Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders Rehabbing A Traditions Deerhunter

I'm trying to rehabilitate an older Traditions Deerhunter flinter my sons used to use, been in storage a few years. 50 cal., 1:48 twist, 24 inch barrel...I've got the bore looking pretty good, the lock moving pretty fast, some new flints. Kids used to shoot PRBs, but I'm looking at Hornady PA Conicals and TC Maxihunters. Looking for some guidance on these projectiles with loads, experience, etc...or just stick with the PRBs?

My main flinter is a 40 inch barrel longrifle 1:66...love the PRB accuracy. The Traditions gun will be used in treestand or groundblind scenarios at ranges of 30-75 yards.

We just built a traditions deer hunter percusion. 50 cal. The maxi s didn't shoot very well, but the hornady great plains 385 grain bullets with 70 to 80 grains of pyrodex shoot 4" groups at 100 yds with open sights. It has a 1/48 twist as well. Good luck.

If you want a really good conical bullet, the lyman plains bullet mold in 395gr is awesome in my traditions st louis hawken rifles ( All 3 of them )

A 1:48 twist will just barely stabilize conicals- - - -you might find that the gun shoot patterns, not groups. My kids gave me a Traditions flinter for Christmas one year- - - - -they didn't know any better. The frizzen was soft as butter and wouldn't strike a spark well. Once I casehardened it and changed to a different design of flash hole plug, it's pretty reliable. Before, it was a crapshoot whether or not the main charge would fire, even if the powder in the pan happened to light off.
Jerry

I disagree with that 1:48 twist " Barely " stabilizing them. It either does or it doesnt. It doesnt just "barely" do it. Like everything, accuracy is going to depend on rifling depth, bullet engagement, etc. Traditions barrels are very consistent all the way down the tube. Mine don't shoot the maxi balls very well either, why? I haven't a clue yet, but some day I will figure it out. Probably bcuz theres a ton of leakage at the base of the bullet due to the sizing at that first loading band.

Now the lyman plains bullet and the hornady great plains bullets. These are some amazing bullets to shoot for accuracy in a Traditions sidelock. I cast the lyman 395gr version and its well under 2" groups at 100 yards. Another great shooting, but rare to find bullet brand, the 385gr buffalo bullets. Mickey Mouse head/ear groups at 50 yards the first time I tried them. When i say mickey mouse, i mean the group actually looked like a blacked out mickey mouse picture. REAL bullets, 250-320gr are also amazing shooting in my st louis hawken rifles ( all 4 of them )


395gr lyman plains bullets. 80gr Alliant Black Mz @ 100 yards.
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So with the larger/longer conicals, do you run the charge up to keep V and RPM up? This seems to be the issue with the 1:48 twist barrels.

My advice to you is TRY the PA Conicals.

My CVA Mountain Rifle Is a 66 twist and is nutz for accurate with them. Also have a TC White Mountain Carbine which is a 20 twist. It also shoots them extremely well. Loading a modest 80 grains of Ffg in both rifles. Every whitetail but one that I ever shot with that load combo (40-90 yards) had 2 holes in it.

Complete opposite in my experience. 80gr 2fg with a patched round ball, 370 maxi ball, 385gr hornady great plains bullet, 395gr lyman plains bullet, 460gr no excuse. NOW when I shoot the smaller 250-320gr REAL Bullets, I switch to Pyrodex P and loa dup 90gr volume to get best accuracy. Now that simply could be due to the short bullet length of the reals.

OK, I've got 245 gr Powerbelts, Maxihunters, PA Conicals, and RBs. Hope to have an answer after all the blue smoke settles. Thanks for the replies!