Lyman Great Plains Hunter .54?
 

Any opinions on this rifle? I've shot an in-line T/C Thunderhawk in this caliber for years, but I'm looking to add another black powder rifle to the mix.

Ive had a couple of them for many years . Would never part with them . Get the GPR barrel and you can swap out between the 1:32 and the 1:60 barrels Great gun .

I don't have the Hunter barrel with it's faster twist. But do have a .50 and a .54 Great Plains with the 1:60 twist ball barrels. I would not part with them. Great guns, and accurate. Frankly, I'd recommend the .54 ball shooter. Get a cheap Lee ball mold, cast your own balls for pennies, and have a fine deer killer too.

Were I to get a 1:32 twist, I'd go with the .50 caliber rather than the .54.

Terrific choice Newton. Just a reminder that the well crafted Lymans are heavy-heavy to lug around the woods.

What dont kill you will make you stronger :s1:

The old man fix for that is; (1) find a tree with a nice view, (2) sit down with your back against the tree and the gun across your lap, and (3) shoot whatever four legged critter that walks by. (Although you might pass on cows and horses.)

I'm in my 60s and never had any trouble carrying my GPR around in the woods. It doesn't weight that much more than a T/C, especially if the T/C is sporting a 32" Green Mtn. Barrel. The 54 is a great caliber.

I have the GRH and the GPR in .50 and .54. It shoots Lyman Great Plains Conical bullets real well. My .50 GPH shoots roundball believe it or not. Just load 50 grains of powder and it will lay them in the target all day. Kind of accurate at moderate ranges.

I will say I had to get used to that curves stock. And actually from time to time forget about it and it catches me, digging in my shoulder. I have both percussion and flintlock models. The rifle is heavy. But I am like Semisane.. I know how far I have to walk to one of my blinds and when I sit down and lean it against the wall of the blind.. its not heavy at all..:D

The rifles have very dark wood. I would have liked something a bit more lighter. But they are well made, good wood, excellent lock speed on them. And like 1874Sharpshooter said... I would not part with them.

If you want something more walking friendly but just as good.. The Lyman Trade Rifle is excellent. I have them in both .50 and .54 and they shoot about anything I put down them. They are flintlock also. Excellent lock time. Very accurate.

Thread-starter here also has an inline. So the Lyman GPH probably weighs 3-4 lbs more. I thought it was worth mentioning, especially if the rifle is not shouldered prior to purchase.

About 10 years ago, I wish a poster on this board, or elsewhere, had told me prior to purchase, that the trigger guard on the Pedersoli Rolling Block inline I purchased back then was small..... an obvious oversight I made then. I never shouldered the gun at Cabelas with my thick hunting gloves on. As a result, I hunted one winter with the Rolling Block, then sold the ML the following year. My fingers are the most cold-sensitive body part I have.

Just trying to help-out prospective ML purchasers here, that's all.

Not hard to carry unless you're older than dirt like me.

I did use one a couple of years ago though.