Back into BP

hodaka · March 13, 2011, 07:41 AM

After a 30 year break I have gotten back into the BP game. My first purchase was an Uberti 1860 Army. Had so much fun with it that I bought a Lyman GP percussion. I shoot rifles a lot but I am amazed with the accuracy of these little round balls. I'm having a lot of fun and will undoubtedly have some questions coming up. For the GP rifle, I am shooting pistol Pyrodex, 70g with a lubed 0.10 patch with a 0.490 Lyman ball. The biggest problem I've had is the need to hit the cap twice due to not seating it enough. I have begun tapping it down with a dowel although that makes me nervous.

In high school I had built a CVA flintlock that I shot a bunch until the thing quit sparking and I put it away. I may add another Lyman flinter soon.

Regards

Rifleman1776 · March 13, 2011, 07:45 AM

Welcome back to the world of muzzle loading.
Your caps are probably a size too small.
The frizzen on your CVA rifle can be rehardened to start sparking again.

Hawg · March 13, 2011, 08:02 AM

Use steady pressure to seat the caps. They're not pressure sensitive.

rdstrain49 · March 13, 2011, 10:02 AM

hodaka;

You didn't say how you are capping the rifle. Are you using a capper? If you are and can't seat the cap, try another size/brand etc. You also didn't say if you were using #10 or #11 caps. Most of my rifles use #11 and most of my hand guns use #10. Now get off that stupid "puter and go make some smoke.

BTW, welcome back to the dark side

Just an after thought, I have to wonder how many folks know who or what a Hodaka is, I do.

mykeal · March 13, 2011, 10:04 AM

I'm going to go another way - the OEM nipple on a GPR (I assume you bought it new or that it has factory original parts) is, in a word, junk. Or perhaps junque. The inexpensive answer is to fiddle with it as suggested above - nothing wrong with that, but you'll be happier if you replace it with almost any of the quality after market nipples available. I recommend Treso part number 11-50-03 (Track of the Wolf catalog number RLP-A). It's a metric thread, M6X0.75, 0.603" tall. Be sure to get a rifle nipple in that thread; the pistol nipples are too short, on the order of 0.520".

Doc Hoy · March 13, 2011, 10:11 AM

.....Took a break (in my case imposed by my thankfully Ex wife) and then came back. Present wife is a great improvement to my accuracy. (I don't ask her to go shooting and she doesn't ask me to go to church.)

Odd though, that your enjoyment of the revolvers impelled you to buy a rifle..... To me, enjoying a revolver, makes me want..... (you guessed it) another revolver.

Welcome to the congregation.

junkman_01 · March 13, 2011, 11:57 AM

Quote:

I don't ask her to go shooting and she doesn't ask me to go to church

Doc,

You crack me up. You're a real 'pistol', as they say.

Doc Hoy · March 13, 2011, 12:39 PM

She talked me into going to church about four years ago. During the service, the church was struck by lightening. I figure the lord was trying to tell me something.

After the service, the others ask me what I though of the message. I told them, "I got it."

Please understand this is all light hearted fun, not intended as a slight on anyone and Of course, Waaay of the topic, which as a reminder had to do with our joy over Hodaka rejoining the flock.

So I will add to Mykeal's sentiments by saying that I am among those who have solved a problem with Treso nipples.

Hawg · March 13, 2011, 01:08 PM

Welcome Hodaka. I had a Hodaka about 100 years ago

hodaka · March 13, 2011, 10:02 PM

Thanks for the welcome! I will not do much shootin this week as I am on vacation. Question for you though. After about 100 rounds through the GP rifle I'm getting what I consider good accuracy at 100 yards........well sort of. The first round out of a clean, cold barrel tends to hit about a foot low. The next 3 or 4 will hit the mark, a 2.5 x 2.5 Post It note ( I like the dark ones on a sheet of butcher paper). After that, the accuracy becomes much worse. This pattern has repeated itself on the past 3 trips.

My Hodaka, a Super Rat, is long gone, but the handle hints at my age and I've been using it for a long time. I have been lurking in the BP area of the forums for a while and am really learning a lot. I also have a 30 year old brass Navy (Pietta I think) that needs some parts and work. A spring broke and it has lived in a coffee can in my garage for a long time. Another project.

ps - I can only find CCI #11's locally. I am using a pistol capper. I will be placing an order to Powder Valley soon and I plan to get some Remington #10's along with my other centerfire stuff.

Bill Akins · March 13, 2011, 11:47 PM

Welcome back to the smoke poles Hodaka.

.

mykeal · March 14, 2011, 06:22 AM

Deleted - misread the OP's last post.

kwhi43 · March 14, 2011, 12:09 PM

If ya be needing a good rifle, I will have a Thompson Center 50 Hawken Cap
for sale here by the end of the week.

March 13, 2011, 10:02 AM	#4
rdstrain49 Member Join Date: December 30, 2010 Location: South Central, Iowa Posts: 65	hodaka; You didn't say how you are capping the rifle. Are you using a capper? If you are and can't seat the cap, try another size/brand etc. You also didn't say if you were using #10 or #11 caps. Most of my rifles use #11 and most of my hand guns use #10. Now get off that stupid "puter and go make some smoke. BTW, welcome back to the dark side Just an after thought, I have to wonder how many folks know who or what a Hodaka is, I do. __________________ "Going to war without France is like going deer hunting without your accordion." —Norman Schwartzkopf

March 13, 2011, 10:11 AM	#6
Doc Hoy Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2008 Location: Naples, Fl Posts: 5,440	You did exactly what I did.... .....Took a break (in my case imposed by my thankfully Ex wife) and then came back. Present wife is a great improvement to my accuracy. (I don't ask her to go shooting and she doesn't ask me to go to church.) Odd though, that your enjoyment of the revolvers impelled you to buy a rifle..... To me, enjoying a revolver, makes me want..... (you guessed it) another revolver. Welcome to the congregation. __________________ Seek truth. Relax. Take a breath.

March 13, 2011, 12:39 PM	#8
Doc Hoy Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2008 Location: Naples, Fl Posts: 5,440	JM1 She talked me into going to church about four years ago. During the service, the church was struck by lightening. I figure the lord was trying to tell me something. After the service, the others ask me what I though of the message. I told them, "I got it." Please understand this is all light hearted fun, not intended as a slight on anyone and Of course, Waaay of the topic, which as a reminder had to do with our joy over Hodaka rejoining the flock. So I will add to Mykeal's sentiments by saying that I am among those who have solved a problem with Treso nipples. __________________ Seek truth. Relax. Take a breath.

March 13, 2011, 07:41 AM	#1
hodaka Senior Member Join Date: April 23, 2006 Location: South Texas Posts: 2,010	Back into BP After a 30 year break I have gotten back into the BP game. My first purchase was an Uberti 1860 Army. Had so much fun with it that I bought a Lyman GP percussion. I shoot rifles a lot but I am amazed with the accuracy of these little round balls. I'm having a lot of fun and will undoubtedly have some questions coming up. For the GP rifle, I am shooting pistol Pyrodex, 70g with a lubed 0.10 patch with a 0.490 Lyman ball. The biggest problem I've had is the need to hit the cap twice due to not seating it enough. I have begun tapping it down with a dowel although that makes me nervous. In high school I had built a CVA flintlock that I shot a bunch until the thing quit sparking and I put it away. I may add another Lyman flinter soon. Regards

March 13, 2011, 07:45 AM	#2
Rifleman1776 Senior Member Join Date: April 25, 2010 Location: Arkansas Posts: 3,309	Welcome back to the world of muzzle loading. Your caps are probably a size too small. The frizzen on your CVA rifle can be rehardened to start sparking again.

March 13, 2011, 08:02 AM	#3
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,188	Use steady pressure to seat the caps. They're not pressure sensitive.

March 13, 2011, 10:04 AM	#5
mykeal Senior Member Join Date: October 8, 2006 Location: Northern Michigan Posts: 2,772	I'm going to go another way - the OEM nipple on a GPR (I assume you bought it new or that it has factory original parts) is, in a word, junk. Or perhaps junque. The inexpensive answer is to fiddle with it as suggested above - nothing wrong with that, but you'll be happier if you replace it with almost any of the quality after market nipples available. I recommend Treso part number 11-50-03 (Track of the Wolf catalog number RLP-A). It's a metric thread, M6X0.75, 0.603" tall. Be sure to get a rifle nipple in that thread; the pistol nipples are too short, on the order of 0.520".

March 13, 2011, 01:08 PM	#9
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,188	Welcome Hodaka. I had a Hodaka about 100 years ago

March 13, 2011, 10:02 PM	#10
hodaka Senior Member Join Date: April 23, 2006 Location: South Texas Posts: 2,010	Thanks for the welcome! I will not do much shootin this week as I am on vacation. Question for you though. After about 100 rounds through the GP rifle I'm getting what I consider good accuracy at 100 yards........well sort of. The first round out of a clean, cold barrel tends to hit about a foot low. The next 3 or 4 will hit the mark, a 2.5 x 2.5 Post It note ( I like the dark ones on a sheet of butcher paper). After that, the accuracy becomes much worse. This pattern has repeated itself on the past 3 trips. My Hodaka, a Super Rat, is long gone, but the handle hints at my age and I've been using it for a long time. I have been lurking in the BP area of the forums for a while and am really learning a lot. I also have a 30 year old brass Navy (Pietta I think) that needs some parts and work. A spring broke and it has lived in a coffee can in my garage for a long time. Another project. ps - I can only find CCI #11's locally. I am using a pistol capper. I will be placing an order to Powder Valley soon and I plan to get some Remington #10's along with my other centerfire stuff.

March 13, 2011, 11:47 PM	#11
Bill Akins Senior Member Join Date: August 28, 2007 Location: Hudson, Florida Posts: 1,135	Welcome back to the smoke poles Hodaka. . __________________ "This is my Remy and this is my Colt. Remy loads easy and topstrap strong, Colt balances better and never feels wrong. A repro black powder revolver gun, they smoke and shoot lead and give me much fun. I can't figure out which one I like better, they're both fine revolvers that fit in my leather". "To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target".

March 14, 2011, 06:22 AM	#12
mykeal Senior Member Join Date: October 8, 2006 Location: Northern Michigan Posts: 2,772	Deleted - misread the OP's last post.

March 14, 2011, 12:09 PM	#13
kwhi43 Senior Member Join Date: August 21, 2008 Location: Kansas City Posts: 1,393	If ya be needing a good rifle, I will have a Thompson Center 50 Hawken Cap for sale here by the end of the week.