Lyman Great Plains Hunter Flintlock
 

I have been playing with my Lyman Great Plains Hunter Flintlock trying to find the sabot/bullet combination it likes best. I know it shoots roundball. But it is a 1-32 twist. It should shoot sabots.

So today I wanted to shoot a flintlock. The target was still at 50 yards and I was fine with that. So I got set up and took three different sabot/bullet combinations out with me.

First up was the 300 grain Hornady XTP .452 in a crushed rib sabot. It loaded real easy. And I was shooting 80 grains of 2f black powder. But after shooting I can not say I was pleased with the accuracy. Now hit A was on a squeaky clean barrel. B-D were actually a group. And I think I could work on powder charges and make that sabot work for me. These loaded hard, and I was swabbing between shots.

I swabbed the rifle as clean as I could get it and then shot 1-4. These were 80 grains of 2f Schuetzen black powder a dark blue 40/50 sabot and the blemished 200 grain Shockwaves 40 caliber. For 50 yards and open sights I could live with that. These loaded so easy, I did not need a short starter. And I was swabbing between shots.

Last were the .40 caliber 200 grain Hornady XTP in the same dark blue sabots with the same powder charge. The stringing is a sign of either not enough or too much powder. I am guessing they want more powder. These loaded hard at first, but once in the barrel were easy to seat.

More testing is needed. But it was fun to shoot the flintlock.

So.....what happened with that fancy new TVM flinter? Or is that too purdy to take out and get dirty? We haven't heard much about that lately.

BPS

I guess I agree with you Cayugad. I wouldn't be happy with any of those groups at 50 yards. They would be OK for 100, but not 50.

And I agree that you really don't know which will shoot best until you vary the powder charges. There may be a "one hole" load there somewhere with one of more of those projectiles.

How does that barrel shoot full bore conicals?

So far I have not found it liking the large conicals. But I think I will try again but cut the charge way down.

The new flintlock I shoot all the time. Its a boring rifle. It just goes off fine with 90 grains of 2f BP and a roundball. I was shooting it last week in fact. But it is a PITA to clean as it does not come apart.

Yeah, long barrels and pinned stocks are no fun when you're trying to protect the stock and keep moisture out of the barrel channel.

Dave, 1 in 32 is a slower twist therefore it takes more velocity or a shorter bullet. I would try 90 grains and a 230 grain or 200 grain 45 bullet or a 155 grain 40 caliber.

Yea... that would be my biggest fear of owning a beautiful rifle like that, having water get trapped somewhere and not being able to get to it. I'm able to take everything I own apart and give them a thorough flush when done shooting and I've yet to find one of those "flush nipples" that's worth a crap.

BPS

I'm kind of surprised at that. I always thought the GP hunter was designed to shoot lead conicals with that 1:32 twist, as Lyman states in their description...

http://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/m...ins-hunter.php

BPS

I will give that a try Lee. I have some 195 grain Barnes around here somewhere. Maybe kick that up to 100 grains and see what happens.

Blackpowdersmoke... I purchased this for shooting conicals. I think its a matter of finding the right conical and the right powder charge.

Do you see the price they want for that rifle now? Wow! I have a gold mine on my walls.

Cay, I know you know this, but when I clean my flinters, I take the lock off, put a toothpick in the vent and pour water or your preferred cleaner down the barrel...I pour that out and most of the residue goes with it...I then run 2-3 patches down the barrel and put the toothpick back in and pour water down the barrel again and pour out...This time I dry the barrel, shoot some WD-40 down the barrel, dry and then oil...I then clean the lock and I'm done...

Frankly, my Knight Disc takes me longer to clean than my flintlocks...

On the barrel...I have to admit I cheated...When I made mine, I bedded the barrel, each year I seal the edge of the barrel with my patch lube which is mainly bees wax... :)

The funny thing is, who cares if a little rust forms under the barrel, it's not going to hurt anything in our lifetime...

When I clean the custom rifle I use your method kind of. I leave the lock in place but push a tooth pick into the vent hole, then close the frizzen to hold it. I then dump simple green down the bore of it and tilt it back and fourth and then dump it out the muzzle of the barrel. I then swab the bore clean with simple green until the patches are nice and clean.

After that I dump isopropyl alcohol down the bore and again, back and fourth. But this time I tilt the rifle vent hole down and pull the pick and let it drain the alcohol out. Then I dry patch it until I get a nice dry patch. After that some Barricade and we are done after I wipe the lock off of course.

Logic and practical thinking shall not be tolerated nchawkeye!

Dave,

Those are Manufacturer's suggested retail prices...we all know they can be purchased for less.

BPS

Something that always upset me is they never offered a GPR LH kit.

Why? It's just as easy to box up a LH kit as a RH.

Many years ago, a person I used to shoot with got a Lyman GPR kit. And I saw it before he even started on it. BUT... when I saw it the next time, it was horrible looking. This person either had zero woodworking skills or he was drunk when he put it together. What a butcher job. Yet, he was shooting it that day and man did that thing shoot. After that I knew I was going to have one some day. But I did not try doing the kit. I am not lucky when it comes to fine wood working.

I figured if I went slow enough I might get it right. It would be a good winter project.

I can shoot the RH version ok, but the cheek piece would be on the wrong side. That looks kind of goofy, and if I sand it off it doesn't look like a Hawken anymore.

It's been the reason i've bought so many Renegades. No cheek piece.

If you're left handed, what are the reasons to get a LH sidelock:

1. Correct cheek piece, mentioned above.
2. Ease/speed/motion of Cocking/De-cocking. Enough extra motion to spook game?
3. Safety . . . Potential of cap flying apart or other malfunction immediately in front of face.

I'm wondering if safety is a real and maybe primary issue?

As mentioned above, you can choose a RH rifle with no cheek piece. Lefties are sort of used to inconvenience . . . like the way a chainsaw sprays the sawdust and oil all over you.

If it's safety, lefties really should get the LH version.

Bill

Bill..........Safety isn't an issue with me. The reason i'm a lefty is I lost the sight in my right eye. I'm really a RH shooter. I have to wear a patch on my right eye full time, so using a RH gun is actually safer for me.

I can also cock the hammer easily with my left thumb. So, that's a non issue too.

The cheek piece is my only issue, and that's also a non issue with guns that don't have them.

One advantage of using a RH gun is it's much much easier to sell. I had to practically give away a LH GPR flintlock I had.

I would have bought one if they had.

HA

Dave i tookv an extra nipple and drilled out as large as I could and still able to install it and put 1/4" vinyl tubing on it long enough to place in a bucket of hot water so I could scrub the bore out. It also kept water out of the stock when I flushed it ou

On cleaning flintlocks without the patent breech. I bought one of the kits they sell at black powder supply houses. It is no flimsy setup and the o-ring seal keeps all the dirty water away from your wood. I was balking at first but finally caved in and bought it. Glad I did.

Maybe some clever person here could figure out a way to make one themselves?
Anyway, just my two cents worth.

Yeah, it just jumped up $200 overnight. Seems a bit excessive to me.

You realize when he posted that........ it was 2014?