Fist outing with the White Lightning

bdeather · 02-23-2007, 11:27 PM

Well I got the Lightning and took it out to do some shooting. It has the 11 breechplug so thats what I started out with, first thing I notice is how hard the 460grn 504 bullshops are to load in the barrel. The barrel is stamped 504 just like the UM's but the bullshops load like a dream in the UM's. I read a post on DWB about a guy that could not get his 504 460grn down the barrel because it was so tight. So its loaded and primed, I get the sights lined up and pull the trigger and there is about a 1/2 to 1 second delay until it fires after the bolt hits the caps. Now the powder is only 1 week old and the primers are brand new. This combination works incredible in the UM's. So I load it up again and same thing. Now I'm starting to get frustrsted. So I decide to replace the spring that came with the gun back in 95 with one from my UM and try it again. This time you can hardly tell there is any delay but there still is a little. So I decide to try the musket breechplug from my UM. This time it is instant ignition. So are the other 12-15 shots. So I need to order a new spring, and I think I will stay with the musket breecplug. As to how it shot on paper well once I got itdialed in I was shooting less than 1/2 inch groups at fifty yards andat 75 it opened up to about 3/4 inch. I was shooting 70grns of P and 75grns of RS both with a TOTW wad. So needless to say I was pretty impressed with this short and light gun.

goatbrother · 02-23-2007, 11:43 PM

Those two problems are not unheard of with some Whites, the spring can be replaced, the nipple on some guns is a little too large and the caps don't go on far enough and that can cause missfires. Not a big problem, you can either try a differnt nipple and see if it works better, maybe the one from the UM. If that fixes it either get a new plug or sand or file down the outside of the nipple a little at a time untill the caps almost bottom out on the nipple, some times just a good push on the cap to make sure it is seated on far enough will do the trick, a flat screwdriver works good when at the range. I have gotten into the habit of making extra effort in seating the cap on my guns.

Hope that helps.[8D]

savagescout · 02-24-2007, 03:50 AM

the white lightning sold for 199.00 brand new I think your only option here is to sell it to me. Ill pay you full price of itnew. My wife is mad at you by the way, word on the street is your a bad influence.

Underclocked · 02-24-2007, 06:57 AM

I think some of the guys are using .503 or even .502 sizing for their Lightnings. Haven't owned one myself but they apparently have the tightest bores of all the White .50s.

goatbrother · 02-24-2007, 07:42 AM

My brother has a lightning and he has been shooting my cast 510 grainers, they are sized .5035, he hasn't had any trouble loading those, but each gun can be a little different. If your buying from Bullshop just have him size your bullets down a little, he may even put together a sample pack with bullets sized to different sizes for you to try and find the perfect fit.

cayugad · 02-24-2007, 09:16 AM

Order a box of No Excuse 460 or 495 grain from Dave. They are .503 and this would tell you a little more about the bore size. Or I am sure Dan at Bull Shop can size some down to what you need as well. It sounds like you have a real shooter on your hands there.