Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders Lyman Great Plains Rifle - Opinions

I've been thinking about buying a Lyman Great Plains Rifle lately, after having admired them for years, and would appreciate some input on their quality. I am looking at an older GPR and was wondering if they are better than the current production rifles. I won't be hunting with it and most likely will use it for pleasure shooting. I welcome any thoughts, comments, or observations you may have. Also, any enhancements that may make the rifle more functional or personable are appreciated too. Many thanks.

Best sidelock on the market for under 600 bucks. I replace the sights on mine the factory I just couldn't see well under early morning light and late evening light.

Lyman is made by Investarms. I have run Investarms rifles for about 17 years now, and find them to be quality, accurate rifles. The sights are the only weak point. I have corrected that problem with an SML57 on one of them, and scopes in offset mounts, on the others. Mine are Cabela's Hawkens. Maybe the Lyman has better sights? For pleasure shooting, I would go with a quality peep, and a Globe front. As long as you do not have to worry about light, that setup will really surprise you with accuracy. I would not run a Globe for hunting. They are too dim for me.

Cool, thanks guys!

Mine was a kit rifle with the 1-66 twist.
I shot it for several years with patched round ball at the monthly matches held at the local rifle club and I never wished for anything else.
A buddy wanted it more than I but I still remember shooting charcoal briquettes and shotshell hulls hanging from a string.
Round ball works on mule deer too!
I filed the front site to narrow it up a bit, otherwise no changes.

I have an 80's .50 flintlock GPR. Overall, I have been very happy with the rifle and its accuracy and have killed a number of deer with it.

I chose the GPR because it was the most authentic Hawken style rifle available at the time. I replaced the adjustable sight with a fixed model for both authenticity and clarity. Also, when it was new the stain on the stock rubbed off on everything. So, I rubbed on some linseed oil. The oil not only sealed the stock, it also really brought out the color and figure in the wood.

My biggest complaint was that on mine the frizzen didn't fit correctly and the priming powder would constantly fall or blow out of the pan. I don't know if this was just a problem with mine, or, if it is a common problem. Obviously, it wouldn't effect you if you chose a percussion model. To solve the issue, I recently upgraded the lock to an L&R RPL.

I bought a .50 cal flintlock with the 1:32 twist barrel about 3-4 years ago. I shoot the hornady great plains bullets with 70 grains of FF. It is very accurate and ignition with the flintlock has been excellent. Im still on the original flint it came with. Fit and finish exceeded my expectations. I bought mine for hunting as Pa has a late flintlock only season. We also have an early antlerless season which in-lines are allowed, but I always take my flintlock anyway. This year I took my first doe with it. The cons I can think of is weight if your carrying it very far (doesnt sound like you will be) and the curved butt-plate. Its actually meant to go on your arm more-so than your shoulder. This can take some time to get used to. As others mentioned, sights...The rear buckhorn sight leaves a lot to be desired. I shell out the $$$ for the Lyman peep, but hated the way the rifle carried with it in the tang. I sold it and switched back to the buckhorn, but cut the buckhorns off and hand filed it flat with a notch. I brought the elevation adjustment all the way down once I settled on a load, and filed the front sight for a 50 yd zero. The rear sight has lots of wobble when it is elevated. I also put some gold glitter nail polish on the front sight. I dont think I would change anything now. Wish I had more tags for this year, as I truly love taking it in the woods.

Cool again! Thanks

I used to go around the state shooting in Muzzle-loading matches and Rendezvous. I was in college at the time so didn't have much money to spend on a custom gun. Friend talked me into getting a Lyman Great Plains caplock. Turned out to be an awesome rifle. Only thing I did was get the sights figured out and mill off the excess front sight so they were low profile. Barrel was great, didn't keep fouling. Lock was better than average. Not a custom lock but plenty fast and strong enough. I beat a Lot of people, lots of weekends shooting that rifle, probably put 20 lbs of powder thru it. Once I was tinkering with seeing how hot I could run it with large loads and I cracked the wrist. Never shot right after that when I fixed it. Never bought another one cause of my schedule.

I never adjusted my sights during matches, just adjusted my powder. I'd shoot 25-30 grains for 25 yards, 35-40 grains for 50 yards and 60-70 grains for 100 yard targets. All using Goex or Elephant Fffg Black powder. .495 round-balls and artist canvas for patch material. It liked to be loaded tight, hence the thick patching. Lube was a mixture of Peroxide, Alcohol and Murphy's Oil Soap. I'd shoot, run a wet patch and 2 dry patches after every shot using the same lube mixture.

Off the bench, if I did my part, it would make one ragged hole about the size of a golf ball at 50 yards. But all my shooting was done offhand, so accuracy was relative.

This was the best 100 yard target I ever shot in competition, off hand. Scored a 42/50.





All these rifles are different so you'll just have to experiment and find out what they like.

Lyman GPR is a great rifle. Just make sure you get the one with the roundball twist and not the fast twist if you're going old school.

I've been using the Great Plains Hunter flintlock for 11 years, Hunter has the faster twist. For me it is a practical hunting tool. The trigger was terrible, there was long creep and it was very gritty. Unless you wanted to jerk the trigger you could feel a couple/a few stops every pull. That just doesn't work for accuracy. So I ground and polished the sear. Now there is no creep, pull is light and when it moves it goes off.

I didn't like the steel U-shaped buttplate, in rocky ground you always had to set it down gently, it was getting gouged up and then later rusty. So I cut it off and replaced with a recoil pad, laid in a piece of Australian Lacewood where it came over the top of the stock. The stock had a dark but physically soft finish. It could be scratched off with a fingernail and a little would slough off the ramrod every time you put it in the storage holes. In refinishing for cutting off the buttplate I found it had some beautiful wood under the finish.

I put the lyman peep on for my old eyes and the extra sight radius really helps with long distance. It is really very accurate. I get less than 1" @ 50 yds, about 3" @ 100, and about 6" @ 150. Again this is with old eyes. Not sure how many deer I've taken with it but probably more than any other single rifle I have. Longest was 197 yds.



Elk was at 60 yds, javelina about 75 yds, and moose 114 yds.

Had a .54 caplick back in the '80s. Good gun. Much more authentic than the majority of "Hawkens" out there. Probably the best traditonal rifle currently available under a grand. The availability of fast-twist barrels for conicals and sabots is a big plus.


Years ago, a fellow showed up at the public range with a couple, one flint and one caplock. He was shooting .458 cast bullets that he had sized down to fit his sabots and was getting excellent groups at 100 yards. Quirky character, but had his stuff together with those GPRs.

All that said, buying a used ML is fraught with peril, especially when you can't easily pull the breechplug to examine the bore.

I love Lyman rifles. I'd like to snag a 45 in the deers talker. They are short and sweet shooting. Really can't go wrong.

For an inexpensive side lock, the're hard to beat. Just make sure you have the right twist for what you want to shoot.

I don't think it's ever been offered in anything but .50 and .54. For a .45, an old TC Seneca would be .. past cool.

Tom

Can't really add anything other than I've had a GPR in 54 cal. for a number of years and am quite pleased with it. It shoots great and has been 100% reliable. I also bought a Green Mountain barrel for it thinking it might shoot even better, but if anything, the original barrel still shoots the best. It is the first and only muzzleloader I've owned...

I'd like to have one. They sure do look nice.

Did they ever make these in left hand? Sure would be nice.

CWO, yes they come in LH.