Cabela's "Update"

[Keppy]

"If you recall" I came across a Cabelas 54 cal.single trigger,brass furniture except thin rubber butt plate. Looks to be factory. Plastic ram rod.Seems to have a nice trigger pull. 28 inch barrel, But does have fiber optic sights, and not sure if that would be factory. It has a few dings and one small chip in the stock near the lock and wouldn't hurt anything. Its used and the barrel looked like it would clean up. Was wondering if any of you have one or can tell me anything about this rifle. I'm thinking $120. might be worth getting just to have a 54 cal. I didn't really see any other marking except Cabelas N.E. and made in Italy. Thanks

Well I bought it and it cleaned up nice. Will have to get a picture of it sometime. I believe it was a kit. It needed some TLC. When I went back to look at it again. I pulled out the ram rod and well thought I would put it down the barrel before I put my light down there. Guess what it had a load in it. I told the clerk and he was a little red faced. It turned out to be powder, no ball and we think pellets. Well I got $60. into it. I hope to shoot it this weekend. I will have to put a new front sight on it some time, its cracked. Has the williams fire sights on it. Thanks for reading. Will keep you posted.

 

[RedFeather]

I always check a gun with the ramrod. Was at a show Sunday and a fellow had some real interesting pieces. I dropped the ramrod into one rifle and it disappeared! I hadn't noticed it was maybe a foot shorter than the barrel. Probably from another gun. Luckily, it fell back out, else I would have been embarassed.


RedFeather

 

[Runner]

What you are describing is a Tradition's Deerhunter except that the barrel is not that long.

 

[Keppy]

Yes its a Cabela's stamp and the big I on the barrel. The barrel actually measures 28 inches. I got it clean up and what a diifrence. It looks like a completly different rifle. I wished I would have took before pictures. I'm taking it to an BP shop this weekend, he was interested in seeing it and I'm getting low on BP. If the weather is not storming I'll shoot it this weekend.

 

[ryoung14]

Don't know if you got the manual with it, Hacksaw, but if you didn't the max. charge weights with .54 roundball and conical are as follows:
----------------ffg------------fffg
PRB.............100..............80
Conical..........90..............70...(405gr. Maxi)

This is from the Investarms manuals that came with my .50 Cabela Hawken carbine and my .54 GPR. I think you'll like that gun alot; the Cabela/Investarms sidelocks are solid guns and a great value. :thumbsup:
Bob

 

[WI Smoke]

Short Start
On your GPR in .54 the max load as Stated in the yellow Investarms manual says

Round Ball.......Conical
2f 100grns.......2f 90grns
3f 80grns........3f 70grns

In the Lyman Users Guide that came with the same gun (Cover shows a guy in a coon skin cap)
It says:

Round Ball........Conical
2f 120grns........2f 110grns
3f 100grns........3f 90grns

Just some info take it as you will.
Tomorrow I am going to call Lyman and ask how they can give two stories that arrive with the same gun. :hmm:
WI Smoke

 

[Mad Professor]

Short Start
On your GPR in .54 the max load as Stated in the yellow Investarms manual says

Round Ball.......Conical
2f 100grns.......2f 90grns
3f 80grns........3f 70grns

In the Lyman Users Guide that came with the same gun (Cover shows a guy in a coon skin cap)
It says:

Round Ball........Conical
2f 120grns........2f 110grns
3f 100grns........3f 90grns

Just some info take it as you will.
Tomorrow I am going to call Lyman and ask how they can give two stories that arrive with the same gun. :hmm:
WI Smoke

In these matters I've tried to contact Investarms via email, no response. Maybe I need to contact them in Italian (Bon Jerno)?

I've two old barrels (Investarms, not that old ca. 30 yrs) from a lyman plains rifle (not GPR, one barrel lug, was wondering about max loads etc.....) Lyman don't have much either? They said all who might have a clue were at the SHOT show this week.

Besides my 58 barrel there is also question(s) many have asked about 15/16 62 cal smoothbore barrel which I have (stamped w/both lyman/investarm).

Anyway, don't bounce the thread. If I hear anything I'll post the 62 stuff on the smooth bore thread.

P.S. Anyone have the combo I've got? asked a wile ago. Lyman 58 cal 1-48 twist and 62 cal smoothbore barrels, both 15/16 on the flats

 

[Keppy]

Short Start
Thanks No I didn't get anything with this rifle. I was trying to rearch cabela's to see if there was a online manual. So far I haven't had any luck.

 

[ryoung14]

Verrrrrrry Interesting, Wi Smoke. :hmm: Dug out my GPR's Lyman manual (came with gun-new in 1999-guy in coonskin cap [and his dog] on cover) and see numbers consistent with the Investarms manuals:
.535RB.....100gr. 2fg or 80gr. 3fg
.54 Maxi....90gr. 2fg and no mention of 3fg

Maybe the newer guns are stronger; maybe they felt heavier max loads would sell more guns and just upped the numbers. Used to wonder 'Why the conservative ratings compared with T/C?'. But after reading this site and some others concluded it had something to do with how the barrels are proofed.

It'll be interesting to see what Lyman has to say about this. Would like to try heavier loads in my GPR. PRB over 90gr. RS works well for targets and hunting.
Bob

 

[sneakon]

"Guess what it had a load in it"

I recently got an old, beat up smoothbore that had been in the cellar of the house I grew up in for the past 45 years and in the house that my mom grew up in for 40 years before that. My mom's brothers played with is as a toy as did I growing up. Now that I know a little bit about muzzleloaders, the first thing I did when I got the gun to my house was to check the barrel to see if there was anything in there. Sure enough the ramrod stopped about 2 inches short of the breech plug. I finally got a CO2 discharger last weekend and cleared the barrel. No lead bullet or patch, but there was powder and something that looks like what is left of a cork bullet.

 

[Cherokee]

That was probably someone idea of a blank.

 

[RedFeather]

One gun writer talked of checking out an old double barrel that had sat in the family's closet for generations. Both barrels were loaded and the wadding was from an 1870's French newspaper.

RedFeather

 

[Keppy]

I just got off the phone with Cabela's customer service and they could not help me with a manaul of any kind for this rifle. I was able to download a manual for my old CVA Kentucky made in Spain :hmm: Now you would think Investment arms would have the same. I haven't found anything yet.

 

[cayugad]

Lyman Rifles

Go to the Lyman Rifle link and they have manuals on line. You can down load the manual or instruction. For you, I would think the Trade Rifle of Deer Stalker would be fine for you. I have a Trade Rifle in .54 caliber. It came with a Lyman manual and an Investarms manual. They have different powder charge limits, but I would not get too concerned about that. You rifle will tune in under the max in most cases. The big thing is the instructions there. I think the limit for your is 110 grains or something like that. My Trade Rifle shoots 90 grains of Goex 2f and a patched roundball excellent.

 

[Keppy]

Thank you for that info
:thumbsup: