Shot my Lyman Deerstalker for the first time today

Well, the day started off early, and after relying on GPS too much to find Dixon's Muzzleloading shop in Kempton, PA I was finally there.

They are GREAT. Answered all my questions and got me everything I need to go shooting.

After that my buddy and I went back home and attempted to fire at a Milk jug maybe 35-40yds away. I missed the first two times, as I need to get used to that powder flash and delay, but the next shots I hit it.

Boy this gun is FUN. The only time I'm a little nervous is when I'm pouring the powder down the barrel. I give it a few minutes to cool off and anything to burn itself out before hand.

Once I practice more and get used to that delay, I'll be ready to take down some deer this year.

The gentleman at Dixon's recommended 2F powder for it, however will 3F give me a quicker burn with less delay between pan to powder?

Edit: As per Dixon's recommendation, I started off with 70gr of 2F and then tried 80. Not sure what I'm going to hunt with, maybe 90.

This is great, upon cleaning it I stuck two patches, which is fine just a little tight, down the barrel to clean out the rifling and upon trying to pull my rod back out the jag and attachment on the cleaning rod came off the rod and now I can't get my patches, jag and threaded end out.

Any ideas??

Did the rod tip actually break off or did you possibly unscrew it?
I've heard of putting a grease zerk in the touchhole and pumping something out of the barrel with a grease gun. Hopefully somebody else can give you a good action plan.
A gunsmith could take the breech out and push it through or else back out the muzzle.

Mtn. Rifle

You probably don't have a CO-2 discharger, but you might want to look about getting one. Make sure you get the one for the flintlock. Also do it outdoors, because they can shoot out pretty hard.

I myself would not use two patches at once down the barrel, but you have already found that out.
Be sure to soak the end of the barrel with the powder in a bucket of water so it does not accidentally discharge.

Good luck.
Outdoorman

By "attachment on the cleaning rod" I'm assuming you are talking about the brass fitting on the end of the ramrod?

As Mountain Rifle mentioned, if your barrel has a vent liner in it you can unscrew the liner.
Then, USING FINGER PRESSURE ONLY, screw a grease fitting that can be bought at a auto parts store into the liner hole.
Get a local lube station or gas station to pump grease into the barrel thru the grease fitting.
That will push out the stuck jag etc.

It does leave a he11 of a mess to clean up when your done though.

Another way to get the stuck jag out is to first find a pillow you don't like and set it in front of something else that's fairly solid that you don't like.
Spend 5-10 minutes trickling the finest grade of black powder that you have down thru the vent and into the breech of the barrel.
When roughly 5-10 grains (about twice the amount needed to prime the pan) of powder is loaded into the barrel your ready to probably break the law and to upset your significant other.

Prime the pan, take aim at the pillow, shooting thru the long axis of it and touch it off.

This will probably shoot the jag clear thru the pillow but hopefully it will either catch the jag or it will slow it down enough that it will come to rest against the other heavier object.

Now that the jag and ramrod end is recovered go to the following post and read about cross pinning the end in place. http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/...p?tid/249046/post/886009/fromsearch/1/#886009

Your flinter will need more powder than I recommended in that post which was for a percussion gun but, the important thing is to pin the brass tip onto the ramrod.

Do NOT ask a local gunsmith to remove your breech plug. First off, they won't know how its done. Second, it will void your warranty.

I meant to respond to Bryan, not Mtn. Rifle.

Sorry about that.

Outdoorman

ok I mean the entire glued on tip of the Lyman rod that contains the threads and all. I believe it's brass but I'm not sure.

I really didn't do anything that I haven't already done. Two patches fits a tad tight but I can always pull it out by hand, this time the fitting on the end of the rod just came loose. Maybe a patch is bunched up, causing a bind. I pulled my hardest until the rod came out but no jag/rod tip and patch.

Guys, I'm really leery about putting powder into it and firing it for safety's sake. Pulling a ball is not as hard as this, so I really don't want to put powder in the barrel. I've sent an email to Lyman, so hopefully they can offer me some advice. I hope they replace the barrel and rod, as a rod shouldn't come apart as easy as this one did, in all reality.

The end of a rod will come off on about every standard factory rod I have ever seen. A jag was not made to be used with two patches. If it has been easy to pull out in the past then you have been lucky. The truth hurts, but that is the truth.

The above poster told you the easiest way to get it out. If you do not think that is safe then I would take it to the gunsmith. But if you told Lyman you were running two patches then I doubt if they would send you a new barrel. You just simply made a mistake. And we have all made mistakes. Tom.

Bryan, do a search on this problem. Believe it or not, it gets discussed here all the time. You're not the first to do it.

The CO2 discharger should also have been added to my suggestions.
It is perhaps the safest way to get the jag out but it will still come out with such force that it will damage easily breakable items so aim the gun in a safe direction.

The next time you get a cleaning patch stuck down the barrel DO NOT TRY TO FORCE IT OUT.

Pour some water down the barrel and let it soak for a minute or two.
Then add some water and push the stuck patch/jag down just a bit and then pull it out.

This water trick almost always causes a stuck patch/jag to release its grip and slide easily out of the bore.

If you have an air compressor and a rubber tipped blowgun, point it in a safe direction and give it a shot thru the touch hole. Then pin the end on your ram rod. Traditions come pinned and they stay on there. If you tune the lock she will fire damn near instantaneous. :thumbsup:

Well, I've had enough beers in me that I suppose I could try maybe 10gr down the barrel and try to blow it out, but for safety's sake, I REALLY want this to be a last-resort.

Let me try to run some hot water down the barrel, to expand the metal and soften the patches and see if I can pull them out.

If all else fails, I'll go all Braveheart on the barrel and see if that works. I'm used to semi-auto rifles and bolt actions where I know pressures are a real-life danger so I'm not really all that keen on trying to cause an explosion in my barrel, that could very well, not blow the obstruction out the way we all hope it goes..........

Update,

Yeah, Gorilla Glue did nothing... so much for gluing my Ford F-150 to my garage ceiling....

Time to get some hot water.... some Thermite and an aerosol can (don't ask). LOL just kidding, just hot water.

Update.

Sad times. The soak in hot water did nothing. The rod just doesn't have anything to grab onto to pull it's threaded part out.

I suppose I can try to shoot it out, but after soaking in water, I can't do that tonight.

But If I get up around 10-15 gr, beyond that it's too unsafe, UNLESS SOMEONE MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE THAN ME WANTS TO STOP ME NOW.

Please, for the love of Pete, if this seems dangerous, stop me now. I look upon you experts for guidance, as this is beyond my expertise.

I seen where this has been posted before. I need links. Lots and lots of links. The search feature has not come up with anything that may help.

Don't load 15 grains of powder.
That is way too much.

Actually 5 grains, just a little over a pan of prime is enough to blow out the jag.

Many is the time I've loaded about that much powder into my caplocks when I dryballed.

When fired the report is kinda a Thumpppp and the ball goes bouncing downrange about 40-60 yards.

by the way, by trying to force the newly-glued rod into it's piece that is stuck in my barrel, the rod piece and patches are down, darn near the break so I don't know how much powder I can dump down there to blow it out, even IF it's deemed safe.

Bryan: YOU do UNDERSTAND that the powder goes into the Touch hole( vent), BEhind the blockage, and is not " dumped down " the barrel? Trust me, you won't get much powder into the TH and behind a stuck jag, and wad.

Bryan said:

by the way, by trying to force the newly-glued rod into it's piece that is stuck in my barrel, the rod piece and patches are down, darn near the break so I don't know how much powder I can dump down there to blow it out, even IF it's deemed safe.

Click to expand...

The powder goes in the touch hole behind the jag, do not dump it down the barrel. You should take it to Dixons and have them remove it if you are not sure how to do it.

I agree completely with Boondocker. TAKE IT BACK TO DIXON'S. THEY WILL SMILE AND THEN FIX YOUR GONNE.
volatpluvia

Bryan---While at Dixon's, check on the CO-2 discharger.

Don't panic, don't feel bad, and don't do anything you are uncomfortable with. Trust these guys. They are going to get you through this.

We're all in this together with you. :thumbsup:

Outdoorman