Lyman deerstalker range report.

[New Hampshire]

Just back from the range (actually it was out in the woods, but still  :-D .)  Im in love with this gun!  I dropped in 90 grains straight up of Pyrodex select RS.  a pre-lubed T/C .015" patch and .490 ball.  Fired the first shot (all shots were standing at 25 yards.....hey thats how thems suppos to be shot anyways, eh  :wink: ,) and saw the hit just a tad high and to the right.  Not bad.  Reload, fire second shot. Hmmm did I miss?  Nope second shot was TOUCHING first shot.  Now I decide to do a little site adjust.  Move the site down a notch.  Boom, still a tad right but closer to the center.  My budy moved the thing we were using to hold the target and I fired a fourth shot.  Dang it, I tell ya, If he had not moved that target I would SWEAR that fourth shot woulda touched the third.  Im a happy camper.  Only had one mis-fire on the third shot.  Picked both the nipple and vent, second cap set off charge just fine.  So I guess its wait time for lil ole bambie season!  Im so impressed that, considering I might not be able to get my shotgun sighted in in time for the season, Im probably gonna straight hunt shotgun only territory with the ML   .
Brian M.

[deerhunter]

Hey NH,

Good Luck with your new toy.  I found that if you shoot a cap off to clear the vent before you reload, you will help avoid more misfires.   I shoot maxiballs out of my old renegade, and after about 5 or 6 shots, I'd get a misfire.  But once I started to shoot a cap off after I swabbed the bore between shots, I didnt get any misfires.

Try it, it might help.  Shoot.  Swab.  Snap a cap.  Load.  Shoot.

I keep a small loop with a patch on it in my pocket in the field, and if I fire it in the woods, I still swab the bore and shoot a cap before I reload.

Good Luck.

[Longcruise]

Only had one mis-fire on the third shot.

Most cap gun misfires are due to a poor fit of the cap to the nipple (you gotta be able to push the cap all the way down on the nipple)  Also, get one of those nipples that has the holes drilled through the side of it.  I think they are Uncle Mike's but not sure.  they let the gasses pass back through the nipple and out the side holes and presto you got self cleaning nipple.

Thanks for the report.  Looks like you have a good shooter there!

[New Hampshire]

I was looking around and found Knight makes a proper threaded nipple for my gun (the Lyman guns, which are made in Italy I believe, take a kooky thread size.)  I might give it a try.  I was told from the start, and believe it, that the nipples that come with these guns are not too superb.  But I was still impressed.  Deerhunter, Ill give that a try next time.  caps are cheap anyways  :-D .

[Snowshoe]

I am using the Knight nipple on my Deerstalker, and it works just fine. I have also used the "Magnum Spitfire" nipple, and it worked good too, not sure who made it though. The original Lyman nipple is lame at best.

[quickdtoo]

I am using the Knight nipple on my Deerstalker, and it works just fine. I have also used the "Magnum Spitfire" nipple, and it worked good too, not sure who made it though. The original Lyman nipple is lame at best.

Spitfire Magnum nipples are made(marketed) by Mountain State Mfg...


http://www.msmfg.com/

[New Hampshire]

Aahhh thank you gents.  I will indeed check them out.
Brian M.

[Carphunter]

I had mine at the range today.

btw, mine's a ss in 1:32 twist


Anything I pushed in the barrel would do fine at 50 yds.  I shot 240 Cheap Shots, 320 TC Maxi, and 405 buffalo bullet hp's.

At 100 yds, story changes.   the 405's (being pushed by 80 gn triple seven), droped about eight, and drifted 8 right from poa.  The 320 Maxi's did about the same at 80 gn, but at 100 gn, they seemed to only drop three, and drift three right.

The cheap shot (I was getting tired and only fired one) drifted 6 ish inches left, but was even on elevation.

Shooting....  I spit patch all the time, (so with a licked patch, 1 scrub with each side of patch, then 1 scrub with each side of clean, dry patch).  

I was only firmly hand seating...not doing a rod bounce (Because a couple of the bullet types I was trying I thought might deform.

I tried loads of 70, 80 90 and 100 for the cheap shots and the maxis.  

I only took the .405's up to about 80 (because I really didn't know if I wanted 90 or 100 gn behind that bullet....wasn't sure about the pressure).

Anyways... When I started shooting, I was getting a misfire about every other attempt.  I picked the holes, just to check, and really started to make sure I was putting the cap on tight...   Over time, I didn't get misfires.  I'm thinking that when I stored the gun last, I may have pushed bore butter into the fire path from the nipple...in the future before storage, I'll block that all with a pipe cleaner.


So....  I had intended to get some  Precision Rifle Keith Nose .45 HP's in a .50 sabot.  Was going to try 330's.  Now I'm wondering, though, if this gun will get that round stabilized and keep it flying straight without drifting right.  I could try 270 and 300 gn also...but time's getting short.

I'm also going to make bigger targets.  At 100 yds, my fiber sight occludes the 5" shoot-n-c's I was using.

I will also do full rod bounce tamps to check my bullet seating in case I'm not getting things tight enough.

Well, 'nuff said for now.

Good luck anyone heading into the woods soon.

[FallingCrows]

I haven't been on this site for a while.
Even though I've shot 10+ round though my Deerstaker without a misfire. I still want to change to a different, better nipple.

Why? I was out in the woods and had chance to shoot at a Doe. And guess what...it misfires. Well, I attempted to clear out the nipple and recap before the deer took off. But I wasn't fast enough.

I'd like to change the gun over to a musket cap, but after reading you posts. It looks like I'll try a better nipple.

thanks for information,
skunkie.

[New Hampshire]

Hey Skunkie,

I did eventually switch over to the Knight Red Hot no.11 nipple.  Have not had a single problem since  :wink: .
Brian