged then but up and at'em this morning with just a small problem to solve. :v

Now, if the old body holds up and the well doesn't go dry I do feel a glow building to putting a kit together. Like working with the hands and that would seem to be a very interesting and enjoyable project. Maybe a flint lock type then. :wink:

Just called a store in Eau Claire, Wisconsin which is about 1 1/2 hours from here to see if they had any #11 percussion caps in stock. The answer was no but they do have some #10s. Hum... I'm wondering if the nipple could be changed so a #10 would work? :haha:

Splinters said:

I'm wondering if the nipple could be changed so a #10 would work?

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Easy peasy. Take you about 30 seconds and work just fine.

Really! I'll have to see about getting a #10 nipple for the Lyman GPR. I guess I should check Lyman's website as a starter. Would be something for the Possibles Bag in case of being short on caps one way or the other. I wonder if the sight setting would change much between the two sizes of caps?

Thanks again for that.

P.S. Standing on one foot and the other waiting for a message that the GPR has shipped. Can hardly wait.

Track of the wolf will have the conversion nipple for you! Likely order today and may get before the rifle! They are fast!

The best bunch of lead I ever had was secured from a old doctor's office in a building being raised.
The lead sheeting was used to cover the walls of the x-ray room to restrict the effect of the x-Ray.
Shot it all away.

Dutch

Caps are the same power wise, just different sizes, slightly.

i was working with a company that done all kinds of duct work and other metal work, we were at a hospital doing some work and they were tearing out the xray room. i had 2 big sheets of the lead wall in the back of the work truck when the superintendent of the job told me to put it back in the dumpster that melting it would release radiation. i didnt know so i didnt take any chance.

the superintendent of the job told me to put it back in the dumpster that melting it would release radiation.

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:rotf: :rotf: :rotf: :youcrazy:

Dutch, that was a great find.

I called one plumbing supply today about plumbers lead and had to explain it to the gent that answered the phone before he understood what I was asking for and the he said "why don't you get some wheel weights." :wink:

I may have to go to Rotometals to get some lead out here in the bush.

BTW, put a check in the post today for your System. Looking forward to reading and learning about it.

Wheel weights will work for casting but because the cast balls are harder they usually need to be used with a thinner patch material.

Most pure lead balls deform a little when they are loaded and take on some of the shape of the rifling and even the shape of the patch weave.

Because the harder wheel weight balls don't do this, using the thick patch that is used with a pure lead ball will make starting and ramming the ball down the barrel harder to do.

Speaking of starting, I forgot to mention you will need a "short starter" to get the patched ball started into the muzzle.
These look like a ball with two sticks coming out of them.

The short stick (about 1/8" to 1/4" long) is used first to start the patched ball. The longer stick (2 1/2" to 3" long) is used to drive the started ball down the bore a bit.
This tends to free up the ball a bit and gives a nice deep hole to get the ram rod aligned.

Oh. While I'm writing, NEVER grab the ramrod more than a foot from the muzzle when your ramming the ball.
I know. The guys in the movies just grab the far end and give one mighty shove but that's a good way to break the ramrod and get it shoved thru your hand.
Trust me. Take several 8 to 12 inch strokes and you'll have no trouble.

Size matters !

Many have answered the original question, but I'll add a story to ML shooting and BP steel. When we had our 1st BP Steel shoot at the Alamo ML club (1980?) I was going to use my new built .62 Full stock (Sharon) Hawken. While practicing down on the 100yd range, one of the top paper pinchinmg shooters also was practicing. I spotted for him, he was using his .45 custom RB rifle. When He shot I watched through the spot scope and could see that Pb spaces on that ram and barely rock it ! He thought he missed ! I told him "NOPE" hit it dead square and it didn't move! He then spotted for me as I took a shot with the .62 (90gr 2F bp)( we had both shot from bench rest) and it knocked that ram about half way up the berm!
So "Size matters"! :thumbsup:

Splinters, try calling a couple of roofers in your area and ask them if you can have or buy some of the lead roof jacks/flashings they remove from old roofs. Most roofers will give you several free. They are pure soft lead and weigh in at three or four pounds each. So you're going to get about 100 .535 balls from each jack.

SamTex said:

Size matters !

Many have answered the original question, but I'll add a story to ML shooting and BP steel. When we had our 1st BP Steel shoot at the Alamo ML club (1980?) I was going to use my new built .62 Full stock (Sharon) Hawken. While practicing down on the 100yd range, one of the top paper pinchinmg shooters also was practicing. I spotted for him, he was using his .45 custom RB rifle. When He shot I watched through the spot scope and could see that Pb spaces on that ram and barely rock it ! He thought he missed ! I told him "NOPE" hit it dead square and it didn't move! He then spotted for me as I took a shot with the .62 (90gr 2F bp)( we had both shot from bench rest) and it knocked that ram about half way up the berm!
So "Size matters"! :thumbsup:

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It's not the size, it's what you do with it! So I been told! :rotf: