Author Topic: I'm thinking of buying a Lyman Deerstalker (Read 767 times)

Bob the Cynic · « **on:** November 05, 2004, 09:02:45 AM »

Hi all,

I'm thinking of buying a Lyman Deerstalker in .50 caliber. Anyone have any experience with these guns? If so what's the word, good, bad or indifferent?

I've shot inlines for awhile now and I'm thinking it's time to get something a little more "traditional."

New Hampshire · « **Reply #1 on:** November 05, 2004, 10:51:33 AM »

Bought one for a birthday present to myself this year. I am currently toting it through the woods of New Hampshire in search of those myhtically huge whittails (but they aint co-operating

.)
First impression I got on opening the box...."Dang! Look at that beautiful wood!" I did not get to practice a whole lot with it before the season started, so Im keeping shots to within 50 yards. Groupings at 25 yards with just patched balls has been decent as well. When I get to toy around after the season Im thinking of trying the CVA conicals (the ones with the plastic base but the rest is all lead, not the older ones that are jacketed.) Ive been told these guns preferre lighter conicals, or at least short ones. The locks are reported as reliable as well. I waxed the stock real good, put some waterproofing spar wax poly in the inletting and have had the gun in drenching rain twice with no wood swelling. Im still saving up to get the Lyman aperture site to add on. That is a MUST. The only complaint really is the nipple. At the end of the season Im investing in a better one, but the current one will do OK. Good luck on whatever you decide, but I dont think you will be unhappy with this gun.
Brian M.

crow_feather · « **Reply #2 on:** November 05, 2004, 12:15:09 PM »

Lymans are decent rifles. They get the job done and look pretty good doin it. Some people might have had problems with em, but they still are being bought and still doin whats necessary.

If you want a rifle that you can hold up inna air and say, "See how purty this is?" it might not be a Lyman. If you want to hold your rifle inna air and say "See how straight shootin this is?" it might or might not be a Lyman. A Lyman owner can hold up his rifle and say "I have the best rifle for the money I spent" and he will be a 100% correct.

This is not an ad, I just like Lymans.

C F

Snowshoe · « **Reply #3 on:** November 05, 2004, 03:39:03 PM »

I have had my Deerstalker for about 13 years now I think. It has never failed to go boom, and shoots strait enough to win a few competitions, and fill a tag or two every year. It has given me some fits when it had some build-up in the bore, but it has been a good deer hunting rifle.

Good time Charlie · « **Reply #4 on:** November 06, 2004, 05:04:39 AM »

I also like Lymans I have Gpr cap lock in .54 cal. I also bought the hunter barrel for it. I like it enough that UPS will deliver my GPR flinter monday.
Old Charlie

jeager106 · « **Reply #5 on:** November 16, 2004, 11:34:15 AM »

Like I really NEEDED another muzle loader, but I couldn't pass up an unfired .50 Deerstalker in caplock for 140 bucks without a mark on it.
it it's been fired I couldn't see it.
Anyway, as you know it has a 24" barrel in that dreaded "won't shoot anything really weel" 1:48" twist.
I've owned a slew of T/C 1:48's and NEVER had one that was a good shooter.
Mediocre at bset.
But for 140 bucks I figured it would do o.k. at 50 or so yards as a short range 'thicket' or tree stand rifle for those often very wet November Ohio days when I don't want to soad my custom flinters.
With reservation I bought the thing and took a trip to the range armed with a variety of ammo including .490 Hornady swagged r.b. and .018 ticking.
I tried 40 grains Goex 3fg and the tight ticking ball and ws amazed to shoot 5 shots into one ragged hole at 25 yards with the issue open (read cheap) sights with that white bead front sight the size of a bowling ball.
I upped the charge to 70 grains of g-3fg, shot at 50 and got a respectable 1.5" and the thing was dead on the bull as it came.
Next up were some 240 grain T/C cheap shot sabots and 100 grains of g-2fg at 100 yards. Amazingly I clustered 5 shots into 2.5" and NEVER touched the sights!
I tried the 245 and 295 PowerBelts wtih the 245's giving best accuracy at the same 2.5" at 100.
The 295's opened to 3.5", still 'deer worthy'.
370 grain Maxiballs shot in the 3" range at 100 with 100 G-2fg but a tad low of bull.
To make a looooong story short the ONLY bullets it would not shoot were the ultra heavy White long lead bullets.
Everything under 370- grains shot very well indeed with excpetion of the very light 190 grain PR bullets that ranged at 4.5".
I never got a chance to hunt last year and this year will use my custom jeager flinter in .58, BUT if the weather is nasty the little Deerstalker will be with me.
I id put a Lyman peep on her and settled on 70 grains of Swiss 2fg under the 245 pointed PowerBelt.
In my back yard range i can only get 75 yards to shoot but she delivered 1.25" with that load.
Swiss 2fg in the 70 grain charge is extremely clean burning and I can load and shoot 5 rounds with no swabbing and no loading ills.
By the way, I shoot into plastic 'totes' filled with wet sand and the not so traditional PowerBelts turn inside out and expand to over an inch!
This little sucker is a 'keeper' and with the 40 grain 3fg load and tight patched r.b is good 'nuff for bunnies and tree rats.
Doubt I'll ever part with this'n! :lol: