lyman 54 cal

[skeeter@ccia.com]

My friend brought his lyman 54 over yesterday and we are both black/blue from spending all day with different loads, everything from roundball / powerbelts and few other things he had in the box with different charge amounts..etc..at 50 yds..not able to keep 1 round closer than 1 foot from the last....anyone own a lyman 54 and what do you use for charge load and type round shoot from it....maybe give us a starting point as we never did come up with that....thanks....now I did tease him by saying, told you in first place buy T/C...like my 54, can shoot the speck off a spot at 50....same with the 50 T/C i just picked up the other day...can kill that spot at 50..

[Gil Martin]

I have Lyman Great Plains Rifles and Trade Rifles in .54 caliber flintlock and have used them for years. I shoot .530" round balls, .010" lubed patches and 80 or 90 grains of FFG. The shoot better than my .50 caliber flintlocks. So it depends. All the best...
Gil

[Johnny Reb]

Hi Skeet
Did he buy this new? Lyman coats their barrels with a packing grease and recommend break cleaner to clean them before ya shoot. If that's the case try cleaning the barrel real good and see how she shoots. 1 foot seems way off. I know 2 of my friends that own lyman great plains rifles said it took the over a 100 rounds to break the barrel in before they got real good accuracy. Hope this helps.
J.R

[skeeter@ccia.com]

Well he got it new a bunch of years ago. From what I remember it never did shoot that well and is why he never hunted with it in the past. He did decide to dig it out the other day when I invited him out to get sighted in so he could BP hunt with me... he left with his head hanging down..The best we got out of anything was what I use in my T/C...I shoot .535 with 15 #9 lubed patch and 100g and they load well in his Lyman as well...maybe try the 530 and 10 patch at 90g...just a tad looser fit might help...One thing we never checked was a bent barrel. I built yrs ago 2 TC's and both in the kit had bent ones..bent up..I bent back and they shot well..the Lyman is a long barrel with 2 pins..humm..thanks for the start point...My ole T/C put another 'cheeseburger' in the freezor yesterday..

[skeeter@ccia.com]

ok, first off the barrel was bent a tad and had some wood shaved from the stock at one point....then using 535 ball, .o10 patch with 80g FF he can keep 2 to 3" groups now..Lyman said use 535,10,100g FFF....and that shot well..group of 2 to 3" both at 60yds... I took 2 shots from it myself and suprised only 1/2" and 1" dead center..but the third shot went 2" right... so that isn't too bad.. wonder if his glasses he wears makes that much difference?... so far I don't need them.. took the advice I got when I was a little boy.....my buddy said..'not me'...I had fun..(sure some know what mean there).. lmao..thanks for all the advice..you guys saved the day..he left with a smile.

[skeeter@ccia.com]

one other note..Lyman had told us this gun was designed for round ball, patch and powerbelts, etc, do not fly well out of one..so that might count for all the flyers when using them due to slow twist in barrel.

[Johnny Reb]

Glad to hear things went well.