I Think She's a Shooter..

[Mattole]

My Lyman GPR that is.

I recently completed a rather ambitious rebuild and refinish of a used .54 GPR that I had purchased sight unseen. The bore looked good and since I was so excited about rebuilding the gun, I didn't bother to shoot it before breaking it down. After the work was completed the question remained: will she put lead where I aim?

Using a slightly modified version of Dutch Schoultz's system I worked on finding the powder load that the gun liked best. A generous member of this forum (thank you Mori!) shared some Goex Express FFG from his powder stash and I headed to the woods range to see what I could do. I started at 80 grains with a .535 ball and a .006 (compressed measurement) denim patch treated with a 1:7 Ballistol:H2O solution (soaked, squeegeed, dried) and cut at the muzzle. I shot from a shooting bag that rested on the hood of my truck. The target was 50 yards away. I swabbed between shots with a patch treated with "Stumpy's Moose Milk" - this was the only deviation I took from Dutch's system, in that I used a much more heavily lubed patch for swabbing than he advocates for (loading was very difficult otherwise).

Here are the results of a 4-shot string using 90 grains of Goex Express FFG. I think this is the load that I will most likely stick with. So yes, the GPR is a shooter! I am glad, and relieved.

I was thinking of sighting the rifle in for 75 yards, as this seems to be a common zero for folks who use their muzzleloaders for hunting. Tomorrow I will head back to the range to do this. Lucky me.

[excess650]

Lookin good!  The sight in depends upon the range you expect to shoot.  A couple of inches high at 50 and a couple of inches low at 100 is a good compromise.

[TMerkley]

I sighted my 50 cal carbine at about an 1.5" high at 67 yards.  that should be just a little low at 100.  I hit a deer last week at 75 yards aiming dead on. 

[Gene Carrell]

Yes you are lucky. I've a friend that took one shot over the hood of his truck and left  a burned streak in the paint.

[roundball]

My Lyman GPR that is.

Sounds like a winner there for sure...

[Daryl]

Way to go - I'm amazed at the accuracy from such a thin patch. I've never been able to duplicate or beat that sort of accuracy with any of my rifles, without using a .020" to .025" patch.

[Mattole]

Way to go - I'm amazed at the accuracy from such a thin patch. I've never been able to duplicate or beat that sort of accuracy with any of my rifles, without using a .020" to .025" patch.

I have to admit, my measurement may not be accurate. I am using a digital caliper to measure about a 1/4" width of the patch material and am pressing the caliper jaws together a good deal to mimic the compression that the fabric would encounter whilst being loaded.

[Daryl]

That's how I try measure material too, using the wide flats of the calipers. If I use the narrow tips, the measurement drops down to the .006" to .012", even on material that runs as much as .025" on the flats. I squeeze the tines between finger and thumb - hard - and read off the dial.

 I've 3 sets of calipers and they give 3 different readings on the same patch of material.  My 1" x 3/16" flat anvil micrometer gives yet a 4th measurement in thickness.  We can only try to be consistant and save our readings for future reference, using our own equipment.  Some denims are listed as to weight, 6,8,10 and 12 ounce. I use both 10 and 12.  12 is the heaviest I've found in denim - running .030" or thicker on most calipers.

[Mattole]

Ah - the narrow tips - that's what I meant to say, instead of '1/4" width of fabric' - the tips are what I used for the measurement and thus the small reading for the thickness of the material. #7 Sew Classic denim.

[Old Ford2]

Hi,
You will get a more consistant reading material ( patch material ) with micrometers 
( 0 - 1.00" ) The circular round anvils will give a more exact reading. Also they are more accurate in reading the diameter of bullets.
Old Ford

[wattlebuster]

I think your right

[Mattole]

Thanks Old Ford, I will get one of those.