opinion on Lyman rifles wanted

[BobinIL]

Now that I have gotten the bug for traditional muzzleloaders I would like to have one very good rifle that will shoot PRB very accurately. I would like it to be 54 caliber due to the heavier RB of the 54. How is the accuracy of the Lyman rifles? I like the great plains rifle but may end up with the deerstalker due to budget constraints.

 

[Maven]

I shoot a .50cal. Ly. Great Plains with a 1:60 twist and couldn't be happier with its accuracy. In fact, I often take it to local woods walks and more often than not finish in the winners circle (not bragging). Three things to note: Some find them a bit heavy, but well balanced (.54cal. will be a bit lighter). I did some polishing of both the lock innards and set triggers and now have a very nice release once the [rear] trigger is set. The factory/adjustable rear sight wouldn't hold its adjustment so I replaced it with the included primitive/fixed sight and gradually filed the front sight to adjust point of impact. All in all it has been a most reliable and accurate gun.

 

[BrownBear]

I have both 50's and 54's, flint and percussion, all GPRs. You could spend a whole lot more on guns and you might or might not get one that's more accurate.

It's worth pointing out that all the Lyman barrels in my firsthand experience, and with lots of similar reports here, the bore needs a "break-in" period of a couple hundred shots to get to it's accuracy potential. The crowns are often sharp enough to cut patches during loading.

I prefer to shoot the couple hundred shots to break in the bore, but some guys cut a piece of green Scotch kitchen cleaning pads, drape it over their jag, and pump that up and down the bore for a while to bypass the break-in period.

As a matter of course now, I expect the crown to be sharp, so I work on it before the first shot. "Work" is too strong a word for what I do. Just tear off a piece of 400 grit wet-dry sandpaper, lay it over the muzzle and press down firmly with your thumb. Rotate it half a dozen to a dozen times, and the sharp edge is "broken" so you don't have any patch cutting.

Pretty short list of accuracy complaints and fixes.

 

[necchi]

Keep saving your money and see if you can find someplace to handle and shoulder each rifle,, there are differences in the way they fit.
The curve of the butt, the drop and cheek are different.
You might find that you prefer the fit of one over the other.

 

[Micah Clark]

I found a used Great Plains on Gun Broker in LH flint 50 for around 350 about 6 years ago, and it was worth every dollar. My wife made it my Christmas present. Great rifle . . yes heavy, but a very nice rifle and a good looking one too. Took my first ML deer with it last fall, Nov 2015.

Shot about 80 grains of 3f Goex with .15 pillow ticking patch .490 ball . . . did the trick, spot on where I aim (I aimed a bit too high from my tree stand.)

 

[BillinOregon]

Agree with the assessments. Hard to find better RB accuracy for twice the money. Just be sure you get one with the slower roundball twist, not the "Hunter" version designed for sabots and such.
These barrels do respond well to break-in. Ross Seyfried polishes them with purple 3M Scotch Brite.

 

[nwtradegun]

I would opt for a used old model first.

 

[will5a1]

Roger that - a decent used one should be available in the $300 - $400 range, may well be better quality than current production and that would be money well spent. My .54 GPR is exceptionally accurate, with the fixed "primitive" rear sight, as noted in an above post the adjustable rear self adjusts in a random fashion. I've owned both .50 and .54 GPR's and prefer the .54 as it is a bit lighter and better balanced for me. Hunt around the auction sites, local gun and pawn stores and you may be able to find one that will come with accessories, powder and ball for a decent price.

 

[Darkgael]

Accuracy of Lyman rifles?
GPR.....50 cal. Flintlock
.490 LRB,0.010 patch, 90 grs. FFg Goex.
3 shots for a contest at 100 yards

 

[Gene L]

Got a percussion GPR and it's accurate. As others have said, it's kinda heavy. The wood on mine is very dark and well fitted. I've had it for 20 years, sold it once and bought it back. I won't sell it again.

Mine was blue when I got it and the first thing I did was to take off the blue and brown the iron. If I had it to do again, I probably wouldn't do that, but I like it.

I've looked for them on auction sites and don't see too many for sale. I can't remember what I paid back then; I think around $400 from Cabela's.

 

[Billnpatti]

Now that I have gotten the bug for traditional muzzleloaders I would like to have one very good rifle that will shoot PRB very accurately. I would like it to be 54 caliber due to the heavier RB of the 54. How is the accuracy of the Lyman rifles? I like the great plains rifle but may end up with the deerstalker due to budget constraints.

I've owned a couple of Lyman GPRs and, in my opinion, they are great production rifles. They are accurate and they look very nice. Accuracy is my first criteria with a rifle but looks are a second criteria. Lyman GPRs have both. I have never owned a Deer Stalker but, based on my experiences with the GPRs, I'd expect them to be a very good gun.

Now, if your purse was a bit fatter, I have a gorgeous .54 cal. custom plains rifle that is a tack driver that I would sell you but it would run about 3 times what a used GPR would cost you. The wood in the stock is the most gorgeous you have ever seen. All of the furniture is color case hardened and the barrel is a gorgeous dark brown. Every time I take it to the range, I get a lot of complements on how beautiful it is and then when they see how well it shoots, I get even more complements.

But, back to your question regarding Lyman rifles. If your purse can afford it, you can't go wrong with a GPR for accuracy and looks. The Deer Stalker is a bit more modern in looks and it just doesn't appeal to me on that account. But, I expect that it is a very good rifle just like the GPR is.

 

[BrownBear]

I have never owned a Deer Stalker but, based on my experiences with the GPRs, I'd expect them to be a very good gun.

I "thought" I owned a Deer Stalker in 54 cal. I bought one anyway, but the moment my wife shot it she claimed it with no room for discussion. It's superbly accurate and easier for her to shoot, being shorter and with less muzzle weight. Sure it doesn't look as "classy" as the GPR, but you should have no regrets in the accuracy department.

 

[pa woods roamer]

Have an older GPR Caplock that although being 20 years old, is still a great shooter. A couple years ago I bought a left handed .50 cal.Flintlock GPR that was a total piece a manure !! Took a year to finally get a new lock and triggers from Lyman to get it shooting . Sold it and just bought a Lyman Trade Rifle that is an absolutely , so far, great Gun !! Accurate and Sparks great and easy on Flints. So maybe Lyman has gotten their QC issue back on track..

 

[jamieorr]

Have an older GPR Caplock that although being 20 years old, is still a great shooter. A couple years ago I bought a left handed .50 cal.Flintlock GPR that was a total piece a manure !! Took a year to finally get a new lock and triggers from Lyman to get it shooting . Sold it and just bought a Lyman Trade Rifle that is an absolutely , so far, great Gun !! Accurate and Sparks great and easy on Flints. So maybe Lyman has gotten their QC issue back on track..

+1 on the Trade Rifle, I have one in flint and love it. The rifle feels great and shoots straight, but the shooter needs more work....

Jamie

 

[Critter Getter]

I would get the GPR over the Deerstalker. I owned a Deerstalker for a short while and still own a GPR. If short and handy in thick brush is a big plus to you, then the Deerstalker won't dissappoint. Overall, I like the GPR better. FYI........ Investarms make the rifles for Lyman. Nice weapons. Good luck. Greg.

 

[nkbj]

Always thought the Deerstalker looked like a great reason to have a drop-in smoothbore octagonal to round longer barrel. Almost went that route but used another light weight half stock rifle instead.
Still some day though, if I see the chance to get a used lefty Deerstalker at a decent price then reckon it'll be in the works.

 

[AZbpBurner]

I've got a bunch of Lymans in flint and percussion, .50 & .54 cal. My GPR is aggravatingly slow to break in, but is well assembled. I got a .54cal flint Deerstalker simply because it was lefthanded & they don't list them in the catalog anymore - it's my "grapefruit gun". Excess grapefruit are placed out at the 100 yard berm and systematically exploded. It really annoys all the scoped Weatherby once-a-year shooters when they watch the flintlock do in a single shot what it takes them all afternoon to hit.

The stumpy little Deerstalker doesn't look very graceful, but accuracy & performance makes it always loads of fun to shoot.

 

[Tallswife]

I have a Lyman Trade .54 flint that I adore! Good weight for me, shorter barrel, fits me well and quite accurate. Hubby says it sparks off as fast as his percussion gun.

 

[Cowboy]

How is the accuracy of the Lyman rifles? I like the great plains rifle but may end up with the deerstalker due to budget constraints.

I own both the GPR and the Deerstalker. My GPR is a .50 and my Deerstalker is a .54. Both are lefty's. Both of mine are caplock's.

I have to say that there is a pretty big difference between both rifles that may surpass budget constraints. The first factor you might want to consider is what do you want to do with the rifle?

If hunting you want to consider the terrain you'll be in. If it's thick underbrush and maneuvering around is difficult, the Deerstalker with its 24" barrel would be better suited for that kind of terrain. It's a good brush gun, and in .54 it's pretty light to carry as well. Also has the rubber recoil pad. It's basically designed as a hunting gun. It's a solid well built muzzleloader! My dislikes with the Deerstalker are the rubber recoil pad, the fiber optic flip down rear sight and fiber bead front sight. I changed over the sights on mine and put on a set of GPR sights.

The Lyman Great Plains Rifle (GPR). Where do I start! Love everything about this rifle.
1. The looks!
2. Accuracy! ( They are tac drivers!)
3. Is more HC/PC correct than the Deerstalker.

In my humble opinion an all around better rifle than the Deerstalker. It's a great hunting rifle as well as a pleasure to shoot at the range.

What I don't care about with the GPR.
1. It is a little heavy, especially the .50 cal. It does balance well though!

2. Factory triggers. Front seems a little heavy and doesn't have a crisp clean break when pulled. I'm hoping to remedy this by the Davis Deerslayer Triggers I just ordered for my GPR.

3. Wedge key fit. Have to work with both keys to get a proper equal retention. The rear wedge key is slightly longer than the front key. Both keys are not the same length!

My conclusion: The GPR is my winner!

A great muzzleloader for the money and can stand up to the best of them with it's accuracy!

In closing, Comparing the two is like comparing apples to oranges. They are two different animals intended for different environments. If you have room to maneuver around and take long clean shots, the GPR is your go to gun. If your in the thick under brush and moving around is rough, the Deerstalker would be more practical with its 24" barrel.

Respectfully, Cowboy :hatsoff:

 

[wattlebuster]

I dont think you will find a more accurate factory rifle than the GPR