I'm getting closer to the Dark Side - need rifle advice please.

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Fat_46

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I've been shooting and reloading for more years that I'll admit publicly, all for smokeless.

I am now ready to get into BP shooting, and need some help picking a good, yet value(NOT cheap) priced rifle. It will be used for target shooting and deer hunting. I'm looking for a rifle that:

has excellent value
is relatively easy to learn the secrets of BP on
is in a common caliber
has good hunting sights for use with trifocals

Other than that, I'm not picky ;)

Let me know what you think might meet those criteria.

Thanks in advance!
 
traditions Frontier rifle, get the kit version if you like building stuff. accurate, powerful, the sights are big so you won't have any problems giving them a try. i have the flintlock. this thing will shoot the hair off a fly's lip at 100 paces. i use molds to make my ammo. it's free projectiles and i am able to recycle the bullets i recover. VERY VERY GOOD QUALITY. if you don't feel like a flintlock then go percussion, it's probably great in percussion too! mine will ignite Jim Shockey's Gold blackpowder substitute. i have never put a round through that that wasn't cast by me, and i have never used factory made flints. only the ones i make.
 
For a beginner in BP I would suggest a percussion rifle, not a flinter. LOTS less frustration.

For a first rifle, it is very hard to beat Lyman's Great Plains Rifle in .50 caliber. It will do all that you ask, and do it well. The rate of twist is 1 in 66, just right for patched round ball.

After you become proficient with the caplock, you can move on to flint.

Be forewarned however, this could easily become an addiction.:evil:

And - welcome to the club!
 
OK well you are talking Lyman, Great Plains Rifle in percussion, or if that's a bit too expensive, a Lyman Trade Rifle in percussion. .50 caliber would be more common than .54. 1:48" twist means you can shoot patched round ball, or go heavier with a conical bullet. Open iron sights that can be improved for targets or older eyes with a rear, peep sight. Reliable, accurate, deer slaying rifles, excellent for entry into this portion of the hobby.

Inlines have gone the way of long range shooting, more than 150 yards, and so the makers expect they will be fitted with scopes. As such I have found they have very basic sights, not really suited to getting the best accuracy from the rifle. If you prefer a scope for your eyes, well then you can find a good price on an inline such as a T/C Triumph or Traditions Vortex, as well as several others on the market, and probably for less than the Lyman above.

I would prefer the Lyman myself, but to each their own.

LD
 
Another vote for the Lyman Great Plains. You may find the primitive sights to be a problem with trifocals, but Lyman makes excellent replacement sights that will work very well. Second place, a very close second place, would be the Thompson Center Hawken - they're more expensive so a used one would be in order. However, buying used black powder rifles really should not be done by a first time buyer - there are some serious condition issues you need to be prepared to look at. Cabela's Hawken is made by Investarms, the same people who make the Lyman Great Plains and it's a very good rifle as well.

All of the above are 100 yard rifles with patched round ball. 150 yards would be their absolute limit - I wouldn't take a 150 yard shot with one but if you had taken the time to work up a good accurate load and had confidence in your ability it could be done.
 
Just my two cents...

Either of these would be a great rifle, both are very well made, and affordably priced.

This is a Traditions 50 Cal Hawkin Rifle... for $425.25

FR0504.jpg

http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_92_186_190&products_id=12454

This next one is a Traditions 50 Cal. Tennessee Short Carbine, another excellant value at $465.25

FR0664.jpg

http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_92_186_190&products_id=12448

I suggest these two rifles, because you stated a need for accuracy, and both of these rifles have double set triggers, allowing for a very precise trigger pull, they can be easily outfitted with a number of different traditional styles of long tube scopes...

http://www.dixiegunworks.com/default.php?cPath=22_129_647

Or, precision calibrated rear sights.

http://www.dixiegunworks.com/default.php?cPath=22_129_651_653

Don't shy away from flinters, just because some people think they are "pesky" or "finicky". They really aren't any less reliable than percussion cap ignition guns are. If, someone is having difficulties with their flinter, this would indicate some sort of problem, either with an improperly sized flint, a dulled flint, an improperly mounted flint, or, possibly with improper tempering of the frizzen (Striker), or misaligned geometry between the frizzen and the flint hammer. Alot of inexpensive flint guns out there will delliver a flinter that is in need of "tuning". Basically what this means is that the flint hammer geometry needs to be checked, and the flint hammer may need to be heated and gently bent slightly, this way or that, to allign it properly with the frizzen during it's travel path, or, that the frizzen itself needs proper heat treatment... Neither of these things are not that difficult to do, and any competant gunsmith who has knowlege of flintlocks can perform these services for rather nominal fees.

A properly alligned and tempered flintlock should spark easily, profusely, and ignite the priming powder quickly and reliably. Indeed, a "Test" of a good flintlock mechanism is to fire the gun upside down, a properly tuned and tempered flintlock will ignite the barrel charge even from an upside down position !!!

At any rate, once you have selected your rifle, you will undoubedly need all the gizmos and do-dads to go with it, all the "possibles" as they are called, and, of course, some kind of a bag to carry them around with you, a "possibles bag". By the time you fill up your possibles bag, with ball and bullet bags, a flint pouch, patches, ball lube, a powder flask/horn, powder measure, priming pan powder dispenser, short starter, palm saver, small leather mallet, various small tools for your ramrod, and of course, your flints or caps, your powders, your balls and bullets... et all... You will find that you will have spent nearly as much on all that stuff as you did on either of the above two rifles... LOL... Such is life !!! (And of course, MORE, if you start casting your own balls and bullets.)

Like I said, just my two cents... Have FUN with it !!!

Sincerely,

ElvinWarrior... aka... David, "EW"
 
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Went through the same hunt a couple of months ago. Settled on a .50 caliber flintlock Lyman Trade Rifle from Third Generation Shooting Supply. Great prices, and shipping was only $4.95. I don't regret the purchase of the flintlock for one second. But if you go that way, buy some good English hand-knapped flints when you can. The cut agate flint that comes with the rifle has a very limited life expectancy.

Oh, and it is easy to upgrade the stock sights to fine hunting sights ... buckhorn, fiber optic, or peep. I just put fiber optics on mine.

Here's a link to Third Generation's Lyman page: http://store.thirdgenerationshootingsupply.com/browse.cfm/2,4704.html
 
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Go with a percussion rifle first. I would look to the Lyman Great Plains rifle or the Thompson Center Hawken.
 
I hunt deer with an inline rifle and target shoot using patched round balls with a traditional gun.
At $219 the CVA Optima is a break action rifle that has a stainless barrel and is one of many fine inline models for deer hunting. The fast twist barrels deliver consistent first shot accuracy, even at 100 yards. They use 209 shotgun primers and can be loaded with the new non-corrosive, smokeless Blackhorn 209 black powder substitute. Many shots can be taken without swabbing at all between shots. And the inline rifles have a removable breech plug for easy and thorough cleaning.
Most inlines have high visibility adjustable fiber optic sights, and you may even be able to qualify to use a 1X scope for deer hunting in Minnesota. If not, a scope can always be mounted to use for target shooting only.

http://www.rrarms.com/catalog.php?prod=PR2010S
 
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i like to make my own blackpowder accessories, usually combining two or more tools in one. for instance i can use my steel from my flint and steel set to chip a new edge on the flint. then, i can use the antler tine handle on my patch knife to finely sharpen the edge. forgot to take into consideration that you should probably be good with your hands when you shoot a flintlock. i have heard good stuff about the Kentucky rifle, in fact i am thinking about getting one soon right after i buy a Marlin Model 60, then a .44 Remmy, LOL! it's on my list and that's what matters.
 
A sincere thanks to all who have responded. I'm not looking for something I can mount optics on right now. They aren't legal here for hunting. I REALLY like the Lyman rifles. However - a disappointing fact just emerged. I'm fairly certain I want a Remington 1858 clone now too. And I saw a BP shotgun that looks interesting. Oh - these Howdah things look neat as well!

I believe my July bonus may already be spent...plus some!


Again - thanks to all that responded. I wish I could promise not to make any future noob posts, but although I will stretch the length on the occasional walleye, I can't tell a whopper that big!
 
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