Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders What is a good rifle for a begginer

First I would like to say I shot my first Blackpowder rifle to day.(sweet)
I will put in for a hunt in Oregon were you cannot use inline gunns. I know nothing about these guns but will learn as soon as i get one.
Some one please steer me in the right dirction. I want a inexspncive good shooting rifle. Say 225.00 or so
if i was talking a regular rifle i would want some one to tell me look at Savage arms good shooter but a little homley is ther a well built blackpowder rifle that some one can reccomend. Where is the best place to buy one?
I'am thinking 50 cal. Just because this is the one I shot today. Deer and maybe elk will be what it is used for.

I'm kinda fond of my Lyman Great Plains Hunter in .50 cal, it can be had for around $300.00 or so. Ordered it out of Graf & Sons. My brother-in-law had the Wal-Mart here order the same rifle for him at about the same price.

Hows $205 + $20 shipping for a Lyman Deerstalker. It's full of quality & shoots great. I think all the Lyman Great Plains rifles went up in price last month. The cheapest I can find them are $320 + shipping.

Midsouth.com Deerstalker Link

thats a darn good link T7, and mid-south has for years been about the best price around for new.

99fan1, any of the lyman rifles out there are about the best deal for starter guns now a days for the cost and value. Well made,commonly available parts, good reliable shooters.

If yer thinkin Elk I'd jump up to a .54 cal and maybe the Lyman Trade rifle with a bit longer barrel than the Deerstalker T7 has linked for ya (you can find it from his link)

Many of the arms today are either Spanish or Italian made (Lyman is Italian,CVA and Traditions are Spanish) and the "Euro" is strong of recent against the dollar. Prices are up.
Smaller shops are having a hard time keeping costs down if they don't carry large stocks of arms.
Check on-line with Auction Arms and/or Gun Broker for good deals on 2nd hand rifles.

Just one word of warning!! Now that you have contracted "Black Powder Fever" there is no known cure! And only a few ways to minimize the symptoms:buying BP arms and making as much "smoke" as possible when ever you can,,welcome to the sport,,,Heeheeheee <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

lyman seems to be the popular one I went to mid-south price are right were i wanted them to be. The guy at the rendevous today had a St. Louis Hawken By CVA it was the gun I shot and a new one there was 225.00 From what you guys say I think I will look at the 54 cal plains Lyman. Thank you guys for the advice. Triple 7 thanks for the web site. RRW you were right every one seems to like the Lyman thank you for taking the time to post. Tacks very informative glad you posted I like the Idea of the 54 cal I just assumed a 50 cal was a very large slug but if it is a little shy for Elk why not get the 54 if I,am only getting one rifle. (YEA RIGHT)

Now you're gonna need everything to go with it, powder horn, possibles bag, etc., I've bought alot of stuff from www.crazycrow.com The fever just gets worse <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />, bullet molds, which powder works best etc.! Mine likes 80grs. of Swiss with the 325gr. R.E.A.L. bullet and 70grs. with the patched round ball. You've got alot of playing to do to find which your rifle likes best <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />, loads of fun though!

I love my .54, I can do anything from light target plinking to Bear!
Don't forget Track of the wolf web page for a really great wish book of accuterments.

UhOh! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />,,he's been to a vous'! He didn't say that in his original post,,that can only lead to further complications!

P.R.D.! Yup,,Progressive Re-enactment Disease.

Don't worry 99fan1,,Did you see the children playing? Did you hear people laughing? Feel the comfort and commroderie? What a great way to vacation, huh? These groups are nation wide,,salt of the earth ya might say.
I've Never seen trouble at a vous'. (shotgun wedding once! but that was his own fault!)
Who in his right mind would start something in a camp full of guns,throwin knifes and tomahawks? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Did I say I love my .54??

tacks - I had to quit looking at my Track of the Wolf catalog. Everytime I'd look through it there would be this almost uncontrolable urge to build a rifle <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />! You bringing this up may have unleashed it all again <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />!

Been casting bullets for the last couple days, and if it hadn't been raining so hard today, I was going to chase a few into the backstop, just because. You get the fever, and the only way to lose it is to die, with a BP gun in your hands, of course!

RRW Now you're gonna need everything to go with it, powder horn, possibles bag. I see possibles i'am gona get in more trouble at this site with the big boss holding the purse string. As I said I have no clue what iam doing can you give me a list of things i absolutly need and what brand I do not need top of the line but good stuff. I seen the nice guy who let me shoot his gun use a capper do not know if that is the name had the percussion cap in a holder. Powder holder what do I need?
Tacks i went to the vous'! my kinda of people loved it super nice people there. Saw lots of 10-14 year old kids with rifles pistols tomahawks bouie knifes having the time of there life. Walking around like they were very skilled and safe with fire arms. Great to see. If only the anti's could see and UNDERSTAND what was going on.
Not to date my self but it did remind me of my youth(not the buck skin way before my time the attitude twoard fire arms) when that was the big event in town opening day of deer season. I remeber in high school once in the school parking lot we were looking at a buddies hot rod and one of the guys looked up in a large oak and saw a racoon in the top of the tree in the y sleeping and yelled coon out of 8 guys there six had cars and with in secondes we were all at our trucks or car grabbing our 22's never thought much of it then no I was parked to far I just made it to the truck when i heard the first shot. One of the guys had already got it. Took it skint it and washed his hand in a water hose in the front of the school. Could you see this in today school oh my god look at the heathen would be the first words said as half the kidds in the school were dialing 911.
Who in his right mind would start something in a camp full of guns,throwin knifes and tomahawks?
Not to start somthing but I don't rember any school shooting when I was growing up and I bet there was more than those 6 22's in the parking lot kinda like you said Tacks Who in his right mind would start something with that many guns around somthing to think on.
shootist
Well that is somthing i do have is a melting pot and a ton of wheel weights I use to cast for my 44 mag. Use to have a buddy in the tire buissnes.
Thank all of you for responding agian any advice on what i need in that possible bag would be lots of help...... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

99fan1,

I bought the Cabela's Hawkin in .54 cal.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...catalog%2Fpod-link.jhtml_A&_DAV=



Along with their starter kit...



Good hunting



Mark

Here's another vote for the .54 Lyman Deerstalker.
I have taken a couple of deer using roundballs and am currently sighted in with Buffalo Bullets. Would really like an opportunity to try one on an elk.

IMHO, the Lyman is a close to a full sized replica , production Hawken as you can get. Good barrel length, accurate, and handles really well. Cost is in the ballpark as well.... and I don't even own one! How's that for a recommendation..:D
Catnthehat

If you decide later you want a 50 cal also,Midsouth has the bbls for around $120(last time I looked). For that price,why not have both?
Jeff

MRBMAN
I think lyman is were i am going thank you for your thoughts.
CATNTHEHAT.
I don't own one either but these guys all seem to like them so thats were i will spend the duckets.
JSCOTTRUPP
If you decide later you want a 50 cal also,Midsouth has the bbls for around $120(last time I looked). For that price,why not have both?
Jeff oh tell me more how hard is this to do if I start with a 54 how hard is it to go to 50.
Please explain how you do this. I don't even own it yet and I want the seconed barrell...
This is sounding better all the time. Thank you. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

The bbl swap takes all of 30 seconds. Theres a "wedge" that more or less wedges <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> the bbl into the stock. Just tap it out ,the bbl will come right off and the other will slip right in/on. Replace the wedge and thats it! I noticed Midsouth doesn't show extra bbls for the Deerstalker,but Lyman has them for $139,you could probably find them elsewhere,cheaper than the $120 I mentioned.
Jeff

What do you need in that possibles bag? I've got all kinds of goodies crammed in mine, powder measure, nipple wrench, nipple pick, capper, german silver pill box full of caps with the "Quick Seal" for rainy days, german silver snuff box full of "Wonder Wads", brass snuff box full of lubed patches, round balls and REAL bullets, a small screwdriver for adjusting my sights, (a primitive rear sight comes with it in case where you're at won't let you use adjustable) a tube of "Bore Butter", a small bottle of "Windex with vinegar" for a quick clean while out shooting and patches, and a cleaning jag. I think that's about all I've got crammed in mine. My bullet starter fits on the outside of my possibles bag. You'll also need a good patch knife if you're cutting your own on site. You mentioned you had a melting pot and wheelweights? Those wheelweights won't do you any good, you'll need pure lead. You can get by with wheelweights for patched round balls, but the first time you try to load a conical or R.E.A.L. bullet cast out of wheelweights, you'll understand why I told you pure <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />. I think I've covered enough to get you started.

Jeff that sounds great thank you for the advice I think I will get the 50 as I'am going deer hunting this year and after I buy the stuff for my possible bag I think I will be tapped out for alittle while any way and get the 54 as soon as the wife swallows this first pill.
RRW wow that is some stuff thank you for getting me started had no idea what was in those bags.
The rifle I shot was all ready loaded so I did not get to see the loading process. I know a guy who shoots and when I get my stuff I will go out with him the first time to be safe thank you agian. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

When ya get it, be sure and let us know.