Lyman Deer Stalker 50 cal

Lucky007

I am thinking about buying a Lyman Deerstalker 50 cal blued with the Lyman rear peep sights. Any suggestions on good deer loads? I would prefer something that has good expansion at about 100 yards....in the past, I have had good thru penetration with other 50 caliber traditional BP guns, but not very good terminal effects. In any case, this would be my first Lyman firearm.

allen griggs

Are you saying you have had bad results with the .50 patched round ball?

If so your experience is the exact opposite of mine.
I have killed over 60 deer with the 30-06.
I have killed 7 deer with the .50 round ball, and 6 more wild hogs with the round ball.
Day in and day out the round ball is a better deer killer than the 30-06.
I made lung shots on all deer shot with the round ball, and all were pass-throughs.
In no case did a deer get farther than 50 yards.
No hog made it past 40 yards.

Lucky007

No, I wasn't refering to patched round balls....and there is no possible way that a patched round ball could be a "better deer killer" than a 30-06, unless of course you are using full metal jacketed bullets downloaded to some insignificant velocity as your 30-06 comparison. But thanks for the reply to the thread anyway.

timhill100

lucky, ive been thinking of buying one of those also, been doing research, they seem to be good guns, im going to look at 1 in person on saturday, ill let you know if i buy it, mine will be flintlock model, as here in pa we have a late flintlock only season, i need a reliable but inexpensive flintlock just for that season

allen griggs

I have to hand it to you, Lucky.
Now that you have realized that you are completely ignorant of the subject at hand, it doesn't keep you from running your mouth.

Lucky007

Seriously Allen...You need to read my post and your posts VERY carefully. Their is no scientific, emperical or practical evidence to support your claim of the 30-06 (assuming you are talking about common hunting loads like you must have used to take all of those deer with) to be inferior to a patched round ball in a 50 caliber muzzle loader for the purpose of deer hunting at normal ranges. No one on this site or any other I am familier with would agree with your earlier claim. All of this is beside the point of my original question wherein I asked what loads would be considered best for a Lyman 50 caliber Deerstalker on deer at 100 yards. Merry Christmas anyway Allen.

Tim; I would really appreciate hearing how your flintlock test goes. From what I can tell, the rate of twist and barrel lengths are the same for both the precussion and flintlock versions of the Deerstalker. If you are using the Lyman #57 peep sight, I would also apprciate your opinion on how it works out for you relative to the tang mounted peep being better or worse than the original factory iron sights.

allen griggs

As I said, the less you know, the more you talk.

Lucky007

Allen...please leave my thread/post alone. I am looking for productive responses to my original question.

1shotcleaner

i personaly dont like threw and threw shots from a muzzel loader i like all of that energy to be deposeted in thr game. i shoot low powder granes and heavy bullets. thats how thies guns were developed. i shoot 70 granes and a 320 grane conical in all of my 50s the knock down is unbelivable it looks like the deer was hit with a cinderblock it usaly flips them over and only once did i get a threw nad threw shot that deer ran about 10 yards. i like dumping all of the energy in the game it stops them. i have shot a doe with a 30/06 hand gun the deer barly flinched and then went on her way, i switched to the shotgun on my lap and a high sholder shot stoped her. after skinning her i found the 06 shot had enterd low in the leg and chest as well as percing the hart but it was going so fast with a palimer tip she dident know she was shot, and dident even bleed.slow and hevy out does fast and light every time.

Varmintmist

Lucky, I have zero personal experiance with the Deerstalker, I have a bit with the GPR (Lyman Great Plains Rifle). I know a few that shoot the Deerstalker, those that do say they are ok at 50 yards. I dont know that they are trying them at 100 so I cant make a judgment. Mine and others that had investment arms bbls were happier with a different vent (flinter) than the one that came with the rifle.

The GPR at 100 with PRB, a decent load, and a good spark will shoot well below MOD (Min of deer) at 100 yards. The terminal effect of a PRB is a 1/2 inch hole to let the blood out. Unless you anchor them through the spine, or shoulder.

PA was open sights only for years, peeps are a new thing to be allowed on flinters. Some like them, others dont. Its a matter of what you are into I guess.

Lucky007

Thanks for the repolies. Maybe the fact that I was using 85 grains of 777 behind TC's Maxi's pushed the bullet at too high a velocity to dump it's energy in the deer instead of the giving me the complete penetration with very little expansion I was getting in my White Mountain carbine. This happened to be the most accurate load I could work up, and this was also the bullet that the TC customer service tech told me that the White Mountain was originally built for. I suppose what I will have to do is continue to experiment until I land on the load that is a good combination of velocity and terminal ballistics. I really appreciate the responses and the constructive comments.

timhill100

well i went to cooperstown trading post and looked at every flintlock they had and i bought the lyman deerstalker, i liked it better than the tc, actualy they are almost indentical except for the prce and waranty, i got the lyman deerstalker for 370.00 he threw in a pound of ffg powder also, the tc wouldve cost over 700.00, in my opion 330 extra is not worth the warranty, the guy who sold me the deerstalker said dont worry if you ever have a problem that he would take care of me, i have not shot it yet but i plan on strting with 80 gr ffg using a 370 gr maxi ball with wonder lube, this load works great in my percusion model new englander, hopefully i can get a good load worked up on friday then hunt on satyrday, ill keep you posted

Lucky007

Bad weather here...I won't be able to get out again before the season closes. If I go with the percusssion version of the Deerstalker, I will sell the two 50 cal TC White Mountain Carbines I already have. They shoot very well with the 385 gr TC Maxiballs and 80 grains of 777, but I think I will like the longer barrel and stock design of the Deerstalker even better.

timhill100

lucky are the tc flint or percusion models

Lucky007

They are both percussion models with the adjustable sights. I bought them (and am looking to get the Deerstalker) because I do not prefer the curved metal butt plate on many of the other traditional muzzle loaders of this type.

timhill100

still havnt made it to the range yet but so cold, and non stop snowing but heading out today using my tc new englander percusion, i got a scope on her with see thru mounts hopefully ill get a shot at something, ill be using 50 cal maxi balls with 80grs of ffg

Lucky007

Good luck on the hunt...be careful and let us know when you can how things work out.

timhill100

well went out last saturday, got up at 4am ate breakfast got ready it was very cold about 2 degrees without the wind chill, loaded up the deerstalker and slowy worked my way down the valley behind my house, started up the side of the hill, very steep with about 8 inches of snow on the ground, you know the kind 3 steps up slide 2 steps down.
saw lots of fresh tracks on my 1.5 mile trek, got to my spot a old overgrown powerline. set up my little stoll got all hunkered down and bundled up, was there 15mins when my cell phone went off, was my live in girl friend, her car wouldnt start, i had to trek back out and take her to work, I WAS SO MAD, but what can you do. by the time i got back, i didnt feel like going back out so i set up a coffe can at about 50yards in my back yard fired the flintlock and hid dead center.
then i went back to bed.
goint to try again this saturday but leaving the phone at home

andersk

If you're thinking of hunting, I would not use a flint lock unless you are prepared to lose out on some shots because of inherent problems with the flint lock. Rain, snow and moisture and bad flints are all part of the drill with flint locks.

If your state only allows flint locks ... well, ya gotta go with it! Just try to keep everything dry!

The percussion cap is the way to go unless you don't mind an in-line. I have PC long guns and an in-line. I use the in-line almost all the time for hunting. The nasty click is a most dreaded sound when you have a nice deer in the sights! Ya just gotta have a bang at that point.

Most of my shots are thru and through, and I have yet to see the deer does not take another step.

My favorite in-line is the T/C Omega 50. And PC longs guns are mostly all the same. I do prefer Italian made guns to Spanish made guns. They seem to be better made to my eye. I have five different PC, and they are all about the same. All are lots of fun!

I've heard different views on peep sights - like them or don't like them. A 100 yard shot with a muzzle loader is pretty far unless you get to practice a lot. And the in-line shooting sabot bullets would probably be more reliable, if the law permits them.

timhill100

in pa the state im in its flintlock only season this late in the year,
we do have a early muzzleloader season where you can use any type you wish, for that season i got a tc new englander with a 4x scope on top of see thru mounts, it shoots great, i could take out the shotgun but then im restricted to does only, i dont realy shoot does i only go after bucks, 8 point or better,