Received my New Lyman GPR Today : )

[Badger One]

I just opened and inspected my new Lyman/Pedersoli GPR. This is my very first muzzleloader. It's quite impressive and much heftier than expected...especially the business end. Looks amazing except I don't care for the stock's finish. Too light and shiny but that will be a fun fix this winter. I'm going to copy what a gentleman did in another thread as I too prefer a darker stain. I bought it at Midway and it came very well packaged. I don't understand their pricing? It was listed as clearance with 1 remaining in stock. After I purchased it and went back to the product page there were now 2 in stock at a much higher price. Why didn't they just sell all 3 at the same price? Weird. Anyway, I'm real pleased with the rifle and can't wait to shoot her.

Here's are the supplies I bought:

4 lbs. of Goex 2f
100 .530 round ball
100 lubed patches
1000 no. 11 caps
range rod
short starter
bore cleaner
bore jag
bore brush
bore mop
powder measure (75 grains)

Is there anything else I will need on my first outing? Is there anything that I should do to the rifle before shooting? Will it hurt the rifle if I fire a few caps off for fun?

Cheers and thanks for all the wonderful education I have received reading this forum. Great bunch of people here.

Mike

 

[S.Kenton]

I’d grab a ball puller, and a patch puller.. As well as a nipple wrench, just in case you dry ball... eventually EVERYONE dry balls, so you will need these items some time.

 

[MIOutdoorsman]

Congrats and welcome to the world of black powder. I have a GPR in ,54 flintlock for hunting and fun and it’s a pretty good piece. Sounds like you’re pretty well set for getting to the range. I recommend trying .530 and .535 size round balls, paired with lubed patches ranging in thicknesses between .010, .015, and maybe some others too. Most guys fool around a bit to find just the right combination of ball and patch that achieves the best accuracy, and it can vary even for the same brand and caliber rifle. Likewise with powder, you’ll want to experiment on how much to use. I started with about 65 grains of FF and increased slowly until I settled in on 90 for hunting. Some guys use FFF instead of FF in their .54 calibers, and the Lyman manual suggest either FF or FFF, but I’ve been happy with FF in my Lyman GPR. If you ever switch to FFF, use less grains, as it is more powerful per grain.

 

[MIOutdoorsman]

Also... they say a new barrel needs to “break in” before it settles it achieves its best accuracy. Some say 100 round balls or so is the break-in period. I’m not sure about that, but I set a goal of at least 50 shots of practice before I took it hunting, where an ethical shot is important.

 

[FishnRod]

Awesome rifles. I love my Great Plains.

 

[Notchy Bob]

I think you're in pretty good shape for your first trip to the range. It would be a good idea to have a nipple wrench in your kit, but you may be able to improvise until you can get a proper wrench. You'll also want to have a nipple pick, which can be as simple as a short piece of wire of a diameter small enough to go through the little flash hole in the bottom of the nipple. If you play guitar, save the cut off end of your new low E string when you change your strings. Trim it so you have about 1-1/2" of bare wire and about 1-1/2" with the winding on it. These make perfect nipple picks. The winding makes the wire easy to hold. If you don't play guitar, you can PM your address to me and I'll mail a couple to you.

I would recommend that you bring a screwdriver that fits your lock bolts. You may already have one.

You will also want an adjustable powder measure as soon as you can get one. Your 75 grain charger ought to get you through your first session, but eventually you'll want to experiment with different loads.

Be safe, and have fun!

Notchy Bob

 

[zneufeld]

I recently got a new flintlock GPR in .54, and the only thing I've recently ordered that I wish I had sooner is a smaller brush and jag to clean in the patent breech (the manual recommends .38 cal). It has been a bit of a struggle to clean that area (I've awkwardly used a poorly sized slotted tip to try to get most of the fouling, and many passes of hot water and a little dish soap.

I also was really thankful I got a case with a range rod holder. 53 in. Musket Case

Perhaps the 2 more expensive ones you see are the new Signature Series? I bought the last one of the regular ones from Track, and a while later they had the Signatures in stock but no more of the regulars.

 

[j.scotto]

Get an adjustable powder measure. 75 grains may or may not be optimal and you'll be wanting to experiment.

Edit.....Ah now I see Notchy Bob beat me to it!

 

[FiremanBrad]

Cleaning patches!

 

[FishDFly]

"After I purchased it and went back to the product page there were now 2 in stock at a much higher price. Why didn't they just sell all 3 at the same price? Weird."

Nope, not weird at all.

Midway is managing inventory pricing and taxes.

There are two (2) ways to manage inventory pricing and taxes. LIFO an FIFO. Last in/first out. First in/first out.

You have to chose one. They are using LIFO.

 

[deermanok]

You'll want to clean the barrel prior to loading. Usually, new gun barrels are pretty greasy when sent from the factory. Run some dry patches in it and then some alcohol dipped patches to clean out any oils or grease. Good shooting.

 

[FishDFly]

Sage advice.

Read the manual that comes with the rifle before doing anything.

 

[N.Y. Yankee]

There are many little tools and accessories out there that will help you shoot or clean your gun. If you are buying one, buy two. It's amazing how little things come up missing when you need them A nipple pick is a good thing to have on hand at the range and at the workbench. Sometimes large chunks come out of the primer cap and clog the nipple. Use the pick to clear it. When cleaning the gun, I put the nipple in a small jar of Windex to soak, then I clean it out with a piece of pipe cleaner and the pick. I like to have a small bottle of windex or Moose Milk with me at the range if I want to swab the bore between shots or at the end of shooting. Moose Milk is a homemade mix of 1 part Ballistol oil and 7 parts water. It makes a good cleaning solvent. Find an old flannel sheet or set of pajamas and cut out a bag full of inch-and-a-half square patches. Put a handful in a ziploc bag and put them in your kit. Dont be afraid to use patches. A nice medium size fishing tackle box is great for holding all your kit. Take it with you to the range. Also get somerags and an old towel for the range. They come in very handy for multiple uses. Your hands will get grungy from shooting. Take some Moose Milk on a rag and they clean right up.

 

[Columbus]

You'll want to clean the barrel prior to loading. Usually, new gun barrels are pretty greasy when sent from the factory. Run some dry patches in it and then some alcohol dipped patches to clean out any oils or grease. Good shooting.

Running a dry patch down the barrel of a gun you just got is a good way to learn all there is to know about something being stuck in a barrel. (ask me how I know)

 

[Grenadier1758]

You first cleaning patches should be done with patches soaked in rubbing alcohol to remove the shipping grease. Then use the dry patches. Be sure to clean the chambered breech. That will take a smaller tip or 30 caliber brush with a alcohol soaked patch to clean the breech. Remove the nipple and run a pipe cleaner through the flash channel to clean that out too. With the nipple out, look at the nipple seat to see if that manufacturing plug, sometimes called a "clean out screw", is interfering with the nipple seat. This would be the time to shorten that plug or back it out slightly.

Take a look at your ram rod. You want the tips cross pinned to prevent the tip from pulling out during cleaning or wiping between shots. I use a finishing nail about 1/16" in diameter. Drill the cross hole and lightly counter sink the holes. Cover the pin with epoxy and drive it through. Cut the excess off and and peen the ends into the counter sink and smooth with a file.

Your cleaning jags should have the threaded shank made of steel. Much less likely to fail in use.

There are many threads to help with the removal of a stuck patch. Do avoid over sized bore sized brass brushes. Hopefully your bore brush has the wire looped through the base of the jag and not pressed into to base of the brush. When the brush pulls out is another topic to be dealt with.

That mixture of "Moose Milk" (one of the hundreds of versions of water soluble oil and water that mix into a milky colored liquid) is also good as a patch lubricant. Well, at least its the mix I use.

 

[SDSmlf]

I just opened and inspected my new Lyman/Pedersoli GPR. This is my very first muzzleloader. It's quite impressive and much heftier than expected...especially the business end. Looks amazing except I don't care for the stock's finish. Too light and shiny but that will be a fun fix this winter. I'm going to copy what a gentleman did in another thread as I too prefer a darker stain. I bought it at Midway and it came very well packaged. I don't understand their pricing? It was listed as clearance with 1 remaining in stock. After I purchased it and went back to the product page there were now 2 in stock at a much higher price. Why didn't they just sell all 3 at the same price? Weird. Anyway, I'm real pleased with the rifle and can't wait to shoot her.

Here's are the supplies I bought:

4 lbs. of Goex 2f
100 .530 round ball
100 lubed patches
1000 no. 11 caps
range rod
short starter
bore cleaner
bore jag
bore brush
bore mop
powder measure (75 grains)

Is there anything else I will need on my first outing? Is there anything that I should do to the rifle before shooting? Will it hurt the rifle if I fire a few caps off for fun?

Cheers and thanks for all the wonderful education I have received reading this forum. Great bunch of people here.

Mike

You definitely have a more complete list of ‘stuff’ than I did when I got started. Couple of comments. You may want to avoid using the bore brush for now. They really aren’t necessary when cleaning up after shooting patched roundballs, plus they tend to get stuck and come apart in your bore. There are many threads on the topic. Not sure what kind of bore clearer you purchased, but if it’s intended for modern powder it may not be effect on blackpowder. Blackpowder fouling requires water to remove it. Soap and water or just water will work.

Enjoy your new gun and welcome to the forum from North Carolina.

 

[Badger One]

I read through every comment. Thank you everyone for all the great advise. I'm ordering a few more items today.

One thing I forgot to comment on regarding the rifle is how much I like that there isn't much on the barrel. Just three tiny proof marks, serial number, an oval with dp, and then two small lines "black powder only" / "Pedersoli made in Italy". All of this is on the left side and very discrete. I hate when the manufactures use huge markings. I also noticed there is not one reference on the rifle to Lyman or Great Plains Rifle.

Thanks again,

Mike

 

[Nameless Hunter]

I read through every comment. Thank you everyone for all the great advise. I'm ordering a few more items today.

One thing I forgot to comment on regarding the rifle is how much I like that there isn't much on the barrel. Just three tiny proof marks, serial number, an oval with dp, and then two small lines "black powder only" / "Pedersoli made in Italy". All of this is on the left side and very discrete. I hate when the manufactures use huge markings. I also noticed there is not one reference on the rifle to Lyman or Great Plains Rifle.

Thanks again,

Mike

Like the missing reference to Lyman. If you didn't make it, why should your name be stamped on it? Lyman is a reseller of something made by someone else, and IMO, has no more justification for stamping their name on an item than any other reseller.

 

[Kenn]

Your GPR must have been assembled since it came from Pedersoli & you're ready for the range. Mine was in kit format & was from Interarms, same country tho. I believe the Pedersoli model's lock has a leaf main spring which would be more authentic. Mine has a coil spring which is fine with me. From what you provided, the barrel stampings are also different. Mine doesn't have Pedersoli, but "Lyman, Middleton, CT." The stamping is unobtrusive tho, & rather old fashioned in appearance. Same wonderful rifle (I'm guessing) but with minor differences. Enjoy! I'd wager it'll be a real tack driver for you.

 

[B P Maniac Shooter]

Is there anything else I will need on my first outing? Is there anything that I should do to the rifle before shooting? Will it hurt the rifle if I fire a few caps off for fun?

This may help you get started: