Question

[Vadeerhunter]

Other than a patched round ball looking for some other bullet for my springfield hawken sidelock with a 1 in 66 twist that would shoot pretty well.also does anyone make a different barrel that would fit that gun with a little faster twist in the rifleing.would like a 1 in 48 twist.she is a sweet shooter but just looking to experiment an burn more powder.ANY SUGGESTIONS?

 

[Semisane]

If it's a 50 caliber, the 250 grain Lee REAL is pretty short and tends to work in slow twist barrels. I have no experience with 54 caliber, but I suspect the 300 grain .54 REAL would do the same.

 

[Vadeerhunter]

SEMISANE....I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT IT IS A 50 CALIBER.LEFT HAND MODEL.......NOT ALOT OF SIDELOCKS FOR US LEFTHANDED PEOPLE.THANKS FOR THE SUGGESTION.

 

[n8dawg6]

buffalo ball-ets, and also i think hornady made a little lead boolet that was supposed to be a replacement for roundballs. cant remember the name of 'em off the top of my head

pa conical, thats the name of 'em

https://www.hornady.com/shop/?ps_sessio ... cd3834ac1d

 

[cayuga]

Don't be surprised if the only thing you find that is accurate out of that 1-66 twist is a roundball. That barrel is purchased for that reason. To shoot roundball.

 

[cayuga]

My friend's son has a Tradition Springfield Hawkins but his has a 1-48 twist. Your rifle must be an old one.

 

[Vadeerhunter]

cayuga......actually it is only 8 years old.......looks brand new.she is an excellent shooter but was hoping for something alittle different to play around with.if i could find another barrel with a 1 in 48 twist i would probably go for it an burn more powder.

 

[cayuga]

Don't under estimate that roundball barrel. I buy rifles specifically because of that kind of twist. A roundball is deadly. No question. Granted, they do not have the ballistics of a sabot, but in the right hands and right range and circumstances, they have never failed me hunting.

 

[bsn]

My 1 in 66 Hawken shot the buffalo Ballets pretty well

 

[cayuga]

I have three of the slow twist barrels, and while they will shoot the buffalo bullets alright, they are not anywhere as good as with a roundball.

 

[Vadeerhunter]

I just wanted to hopefully find a different bullet to load in that muzzleloader.kinda of wanted to experiment with something different other than the pumkin balls.she shoots excellent...killed many a deer with her using patch an ball.Hopefully when my son gets a few years older i will pass it down to him.

 

[richdeerht]

On several of my rifles with round ball barrels, I've gotten good groups from the Hornady PA conical and also with Powerbelts. The PA conical shoots better with a hefty (90 gr or more) powder charge to get it to fill the rifling, but that's OK in a hunting load. The Powerbelt is easy to load and has a good reputation on deer from flintlocks.

With good hits, the .50 roundball works well, too. The other bullets are just a little easier to load and carry.

Try some and see what your gun likes. Often, the point of impact is about the same as with roundballs.

 

[mossie]

See if you can fit a Green Mountian 1:28 twist barrel to it. I am sure it could be done. Shoot saboted pistol bullets and you will have a good deer rifle. Patched roundballs work well but cannot compete with the saboted bullets at the longer ranges. I will always have a roundball rifle but I do like the saboted pistol bullets for hunting a little better.

 

[n8dawg6]

GM won't do a barrel for a left hand model ... i tried

 

[Vadeerhunter]

been looking at some other options..such as.............a new sidelock..a lyman hunter has really caught my eye.anyone have or shot 1?if so what are your thoughts on it .....all pros an cons.was at a local sporting goods store an saw it...sweet looking but maybe a little on the heavy side.shoulders very nice though.ANY OPINONS?

 

[n8dawg6]

NOW you're talkin ... buy another gun . no 1st hand experience with the great plains hunter, but i have a lyman deerstalker. my impression is, the lymans are pretty good. definitely a step above the spanish rifles from a quality standpoint. however, i would say that T/C's are better. keep your eye open for used or even new (old stock) t/c's, they can be found for decent prices. a renegade or hawken would be a great rifle, and you always have the barrel interchangeability w/ the GM barrels. new englander/grey hawk is a great rifle too, you can get a replacement 12 gauge barrel for it

 

[Vadeerhunter]

n8dawg6.........thanks for the advice.will check out tcs website an see what all in left hand they have to offer.only problem i see with buying used is how well the previous owner took care of it.but i guess that goes with anything you buy used nowadays.THANKS AGAIN.

 

[n8dawg6]

i would say don't get too fixated on lefty rifles, either. i shoot left-handed, and have no problem shooting right-handed sidelocks. also, there is much more in the way of replacement barrels available for the right-handed rifles.

 

[cayuga]

If this were a flintlock you wanted then I would say to stick with the true left handed model. I have friends who are left handed and shoot right handed percussion cap rifles. Although they claim when they finally shoot a left handed rifle they are more comfortable.

The Lyman Great Plains Hunter is a 1:32 twist 32" barrel. They will shoot conicals, and sabots. They are a little heavy. That is a draw back if you walk a lot where you hunt. Believe me, an extra pound or two after a five mile hike starts to feel like 20 pounds. But if you stalk or stand hunt, the extra weight is an advantage in recoil and even balance.

Extra barrels for the Lyman rifles are available as well. You can get a 1-60 roundball barrel for them, right or left handed. And I think if you check with GMB they might have started making a replacement drop in barrel for the GPH as well.

Lyman makes a good rifle hands down. They are well made, look good other then they often times do not hand finish the stocks. A little tongue oil and some elbow grease and you can gloss them right up. Or seal them. Their furniture to hardware fit is very good. And over all they are a good shooter.

I own a Lyman Trade Rifle in .54 caliber and it is a good shooting rifle.

 

[Vadeerhunter]

I would really like to have a sidelock that would look like my 1873 springfield armory.but that would be a little on the heavy side.will check out some others an keep you posted.there is a wealth of knowledge here at this forum.my wife says i was born in the wrong era.nothing wrong with those times .....sure they were harder...but look at the times today.