Lyman Great Plains .54

[filmjunkie4ever]

Well even though I had about decided on a Knight Bighorn or a Rem 700ML, I came home from the gunshow with an unfired Lyman Great Plains .54!

It had the patched round ball twist (1-60”) but thats no bother. Now if I could just find some #11 caps!

 

[KinleyWater]

Try:
Grafs https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/category/categoryId/3511

or, make your own:

#11 Percussion Cap Maker

Make your own #11 percussion caps out of aluminum cans. Easy and fun to do... Comes with complete instructions. Use our Prime-All Repriming Compound as your priming compound, and make your #11 percussion cap for approximately 1¢ a piece. #11 Percussion Cap Maker Instructions - .pdf File

22lrreloader.com

*I am not endorsing either company, just trying to pass along some info

 

[Guy Miner]

That Lyman should prove to be a fine rifle. A fellow I know hunts exclusively with the round ball rather than a heavier bullet. He's taken elk with it.

Guy

 

[filmjunkie4ever]

That Lyman should prove to be a fine rifle. A fellow I know hunts exclusively with the round ball rather than a heavier bullet. He's taken elk with it.

Guy

The roundball weighs 230 grains. I have no doubt it will take an elk if I do my part!

 

[3 Meter Para Bellum]

Try:
Grafs https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/category/categoryId/3511

or, make your own:

#11 Percussion Cap Maker

Make your own #11 percussion caps out of aluminum cans. Easy and fun to do... Comes with complete instructions. Use our Prime-All Repriming Compound as your priming compound, and make your #11 percussion cap for approximately 1¢ a piece. #11 Percussion Cap Maker Instructions - .pdf File

22lrreloader.com

*I am not endorsing either company, just trying to pass along some info

I just saw something similar on a different site and was wondering if this actually worked well. Seemed like a good way not to run out of caps.

 

[JD338]

Try:
Grafs https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/category/categoryId/3511

or, make your own:

#11 Percussion Cap Maker

Make your own #11 percussion caps out of aluminum cans. Easy and fun to do... Comes with complete instructions. Use our Prime-All Repriming Compound as your priming compound, and make your #11 percussion cap for approximately 1¢ a piece. #11 Percussion Cap Maker Instructions - .pdf File

22lrreloader.com

*I am not endorsing either company, just trying to pass along some info

That's pretty cool.
Now if we could only reprime primers...

JD338

 

[KinleyWater]

That's pretty cool.
Now if we could only reprime primers...

JD338

You can.

Prime-All Repriming Compound

IMPORTANT: YOU MUST BE 21 YEARS OF AGE TO ORDER PRIME-ALL REPRIMING COMPOUND! By adding this item to your cart and proceeding to checkout, you acknowledge you are at least 21 years of age. Prime any casing, anywhere, including muzzle loader caps, and have the ability to reprime any old primer...

sharpshooter-22lr-reloader.myshopify.com

I think you will find that a set of small pin-nosed pliers will help remove the anvil and a flat-tipped punch will flatten the firing pin indent nicely.

 

[JD338]

Very interesting
That could take care of the primer shortage

JD338

 

[3 Meter Para Bellum]

Huh... ain't that handy to know about.

 

[filmjunkie4ever]

As cool as that is, I simply don’t have time to play around with it right now, am too busy with other projects.

Although if I draw my Whitetail Muzzleloader tag this year and don’t find any caps by the end of the summer I may have to give this a try! Or get a smith to do a temporary flintlock conversion!!

 

[ronco]

I have the same rifle. I shoot round balls that I cast from pure soft lead. I have a good supply of caps, I wish you lived closer.

 

[Joec7651]

Great choice!!! You’ll love that long slow twist barrel for round balls. I absolutely love my two .54 cal ball guns. If you can upgrade the sight it will surprise you at the accuracy attainable with round balls. I have a Lyman 54 peep sight on mine and you can fine tune bullet impact 1/4” at a time. It’s a rugged sight, it’s very precise, and looks good.

 

[filmjunkie4ever]

Great choice!!! You’ll love that long slow twist barrel for round balls. I absolutely love my two .54 cal ball guns. If you can upgrade the sight it will surprise you at the accuracy attainable with round balls. I have a Lyman 54 peep sight on mine and you can fine tune bullet impact 1/4” at a time. It’s a rugged sight, it’s very precise, and looks good.

I intend to get a peep sight eventually but there are none to be found. Waited eight weeks on a backorder from Optics Planet only to be told it could be another 8-10 weeks so I canceled.

No more than I have shot a muzzleloader I probably shouldn’t be shooting 50-75 yards anyways, at least until I’ve had sufficient range time.

 

[wvbuckbuster]

Having taken whitetails with my 54 and seeing the results you won't have any problem using it on elk. Distance and shot placement are key as you know. 54 is a good all-round caliber when using round balls. Dan.