Lyman GP powder and ball recipe needed

[sefus]

I just ordered up a .54 Lyman Great Plains flint in ball twist (1:60) and realized, i dont know what to use in it. I've mostly just been shooting a .58 caplock slug gun so now Im wondering what has worked for others with a Great Plains shooting round ball? Specific powders, ball sizes, patch sizes, lubes...

Any help would be great.
Thanks!

-Sefus

 

[Omnivore]

Your manual will have some limited info on loads:
http://www.lymanproducts.com/lymanproducts/LymanUsersGuide.pdf

 

[mykeal]

Percussion or flint?

Actually, I use the same in both mine. I only ask because if you have a flintlock you will not want to use any of the substitute powders.

Starting out with a new gun: .530 rb, 0.015 lubed patch or 0.018 pillow ticking, 70 gr ffg real black powder (Goex). Lube is Bore Butter or any commercial barrel lube.

After about 100 rounds, 0.535 rb, 0.020 pillow ticking (dry lubed), 70 to 90 gr ffg real black (70 gr for 50 yard targets, 90 for 100 yard targets and hunting). Lube is 7 parts water to 1 part Ballistol or other mineral oil based solvent, patch material soaked then allowed to dry.

 

[kartoffel]

In my 1:66 twist .54 Hawken, I usually run .530 ball on a crisco lubed patch, over 80 grains FFg.

1. Start with a low charge, say 60 grains or so.
2. Shoot a grooup and measure it.
3. Increase the charge by 5 grains.
4. Shoot another group and measure.
5. Repeat until the groups start to open up.

The last increment before they started growing should be your everyday load. Max loads are OK for bear defense or point blank shots, but paper targets and deer can't tell the difference.

 

[sundance44s]

With 65 grs of 2F goex a 54 cal round ball will shoot through both sides of a deer ..shot from my Cabelas Hawken 54 cal with 28 inch barrel .

 

[sefus]

Awesome, thanks guys, I'll get some balls and powder and ticking ordered up and maybe a picture or two once everything comes together.

-Sefus

 

[mykeal]

The 28 inch barrel on Cabela's Hawken is a different animal than the Lyman GPR's 32 inch barrel. The twist rates are identical, but the extra 4 inches of barrel length do make a bit of a difference in optimum load. Follow Karotel's procedure to find the best load, being sure to follow the exact same procedure on every shot, including when you clean the barrel and how much compression you use to seat the ball. I'd also start at 70 gr with the Lyman, shooting at 50 yards. Once you have the best charge, adjust your sights and repeat at 100 yards to find the best load for that distance (it probably isn't the same)

 

[Mr_Pale_Horse]

In my 54 caliber Lyman Trade Rifle I use:

1) 110 Grains of Goex FFFg
2) 0.015 Ox-Yoke patch, evaporated moose milk, spit
3) 0.535 Hornady Round Ball

1750 fps

 

[sefus]

On a new barrel are you guys fully scrubbing between each shot? I would think you would to get the loads and sights dialed in but maybe not. With my .58 you start to get anywhere from 3-6 inches off with a once and twice shot barrel without cleaning. from a clean bore the stupid ugly thing is a laser though.

-Sefus

 

[mykeal]

I swab after every shot: 1 wet patch (Ballistol or other mineral oil based lube/solvent) down to about an inch above breach, back fully out, then turn patch over and swab full bore to the bottom. Then one dry patch to bottom.

 

[Mr_Pale_Horse]

I like to hunt or target shoot after a fouling shot or two. My gun will shoot low with a clean bore. Using 3F, I think the fouling is less, especially with Swiss powder.

 

[Beagle-zebub]

What is shooting the GPR like? The stock looks...functionally Mosin-ish. (Yes, I know that it's historically correct.) Getting a cheek-weld looks like an impossibility, and the pointy edges on the butt look like they'd be downright medieval during recoil.

 

[mykeal]

Describing how a gun shoots is a very subjective thing...everyone's a little different and any given gun will feel a little different to each person.

However, I really like the way it handles and shoots. I'm working on improving accuracy using Dutch Schoultz's method with the flinter right now, and I'm going to start on the percussion gun next. The percussion gun has a tang sight on it and I'm going to do some long range shooting with it next year, if I can get it dialed in.

Never have had a cheek bruise from either gun even at 120 gr, although I don't shoot heavy conicals. The gun is very easy to bring on target; I have the trigger set to just over 2 lbs and break is very clean and quick. The lock on the flinter is very quick after quite a bit of work, so hold on target through the flash is pretty easy. The butt fits me very well; Hawken style butts must be held on the upper arm and not the shoulder or the points will indeed become unfriendly. They're designed to fit at the junction of the upper arm and shoulder, with the lower point just off the shoulder in the armpit. You can shoot it that way all day. At least I can; some have expressed some difficulty even with that position, so it's not for everyone.

 

[Mr_Pale_Horse]

They (GPR and other trad' buttstocks) are not well suited to the bench, that is for sure.

Shooting conicals is downright masochistic, but roundballs are a delight except for prone.

 

[mykeal]

They (GPR and other trad' buttstocks) are not well suited to the bench, that is for sure.

Don't agree. I have always enjoyed shooting my GPR's from the bench. Why do you say that?

 

[RockRifle]

I was using 62gr 3f goex, primed with 4f goex on a 530 speer RB with a .17 patch. Have recently had good luck with schuetzen powder... Works well in the dry side of the mountains.

Most of our shooting is standing on our hind legs, because you're walking around and the rifle loads the best in that position.

I had a GPR caplock for a year or two, and then I got the flinter... The caplock is my loaner/sitting at home/wallhanger now.

I only shoot roundball in MY smokepole!

 

[Mr_Pale_Horse]

Don't agree. I have always enjoyed shooting my GPR's from the bench. Why do you say that?

Being tall and thin, that extra bit of leaning forward to get behind a benchrest shifts the buttplate onto the bones of my shoulder. I do find using a tall multidrawer tool box below the rest helps. Most range benches are just too short to fit me properly.

The second problem is cheek bones. Leaning forward to get down behind the sights means a nice bruise.

A shorter chair is another solution I have tried successfully.

 

[1858rem]

i dont have a gpg, its a Kentucky long rifle but like you say bout bein thin im 6'4" and 165, ya dont have much cushion and WILL be bruised lol

 

[Smilin Jack]

Lyman Great Plains

I got a Great Plains rifle several years ago from a newspaper ad. I called the guy, and he said to come on out to see the 54 cal. When I got there, it was a 50 cal. I told him thanks but no thanks, and started to leave.

He got excited and asked if I'd give a $100, so I did and left with the rifle, shipping box, bullet mold and powder flask. I really wanted a 54 cal, but decided the 50 would work OK for a back-up hunting rifle, as I already had a 58 Navy Arms Hawken Hunter that I'd got new back in 1978 when I sold the HR 58 cal.

I did some playing with the loads and found 70g of FFF Goex worked great over a RB and cotton work shirt patches. I tried several slugs in the RB barrel and found the 350g TC hunter slugs worked OK and would hold 8 shots on a 9" paper plate at 100 yds using a rest. I did have to adjust the rear sight way over right to get the slugs to shoot straight. They do hold a good group when doing a walk up. The local BP store said it wouldn't shoot slugs and don't bother to try. The nice grouping really supprised me, and him too.

I drew my BP elk tag again this year (2006 was last elk tag when I got a nice cow). My huntin party all use 54 cal except for Big John that shoots a 62 cal slug gun, under hammer that he built.

Dave (Smilin Jack)