Brand new to BP with a couple questions.

[William O.]

Thanks for the great welcome and all of the advice guys I ended up ordering the Lyman trade rifle that joe4702 and bull3540 linked me to. I ended up going with the .54 just on impulse and I can't wait until it arrives friday :grin: I'll spend some time this weekend at a sporting goods store getting the basics I need to send a couple of shots downrange next week.-Eric

Outstanding! Start with .530 RB and pre-lubed .015 patches. 55 grains of traditional black powder such as Goex or 45 grains of Triple 7 will be a good starting load. You'll need some cleaning patches which you can make yourself out of old t-shirts or buy at the store but I recommend that you pick up some 91% rubbing alcohol. Put 2 dozen or so cleaning patches in a jar or bottle and pour just enough alcohol over them to make them damp. Use them to swab your bore in between shots to return things to as near the same for each shot as your can while you are working up the best load for your rifle as they remove a good deal of powder fouling. The alcohol evaporates quicker than water or spit so less chance of affecting the next charge of fresh powder. The alcohol hand wipes are also very handy to have around or you can just pour it on an old rag.

One thing to keep in mind is that Lyman barrels sometimes don't shoot their best until the bore is well polished which you can do by using a little steel wool wrapped around the cleaning jag, bore paste like JB's on a cleaning patch or just shooting it in. Whichever you find to be the most fun is the best way for you; enjoy! :grin:

 

[ebiggs1]

... the massive corrosion that the Pyro caused. ...

This is nonsense, so don't worry about it. Of course you need to clean your gun well after shooting so there won't be any problems. 1000's and 1000's of folks shoot subs for years and years and don't have massive issues.
Pyrodex is the cheapest, around here anyway, and I see no reason for spending more and not getting more.
Otherwise follow the advice of the two previous posters and you will do just fine.

 

[Dphar]

If this forum is like any other gun forum on the web you probably get this question twice a week, but I quick searched and didn't get any hits, so here goes.

I'm looking to purchase my first BP rifle and was hoping for a little advice as I don't have any friends into this whom I can ask. I'm leaning towards a percussion rifle to get started, just because I'm a little intimidated by flintlock.

I'm looking for an entry level rifle in the $250-$350 price range. I'm not expecting to get a gem for that price but any recommendations for a good reliable rifle to keep my eyes open for would be much appreciated.

Also input on caliber would be appreciated, 98% of my shooting will be for fun, but I'll probably take the rifle out to hunt for black tail, or mule deer this fall. does .45, .50 , or .54 really matter when taking medium sized game? I'm hoping to shoot patch and ball exclusively.

I know there's a lot to digest here, but thanks for the welcome and your time.

-Eric

See if you can contact a member of the Washington Historical Gunmaker's Guild. The advice there will be superior to most found on the WWW. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Washington-Historical-Gunmakers-Guild/185598634862455

or here if you scroll down to August 22 you will find contacts. http://www.wamuzzleloaders.org/RENDEZVOUS SCHEDULE.htm



A 50 caliber RB rifle is near ideal for deer with 80-90 gr of blackpowder. BUT as with anything shot placement is the key.
The terms good and cheap never really go together in ML arms.
I have a rifle that the BARREL cost 425 bucks. The lock 130, the stock 250 as a blank.
This said there are relatively low cost guns that are usable. But with todays inflation 350 bucks won't buy much and many used percussion guns have corrosion issues of greater or lesser severity from corrosive substitute powder. The problems that can arise can be daunting to a new shooter so finding a guild member and/or a club that shoots MLs can be a real aid.

Dan

 

[Eric-wa]

So my trade rifle came on the big brown truck on friday and I kind of have an issue. The rifle came with the stock and barrel seperate and when I go to seat the barrel into the stock it won't lay down in the stock so that I can get the retaining wedge through the slot.

The packaging specifically says not to force the barrel down because it will crack the stock and void the warranty, but it doesn't say what I should do.

 

[MSW]

Aaaaaargh! Frustration ... i feel you pain, man ...

avoid the temptation to thwack it- you run the risk of snapping something. Instead, see if you can call the manufacturer and explain what is going on.

You'll forget this bump in the road as soon as you start making smoke.

By way of warning: this hobby is highly habit forming... to paraphrase the little green Jedi master: once white smoke made have you, forever will it dominate your range time.

 

[Many Klatch]

Eric, as a rule you never leave the stock and barrel separate because the wood can move with changes in moisture. I see you are in Washington which can be really wet. Don't know where your gun came from but if it was built in a dry climate I would guess the wood has sucked up the moisture and shifted some. Find a dry place to store the stock and it may move back.

If the stock moves that much it may affect your accuracy. You might have to adjust the stock some for your locality.

Many Klatch

 

[Eric-wa]

Thanks for the response, definitely something to think about as far as moisture is concerned. I'd emailed lyman about the problem last weekend and to there credit I had a response in my email inbox when I got home from work on monday.

The individual who responded suggested that I try loosening the rear screw on the tang by 1/4 turn and the front screw by 1/2-1 full turn. Worked like a charm and the rifle is now assembled.

I'm kind of torn because I feel like a new rifle should actually fit together, but I'm very impressed by the promptness of lyman's response.

 

[Adui]

Don't be torn, that to me is a sign of a rifle that was fitted tightly and the wood swelled a little from a change in moisture. While my rifle is not a Lyman, I too have to loosen the tang to remove and or install the barrel. Mine came fully assembled and this is the case now after years of ownership.

 

[smokymountainmike]

Eric, I agree with the other guys when it comes to the Lyman GPR. These guns have a more authenic look and they shoot very good. I have a 54 cal that I stripped all the bluing off of and went back with a rust brown finish on all the hardware and it looks nice. You can't beat a GPR for the money. Mine is very accurate with 100 grs of Goex ffg powder and a .530 ball using a .15 patch.

 

[William O.]

I got the same advice from Lyman when I couldn't get the barrel of my new Trade Rifle to fit into the stock, and it worked like a charm. Glad you got the same results.